My Poor Husband Is A Billionaire

Pleasantly surprised, Janet looked up from her phone and sneered at the HR staff.

Then she began to type out her reply to Brandon.

"Miss Lind, please sign on the resignation notice,"

the staff member said through gritted teeth.

She grew angrier when she saw that Janet began to tinker with her phone.

Ignoring her, Janet texted Brandon back.

"Are you serious, Mr.Larson? What did you find?"

The message from Brandon was a godsend.

She was just about to accept the fact that the Larson Group had given up on her.

Brandon replied with a long message.

"Upon investigating the matter, we found out that Lester Silk Fabric took over the platform recently.

Luna didn’t upload the design drafts a year ago, but a few days ago.

The data was tampered with.

Lester Silk Fabric used their connections and managed to get to your works before the show officially began.

They asked Luna to make a collection based on your works and posted them on the platform.

They tampered with the date and time stamp of the post to frame you for plagiarism."

Janet had already guessed that it was Lester Silk Fabric behind this, but she had no idea how they did it.

"How did you find that out?"

The platform was now owned by Lester Silk Fabric.

How could they have let Brandon investigate them? "We have tech guys here.

They were the ones who found evidence of them tampering with the platform’s database.

Even if they had altered the original date of uploading, our tech guys were able to retrieve it.

We also have a video confession of the staff who tampered with the data."

Brandon’s words lifted a weight off of Janet’s heart.

He sent two videos to Janet and said, "We’ve done what we could.

You should be able to take it from here now, right?"

All of a sudden, Janet felt a surge of energy.

She stood up with a confident smile and said to the HR staff member, "I didn’t do anything wrong and I knew that the company won’t fire me because of some groundless accusation!"

As she spoke, she tucked her phone away.

The staff member gritted her teeth and glared at her angrily.

"Janet Lind, you plagiarized someone else’s work yet you feel no shame?"

Janet ignored her.

She turned around and left without looking back.

******* Tiffany looked up in surprise when Janet entered her office.

"What’s up, Lind?"

"Miss Fisher, can I have Ritchie Lester’s number?"

Janet asked politely.

In Tiffany’s eyes, she looked inexplicably relaxed, as though her career wasn’t in danger.

Tiffany looked at her warily and then nodded slowly.

"I have his number, but may I ask why you need it?"

"I want to call him and apologize,"

Janet answered simply.

"Lind, are you crazy? Go back to work.

You didn’t plagiarize anything, so keep a low profile for now.

There are enough discussions about you already,"

Tiffany scolded.

After saying that, she lowered her head and continued to work.

But Janet stayed glued to the spot, staring at her with fierce determination.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Tiffany relented and held up Ritchie’s business card.

She said in a resigned tone, "I don’t know what you’re up to, but I hope you know what you’re doing."

Janet reached for the card with a bright smile.

Of course she knew what she was doing.

That evening, Ritchie received a call from an unknown number.

"Mr.Lester, this is Janet Lind from the Larson Group.

After giving it some thought, I want to apologize in public,"

Janet said, her voice as sweet as honey.

When Ritchie heard this, he was surprised.

Then, he sneered.

He was under the impression that Ethan’s wife was a stubborn woman, but it turned out he was wrong about her.

Janet had given up so soon.

"You’re scared, aren’t you?"

With a smug smile on his face, Ritchie smirked.

"Come to Lester Silk Fabric tomorrow.

You can apologize there in person."

Chapter 318Press Conference Ritchie had a devious grin on his face when he hung up the phone.

"Call all the designers under Lester Silk Fabric and the people in charge of the fashion week,"

he barked at his secretary.

"I want them here tomorrow.

Call some famous personalities in the fashion industry as well.

We need people in authority for the event."

The secretary nodded respectfully.

He was about to leave when Ritchie stopped him in his tracks.

"Where the hell are you going? I’m not finished yet.

Get your ass back here."

The poor man scurred back, cursing his boss in his mind.

ver "Invite every media outlet in Seacisco, especially the ones that prioritize viewership over anything.

And make sure to tell them to hype up the event as much as they can!"

Ritchie sat back on his chair as his plan began to take shape.

"Get the biggest function hall for the press conference.

I want hundreds of people to be there.

Oh, and don’t forget to arrange for a live stream, too.

Contact our usual sponsors and tell them their products will be displayed throughout the feed.

We might as well make some money while we’re at it.

And remember-our main goal is to discredit Janet and end her fashion career for good."

1 Another evil grin spread on Ritchie’s face.

He wanted to screw that woman over so badly that she could never get back on her feet again.

The secretary pursed his lips and jotted every detail down.

This time, he made sure that his boss was finished before leaving the office.

The sun shone bright and early the next day.

Just as planned, the press conference was held at the largest meeting hall in Lester Silk Fabric.

Cameras littered all around the room, squeezed in among the throng of people who came to watch the spectacle.

Even as she swept a glance over the crowd, Janet didn’t feel panicked in the slightest.

