Chapter 764 Beyond Fortunate Christina wouldn’t act ruthlessly like Sheridan, eliminating all potential threats around her by resorting to any possible means. “The police will come to take your statement tomorrow, so you can hand over the evidence to them at that time. I’ll arrange for …
Chapter 761 Scary Threat Christina shot Nathaniel a confused look. Noticing her perplexity, he patiently explained, “It’s unlikely that Sheridan is oblivious to Barnaby’s past. From the moment that he, along with the other members of the Stone family, opposed Barnaby’s decision in acknowledging his illegitimate …
Chapter 760 A Promising Lead Despite their strained relationship, Christina ensured Azure’s dignity was upheld by organizing a solemn funeral. She left no opportunity for criticism from the distant relatives of the Gibson family, who might seek to find fault in her actions. After the funeral, …
Chapter 759 Competition Of Three No matter how Barnaby kept his voice hushed, Christina managed to hear his every word. Remaining calm, Winston smiled and took a huge step toward Barnaby. “You’ve done your fair share of grumbling behind the backs of those who feed you, …
Chapter 758 Ugly Side Revealed Barnaby’s emergence gave Timothy a shock, but the latter’s expression turned icy soon after. “Father, why don’t you head over to the lounge next door to rest? Let me attend to Old Mr. Stone,” Christina proposed, worried about her father’s health. …
Lyle didn’t understand what Christina meant, so he asked, “Do you mean you want me to create rumors to cause Barnaby trouble and let him expose the truth by himself?” With a sinister expression, Christina declared, “No. My goal is the Stone family. Sheridan attempted to …
Chapter 755 Surprise D*mmit! Why is it Victoria again? What an unlucky day! I can’t believe I have to deal with the same nuisance twice in a row! Melanie glared at Victoria. Seeing Melanie standing perfectly still like a log, Victoria shoved the former’s shoulder and …
Chapter 754 Unwanted Gift Christina felt nothing toward Azure, so she had no qualms about doing so. Hesitantly, Lyle disclosed, “The Stone family has already suppressed the discussion. If we intentionally make it a trending topic, the Stone family will come looking for trouble.” Fearlessly, Christina …
Chapter 753 Perish Together Every time Macy lit the lighter, Yerek’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that those driven to madness could do anything, so he didn’t dare to provoke Macy further at that critical juncture. “Anya’s death has nothing to do with me. You’re …
Chapter 752 Sowing Discord Yerek? Macy looked down upon Yerek because he was an illegitimate child, feeling that he had stolen everything that should have belonged to Anya. For that reason, she detested him to the core. “Yerek has something to do with Anya’s death?” she asked bluntly. “Yerek and Emilia’s involvement is something you’ll have to investigate yourself. I have a lot of things to do today, so I won’t pursue your reckless behavior this time. But this is definitely the last time. Don’t challenge my patience again, Mdm. Specker. You’re not my match,” Christina asserted. Then, she ordered Lyle to drop his hold on the woman. Macy stared at her for a few seconds before leaving briskly without a word. “Shall I arrange for someone to follow her?” Lyle asked. “No, it’s okay. She’s no longer a threat to me. But don’t underestimate a mother’s determination to avenge her daughter. Tell her Yerek’s whereabouts. While we can’t locate Emilia, it doesn’t mean that the same applies to her,” Christina murmured calmly. At worst, Macy would drag Yerek and Emilia down to hell with her. Meanwhile, Christina could eliminate two troublesome people effortlessly without having to do anything. Hence, she was more than happy to lend Macy a hand. The fashion show continued in an orderly manner. After Macy had left the place, she found that she had no idea about Yerek’s whereabouts. However, she knew where Azure lived. Hailing a taxi, she headed. straight to the latter’s mansion. Azure had been unable to contact Barnaby in the past two days, and there were reporters lying in wait outside the mansion. Having no family in Jadeborough, she stayed home and did not go anywhere. She had also kicked out the help arranged by Barnaby to take care of her for the time being. Right then, she was lazily reclining against the couch in the living room for a rest after having drunk quite a bit of red wine. Alas, the sudden ringing of the doorbell jolted her awake. Few people were aware of that mansion. Thinking that Barnaby had finally relented and come to visit her after receiving her message, she did not even take the time to put on a robe before hurrying over to open the door in a silk nightdress with spaghetti straps. “Barnaby, you’re here—” Before she had finished speaking, a black figure darted in and wrapped both hands around her neck while tackling her to the ground. By then, Azure had recognized Macy. “It’s you? Let go of me and get off me!” “Where’s Yerek?” Only one thought remained in Macy’s mind–she wanted to find Yerek and pry the truth out of him, then avenge Anya. Azure’s expression changed imperceptibly. “I have no idea! Let go!” Unfortunately for her, Macy was not easily fooled. “How could you possibly not know where he is when he’s your favorite grandson? I’ll consider sparing you if you tell me his whereabouts.” Gritting