Christian accompanied Lady Acker to the old mansion Charlie’s parents used to stay in twenty minutes later. The Ackers’ convoy quickly left Willow Manor and headed for the city of Aurous Hill. At the same time, Charlie was also driving from the city in the direction of Willow Manor. He planned to go to Champs Elys Resort, and the straight-line distance between Willow Manor and Champs Elys Resort was very close, only separated by two mountains. Therefore, most of the journey from the city to Willow Manor and from the city to Champs Elys Resort overlapped. When Charlie was on the highway out of the city, he saw an oncoming convoy coming from the opposite direction.Before he set off, Merlin had sent him a text message to inform him that his grandmother would be visiting the old mansion his parents used to stay in today. Therefore, even though the two parties passed each other at extremely fast speeds, Charlie could still tell that this was the Ackers’ convoy.However, Charlie was
Meanwhile, in the old town district of Aurous Hill. The Ackers’ originally eye-catching convoy had dispersed before entering the old town district, making it less eye-catching. However, all vehicles were still closely guarding the vehicle that Charlie’s grandmother and uncle were riding in from all directions. Helen and Sophie had already had breakfast in the old mansion that Charlie’s parents used to live in.Sophie was already dressed up smartly, and she picked up her handbag and said to Helen, “Mom, I’m going to Aurous University of Finance and Economics.”Helen nodded and said, “Drive safely on the road. Will you be coming back for lunch?”Sophie said, “I won’t be coming back at noon. Autumn and I will have lunch together at the cafeteria at Aurous University of Finance and Economics.”As one of the people in charge of Ito-Schulz Ocean Shipping Group, Sophie had been going to Aurous University of Finance and Economics with Autumn every day recently to look for Yolden for ma
“Huh?” Helen exclaimed as she looked at the old lady in surprise. “You’re Lady Acker?! Please come in! Mr. Christian, please come in too!”With that said, she quickly opened the door.Helen did not understand why Lady Acker would come to see her at first but soon realized that the purpose of the old lady’s visit should not have anything to do with her.Based on Charlie’s instruction, she immediately concluded that the old lady’s purpose in coming here must be to find out clues about Charlie. Lady Acker and Christian thanked Helen and followed her in. Sophie walked out of the inner door at this moment and could not help but feel a little confused when she saw an old lady and a middle-aged man walking into the courtyard. Helen quickly introduced, “Lady Acker and Mr. Christian, this is my daughter, Sophie. Sophie, this is Lady Acker and Mr. Christian from the Acker family in the United States.”Sophie subconsciously blurted out, “Lady Acker… Isn’t that Mr. Wade…”Sophie initially
When Helen saw that Lady Acker seemed to be in low spirits, she comforted her somewhat apologetically, “Lady Acker, I just moved in here not long ago. I don’t know if Charlie has been here for so many years before I moved in, so you don’t have to be so pessimistic and worry too much.”Lady Acker nodded slightly and sighed as she said, “I have no doubts that Charlie is still alive, but I can find too few clues related to Charlie now. If any one of these clues are broken, it would mean that there will be one less clue…”Helen smiled and said, “Lady Acker, perhaps it’s just not the right time for you to be reunited with him now. When the time is right, I believe he will come to meet you even if he is far away.”Lady Acker smiled wryly and said, “I believe what you’ve said. I’m just afraid that I will not be able to wait for that day when I’m already at this age.”Helen could not help but feel a little distressed when she saw the old lady was so melancholy. Aurous Hill was definitely
Everyone stood up from their futons and bowed to Caden to express their gratitude before they walked out while relaxing their muscles.Nanako was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, she asked Aurora excitedly, “Aurora, have you mastered the secret of endoscopic ability?”Aurora scratched her head and said, “It seems like it, but it doesn’t seem like it either… It feels like the bottom of a particularly deep pond. When I try to dive down, I can’t go any further every time when I feel that I’m almost at the bottom. It’s really annoying…”After saying that, she asked Nanako, “Nanako, you look so excited. Have you already mastered it?!”Nanako nodded heavily and exclaimed in a low voice, “I seem to have mastered the secret of endoscopic ability. It’s just like the diving that you mentioned. I always could not dive further down in the beginning, and I felt that the closer I was to the bottom of the pond, the greater the repulsive force of the water. There seems to be forces pushing me tow
Caden praised and affirmed Nanako’s talent, but Nanako was extremely humble. After bowing deeply, she said calmly, “Thank you for your compliment, Master Howton. I’m just like an elementary school student who has just started compared to you, so I dare not say that I’m a martial arts genius. I should work harder since I’ve just discovered my endoscopic ability.”Caden complimented her and said, “In addition to talent, a good martial arts methodology is the second element of martial arts practice, and not being arrogant or impetuous is the third element of martial arts practice. Miss Ito, your future will certainly be unlimited since you have all three of these elements!”Nanako bowed again and said, “Thank you for your affirmation, Master Howton. I’ll certainly do my best!”Caden nodded and said with a smile, “The lunch break is short, so you should go and eat quickly. We will continue our lessons in the afternoon.”Nanako smiled, then shook her head and said, “I won’t be taking a
