Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 821-830

Both of her parents had been arrested. Her mother was detained as an accomplice, and they had denied Emily’s involvement in order to protect her. Therefore, she was released by the police even though her parents were imprisoned because of her.

It was something that she regretted most in her life, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Her phone rang all of a sudden, causing Emily to startle. When she saw that it was a call from her good friend, she spoke into the phone. “Hi, Sally.”

“I never thought that you’d do such a thing in order to get Young Master Weiss’ affection. You always seemed pretty confident in front of us, but I bet you’re dying of embarrassment right now.”

Hearing that, Emily’s face turned pale. Her friend wasn’t calling to check on her; instead, Sally was calling to kick her when she was down.

“Since your parents have been imprisoned, you’ll be kicked out of the family soon. I don’t think we will be able to see each other or go shopping together anymore. By the way, the bag that you previously ordered has arrived, but I don’t think that you will be able to collect it. In that case, I shall do you a favor and buy it up since it’s a limited edition make.”

Emily had enough of the insults and ended the call. Now, she finally knew how it felt when her friends turned their backs on her when she was in trouble. She had brought it upon herself since she was used to trampling on others when she was doing well.

However, the thing that irritated her the most was Sophia being the future Young Mistress of the Weiss Family, subsequently owning the entire Weiss Family’s fortune. Once Sophia married Arthur, they would build a family together and stay by each other’s side forever, which was supposed to be the life that Emily was going to have. She was sure that Sophia would act high and mighty in front of her if they were to meet in the future.

At 6.00PM, the dinner banquet that was being held at the Weiss Residence had commenced. Martha, who was the hostess, sat at the head of the table while five attractive youngsters sat next to her. The servants were amazed at how good looking they were as all of them were uniquely gorgeous.

The thing that Martha was most interested in was how Richard and Elliot noticed that Arthur wasn’t his usual self and how they realized that he was being harmed. While Richard explained the situation to Martha, Arthur, who was all ears, felt touched by what Richard had done for him. Moreover, he realized that something was wrong from just a phone call.

“We know Arthur well. He would’ve definitely called personally to tell us that he is getting married,” Elliot said.

“I must have been confused and slow to catch on because of my age. If not for all of you, something disastrous would have happened within our family.” The thought of it still scared her as there was not much she could do if the Jennings Family were in control of her family due to her old age. She was also worried that something would happen to Arthur due to the side effects of the poison.

“Elliot, Richard, cheers to both of you! Arthur raised his glass and said.

“No worries. The other time something happened to me, you and Richard came to my rescue too.” Elliot knew that they had each other’s backs.

“This is what friends are for.” Richard laughed.

Anastasia, who was sitting opposite Sophia, smiled at her as she was happy that they were now sisters. Their husbands saw each other as brothers, after all.

“Sophia, I’d like to apologize to you for the words I said to you back then,” said Martha, apologizing to Sophia in front of everyone.

“Grandma, you don’t have to apologize to me. I understand your situation.” The sudden apology surprised Sophia.

Arthur felt bad for everything that she had gone through and caressed the back of her head as he looked at her. Sophia turned and looked at him too. Noticing that, Martha was glad as after the whole episode, she finally got herself a future granddaughter-in-law who loved Arthur with all her heart.

After dinner ended, all of them left separately. Elliot brought Anastasia for a walk while Richard went back to his room to work. Meanwhile, Arthur brought Sophia out for a short drive. Under the spotlight, the sight of roses in full bloom in the garden looked spectacular. The air was filled with their pleasant floral scent. As Anastasia was admiring the flowers, she suddenly felt nauseous. She wasn’t sure why, but it could be the overpowering scent of the flowers.

The next moment, Anastasia covered her mouth and bent over as she felt like puking.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Elliot bent down and hugged her.

“I just feel nauseous all of a sudden.” She was feeling unwell.

The nauseousness came back again after she took a few more steps. She felt dispirited since she didn’t know what was wrong with her body.

When he noticed that, Elliot brought her back to their room and poured some warm water for her. She lay on the couch after finishing the drink since she felt uncomfortable. Then, Anastasia started retracing what she had eaten or done the past few days. Besides constantly feeling tired, she didn’t seem to have eaten anything wrong.

Suddenly, something came to her mind as she immediately sat up and stared at Elliot.

Elliot seemed startled by her reaction and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you think we’ve hit the jackpot?” She immediately got down from the couch and walked toward the cupboard. She was searching for something in her pouch.

“What are you looking for?” Elliot walked toward her and asked.

“This. I’ll go and take a test.” She took out a box and showed it to him.

