Mag-log inBeatrice's face turned pale.
These two options—she didn’t want to choose either!
“I’ll give you ten minutes to consider,” Charlie said politely, tone impeccably courteous, yet his cold eyes were like those of a stern examiner holding a ticking stopwatch.
“If you can’t decide, I’ll choose for you.”
“You—! You’re forcing me!” Beatrice snapped, furious.
“Dearest mother, one must
Charlie sat down next to Edward.He helped Edward control Gabrielle, his pair of peach blossom eyes looking at her, his gaze gentle yet revealing a captivating depth, "Gabrielle, why aren't you talking to me today? You used to like me so much, does your hand hurt? Let me blow on it for you?"He not only called her name intimately, but his voice was also exceptionally gentle.So gentle that Edward got goosebumps.Ollie's face was blank.He couldn't quite understand what his brother, with his eight hundred schemes, was doing.Charlie's voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, as the out-of-control Gabrielle actually quieted down a bit.She tilted her head, her eyes empty and dazed.She looked at Charlie, then turned her head to look at Edward, as if making a choice between them."It hurts, it hurts so much, waaaah~~~~" she started crying again, leaning towards Charlie, throwing herself into his arms, "waaaah~~~ blow on
He had to be kidding…How could he come alone, with no plan!What good was one person? Was he trying to collect seven heads to summon a dragon?Everyone's mental state was taking a nosedive. That sudden feeling… it was like watching your favorite idol get exposed."Mr. Clemens, there's no one else here. If you're worried about someone eavesdropping, you can whisper. No need to hide it from us," Mike said quickly, lowering his voice. He refused to believe that Charlie, with his cunning and vengeful nature, wouldn't have a backup plan."Why would I hide anything from you? I came on the boat alone, and I didn't have time to call for reinforcements. I can only try to see if there's room for negotiation."Charlie, with his aloof and handsome face, was saying things that made people's brains short-circuit.Ollie stared blankly at his older brother. "So, the negotiation was a success?"Charlie wasn't embarrassed at all. "Nope, it failed."Edward was torn between laughter and tears. "…Honey,
The smile froze on Belinda’s face, making her features look even more distorted and grotesque.Perhaps she hadn’t expected this man—who looked every bit the refined, noble gentleman—to speak with such blunt, childlike disregard for social graces. She was so incensed she couldn’t find the words to retaliate."My apologies," Charlie said with a slight smile. "I’m not in the habit of lying. I hope you don’t mind.""..."Belinda gritted her teeth.She decided to abandon this self-inflicted humiliation of a topic. "Mr. Clemens doesn't seem surprised to see me. It seems you’ve already guessed it was I who invited your friends onto my ship to 'play.'"Charlie replied in a relaxed manner, "I had my suspicions. Tell me, how are they enjoying themselves?""Quite well," Belinda said, her smile returning with a vengeance. "I asked for one of Miss. Lawrence's fingers as a welcoming gift. They weren't
"I don’t want much," Candice said calmly. "I just have a few lingering doubts I’d like Mr. Fletcher to clear up. And while we’re at it, I’d like to borrow your phone for a few calls."Dante froze for a heartbeat.*She wasn’t forcing him to go to that deathtrap with her?*A wave of relief washed over him. He forced a casual cough, raising his voice for the benefit of the room. "So that’s what Miss Hale meant. My apologies for the misunderstanding. Let’s sit over there, shall we?"He pointed toward a partitioned coffee booth shielded by decorative greenery.The three of them walked over. Jerry, snapping back to his senses, followed closely behind to act as a lookout, ensuring no curious guests could sneak close enough to eavesdrop.The expressions of the people left in the hall grew increasingly subtle and uneasy.Once behind the partition, a visibly tense Dante took the initiative to ask, "Miss
The air in the grand hall turned to ice.Jerry’s eyes darted frantically between Candice and Kyle. His heart hammered against his ribs; he knew that if either of them "exploded" right now, there wasn't a soul alive who could stabilize the fallout.Further off, the guests in the hall began to cast lingering glances toward the trio. However, being the "sly foxes" they were, the vast majority had no intention of wading into these muddy waters. No one dared to step closer.Ever since the cellular signal had been restored, every guest had remained glued to the hall. They were experts at reading the room—they knew exactly when they could act tough and exactly which lines could never be crossed. Mr. Fletcher had already lost all face today. If anyone was foolish enough to sneak a phone call and leak the gossip now, it would truly ignite his wrath. Offending a man like Dante to his face brought zero benefits.They were content to watch the fire from a
"Are you certain that was Gabrielle?""I’m certain. Miss Lawrence was running in a panic, as if someone was chasing her. I didn't know what was happening then, but having heard that she and Young Master Edward were abducted, I assume a kidnapper was after her.""You assume?"Kyle repeated those two words. "So, you only saw her running alone?"The man from the acrobatics troupe seemed to recall the moment carefully before saying with certainty, "Yes, just her."Jerry added, "Didn't you say you chased her for a bit? Where did she finally disappear?""Uh, that..." The man began racking his brain for an excuse.Jerry cut him off, exposing the lie. "Actually, you didn't chase her at all. You were busy doing something else."As for what that "something" was—being one of Denise’s plants, he likely intended to assassinate Edward. Seeing him leave the theater, the man must have followed him, hoping to strike when he wa
Through the car window, Charlie spotted the black sports car just a few meters ahead.It was the same license plate.“Don’t panic. Keep following,” he said coldly, his voice steady and commanding.“Yes, sir.”Jim calmed down and gradually accelerated to tail the vehicle.Charlie informed Sophia tha
Did she really stop loving him?Did she truly not care anymore?If she still had feelings for him, how could she smile while saying those things…Kyle leaned against the wall with one hand, his heartache so intense it nearly buckled his knees.So this was the re
“…”Candice’s expression changed drastically.She wasn’t some naïve eighteen-year-old girl. From Kyle’s words and demeanor, she immediately understood what he was about to do.Panicked, she leaned back to escape his breath. “Don
“Ha…”After a long silence, only a faint laugh escaped Candice’s throat.As if she had been rendered speechless from rage.From the other end of the call, Bianca exclaimed, “You’re laughing? How can you laugh at a time like this! The Jackson family whitewashed Mia’s image by dumping all the filth o