Charlie asked her: ‘Why do you want to thank me?’Nanako said: ‘You’ve helped me so much and even arranged for me to learn martial arts here. Isn’t it right for me to treat you to a meal now that I’ve finally entered the path of martial arts? Just think of it as a thank-you meal. Charlie-kun, I wonder if you’ll do me the honor?’Charlie thought for a moment and replied readily: ‘No problem. Just tell me the time, and I’ll be there on time.’Nanako replied: ‘Master Howton’s classes end at half past six in the evening every day. Let’s meet up a little later. What about 8:00 PM?’Charlie replied: ‘No problem. You should practice hard, then. I’ll see you at night.’Nanako was elated and hurriedly replied: ‘See you tonight!’Charlie knew that Nanako was eager to practice, so he did not plan to go in and bother Nanako. He replied directly: ‘In that case, you should go and practice well first. We will talk more when we meet later at night.’Nanako replied: ‘Okay!’ She then turned on th
Meanwhile, at Scarlet Pinnacle Manor. Vera was standing in front of the desk, looking at the landscape painting in front of her that was already completed. The winding mountains stood tall in the painting, and there seemed to be ripples in the water in the lake, which was extremely beautiful. Vera stretched out her slender fingers and touched the thickest part of the painting like a dragonfly splashing on water. After determining that there was no sticky feeling, she looked at her clean fingertip again and saw that there was no ink stain there. Thus, she was certain that the painting was already completely dry.She then used the scroll that she had prepared to carefully mount the painting into a golden scroll. After the mounting was completed and rolled into a scroll, Vera sealed the scroll with a silk ribbon. Mr. Raven’s voice sounded outside the door as he said, “Miss, can I come in?”Vera said loudly, “Come in.”Mr. Raven, who was already slightly hunched, staggered in. W
However, Jimmy realized something important even as he sighed in relief. "Wait, Mr. Wade… I know I should settle things in the family Stateside, but won't I be arrested upon arrival?""That's Julien's department," Charlie chuckled and turned toward the man. "Tell your butler not to send the evidence to the feds. If it has reached them already, ask to have it back and tell the feds they saw nothing."Julien promptly nodded. "I'll text him right now. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Wade."Jimmy remained worried. "But sir, I think Nate's not going to let this slide. The man is cunning—he deliberately dug a pit so we'd fall into it, and he gathered all the dirt he could on us to be used as leverage when necessary."Charlie shook his head. "That's no big deal. Julien can make sure that you're fine even if the feds get the evidence."Julien nodded nearby. "Don't worry, Mr. Wade. The decision remains in your hands, either way. Just say the word, and it's 25 to life… otherwise, not e
The fact that Jimmy was a partner in Ares LLP already meant he had skill, while Matilda had herself been retired for years and definitely had lost her touch a little. So, having someone like Jimmy who had stayed on the frontlines all this while would definitely be no issue.And in turn, it was a good thing for Jimmy as it was better than the kennels either way.Charlie then asked Jimmy pointedly, "You say you're interested, but are you sincere about it?"Jimmy nodded without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!""No regrets? We're talking about ten years here.""None, absolutely none!""Do you know what to say if anyone asks?""Yes, of course! I chose to further my career here in Oskia, and it was absolutely voluntary! That's what I'd say even if my family asked!"Charlie nodded. "Good. Then, you will have two weeks. Go home and set your affairs in order and report in for work afterward.""No problem!" Jimmy nodded repeatedly, actually surprised and grateful that Charlie would let hi
And yet, Julien was suddenly clapping his hands, and exclaiming excitedly, "Yes, right! We should get his wife and son over too for a happy reunion!"He then paused and quickly corrected himself, "Wait, no! I mean, they should each be caged with one empty cage separating each of their cages. They can see each other and talk, but there will be no touching. How dare he flex on me—I gotta teach him a lesson to remember!"Jimmy dropped limply on his rump, and Matilda beckoned for Paul to help him up while turning toward Julien as she pursed her lips. "Please, Mr. Rothschild… Even if you don't accept his apology, don't bring his family into this. It's against Oskian tradition—you'd insult your family's name!"Julien shrugged, not hesitating to retort, "What do your traditions have to do with me? If I mean to hurt him, forget his family—I'll drag his dogs over too!"Seeing that Julien was so furious, Charlie decided to stop him, or he might actually go through with it."That's enough, J