her teeth, Azure insisted, “My answer remains the same even if you kill me.” “Even if you don’t know, your old flame, Barnaby, undoubtedly does. Your entire family is despicable, willing to do anything for status and power. Yerek and Nigel’s greatest dream is to return to the Stone family. Don’t lie to me, for you certainly know where Yerek is.” After saying that, Macy grabbed a fistful of the elderly woman’s hair and slammed her head onto the floor hard. In a flash, such pain assaulted Azure that she passed out. Soon, a pool of blood formed on the ground. Macy stood up and kicked her a few times in anger while cursing her out. Subsequently, she started rummaging through things in the living room. She found Azure’s phone in the gap of the couch in the living room. No password was required, so she effortlessly found Barnaby’s phone and rang him up. The ringing tone only persisted for a few seconds before cutting off. Unwilling to give up, she called several times more. Utterly irritated by the disruption, Barnaby blocked Azure’s number. At that, Macy was fit to be tied. Nonetheless, she had no time to postulate what happened between Azure and Barnaby. She flipped through the entire contact list. Coincidentally, she found a number in the call log that had been dialed many times but was not saved. She tried her luck by phoning the number. In no time, the call was answered. “Hadn’t I told you not to phone me if there’s anything and to keep in contact through text instead? I’m exceedingly busy, so I’m hanging up. I’ll contact you when I’m free.” Yerek’s voice dripped with vexation. Conversely, Macy could hardly suppress the glee within her. “Excuse me, but you’re the phone owner’s family, yes? I’m a housekeeper she hired to clean the house. She suddenly took a fall and is currently half- unconscious, muttering about something or other. This mansion is remote, and the ambulance is still on the way. I don’t know what to do. At the moment, you’re the only person I managed to get hold of. Can you make a trip over?” “I’m very busy. Send her to the hospital. I’ll pay you extra,” Yerek declined. …
Chapter 751 Diverting Trouble The woman remained silent for a while, possibly pondering whether Melanie was attempting to deceive her. Melanie took the initiative to explain, “I have an urgent matter to attend to. This invitation was bought online at a rather high price. I don’t want my hard–earned money to go to waste. If you’re not interested, I’ll sell it to someone else.” As Melanie turned to leave, the woman called after her, “How much? I’ll buy it.” Melanie simply offered an amount, “Two thousand!” The woman hesitated. “Will you take fifteen hundred? That’s all I have on me.” Feigning a pained expression, Melanie sighed. “All right. Fifteen hundred it is. I wouldn’t agree to this price if it weren’t for my hurry.” The woman handed over all the cash from her wallet to Melanie, who then handed over her work badge without giving the money a second look before chucking it into her bag. The woman examined the work badge in her hand and was visibly taken aback. “This isn’t an invitation.” Melanie smiled slyly. “Isn’t a work badge more useful than an invitation? You can get in and out of the show any time you want and gather autographs until your hand goes numb, without having to queue up or stake out to see your idol. You’ve spent your fifteen hundred well.” The woman said no more. She put on the work badge and headed for the entrance of the show. Watching her receding figure, Melanie’s lips curled into a cold smirk. Christina, Victoria, let’s see how smoothly your fashion show will proceed now! Meanwhile, the backstage was in a whirl of activity. Victoria firmly refused to allow Christina to help, insisting that the latter supervise from the sidelines. Victoria was caught in a flurry of activities, instructing the models and directing makeup artists for last- minute makeovers. It was a whirlwind of chaos. Meanwhile, Christina sat at the side, leisurely watching everyone hustle and bustle, fully enjoying the privilege of being the boss. “Take a break. Have some water.” Christina handed a bottle of water to Victoria. Victoria, immersed in perfecting the embellishments of Floral Goddess, was far too engrossed to lift her hands for a drink. Just as she was about to decline the offer, Christina unscrewed the bottle cap and brought the water to her lips. Victoria beamed in delight. “Christina, you’re even more thoughtful than my boyfriend.” Christina couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Right. Drink this and stop talking.” Victoria ceased talking and downed nearly half the bottle of water before she recommenced her work. “I’ll take a look around. Carry on at your own pace. There’s no need to hurry,” suggested Christina, finding her own idle sitting rather unproductive. “Go on,” Victoria replied, not lifting her head. With the water bottle set down, Christina exited backstage. A figure swiftly brushed past her as she was about to walk toward the audience. Christina noticed that the figure was seemingly trying to conceal itself. After the incident with Melanie, Christina had become hyper–aware of the comings and goings of the staff. She turned to the person and ordered in a low voice, “Halt!” The mysterious figure obeyed and slowly turned, albeit keeping their head low to avoid Christina’s gaze. “Which area are you assigned to? I don’t remember seeing you before,” Christina queried, eyeing the unidentified worker’s tag. “What’s your name?” The person did not reply and clutched the worker’s badge tighter. Spotting this, Christina’s suspicions only grew. “What’s your name?” she asked again, inching closer. The stranger abruptly turned and sprinted backstage. Christina hurried after the figure with a hand supporting her waist. In the chaos, she collided with Victoria, who quickly steadied her before Christina fell. “Christina, why did you run- …