"It looks like the Lester Silk Fabric really wants to do you in,"

Tiffany remarked from beside her.

She turned to look Janet in the eye.

"You’re not just going to stand there and let yourself be bullied in public, are you? What’s your plan?"

A faint smile appeared on Janet’s lips.

"You’ll find out soon enough.

Don’t worry.

I’m not particularly inclined to suffer any misplaced grievances, either."

With that, she walked onto the stage, all calm and grace.

The room finally settled down as Janet took her place.

Without wasting her time, she whipped out a flash drive and held it up for all to see.

"Sorry for taking up your time, everyone.

In order to convey my sincerity more properly, I have prepared a couple of videos for today’s press conference."

From a distance, Ritchie frowned and narrowed his eyes.

He could sense that something wasn’t right.

Why was Janet so composed in such a situation? If anything, she should be mortified and humiliated right now, especially in front of all these people.

What was she up to? He leaned over to his secretary and asked in a hushed voice, "Did she find something?"

"She can’t have,"

the other man replied confidently.

"We’ve taken care to sweep everything.

All the evidence has been locked away.

I think she’s just bluffing."

At this point, Janet had already plugged the drive to a computer, and one of the videos was playing on the widescreen Ritchie’s eyes widened like saucers as they watched an employee of Lester Silk Fabric tampering with the time stamp on the website.

The scene changed, and this time, the same man was sobbing hysterically as he divulged what he had done.

n The clips ended, and a deafening silence fell in the room.

Janet took the microphone and said, "As you can see, this is what really happened.

Lester Silk Fabric managed to get hold of my designs prior to the show.

After that, one of their designers, Luna Mccoy, posted my entire portfolio online and edited the details to make it look like she was the original designer.

There is your truth.

Once again, I thank each of you for coming to hear me out today.

If you have further questions, kindly direct them to Mr.Lester.

I’m sure he can give you better answers than I can."

She gave Ritchie a meaningful look, then, and gestured in his direction with a wave of her hand.

2 As soon as she did, the crowd burst into an uproar.Chapter 319 The Ensuing Drama Shocked, Ritchie cursed out loud, "Fuck that bitch!"

His secretary was also scared silly.

Glaring daggers at him, Ritchie was pissed off and kicked him in the ass.

Pointing his finger at the big screen, he cursed again, "What the fuck are you doing standing here for? Turn off the projector right now!"

The secretary stumbled to the stage and proceeded to turn it off.

Ritchie snorted, smoothed over his suit and made his way onto the stage.

This happened to be his territory, not Janet’s.

He lifted his chin and approached her, holding his head up high.

"Janet Lind, you better be careful with what you say.

As far as I can see, you were just making things up so that you can get yourself out of your predicament!"

As he said this, he turned his eyes from her and exclaimed, "Give yourself up.

Apologize right this moment! Don’t waste any more of our time here!"

W "Then why did you turn off the projector if I was, indeed, making things up? That’s a sign of guilt.

If you’re so sure of yourself, you should allow me to show everyone the proof.

I’m sure that everyone here is smart enough to tell if I actually made up the evidence or not,"

Janet smiled and said in a calm voice.

Ritchie was exasperated to hear that.

He clenched his teeth tightly and pointed his finger at the door.

"I thought you came here to apologize.

If you’re not going to do that, why don’t you leave this place immediately?!"

While smiling, Janet didn’t say a word.

Instead, she turned to the audience before her and said word by word, "Everyone should know the truth by now.

I’m going to sue Lester Silk Fabric for slandering my name."

After finishing her speech, she didn’t bother to argue with Ritchie anymore and went ahead to leave the stage.

This scene was live streamed and everyone saw for themselves what had happened.

Everyone in the room and the audience in the live stream room was shocked to say the least.

The audience began to discuss this amongst themselves.

Even though Janet had only played the videos once, the reporters had gone out of their way to record them.

"Mr.Lester, could you please offer an explanation for what happened just now?"

"Lester Silk Fabric and the Larson Group have been rivals for years now.

Was this why you decided to slander Miss Lind in this way? In order to taint the Larson Group’s name?"

"If your statement about Janet plagiarizing one of your designers’ pieces was true, is there any evidence to back up your statement?"

The reporters all turned to look at Ritchie and kept on asking him and Luna questions.

"Miss Mccoy, are you going to make a statement? After all, weren’t you the one who accused Miss Lind of plagiarism in the first place? What are your thoughts on the current situation?"

"Did Mr.Lester instruct you to do this?"

"Tell us, what’s the nature of the relationship between the two of you?"

Being ambushed by the reporters, Luna’s mind went blank and she felt very embarrassed.

She said frantically, "I have no idea.

Don’t ask me…"

Under the dazzling flashing lights of the cameras, Ritchie couldn’t even keep his eyes open.

He kept cursing out loud while pushing the reporters in front of him away and saying, "Get the hell out of my way! Turn off your damn lights! You’re blinding me!"

His secretary hurried to stop his curses.