Holding up a thumb at Charlie, Julien exclaimed in approval, "You're right, my friend! That's far more exciting than having him jailed!"Just hearing that he would be sent to a kennel, Jimmy knew nothing would come of it—even if he didn't know the details, it was so obvious that Julien was thrilled by the very idea!Turning nervously toward Charlie, he was sobbing as he asked, "Mr. Wade…? What's this about a kennel…?"Julien chuckled coolly even before Charlie said a word. "A kennel is where you keep dogs, of course. Though there are literal dogs and metaphorical dogs, and you are the latter."Oh, don't worry. It's a really nice place where you get your own cage, and you'll be fed every day. You don't even have to work, so just sit tight and keep eating until the day you die."Jimmy's soul left his body in that instant.He was going to be locked in a cage?! That was way worse than being locked up and sent to jail! Where was the humanity around here?!Even as the thought struck h
Matilda was actually caught off guard by Jimmy's pleas, and even Paul found it hard to watch.Turning to Charlie, he said, "Please, Mr. Wade—my uncle can be a little despicable, but he is my father's brother. Please, let him have a chance to turn over a new leaf, seeing that he's earnestly repenting."While Paul spoke with Charlie, Jimmy was still confused and wondered why Paul would plead his case with Charlie instead of Julien. If there was anyone Paul should ask, it was Yolden since he was Julien's friend. So, why would he ask some young man instead of Yolden?That was when Charlie asked in curiosity, "You want to let him off? After he tried to take away your parents' legacy?"Paul smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I know the guy. He made sure to travel all this way to make a scene because he had nothing legal that could help him claim Smith Group Corporate Law from us. Otherwise, he'd have already filed the lawsuit in the States. Sure, it's a dirty move, but that's basically a des
As Julien finished, he realized something was wrong and turned toward Charlie before he knew it.Charlie held his gaze in turn, his expression quizzical and amused.Julien cleared his throat right then. "See, there are people who can order me around, but they have my utmost respect. However, a third-rate lawyer like you? Who do you think you are?"That was when Julien's butler called, and he reported respectfully as soon as the call was answered, "Sir, I've spoken with Nate Ellis, the owner of Ares LLC. He has since agreed to fire Jimmy Smith right away as well as disbar him nationwide."Julien asked, "Good. Anything else?""Well, Mr. Ellis also delivered some documents that can be used as evidence against Jimmy Smith, which he claims is enough for a lifetime sentence. If you deem it necessary, we can have it sent to the FBI.""Yes, let's go with that!" Julien replied, his tone satisfied. "And ask the director to handle it personally—I want this prick to never set foot stateside
Jimmy was sweating profusely in fear, but he argued back before he knew it, "That's impossible! Everything you say is bullshit! Gaiman simply thought he had a fair chance of winning and didn't want to pay Ares that much, and I have no idea who he partnered with, and I'm certainly not involved. Don't you try to slander me!"Nate chuckled. "Come on, Jimmy. We're all adults here, so there are things we shouldn't have to be so direct about. Mills Gaiman and your old classmate met in private many times, not to mention the private conferences you three had in secret, discussing your overall strategy and decisive points. Just so you know, Gaiman recorded every conversation, and I have the tapes with me."Jimmy's heart was left pounding as he blurted, "B-Bullshit! That's impossible!""Grow up, Jimmy," Mr.Goodman chuckled. "Every partner in every law firm always strives to rise higher, so I'm going to need as much leverage as I can. Otherwise, I'm not about to let them advance any further, e
Although the ringtone and vibration frequency were the ones Jimmy always used, this call somehow felt more urgent, leaving him exceedingly uneasy.When it abruptly stopped and left a missed call on his log, Nate Ellis soon sent a text: [Answer your damn phone this instant!]Just seeing the text left Jimmy feeling like his throat had gone dry, and as he gulped, it felt like his throat was being ripped, leaving him hurting.Still, he couldn't care less as his boss called again.Having seen the text, Jimmy didn't hesitate this time and promptly answered, watching Julien's smug face as he started tentatively, "Y-Yes, boss...?"Nate immediately yelled at him hysterically, "What the hell did you do?! Why did the Rothschilds call to complain about you?! And the complaint was from their heir apparent, at that! I worked hard for them and always toed the line for years, and I still haven't gotten a chance to meet the man, so how the fuck did you upset him?!"Jimmy's heart sank to rock bott
Fuming, Jimmy snapped at Julien, "If you insist on playing it like that, I will call my boss, and you can talk to him yourself!"Julien chuckled. "That's unnecessary. I've never met him. He would never recognize my voice."Jimmy laughed and nodded despite himself. "Impressive—you can really come up with anything! You don't have his number because he's beneath you, you refuse to call him because he's beneath you, and when I say I'll call him for you, you say he won't recognize your voice. Well, how do you suppose we should sort this out? At least prove you're a Rothschild, or anyone could claim that they are—"Julien held up a hand to stop him. "Then, how about this? I'll ask my butler to talk to your boss."Jimmy laughed even more loudly as if it were the best joke ever. "Hahaha!!! Butler, you say?! You really know how to talk! Alright, I'll wait and see what your 'butler' can do… I mean, what you can do. We'll see whether my boss calls me!"Julien ignored him and whipped out his