Chapter 750 A Fruitless Venture Rayne looked at the chaotic scene around her, a sinking feeling creeping into her heart, for she knew she had sparked a calamity. “The model previously in charge of the grand finale had a mishap in the hotel bathroom last night. She’s laid up in the hospital, unable to move. Worried that it would cause a delay in today’s show, I urgently contacted the model agency to recommend an experienced replacement to solve the problem. They sent me Melanie,” she explained. As her gaze met Christina’s icy countenance, Rayne felt a shiver of unease. “I investigated Melanie’s background thoroughly. She’s been modeling part–time since her university days. Both her beauty and demeanor are exceptional. I meant to discuss it with you today, but it completely slipped my mind in the rush of preparations. I was unaware of the conflict between Ms. Lesley and Melanie. If I had known, I would have rather taken to the runway myself than invited her,” Rayne added. Knowing Rayne as well as she did, Christina had no doubts about her assistant’s integrity It seemed improbable that Rayne would have accepted bribes from Melanie to let her infiltrate and disrupt their fashion show. “You’ye mistaken. The person who has a conflict with Melanie is me, not Victoria. Victoria was only standing up for me,” Christina clarified. Rayne stood in stunned silence, her eyes darting between Christina and Melanie. Christina did not offer further explanation and instead said, “Although this mess wasn’t intentional on your part, you violated our workplace rules. So, you have to manage the aftermath.” Rayne had no objections. After all, she was in charge of the fashion studio. “I’ll handle it immediately.” “Wait,” Christina called after her. “Bring me all the information on the models.” “I’ll have my assistant deliver them to you,” Rayne replied, summoning her assistant to fetch the required documents. She then concentrated on controlling the damage. Rayne pacified the seething Victoria before instructing the staff to tidy up the scene. Then, she walked over to Melanie and said, “Ms. Steele, I sincerely apologize for my oversight which led to an out–of–the- norm hiring process. Therefore, I have to replace you. Rest assured, the payment agreed upon earlier will be sent in full to your company. I’ll also contact them to ensure you don’t face any consequences because of this.” While Rayne leaned toward siding with Christina, she couldn’t be like Victoria, targeting anyone who crossed her path. Reputation and public opinion were paramount for their newly reopened fashion studio. She had to make sure Melanie didn’t tarnish their image after leaving their doors. –Melanie met Rayne’s gaze with cold, unreadable eyes. “And what if I refuse and insist on completing this show as per our contract?” Rayne hadn’t achieved her position just by currying favor with Christina. Her voice took on an icy edge. “Ms. Seymour, I suggest you put aside the benefits you think you might gain by making things difficult for me. Ms. Lesley is not just the special designer for our studio but also the heiress of the Lesley family. It would take her mere words to ruin someone’s career. Besides, my boss wouldn’t just stand by and watch.” Rayne smiled and continued, “If I were you, I’d take the payment and walk away without a fuss.‘ Melanie’s face clouded over, but her manners held strong. They were in a public space, and an image must be maintained. She couldn’t afford to cause a scene. “Ms. Maguire, I’m not part of the model agency. I am here to help a friend in need. I’m a well–known figure in the entertainment industry. Are you trying to brush me off with a meager payment? Do you take me for a fool?” Melanie retorted. “As you’ve stated, you’re here on a friend’s behalf. Well, allow me to be blunt. If it weren’t for this fashion show’s lucrative benefits, would you, a figure of modest fame, have been bothered by your friend’s request? Unless you’re implying, you aren’t in it for the money at all?” Rayne paused, her gaze turning frosty. “Or perhaps there’s a more nefarious scheme at play?” Even if the evidence was all laid out in plain sight, Melanie would never admit to her ulterior motives. Stiffly, Melanie conceded to Rayne’s initial proposition. “When will the payment be made?” Rayne’s demeanor warmed slightly. “It can be arranged now. I’ll send someone over to assist you with your makeup removal.” She beckoned over a makeup artist and a few staff members and personally oversaw the careful removal of the grand attire and jewelry adorning Melanie. Following this, she transferred the payment and even generously covered her meal and transportation costs. This gesture only served to heighten Melanie’s suspicion that Rayne was treating her like a beggar. Never before had she suffered such an insult. With her dignity fraying, Melanie collected her belongings and left, her face …