If Ritchie’s father found out about this, he would be very angry.

Having been spoiled by the Lester family since he was a child, Ritchie happened to be very irritable at this moment.

Before he took over the company, his parents had to repeatedly remind him to control that temper of his His secretary cleared the way for him while speaking to the reporters.

"Please, sirs, madams, Mr.Lester can’t answer all of your questions right now.

We’ll announce on our official website if we have any comments."

Finally, Ritchie and the senior executives of Lester Silk Fabric were able to escape the madness of the room.

Chapter 320 Take The Blame When she got home, Janet kicked off her heels and collapsed into bed.

Now, she felt much better.

"It’s finally over!"

After resting for a while, she got up and turned on the computer.

She briskly posted the evidence on the forums Luna had posted to slander her before.

A few hours later, the forums came to life as users discussed this matter heatedly.

The dramatic turning-of-tables that had happened at the press briefing soon made headlines.

Related videos went viral on the Internet.

Suddenly, Janet’s phone started to ring.

It was Tiffany.

"Lind, I’m impressed.

Have you seen the comments on the post? Everyone’s calling you a warrior.

You really knocked them dead!"

"Oh, my God! Seriously?"

Janet moved her cursor to check the comments Tiffany was talking about.

She had been focused on the media’s reports until now and didn’t know what people were saying in the comments.

When Janet read the comments, she found that the video of her talking on the stage had been spread all over the Internet.

There was a lot of positive feedback.

"Wow.

Heart.

Heart.

She’s so elegant and generous! And a fierce warrior too!"

"She’s a lovely girl.

Such a polite and beautiful goddess plagiarized someone else’s work? I doubt it!"

"She’s so pretty, I’d kiss her all day!"

"Even though I’m a girl, I want her!"

Janet buried her face in her hands, her cheeks blushing furiously.

She had never been praised by so many strangers in her life.

The next day, in the Lester Silk Fabric building… "Nonsense! These reports are all bullshit! How dare they call me rude?"

Furious, Ritchie started trashing his office.

He was in trouble, but there was nothing he could do.

In recent years, Lester Silk Fabric and the Larson Group had become two very high profile companies.

What with Janet’s fiasco, the media was having a field day.

In the span of just twenty-four hours, the reputation of Lester Silk Fabric was destroyed and its stock price.

plummeted.

"There’s nothing we can do to refute the evidence that Janet posted online.

What we can do now is to try our best to keep the news from spreading.

Mr.Lester, it was your idea to bring in more reporters there…"

the secretary reminded Ritchie in a trembling voice, picking up the documents Ritchie had thrown on the ground.

Ritchie glared at him, speechless.

He picked up another stack of papers from the table and threw them at the secretary’s face.

"I’m not an idiot.

You don’t need to remind me what I said."

Things didn’t end there.

Brandon sent people from the Larson Group’s legal department to help Janet file a lawsuit against Lester Silk Fabric.

The second they got the notice of the lawsuit, Lester Silk Fabric responded quickly and held a press conference in the afternoon.

Luna expressionlessly read a script in front of countless reporters, her face pale as a ghost under the limelight.

"I admit that I peeked at Janet Lind’s work before the show started.

Then I bribed an employee to tamper with the upload date on the database.

I falsely accused her of plagiarizing my work, and I did all this to gain fame and attention.

I am responsible for all of this.

My actions have nothing to do with Lester Silk Fabric."

In the Larson Group, Janet stopped the video on her phone and sighed.

"No class! Lester Silk Fabric made an ordinary employee take the fall!"

Chapter 321 Ask Brandon Out For Dinner Gerda clicked her tongue unhappily.

"Everyone knows they’re using Luna as a scapegoat.

She’s just an ordinary employee.

How on earth could she manage to do all of this? Lester Silk Fabric is really heartless."

The other designers had also seen the video circulating the Internet.

They began to discuss in hushed voices, but the general consensus was that Lester Silk Fabric was a cold blooded company.

Janet pulled her chair and sat down.

There was no point in dwelling on it now that things had been settled.

"I can’t say I’m surprised.

Now that Luna has taken the blame, we can’t do anything to Lester Silk Fabric."

"And what about those designs? Are they really not gonna put them back on the show?"

Gerda puffed out her chest indignantly Janet smiled at her colleague gently.

"It doesn’t matter.

Look on the bright side.

I have gained considerable fame because of everything that’s happened.

Now, all eyes are on my work."

In the end, Luna was put behind bars.

And Janet had become an online celebrity.

Many people now knew her name and saw her designs.

Some even paid for it.

When the dust settled, Janet poured all her energy into her work.

She had been so busy with this matter the past few days, so now she could finally focus on other things.

"By the way, Lind, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.

How’d you get the evidence?"

Gerda was talking about the videos that Janet had posted on the Internet, which had amassed more than a million views.

Janet froze.

After a few seconds, she broke into a smile and waved her hand dismissively.

"A very capable friend helped me get them."

