Joyce never expected that Rohomes was currently at the critical moment of power transition. Clint brought her to Rohomes, but what was he planning to do? She had heard before that the succession dispute in Rohomes was intense, and Clint's position as the crown prince was not stable. However, in reality, Clint held the majority of power, and if the emperor were to pass away... if he didn't leave the throne to Clint...
Joyce took a sharp breath.
Clint was cunning and would never give up easily. Rohomes would definitely fall into internal conflict.
No wonder she saw Watanabe repeatedly whispering to Clint today. It turned out that something big had happened in the royal family. Even the media couldn't hide it anymore, as news about the emperor's critical condition leaked out. The situation must have reached a critical point. It was likely that a change would happen in just a few days.
She browsed through some internal network news that she could access, but they were all official statements with nothing new or interesting.
Now, all she could do was try to remember the phone number of Kane's branch company in Rohomes. But the more she rushed, the harder it became for her to recall. She tried several numbers, but none of them were correct.
After a while, Joyce stood up.
It was pointless to continue wasting time like this. She needed to move around and relax herself.
Opening the door, Joyce walked downstairs quickly. When she reached the living room, she found Clint sitting on the sofa, leisurely looking at his phone as if he had nothing to do with the world even if it collapsed.
Hearing Joyce coming downstairs, he looked up. "You came down so quickly?"
"Heh." Joyce sneered. "You blocked all external communication, so I couldn't contact anyone. What can I do? I can only come down and continue wandering around."
"If you have any needs, you can contact me," Clint said casually. "As for others, it doesn't matter if you don't contact them."
Joyce cursed silently in her heart. It didn't matter to him, but it mattered to others.
"Speaking of contact information, I don't even have your contact number now. Give me your number," Joyce handed him her phone. "Enter your number here, and also give me Watanabe's number in case I can't reach you and have urgent matters."
Clint glanced at Joyce again before taking her phone and entering his own number and Watanabe's number. Then he handed it back to Joyce.
"Can I go out? This place seems nice, in the city center. There are various high-end shops within walking distance. If I'm bored, I can go shopping," Joyce sat down opposite Clint.
"Not for now. Maybe later, wait a few more days," Clint picked up the teacup in front of him. Inside the white porcelain cup was green tea, which he sipped lightly.
Wait a few days? Joyce thought to herself. Could it be that he was waiting for the emperor's passing? Waiting for the result of the succession before letting her leave?
Clint seemed to remember something as he took out a small envelope from his pocket and handed it to Joyce. "This is for you."
Curiously, Joyce took it and asked, "What is this?"
"Open it and you'll see," Clint drank another sip of tea.
Joyce opened the envelope and found a black credit card inside with a golden chrysanthemum emblem printed on it.
"A credit card?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes. This card has no spending limit; you can use it however you like," Clint pointed at the credit card. "Surprised? Back when you were in Khebury, you gave me a credit card too."
Joyce remained silent.
She didn't know if he held a grudge or remembered her kindness.
"Don't think too much about it. You're the first person willing to take care of me like this. I will treasure the card you gave me forever," Clint smiled faintly with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
"You were unknown at that time, penniless. I didn't mean anything else by giving you a job and a place to stay, as well as a card. How could you interpret it as me taking care of you?" Joyce couldn't understand; he was really good at twisting things around.
"You arranged a job for me, gave me a place to stay, and gave me a card. How else am I supposed to interpret it?" Clint's smile grew wider.
Joyce was speechless.
Could it be that this was the reason why he went through so much trouble to kidnap her?
"What use do I have for a credit card? I can't even leave this villa. You won't let me go out but give me a card just to mock me?" Joyce threw the credit card on the table. "I don't need it."
"Not now, but soon enough. Keep it," Clint's voice turned cold.
"How soon?" Joyce tested him. "How long is 'soon'? Clint, I saw the news about the emperor being critically ill. Why are you so calm sitting here? What are you planning?"
"You saw it?" Clint put down his teacup. "Yes, as you've seen, my father's end is near; it will happen in these few days. It's not a secret; since even the media reported it, they did so with my permission."
"Why aren't you at the hospital with him?" Joyce was confused; wasn't this supposed to be the most critical moment in the succession dispute?
At that moment, Clint's handsome face suddenly turned cold as he involuntarily clenched his fist.
Why wasn't he at the hospital with him?
Because someone else was there day and night by his side-Reuben!
And his father had ordered that no one else be allowed to visit!
He could only obtain information through other channels.
Rohomes' Palace Hall.
Reuben sat on the sofa with a cup of green tea in his hand. He felt restless and unconsciously took a sip and then another sip until there was no more tea left in his cup. Yet he continued raising his cup as if there was still tea inside without realizing that it was empty.
Grizela noticed this and couldn't help but remind him, "Your Highness, shall I pour some tea for you?"
Reuben snapped back to reality and looked at his empty cup; only then did he realize that he had been lost in thought for quite some time.
He put down his cup on the coffee table and said dismissively, "No need."
"Yes, Your Highness," Grizela respectfully retreated to one side.
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