After she went into the washroom, Elliot had mixed feelings about having a second child. Although he wanted another child, when he thought of the discomfort that Anastasia would have to go through, he was happy just to have Jared.

Meanwhile, Anastasia was standing next to the sink while checking the results, and she was overjoyed when she saw the two red lines that appeared. She was finally pregnant with her second child, and she hoped that it would be a daughter.

When she got out of the bathroom, she teased Elliot and pretended to look disappointed. “It’s not,” she said.

Hearing that, he seemed relieved and hugged her as he smiled. “That’s good. If you really are pregnant, it would bring you a lot of pregnancy related discomfort.”

“What? Don’t you want a daughter?” Anastasia was surprised by his words.

“If it means that you have to go through the discomfort, I’d rather we just have Jared.” He looked down and kissed her forehead. “I have no regrets.”

“I really want another child, and it’s here, though.” Anastasia laughed and hugged him.

“Really?” He looked at her in surprise.

“Mmhm! That’s why I’m letting you know in advance. Get ready to abstain!”

Elliot was surprised and happy at the news. He then hugged her and sighed. “Thank you for carrying our child. I hope that you have a smooth pregnancy.”

However, Anastasia really looked forward to it as she knew that the baby would be the happiest baby when she was born because she would have a loving father and brother. She imagined that the baby would be adorable like an angel.

“Since I’m pregnant, let’s go home after attending Sophia’s wedding so that I can get some rest.” Her focus was now on the baby.

“Sure!” Elliot kissed her.

Under the night sky, the road was empty since it was a private road. Arthur brought Sophia out for a drive in his convertible sports car. Since he wasn’t speeding, it felt nice as the gentle breeze brushed across their faces. When they reached a viewing deck, they were surrounded by wildflowers as they gazed at the sea in front of them. The sky was full of stars, and a floral scent filled the air. The ambience was pleasant and romantic.

Sophia took a deep inhale as she felt that she was surrounded by happiness.

“Is it pretty?” Arthur smiled. He wanted to share the best things within the family with the woman he loved.

“Yes! The scene looks just like a painting.” She nodded and had her attention on his face. His good looking features were prominent under the moonlight, and it mesmerized her more than the view.

That was the case for Arthur too, for she was the thing that he found most beautiful.

Under the moonlight, Arthur grabbed her by the waist and she hugged his neck as they leaned in for a passionate kiss.

They didn’t have any other thoughts; they just wanted to kiss and feel each other.

In the silence of the night, their senses were at their keenest. Sophia leaned into Arthur’s embrace, blushing and feeling that her rapidly beating heart was about to explode.

She would never forget this wholly romantic experience.

Meanwhile, Arthur took her hand and walked some distance forward. Their path was paved with fine white cobblestones that reflected the moonlight and emanated a faint white glow. It was breathtaking.

Even though it was unfamiliar terrain at night with insects chirping all around them, as long as Sophie held this warm and large hand, she would have nothing to fear since she’d gravitate to wherever he was.

When they returned, Arthur carried her on his back. She wasn’t tired, but he just wanted to do it for her. As Sophia leaned against his firm and broad back, she could rest, admire the scenery, and even occasionally kiss him on the back.

Arthur immensely enjoyed this happiness as if he were carrying his entire world on his back.

Out of the three best friends, the other two had already found their partners for life; only Richard was still engrossed in his work, enjoying his time alone.

He was studying some complicated program as he coded, his slender fingers tapping away on the keyboard. His firm gaze was on the lines of code displayed on the screen, and not a bug was in sight.

He had already completed the accurate calculations in his mind. Just then, he received a message on his phone. ‘Richard, they’ve crossed the border and entered your country. It looks like they had already arranged a meeting with the buyer. We should go as soon as possible.’

‘I’ll be back on time,’ Richard replied. Then, he closed his computer. His identity was highly confidential, and his responsibility was to protect his country. No matter what, he wouldn’t allow his country to face any danger.

Tonight, all the servants in the Weiss Family were busy with the preparations. They were changing out all the wedding decorations today, and a new wedding would take place tomorrow.

Early the next morning, a ray of sunshine spilled in through the window and splashed onto the girl’s pretty face. Her slender arms moved before brushing against some firm muscles, and she happily pressed her little face against it.

The man also parted his thick eyelashes as he looked down at the girl in his arms, and a smile warmed his thin lips as he gently kissed her.

However, the kiss was the start of many things. After all, a man in the morning couldn’t endure much enticement.