Gerda nudged her arm and asked curiously, "What friend? A boyfriend perhaps?"

Janet’s eyes twinkled.

"It’s a secret.

Gerda, is it just me or do you have a lot of time on your hands? Have you finished your design for this month? Don’t come running to me again when the deadline approaches."

"Ah! My God! I still have thirty-four drawings to finish!"

Gerda scratched her head and hurried back to her desk.

Janet couldn’t help but chuckle.

Suddenly, she thought of the tall and straight back of Brandon.

Now that she thought about it, she realized that Lester Silk Fabric had gone through all this trouble just to set her up.

It must have cost Brandon a lot to get his hands on the evidence.

Janet couldn’t help but feel a little strange.

Brandon had helped her countless times, but she hadn’t really ever met him in person.

She owed Brandon too much and she doubted she could ever repay him.

After thinking about it for a long time, Janet finally plucked up the courage to send a message to Brandon.

"Mr.Larson, would you be willing to let me treat you to dinner? You’ve helped me a lot and I’d like to express my gratitude somehow."

2 After hitting send, Janet put down her phone and wrung her hands nervously.

The chairman of the Larson Group had probably tasted all the splendid dishes this world had to offer.

But it was a token of her appreciation.Chapter 322 A Warning At the CEO’s office of the Larson Group.

The Larson Group’s stock price had fluctuated over the past few days.

Now that the situation was favorable for the Larson Group and its stock price had more than recovered, Ethan decided to seize the opportunity to put more pressure on the Lester Silk Fabric.

Garrett hadn’t slept properly in the past three days, dealing with the bad press: He was yawning sleepily when Ethan’s phone pinged.

"Someone texted you."

When he saw the name on Ethan’s phone’s screen, Garrett snickered.

"It seems your wife’s missing you."

Ethan smacked Garrett on the back of the head and grabbed the phone.

Instantly, his expression darkened when he read the text.

"What is it? Why’s your face like that?"

Garrett asked seriously, the smile wiped from his face.

"Janet’s asking Brandon out for dinner."

Ethan put his phone down and sighed.

"If I refuse, she’ll be very disappointed."

Garrett leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head.

"Yeah.

You can’t have dinner with Janet without her seeing your face.

Last time, when you and Janet went to the company’s masquerade ball, you almost exposed yourself.

It’d be unwise to take such a risk again.

It’s not good for my heart either,"

he sighed.

Ethan frowned and started typing out a brisk reply.

"Thank you, but there’s no need for you to treat me to dinner.

You’re an employee of the Larson Group.

I helped you to protect the reputation of the company."

Janet read his message and quickly replied, "But Mr.Larson, you could’ve just dismissed me."

"If I dismiss any employee when something like this comes up, how will we keep the talented ones? Keep up the good work.

That’s thanks enough, Miss Lind,"

Ethan replied politely, keeping things professional.

1 He had deliberately distanced Brandon from her ever since what happened last time.

He didn’t want her to suspect him of anything Reading his reply, Janet had no choice but to give up.

Ethan put down his phone, kicked the sofa Garrett was lying down on, and said, "I want you to relocate the one who had tried to force Janet to resign.

Transfer her to a subsidiary company.

Then, bring Charis here."

Garrett was just about to take a nap.

Hearing Ethan’s orders, he helplessly peeled his eyes open and stood up from the sofa.

He muttered under his breath, "This job will definitely be the death of me."

Charis had expected that Ethan would want to have a talk with her, but when she received the notice, her heart still skipped a beat.

"Why did you want to dismiss Janet?"

Ethan asked in a low voice.

He shoved his hands into the pocket of his slacks, and the light from the window elongated his shadow on the floor.

"I just wanted to protect the company name,"

Charis answered defensively.

Ethan narrowed his eyes at her coldly.

"From now on, I’ll take care of all matters related to Janet.

No one other than me.

Understood?"

Ethan’s cold voice sent a shiver down Charis’s spine.

She winced and smiled bitterly, as though she had been wronged.

"I see how it is.

You don’t trust me now? Brandon, I don’t have any ulterior motives, I swear.

Ethan had already noticed that something was wrong with Charis.

He never brought it up before because he didn’t want her to look bad.

She and her family had always valued their image.

"I’m just warning you not to act against Janet.

Otherwise, don’t blame me if I disregard our long term friendship."

Chapter 323 A Long Forgotten Name After a moment’s silence, Charis said in a low voice, "I see."

Charis was a dignified woman.

Before Ethan could say anything more, she turned around and walked out of his office, As soon as the door closed behind her, tears welled up in her eyes..

Ever since they first met, Brandon had never said such harsh words to her before, nor had he looked at her with such cold eyes.

She hadn’t cried in years.

The last time was when she said goodbye to Brandon before going abroad.

She had been reluctant to leave him.

But now, she felt bad about Brandon’s attitude towards her.

She and Brandon had worked together for years.

They had shared the company’s ups and downs.

