Chapter 661

Ava was never one to shy away. "Haha! You're the best, Yvie!"Beside her, Tom reclined against his seat as he asked, "Ms. Irwin, could that vineyard belong to one Mr. Dawson?""The one and only.""That jerk! Giving away the good stuff to beautiful women instead of his friend," Tom teased.His glass filled just then, Mark then raised his glass and said, "Everyone, I'm glad you're all here to celebrate this New Year's with me… That's it, that's the speech. I know y'all young 'uns hate speeches, so Happy New Year—that's all I have to say.""Happy New Year!" Everyone cheered as one, raising their glasses as well.After taking a sip, Mark stood up and beckoned at a servant, who left and returned with a tray full of gift boxes.Mark handed one to Renee's first. "I've been gone for too long, and I owe you too much. Here's a little something to make up for it."The gift was thick and heavy, but as Renee stared at Mark, she thought she had gone back in time for a moment.Back then, her

Chapter 662

The servants were still firing firecrackers and fireworks in the gardens, the ensuing booming thundering across the skies and filling the air with gunpowder scent.It was a scent which Renee really liked for some reason, as she was an indication of the new year—a time which she really cherished.Jasper, meticulous as ever, sensed her emotions and held her hand, patting it.Renee turned to smile at him in turn, the love in their eyes all too obvious.Tom was watching them enviously. Despite his composed appearance, it was clear whenever he saw their interlocked fingers.On the other hand, Ava was a lot less calm, as the faintest emotions would always show on her face.'Hah! Jasper is mine, Renee—you won't get to strut for that long!'Meanwhile, Mark returned to his seat after handing out everyone's presents.With that, everyone drank to each other's health, the ensuing small talk lively and the vibe around the table all around peaceful.Still, after a long while and everyone ra

Chapter 663

But after several swigs, Renee started to feel dizzy too and rubbed her temples. "Hey… I think I'm feeling sick too…"Mark raised a brow, feigning concern right then. "Are you feeling sick? Just go upstairs and have some rest. Yvie, help her to her room.""Yes, Mr. Whitley," Yvie replied, nodding and holding Renee up by her arm. "Come on. Let's get you upstairs." "Okay…" Renee mumbled, reaching out to clap Jasper's arm. "Take your time. I'm going to sleep.""Yeah. I'll stay with the boys." Jasper smiled mildly.With Yvie and Renee gone too, it was now just Mark, Tom, and Jasper in the dining hall.Even though the mood around the table seemed relatively calm, there was an undercurrent of conflict brewing.Mark kept staring as Jasper finished one glass of wine after another, showing no signs of getting drunk.Puzzled, he put down his glass and texted Jared.[Did you spike Jasper's cup?! He's not getting drunk!]He naturally had plans for this dinner, having spiked Renee, Jaspe

Chapter 664

That was when Mark realized that something was out of place and turned to Jasper.He was silent, but his eyes were that of a murderous beast, ready to rip Jasper into pieces in a beat.Jasper simply reclined against his seat, his fingers brushing against the smooth glass as he flashed a vague smile. "What's that look for, Mr. Whitley?"Mark stared at his cup for a moment, and then realized it.Jasper had swapped his glass with Tom's! That was why Tom was out cold!"Y-You're not drunk?!" Mark blurted.Jasper raised his glass and smirked. "What did you expect? That I would pass out just like Tom and the others?"Various hues seemed to alternate over Mark's face at that moment.As he finally gave up on pretenses, he quietly reached behind himself while blurting, "Y-You knew?"However, Jasper had been watching the whole time.The instant Mark's fingers touched the gun he kept behind his back, he launched his knife, stabbing Mark in his right arm!"Argh!!!" Mark screamed as the k

Chapter 665

Everything was perfect, but Mark had to let everything fall apart because of a single tiny detail.It was the height of folly!And even as he reached for his gun, there was no way he could have beaten Jasper in speed, who whipped out his own gun and shot Mark's right arm before Mark could fire.Bang!"Argh!" Mark screamed in pain while his gun dropped with a clatter, clutching his arm that was now both stabbed and shot.Still, even as he gritted his teeth in pain, he was soon laughing coldly. "Haha! Did you think you'd make it out from here, Jasper?! Everyone here is my man, and don't forget that Renee is my daughter!"Indeed, as soon as his guns dropped, there was a rush of footsteps as a group of men came charging in. They were all mercenaries Mark hired, pretending to be gardeners earlier.After all, Mark knew Jasper wasn't an easy opponent and brought plenty of backup.Even as all of them stood in a single straight line and trained their guns at Jasper in unison, Mark laugh

Chapter 666

Within seconds, the man was shouting from above, "Mr. Whitley… She's gone! And Ms. Irwin is on the floor, unconscious!"Mark's eyes widened, his pupils dilating as he turned toward Jasper in shock.Shaking with rage, he raised his gun and bellowed, "Where's Renee?! Where the fuck did you take her?!"Of all the times this could happen, and even though he'd always known Jasper would be his greatest obstacle!Jasper simply flashed a vague smile, calm as ever. "Come on, Mr. Whitley—you know men at your age are at risk of health problems if you let the stress get to you…" Pausing, he held Mark's gaze as he continued, "Also, Renee was never your daughter. What, did you lie one too many times that you now believe your own lies?"It was time to tear down this cheap facade anyway!Mark blinked, his cheek twitching as he blurted, "W-What are you talking about?!""I mean what I said.""How did you…" Mark blurted, but soon came to his senses and bellowed, "Bullshit! I raised her! Of cour