“Mm! Don’t kiss the neck…” The girl covered her neck so that he wouldn’t kiss that spot. She would be wearing a wedding dress later, so how embarrassing it would be!

After the events last night, the look in Arthur’s eyes seemed to shine even more brilliantly. All his emotions had recovered, and the passionate love in his eyes seemed to be stronger than ever.

“Where should I kiss so that no one would notice?” he asked hoarsely.

Sophia’s face reddened in an instant as she wondered, Does this man really have to do it first thing in the morning? From today onward, she would be his and his only.

Martha was waiting in the hall outside the door again. When the servants came over and reported that the two hadn’t woken up, Martha smiled as she said, “We’re in no rush. Let’s wait for them.”

If she rushed them, her great grandchild would be gone.

By the time Sophia woke up again, she was startled when she looked at the time. It was already 8.00AM, but she hadn’t even applied makeup! She looked at the man beside her again, who was gazing at her with a satisfied expression. His arm supported him as the sunlight shone on his sharp collarbones, and he looked lazily alluring.

“Come on, get up,” Sophia urged him.

Arthur smiled happily, then he quickly got out of bed.

Sophia was brushing her teeth when the man squeezed in as well. He had a hand around her as the two brushed their teeth together. Sophia blushed, and the entirety of her little face was red early in the morning.

When the two emerged from their room, Martha was still waiting patiently for them, but the others in the crowd were all tensed up. The makeup artists and the stylists couldn’t wait much longer.

Finally, when they saw the couple coming out, they immediately switched into work mode. Sophia sat at the dressing table as they applied bridal makeup on her. Arthur was also high-spirited, and when he changed into the groom’s suit, he looked handsome and majestic like a prince.

Meanwhile, it was still too early to leave the guest rooms and depart to the hall. Anastasia seemed to be lacking sleep as she buried herself in her husband’s arms, continuing her contented sleep in the morning. Ever since she knew she was pregnant, she leisurely entered into a pregnant mother’s state of mind and stopped getting anxious about things.

She wanted to enjoy life and wait peacefully for childbirth.

Elliot embraced his wife in his arms, his eyes filled with love while barely hiding a strong sense of suppression. He had given her all his love, and he suppressed his physical urges appropriately.

Anastasia behaved like a lazy cat as she lay in his embrace, shifting into various positions to sleep. In the end, she accidentally found out her husband’s secret, and she smiled evilly as she planted a kiss on his collarbone.

Elliot lowered his head to look at his mischievous wife. He reached out and caressed her long hair as he warned, “If you keep making unnecessary movements, I might lose my humanity.”

Anastasia raised her exquisite face. “You can try.”

Elliot leaned against her forehead, smiling. “You’re rather fearless now, aren’t you?”

Anastasia only dared to tease him because of this ace card she held. She dared not do it before she was pregnant; he would take action as soon as she teased him, and she would have to endure it all in the end.

Now that she could have it her way, she wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by. It was finally her turn to control him lest this man kept naughtily thinking that he could bully her.

He used to find lots of excuses too. For example, he would talk about the suffering she made him go through when he was pursuing her, so now he would pay it back multifold. Anastasia recalled that even when he was pursuing her, he didn’t keep to himself either!

Thanks to his wife, Elliot had to take a cold shower in the morning. As he did so, he thought that this was just the beginning of many cold showers in the future.

Meanwhile, Richard had already made the preparations to go to the hall. He was wearing a black suit today, and his upright figure was like an unsheathed sword. When he appeared in the hall yesterday,

he had captured the hearts of countless maidens.

Today, there were also quite a number of girls awaiting his arrival!

At 9.30AM, Elliot and his wife made their way to the hall. Richard had arrived before them, and he was engaged in a call as he stood outside the hall. Meanwhile, a girl in her twenties stood a few steps behind him bashfully, looking at him in admiration as she intended to get to know him.

Just then, Richard’s voice suddenly turned cold. “What’s wrong with you? You lost the target just like that? What were you doing?”

The girl was startled, trembling as she looked up at the man who emanated a terrifying chill. She hastily took a few steps backward and ran away.

Richard was already all tensed up as he listened to his subordinate’s report. “We’ll talk when I get back.”

After hanging up, Richard let out a sigh. He lowered his head to look at the time. He would leave when the wedding ceremony ended.

At 10.00AM sharp, Sophia strode out of the wedding car. The wedding ceremony this time didn’t require the groom to wait at the stage. Instead, the couple would enter the hall together.

The atmosphere in the entire venue had changed as it was decked out in pink and blue—Sophia’s favorite colors.