But all of a sudden, with Janet now in the picture, Brandon suddenly was ruthless towards her.

Tears rolled down Charis’s cheeks as she realized just how important Janet was to Brandon.

The hot tears dripped from her chin to the carpeted floor.

"I met Brandon first,"

Charis muttered through gritted teeth.

Charis didn’t like to be candid with her shrewdness.

The reason why she had tried to fire Janet was to win Brandon’s heart.

In Charis’s eyes, Janet wasn’t good enough for him.

But now that Brandon had taken a liking to her, Charis figured he would deeply fall in love with her and she would eventually lose him for good.

Thinking of this, Charis was more determined than ever to separate Janet and Brandon..

But she couldn’t act as overtly as before.

Brandon had just warned her not to interfere with Janet’s work ever again.

She had to be more careful now.

On the other side… After Janet got off work, she went home, only to find that Ethan had come home early today.

"Oh, the workaholic is back! I’m surprised you still remember the way home!"

Janet’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

Looking at the man who was busy cooking in the kitchen, she was not happy.

After all, she hadn’t seen Ethan for two or three days.

That was because Ethan had been busy dealing with the plagiarism issue the past few days.

But he couldn’t tell her this.

While cracking the eggs into a bowl, he found an excuse.

"When I crossed Ritchie’s path, he made a lot of trouble.

The manager of the shop at work fired me.

I’ve been working part time the past few days while looking for a stable job."

Then, he paused and said sincerely, "I’m sorry that I haven’t been here for you these days."

In fact, there was some truth to his story.

Ritchie had indeed caused him a lot trouble after all.

Hearing this, Janet’s heart immediately softened.

She walked over to help him with the vegetables.

"So, what happened? You didn’t tell me the truth.

I was worried something bad happened to you."

"The problem’s been solved.

Don’t worry,"

Ethan said with a reassuring smile.

That much was true.

Ethan had really solved the problem that had been plaguing them the past few days.

"Your brother is really hard to deal with."

Janet pouted like a child.

After transferring the egg into the pan, Ethan turned and his eyes landed on Janet’s earlobe.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he gulped.

"How about having dinner and then a little bit of exercise to unwina: "What kind of exercise?"

Janet looked up at Ethan curiously.

Almost immediately, she saw the lust in his eyes.

His face was so beautiful.

It was as though God had chiseled his face to perfection.

His eyes stared deep into hers, filled with burning desire.

Janet’s face turned as red as a tomato.

She quickly lowered her head and said shyly, "You’re so naughty!"

Then she focused on chopping the vegetables.

Amused, Ethan patted her on the head affectionately.

He really liked it when she blushed.

He could feel that she liked him, but she always pretended to refuse him.

He had to admit it really turned him on.

But the romantic atmosphere was instantly soiled by the sound of the phone ringing.

"Keep an eye on the eggs, okay? Don’t let them burn."

Ethan stroked Janet’s hair.

Then, he took off his apron and walked to the living room to pick up his phone.

A long forgotten name appeared on the screen.

It was Patrick Lester.

Chapter 324 Nora’s Birthday Ethan pursed his lips.

He glanced back at the kitchen at Janet, then opened the glass door to step out onto the balcony He was a little surprised to see that Patrick was calling him.

It was winter and the cold wind was unforgiving.

Ethan stood on the balcony, letting the wind blow his hair.

"Why on earth are you answering the phone outside? Isn’t it cold out there?"

Janet’s voice broke the silence.

Ethan was lost in his thoughts and didn’t notice when Janet slid the door open and poked her head out.

Narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously, she looked at the phone in Ethan’s hand.

He was answering the phone out on the balcony again.

Was it Charis calling again? "It’s Patrick Lester."

Amused by the quirky expression on her face, he pulled her into his arms and finally answered the phone.

"Ethan, why the hell did you keep me waiting?"

Patrick’s irritated voice came from the other end of the line.

"I was busy just now,"

Ethan simply replied.

Patrick didn’t give a damn about whatever Ethan was up to.

There was something he needed to talk about with Ethan, so he went straight to the point.

"Your grandma’s birthday is coming up and we’re throwing her a party.

She wants you and your wife here."

Without waiting for Ethan’s response, he hung up abruptly.

— – Janet had overheard Patrick’s loud voice.

She looked up at Ethan and asked hesitantly, "So are we going?"

Ethan held her tighter and sighed.

"We are.

Patrick seldom summons me.

There’ll be nothing but trouble if we disobey him.

Besides, I haven’t seen my grandma in a very long time.

It’s only right that I be there on her birthday."

Janet smiled at him sweetly.

"I can tell that you’re fond of her."

It was true that Ethan’s expression softened when he spoke of his grandmother.

Nora Lester, Ethan’s grandma, was a distant relative of the Larson family.

She had known Ethan’s mother when she was a girl.

Although she didn’t approve of what Patrick had done, she couldn’t do anything about her son’s decisions.

She had always felt sorry for Ethan and used to secretly send him money.