In the hall, the guests finally had a look at the main stars of the wedding. They had already forgotten about yesterday’s events since they finally beheld the real bride.

Her figure was beautiful and elegant, and she was a great match for the groom. They were indeed made for each other.

They walked past arches of fresh flowers while holding hands, strolling on the red carpet as the rain of petals swirled around them. Their wedding was like beautiful poetry—filled with romance and wonder.

Martha nodded in satisfaction as she received the blessings of the guests around her.

The couple stood on the stage and completed the wedding vows under the guidance of the priest. They answered ‘I do’ without any hesitation. Then, they embraced and kissed each other while getting showered with applause and shouts of blessing. Following that, they exchanged rings that symbolized their one true love, and that they would protect each other for life.

There was thunderous applause as the wedding ceremony was completed with everyone present as witnesses. Martha went onto the stage and delivered a speech to thank all the guests who had attended. Arthur also gave a speech while Sophia looked lovingly and tearfully at her husband.

She listened as he talked about how he fell in love with her once again despite his lost memories. In the end, tears were streaming down her face as she stood lovingly in his embrace. He comforted her gently in front of all the guests.

After the wedding, the guests made their way to the banquet hall. In the lounge next to the hall, Richard came over to bid Arthur goodbye since he would be leaving soon.

“Artie, I might be able to make it in time for the wedding you’ll be holding in our country. See you then.” Richard would also be returning in a few days’ time.

“Okay, make sure you attend when that happens.”

“As long as I haven’t gone elsewhere, I’ll definitely show up. I’ve told Elilot about my departure already, so I’ll be off now.”

With that, the man left before the others did.

In the lounge next to the banquet hall, Sophia had just changed into an evening dress for the toast. It was cherry red, and Martha herself helped Sophia smooth and arrange the dress. Then, the servant at the side opened a box.

Sophia was slightly stunned, for the box contained none other than the Weiss Family’s heirloom.

She almost lost the jewelry last time, and she still felt a little shaken when she saw it now.

On the other hand, Martha reached out and lifted it from the box, then said to Sophia, “Sophia, it belongs to you from now on. You can pass it down to your children, who will then pass on to theirs throughout the generations.”

Sophia slightly leaned forward, and Martha helped her put it on. It was a perfect match for her current dress.

“Thank you, Grandma. I’ll make sure to keep it safe.”

Martha looked at the heirloom. She previously heard that her grandson once lost it, but now it eventually ended up in Sophia’s hands. This must be some sort of fate.

After all, this heirloom found its new owner for itself.

“Go on, now. Artie is waiting for you for the toast.” Martha patted Sophia on the shoulder.

She walked out of the lounge to see Arthur waiting for her on the couch. When he saw her emerging, he got up and studied his wife with a pleasantly surprised look on his face. Then, he smiled when he saw the pendant on her neck.

“Looks like it has found its owner.”

Sophia found it quite amusing. She had worn it once before, and she never dared imagine that she would own it one day.

It was also because of this heirloom that she got to know its original owner and brought him to her, giving her the opportunity to fall in love with him.

“I think it has its own intentions. We’re together exactly because of it,” Sophia said, smiling.

Arthur took her hand. “Well, this proves that we’re made for each other.”

This was a traditional wedding. The bride wore a red dress, exuding an oriental aura which amazed the crowd. The area around her neck stood out, and people also noticed the round pendant which housed a gem.

All the family members knew that it was the family heirloom of the Weiss Family. From now on, Sophia would be the owner of the heirloom, which meant that she would be the successor of the Weiss Family.

After the banquet in the afternoon, the guests went back to their rooms to rest while preparations for the banquet at night were under way.

Today, the Weiss Residence was filled with joy and cheer. There was laughter and chatter everywhere, and the guests were elated as well.

Meanwhile, in the detention center of the police station nearby, Johnny and his wife were in deep regret. Their lives were already ruined.

Once a person strayed from the right path, they would have to pay the price.

Emily was the one who suffered the most. She still hadn’t left home as she sat alone on the couch. She heard the joyful noise in the hall, and she watched the fireworks show from a distance. She felt as if numerous fangs were gnawing at her heart, and every ounce of her pride was trampled.

She was all alone now, and even her family couldn’t be by her side. She would have to live her life alone until her parents were released.

Emily sat there and pondered for a whole night. She felt that she should beg the Weiss Family for mercy to let her parents off the hook. If Martha said the word, her parents probably wouldn’t have to go to prison.

It was Arthur’s big day today, so she dared not go and beg right away. However, come tomorrow, she would definitely beg Martha for mercy. She could abandon all her pride just to save her parents, for she only wanted her family to be whole again.

It was getting late, and the guests went home joyously. Similarly, the bride and groom lay down to rest for the night.

The moonlight outside the window shone in as the newlyweds fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next afternoon, Arthur and Sophia saw Elliot and Anastasia off at the airport, and they were also on the verge of embarking on their wedding trip.

Arthur had decided to take Sophia to an island nearby to rest for a week, then they would travel to Sophia’s home country to hold their wedding there. Meanwhile, Martha had plans of her own as well.

She decided to move a part of their family’s property to Sophia’s home country, then live there as a permanent resident. Their family had expanded its business overseas for almost two hundred years, so it was about time for them to return to their roots. She even decided to be buried with her husband in the future.

In the evening, Sophia strolled in the garden outside with Martha, listening to the older woman’s amusing stories about her husband’s antics when he was a young child. She kept lowering her head to chuckle discreetly. Everyone’s childhood was filled with fun, it seemed—even Arthur was no different.

Just then, a servant came over to Martha and reported, “Old Madam Weiss, Miss Jennings is outside and wants to see you.”

Martha frowned as soon as she heard that. “I don’t want to see her. Tell her to leave.”

“She’s on her knees and won’t budge no matter what we say. She insists on seeing you.” The servant had tried to chase her away too, but it was exactly because Emily refused to leave that the servant came to report it.

Martha huffed for a few seconds, furious at the mention of the Jennings. She said to Sophia, “Sophia, come with me!”

The latter nodded and followed Martha out of the yard. On the other side of the iron gates, Emily was kneeling with tears streaming down her face. She trembled visibly when she saw Sophia, then lowered her head in shame.

She never thought that Sophia would see her like this. It wouldn’t be too embarrassing if she kneeled and begged Martha, but Sophia simply had to come along to watch.

A hint of strong hatred flashed across her downcast eyes.

As soon as Martha saw Emily, she felt fury raging inside her. “Your family did such horrible things, yet you still have the guts to come begging for mercy?”

“Grandma, my parents have repented. They didn’t mean anything evil; they just loved me too much and wanted me to have a happy life in the future. They didn’t do it on purpose.” Emily still called her ‘Grandma’.

“Don’t call me that, for I don’t have a grandchild as evil as you. Your parents love you, but you also allowed them to carry out their plans. What makes you any different from them?”

“You did something to Artie so that he would forget about me. Do you think you can attain happiness just like that? Did it ever occur to you that Artie’s life could’ve been in danger?” Sophia also questioned angrily.

Tears streamed down Emily’s face as sudden anger took over her. She looked up and glared at Sophia as she said, “If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been a perfect match for Artie. You! You’re the one who caused this to happen.”

“How dare you! You haven’t repented at all! You’re even pushing the blame on Sophia, but she’s completely innocent in this matter. I was wrong about you,” Martha shouted. She once thought that Emily was a decent girl, but she never thought that the latter would turn so evil because of her jealousy. Emily truly wasn’t a good person at heart.

Emily’s hatred only grew stronger. She had originally come to beg for mercy, but when she saw Sophia, her anger was stoked. Thus, she did the wrong thing again. She shouted in panic, “Grandma, I’m sorry —”

Just then, she noticed the family heirloom Sophia was wearing around her neck, and she couldn’t help but gasp. That was supposed to be hers!

“Get lost. Your parents have to pay the price for what they did, and as for you, I don’t want to see you ever again. Leave right now and never appear in front of us again.” Martha’s glare was extremely fierce. “If I see you once more, I won’t let you off the hook.”

Emily kneeled on the ground in despair. She wanted to beg for mercy, but she didn’t want to come again, which would only provoke Martha.

“Sophia, what right do you have to marry Artie? You’re so plain and useless; you’re only after the Weiss Family’s riches. Grandma, she doesn’t truly love Artie,” Emily shouted, raising her voice. She wasn’t convinced and wanted to grab at every chance to drag Sophia down.

Martha was extremely furious. She knew right away what Emily was getting at. She turned around and said, “Sophia possesses the most precious thing, but you don’t.”

“What is it? I have everything she has,” Emily shouted indignantly.

“She has a kind heart and a pure soul, but what about you? You only have an evil heart and an ugly soul,” Martha reprimanded without holding back.

Emily was instantly at a loss for words. In her eyes, kindness was useless. She had been taught by her mother since young that one should fight for something they wanted, and kindness would only be looked down upon.

As Emily watched Martha and Sophia walk away, she covered her face in pain. She was completely defeated, and she had lost everything she had, including her most-valued pride.