She was the only Lester who ever cared about Ethan.

Thinking of this, Ethan rested his chin on the top of Janet’s head.

"She’s a kind lady,"

he said calmly.

long time since they

"Let’s not talk here.

It’s so cold!"

whined, her

thought

shouted, "The eggs! I forgot

free from Ethan’s embrace and ran to the kitchen

Ethan followed behind her.

stared at Janet, who was extremely flustered, and

silly girl! I told you to keep an eye on the

head, he gently pulled her to the side while he cleaned up the mess

the corner, restlessly watching

"I’m sorry.

Charis, so I rushed to

Ethan had guessed this.

he raised his eyes

"It’s my fault.

you enough

his arms and

her face against his

from Patrick, she murmured, "The Lesters treat you badly, especially

you and I

a huge

if we just go there?"Chapter 461 In Order To Survive Shelia didn’t notice what

off the sweat collecting on her forehead in a casual manner, flipped the meat over, and

to tell me, then forget about

was just being

eyes at her, Victor said nothing, and silently

that Shelia didn’t mean him any

crushed some fruits and poured the juice

this definitely could be

Here you go."

"And what about you?"

Shelia was holding out in her hand and didn’t make a move to

roast some more for

the meat, Shelia smiled as if

"Don’t worry about it.

This meat isn’t poisonous.

and eat it with

then, watching

happened to be an easy-going person, this didn’t mean

thought that Victor had gotten

she knew she was

"I’m not very hungry.

go ahead and

to look away and placed the meat

roast the rest for

Shelia nodded and said, "Okay, it’s perfectly fine if

took a bite out

she furrowed her brows and stuck out

hard

was not cooked

you just now

you tell me? You

the meat out, Victor didn’t say a word

her meat aside, Shelia turned around and spotted Victor’s smiling

Van, you did

smiling?’ Victor never even realized

lifted his hand and gently touched

me to roast the meat for

gone a

get

tired at

sit right

hands propped under her chin, Shelia

Victor roasting the meat so skillfully, she blinked her eyes and said, "Van, you’re good at cooking meat, aren’t you? Did you learn this

how to

in a

"Survive in the wildness?"

the very first time that Shelia had ever heard of such

go out of your way to

also crushed some fruits and poured the

he used a knife to slice

heard what Shelia

a while, he said,

knew the

to be prepared in case of any

that even under ner protection, Victor would

at least

"Alright."

focus her gaze on

glimpse of Shelia’s profile and the dust

stretched out a hand to wipe off

and turned to look

straight into Shelia’s eyes, he

hand, looked away, and explained, "Your nose has

"Is that so?"

ahead to rub her nose with the back of her

what about now? Is

"No,"

glancing over at

"Good."

Shelia smiled.

you learn other than roasting meat? I want to

Can you teach me?"

want to

"In order to survive."

mouth very naturally.Chapter

shelia said casually.

sad

be flipped? It’s on the verge

Shelia pointed out.

by Shelia, Victor saw a small burn on the meat’s exposed side when he looked at

the meat over while he was still thinking about what she just

.

whether or not

after all,

on the other hand, didn’t seem to take it

asked, "Will you please teach

"Hmm,"

said after

"Is that a yes?"

glowed, and she

dimples, meanwhile,

Victor nodded, "Okay."

she

encountered, except for my caretaker

"Orphanage?"

where I was

taken over and

eyes clouded as

was

meals

is an orphan…’

needed to look after you since the orphanage

leave with the other

and answered, "I didn’t

the only home Shelia had

they okay with you being outdoors on your

head, Shelia

to visit her tomb, so I

whereabouts remain unknown to them, and

of the dingy ground, Shelia

in shards of sunshine that had been scattered by the

her hands behind her head,

disappointment as she gazed up at

want to

what keeps you

are people guarding the

find me if I

had no idea that I

when I meet

said, blinking her

remained fixed on Shelia

Van, it would be more

a soft spot in her heart

I was a

to use this term to describe

at Shelia, Victor concluded that

an apt description of her features,

Victor asked her, "Since she was responsible for your upbringing, how come you got your name

unable to communicate since she

to us by

poker card

were a treasure and presented it

each kid was given a unique

put them on the cards and let us take them as we pleased, but we were naughty,’ shella erupted into laughter, which was maybe due

at the card–the

Did I get the

Shelia inquired.