Early morning the next day, a large helicopter departed from the yard outside the villa, then flew over miles of plains, which then turned into the sea as it headed right for a private island owned by the Weiss Family.

In the helicopter, Sophia was a little terrified, but when a large hand gripped hers tightly, she immediately calmed down. She turned and looked at the man beside her, then smiled as she began to appreciate the scenery outside, overcoming her fear of being on a helicopter for the first time.

She soon realized it was exciting and fun, and the scenery below them was picturesque.

They arrived at the island after half an hour, and there were servants tasked with managing the place. When Sophia saw the clean beach, her heart leaped in joy.

After touring around the island villa they would be staying in, Sophia went to the pool outside. She reached in and tested the temperature, and she actually had the urge to have a quick dip.

“Do you want to swim?” Behind her, Arthur seemed to have read her mind.

“Can I?” Sophia looked up and asked him.

“I came here just to have fun with you. You can have fun however you want, and you don’t have to worry about the time or anything else. Just do whatever you want to.” Arthur smiled.

However, in the next second, his wife hugged him right away. Then, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, she looked up at him mischievously. “I can do anything I want, you say?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“Lean in.”

Arthur obediently did as he was told. Smiling, Sophia planted a kiss on his lips. She was doing what she wanted to do.

Everything here was amazing to her, but this man was the one who truly attracted her. Because of his presence here, everything seemed indescribably romantic.

This kiss caused the man to quicken his breaths. It was his turn to do the things he wanted to do regardless of the timing or the place. However, this matter had to be taken to the bedroom first.

After a love-filled session, Sophia finally changed into her swimsuit and happily began swimming in the pool. She had loved swimming since young, so this swimming pool was very attractive for her.

Not long after, Arthur joined in. His strong and firm body was exposed in the afternoon sunlight, looking very handsome indeed. This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.

Sophia was admiring him under the water. Her husband’s figure was really good.

Arthur swam up beside her, and when he emerged from the water, he pushed his dark hair up to reveal his well-defined features. His long eyelashes had tiny droplets on their ends, and he looked extremely alluring then.

Sophia was still admiring him when Arthur wrapped his arm around her slender waist, then pulled her along as they frolicked in the water.

Back home, as soon as Anastasia got off the plane, she went to the hospital right away for a check-up. The baby turned out to be healthy, and she sighed in relief. After all, she had been a little careless for the past month.

Also, just as she had hoped, she was informed of this child’s gender.

It was a girl.

At night, in Elliot’s villa, Nigel sent the little guy home and had dinner with the family.

At the table, Anastasia told Jared about the eventual arrival of his baby sister, which surprised him greatly. His birthday wish finally came true, and he would have a sister after nine months.

After dinner, Elliot and Nigel moved to the garden for a brotherly talk. Nigel was most troubled by the fact that he was being urged to marry. He simply hadn’t played enough, and in his free time outside of work, he would just play games. He also entered a national esports team and became an official member, which only aggravated his parents’ nagging about him not doing proper work.

“My parents don’t know that I bought the whole team for a hundred million, though. Teehee,” Nigel said while chuckling.

“Well, don’t let your mom worry too much either. If you find someone suitable for you, you can try dating.” As an older brother figure, Elliot thought he should advise Nigel a little.

“Come on, I’m not interested in that right now.” Nigel was also surrounded by girls, but the girls were all trying to win his favor by using all sorts of tricks on him. As such, he was rather terrified of it now.

He would avoid them at all costs, much less develop feelings for them.

Meanwhile, an all-black fighter jet was parked at the local military airport back home. A man with light luggage strode out of the plane. He was donned in camouflage clothing, which enhanced his huge and muscular figure. Even though his hair was shaved, it didn’t reduce his manly allure in the slightest, and it added to his cool and strong impression instead.

Richard had arrived. With his bag in hand, he got into an SUV which drove out of the airport.

“Young Master Lloyd, your grandfather hopes that you can return and visit him.”

Richard glanced at the time. “Alright, let’s go back right now!”

The SUV drove into a more private region of the city. There were no teeming skyscrapers and only some lower three-storey houses, but there was an especially stern aura here as if even the moonlight couldn’t make its way in.

In the sentry box, the security guard saluted at the car, which then drove through the iron gates behind him.

Soon, the car pulled to a stop. Richard nimbly got out of the car, then went into the brightly lit hall with his bag in hand.

It was already 10.00PM, but a plainly-clothed old man was sitting on the couch. There was a teacup in his hand, and when he looked at his grandson who had just arrived, he smiled in satisfaction. “Richard, you’re back.”

“Grandpa,” Richard greeted the old man on the couch.

Phillip Lloyd raised his head and studied Richard from head to toe. He wasn’t looking at his grandson’s features; instead, he was checking if Richard had gotten any new wounds.

“Come and sit. I have something to talk to you about.” Phillip put down the teacup, then retrieved a photo from a drawer before proceeding to pass it to Richard. “Have a look. How does this girl look to you? Do you like her?”

Richard took the photo and examined the girl in the photo. Her features looked nice and she was quite pretty, but he didn’t have any feelings toward her. He lowered the photo. “Grandpa, she looks pretty, but what does that have to do with me?”

Phillip chuckled. “Of course she has something to do with you. She’ll be your wife in the future.”

Richard was slightly stunned as he frowned a little. “Grandpa, you should know how I feel about this. I have no intention of marrying.”

Phillip also didn’t look too happy. They obviously had this conversation before.

“Why? Do you want the Lloyd Family to stop just like that in your generation? How am I supposed to answer to our ancestors? What about your father?” Phillip harrumphed. “No matter what, you have to produce a descendant for the Lloyd Family.”

Richard lowered his gaze a little. “Grandpa, I don’t want to walk in my dad’s footsteps, and neither would I want a woman to live the same life my mom did. It’s not fair for her.”

“You definitely won’t end up like your dad. Your dad sacrificed himself for the country, and after your mom remarried, I heard she spent her life in happiness.” With that, Phillip looked at the girl in the photo again. “This girl is very satisfied with you, and she doesn’t mind your current work either. You should see her when you’re free, then get the wedding going.”

Richard raised his head sharply and said, “Are you joking, Grandpa?”

“Do I look like someone who’d joke with you? If you’re so busy that you don’t have time to get married, you can get engaged and give me a great-grandson first.” Philip couldn’t wait to see his great- grandson.

However, reluctance could be seen on Richard’s face. “I still have some important work to do, and I don’t have the time to get engaged.”

“No matter how busy you are, you can still make time at night. It’s a done deal. We’ll have dinner with her family tomorrow night, and your marriage will be decided then.” Philip had been in power for a long time, so he always had the final word and didn’t allow anyone to refute him. This applied to his own grandson’s marriage as well.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa. I can’t do that. I should leave now.” As Richard spoke, he strode to the door, but he looked like he was running away.

When Philip saw that, he sighed and pressed on his chest all of a sudden.

Seeing the scene unfolding from the side, the maid screamed at once, “Old Master Lloyd! Come back, Young Master Lloyd!”

Richard, who had just reached the side of his car, heard the maid’s voice. He quickly threw his bag down and ran back to the hall, only to see Philip’s pale face while the old man pressed his chest, unable to breathe. The maid quickly gave Philip the oxygen mask.

After breathing in some oxygen, only then did Philip regain his senses and his face looked better. Then, he sat himself up and took a deep breath before looking at his grandson. “My body is not as good as it used to be.”

Needless to say, Richard was feeling guilty as well since he was the one who made him sick with anger. As such, he sat down and looked at the girl’s photo on the table before saying, “Okay. I’ll get engaged to her. However, I really have an urgent matter at hand, so we can only get engaged for now.”

“Okay. You should get engaged first!” A smile tugged on Philip’s lips. He’s finally listening to me for once. This episode happened just in time.

At this moment, Richard’s phone started ringing. He took a look and said, “Grandpa, I have an urgent matter to deal with. I need to meet my guys now. Call me if anything happens.”

“If anything happens, I’ll call the hospital first. You should go and do your things at ease.” Philip waved his hand, asking him to leave. He felt relieved to hand his grandson to the country, and he was proud of it too.

While picking up the call, Richard came out of the house and entered his car. He could only sigh resignedly since all he could do now was to coax his grandfather and then apologize to him after he was done dealing with this thing on hand.

He was adamant about not marrying because his parents’ marriage had resulted in tragedy. Since his job was the same as his father’s, which was full of uncertain risks, he didn’t want to walk down the same path as his father. What he didn’t want more was for his future children to be like him.

At the international airport, there was a seductively dressed young lady on a plane that had just landed. She was checking out the crowd around her cautiously with a Bluetooth earpiece in her ear while someone communicated with her.

“Are you sure everything is with you?”

“Don’t worry, boss. It’s with me.”

“Good. Failure will not be tolerated in this deal.”