"It’s definitely the best."

retracted the card and said, "I am

toasting as they were

gave her the meat after he re-applied the

set

Eat, please."

gut just after

her hand to her stomach and ate the

than the meat i made

Victor’s expression softened somewhat.

rejuvenated after a

she rose to her feet, she said, "Let’s

ready to rise when

"Come on, get up."

and after a little pause, he took Shelia’s hand in his and

a dart to put marks on the tree

had lost track of time as

had

assisted Victor in sitting down on a stone and drank

far we’ll have to travel

can get out before

some water as

perhaps exhausted after so much walking, and he was coughing up

"I’m sure

Let’s move forward."

still have

"Like never before…"

continued

motion, she murmured, "Van,

you return, be

lowered his gaze to

covered in mud after a day

What’s

"Plan?"

slow to

are your plans once we leave the forest? Where will you be

continue my travels and explore the world’s finest rivers and

station when I can no longer walk and beg them to take me

with a

"Shelia."

made up his mind after staring

"What’s the problem?"

with me after we get out

you, I will defend

can count

me to come with

you? If you don’t

was concerned that Shelia might

while before asking, "Are you

"No, I’m not.

treat you the

Victor convinced her.

smiled

we get

"Sure."

from

below the horizon, basking the forest in a pale red glow that passed through the

on the bodies of Victor

had been walking since high noon and now, the sun was

was assuaged when they saw a relatively spacious

out of

villagers if we walk a little

We can…"

sentence,

She was confused.

Victor, wanting to know

"Van?"

i didn’t expect you to come out

came, Shelia looked for the source of

were parked

at the front, looking at them intently as he

right away that they were

who in turn stood protectively in front

off Norton,

that only Shelia could hear, Victor said, "Run into the forest when

lost even when

way out of

you can

"And then?"

her eyebrows

straight

"Walk along this road.

mobile phone from them, and

that Norton didn’t intend to

a game with

if he couldn’t escape this predicament, Shelia shouldn’t

her back

could not fulfill the

hand, Victor wrote a phone number

you get hold of a

he whispered.

my grandmother’s

pick

down

didn’t respond, Victor looked at her and asked in

"No."

pulled her hand

were a

don’t want to remember the number, nor do I

a

Victor frowned.

coughed violently as

and clenched

just didn’t want to spread her palm and let

Shelia were talking about, he could tell that they were

said, "Tut, tut,

strong feelings for each other! I’m

up when

pulled

keeping himself standing steadily was

for

up to

Shelia stepped

with them, Norton pulled Shelia towards

fast for Victor to stop

"Let her go!"

a firm

satisfaction in hearing vexation

know you look

wiped the mud

Victor, Disregarding body pain, Victor rushed

when something silver flashed through his

was a knife that Norton

spat out a

"No."

"What are you saying?"

a contemptuous tone and gave Victor a mocking

felt that he had difficulty

and tried to steady

you want is

nothing to do

So, let her go!"

This is

Norton curled his lips.

I don’t want

where she comes from but I find your

it’s boring for you to die alone? I can do something about that and

eyes, Victor

knife pressed against her neck, all Shelia could do was

body was tensed

spat out blood

that all you can do? Threaten

his mocking smile

anger when he heard Shelia’s disdainful

you just

said you

Shelia swallowed.

of accomplishment by threatening two

in you

So, cut the crap.

want to kill me,

"Shelia…"

tried

knew that she was

Shelia would make Norton’s hackles rise and the man would

Norton was indeed angry.

fierce, but he kept his voice in check

really? Looks like you really want

Shelia rolled her eyes.

can help you with

Norton said, laughing derisively.

men and instructed

anxiously, "What are you

Norton didn’t answer.

just glared at

did as

hands and feet bound, Shelia was taken to one of the

to

where Norton was taking them.Chapter 464 Victor Woke

river was flowing

inundated Shelia, making her choke easily Victor saw how Shelia’s face became paler by the

hands clenched into fists, and the blue veins on

and

her eyes because of the gushing water, Shelia had difficulty

wanted Victor

opened her mouth, she was choked

enough, her eyes

the exasperated expression on Victor’s face,

be strong but

making me laugh,

a good man? Why

the rope, squatted

for the sake of you wanting to save

good in me, huh?

could just glare

would do whatever it took to

in the middle of the river, Norton squinted his eyes

appeared and stood between the rope

and looked at Victor with a wry

"Here’s what I’m thinking.

are the weakest among

killed two people, and the

want to save her, right? Knock them

been holding Victor’s arms let go

with the knife in his hand, Norton touched its tip with his thumb and warned, "But

two before

goodbye to

washed away, I’m afraid that you won’t

Victor didn’t care about

so he quickly rushed up

the most

weakest subordinates should be strong as

was currently

peak state, he might not even be

were tall and burly men that

at a disadvantage from the very

men punched Victor right in

As soon as he was hit, Victor

was hit repeatedly, his strength left him, and he eventually knelt

scattered all over his body,

Victor’s face looked black with

still tried to stand, not ready to give

on his

was still able to subconsciously use his arm to block it, but it

again, Victor spat out a mouthful of

Victor’s

still managed to fix his eyes on the rope, which was only a

didn’t matter how many injuries

put out and the

this trouble, so he was willing to do anything to rescue

mind wanted to go

back to the ground and lost

After some time, Victor was somewhat awakened

struggled to open his eyes,

lay there on the ground,

help but wonder if he was

recovered yet, so he thought that he

the sharp pain that pierced every inch of

stand up, but

could only move his hands a little bit, grabbing the mud under his

he turned his head to look at the river, only to find that there was

no trace of

"Ahem!"