“I know. I’ll be careful for sure.” As the lady spoke, she took out a lipstick from her pocket and looked at it. Just as she was putting it back into her pocket, all of a sudden, she was knocked down by a girl who was walking from behind with her head down.

Instantly, the lipstick slipped out of the lady’s hand, and at the same time, her handbag fell to the ground too. A bunch of women’s products fell out of the unzipped handbag.

This incident caught the attention of some policemen on the side. When she noticed the police coming to her, she quickly lowered her head anxiously. Just then, she saw the lipstick beside her feet, so she quickly bent down, picked it up, and held it tightly in her hands, pressing it in front of her chest as though it was more important than her life.

Even when the girl who knocked her down was apologizing from her back, she didn’t look at her at all. “Sorry, Miss.”

When the girl saw her things scattered on the ground, she kneeled down and picked them up one by one, putting them back into her bag. She was wearing a cap which covered her reddened eyes from crying. It was obvious that she had been through some things that upset her, and that was why she had been walking absent-mindedly and knocked into the lady.

As she grabbed her bag and was about to leave, a little girl on the side reminded her, “Miss, you dropped a lipstick underneath the seat.”

The girl squatted down and took a look. As expected, there was lipstick lying below the seat beside her. She reached out her hand and picked it up before thanking the little girl. “Thank you, little one.”

Surprised, the little girl looked at the beautiful girl. Why is she crying?

At this moment, there was a black SUV outside the airport entrance. As soon as the lady who had been knocked down earlier entered the car, it accelerated and drove right out of the airport.

In the dim light, a man in his forties with fierce creatures tattooed on his neck and arms reached his hand out to the lady. “Show me the stuff.”

The young lady didn’t dare to drag things on. She immediately took out that lipstick from her pocket and gave it to him. “Boss, I’ve protected it with all my heart throughout the journey. The specially made inner case perfectly passed the security check.”

The man looked at the lipstick and sighed with emotion. “This thing is worth five billion. If this deal ends well, there’s no need for all of us to worry about money anymore for the rest of our lives.”

That sentence made all five people in the car smile excitedly. The man opened the case, but all of a sudden, his smile disappeared. He turned his head and looked at his subordinate beside him.

“What’s going on?”

Stunned, the lady took the lipstick and turned its base. What appeared was a real lipstick, not the USB that was originally inside it.

“How is this possible?” Her expression changed at once. She turned the lipstick around and studied it, only to realize that it was not her original one; it just looked like the one she had.

“Oh, sh*t! A girl knocked into me on purpose. She must have swapped my lipstick during that time.” Her eyes were filled with killing intent. “F*ck! Who hired her?”

“Go back and find that woman. You must get that lipstick back.” He looked at her, his face dark. “You’ll pay with your life if you can’t get it back.”

“I’m sorry, boss. I apologize.” She tried to hold in her fear, and fierceness gleamed in her eyes. “I’ll get it back for sure.”

Outside the airport, a ray of light shone on the girl’s face as she stepped into a black Bentley. After taking off her cap, her fair and beautiful face could be seen clearly, but she looked devastated.

“Where do you want to go, Miss?” the driver asked her.

“My house.” The girl took a deep breath and lowered her head, touching the diamond ring on her middle finger. Almost immediately, tears were welling up in her eyes again. Hence, she tried hard to hold back her tears and looked aside.

At this moment, she received a text on her phone. When she grabbed her phone and looked at the text, all it said was one simple ‘Sorry.’

Seeing that, she pressed her lips together and the tears that she was holding back fell down right away. Just then, she covered her face and cried out loudly, disregarding the driver in front.

The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror and felt bad for her. Although he was just a driver, he knew that his Young Miss was heartbroken as her boyfriend had just gotten engaged to another woman, and she was going to accept an engagement arranged by her family as well.

All sorts of interests got mixed up together, separating two lovebirds.

Just then, the girl’s phone started ringing. After looking at it, she closed her eyes and didn’t pick it up. Almost immediately, the driver’s phone started ringing as well. He quickly picked up the car phone. “Hello, Madam?”

“Have you picked my daughter up?” It was a stern woman’s voice.

“Yes, Ma’am. I’ve picked the Young Madam up.”

“Bring her home!”

The driver looked at the girl sitting in the back seat, who was holding in her sobs, and could only accept the order. “Yes, Ma’am. I’ll send her home now.”

After hanging up the phone, he turned around and spoke to the girl at the back. “Miss, Madam asked me to send you home.”

The girl didn’t say anything. She took out her phone and replied to the text just now. ‘Come back to me. I’ll call off my engagement, and I want you to call off yours too. I don’t want to break up.’