coughed violently, spurting out more

he grabbed unto the soil and opened his

expectantly, as if he was

waited for a

even know how much time

found the

from the river or come out from

pain

he lost consciousness

up again, he was

found him near the

operation to rescue him lasted

found out that Victor had

bones in his right knee were shattered, his chest and lungs

woke up was ask Carolyn

still wearing an oxygen mask

danger yet, but all

she must be a very

she didn’t dare delay to send people to

search lasted for seven days,

week passed and there was still no news

to give Victor was a crumpled playing card that got wet from the rain and then

with mud, but one could easily recognize that it

years later, Victor completely

first thing he did after fully recovering

in a box and buried it under a

was nothing on the marble tombstone aside from the

Shelia’s name

recovery, while Karl was on a

him to the hospital,

It was also in that year that Carolyn sent Victor

finished his studies

companies under the

the shortest time, Victor raised the sales of these companies from a very low level to

ability, Carolyn gradually handed over the Sullivan Group

At this time, Roger entered the ward where

the bed, holding

eat

porridge for

stand the

and had no choice but to put the bowl

she said, "Eat it again when you get

stuck his tongue out, not intending

Roger standing at the door, so he politely greeted,

a month, Roger came to the hospital to visit Joey from time

gradually got acquainted

that Roger would bring some snacks when he

couldn’t eat too much, he could at least taste something aside

could only eat them

Joey greeted Roger, Rachel turned around and was

that you wouldn’t

Roger came here, he would send Rachel a message in advance to ask her

she would say no every time, he would still insist on getting

important project meeting today, so

he could still visit, it would

I couldn’t

for a moment before finally saying,

response, Rachel furrowed her brows

"Rachel, Victor woke up."

Roger broke the news.

Dark Circles The operation done to Victor lasted

the operating room opened and closed for several times as doctors went

do anything but wait outside until the procedure

the operation began, the indicator

indicated that the

he wasn’t completely out of

was wheeled to the

two days ago that his

be transferred

he was still in

field to check Victor’s condition and give

wasn’t what

Victor sustained serious injuries.

had healed,

new injuries

the end, he said that only a miracle could save Victor’s

us when he will wake

asked in a

afraid I can’t

expert couldn’t help but frown

may be blunt, please consider preparing

that he’ll never wake up? Is he going to

it was obvious that this was what he

hundred percent, but there was a huge chance

and Lukas, Rachel was

Carson deemed that Rachel had

wall outside Joey’s ward, holding a cigarette between

and there were dark

down to tell Rachel about

news,

as if she had already

Carson was a

when she became

was when Victor had been in a coma for about half a month

it might have

operating room for

silence, Rachel glanced at the cigarette in Carson’s hand and reminded him in a low voice, "This is the

You can’t smoke here."

he regained his senses, Carson put out

expression, he didn’t bother continue discussing

asked,

"Joey? He’s fine.

up yesterday and said that he

expected that his plaster will

through

saw Joey sleeping soundly

for

I’m

that, Carson turned around and left

really just visited to tell Rachel about the doctor’s diagnosis

he had nothing

blink of an eye, two days eventually

Victor’s condition, Rachel didn’t intend to

just stayed in Joey’s ward almost twenty-four hours

same time, Carson didn’t show his face to

came from an expert, she was also convinced that

that Victor had miraculously

Obviously, Rachel was stunned.

a long time without being able to speak

if she was still judging Roger’s

Do you want to go upstairs

Rachel pressed her lips

gently pulled her sleeve and pulled her back from her deep

I want

was Joey, pleading

fact that Victor was in a

hospital, he actually had a

had always been absent-minded and Victor hadn’t

found out the truth, Rachel didn’t have the heart to hide it

full truth, Joey didn’t cry or say anything, nor did he pester Rachel to

just smiled and made

Isn’t daddy bad? They say bad people

have to worry

bright eyes, she felt a lump in

few moments, she mustered

"Yes, of course."

following two weeks, Joey had

didn’t mention Victor, as if there was nothing wrong

would actually wake up in the middle of the night from time to time

keeping it all inside him, but Rachel was aware that he missed

"Okay…"

softened,

was in the second inpatient

was inconvenient for him to walk

him sit in a

pushed the wheelchair for him, and the three

they reached the

finally stopped at the floor

VIP ward, and there was only one patient at this time, Carson was sitting

steps approaching, he furrowed his brows and eventually saw

wer If Victor had seen this scene, Carson knew that he

it’s the first time

What brings you here?"

the document he was holding aside and

"Have you been beaten?"

asked, blinking

would you ask that? Do I look like someone who will be beaten easily? Ha! I’m

circles around your eyes

"Dark circles?"

almost choked at

up his phone, opened its

that

haggard, and his eye bags were so

this was only

hadn’t have a good

handsome young man, but even

"Ha-ha!"

seeing the upset look

that he was fooled by this

forward

"You, brat.

tease your godfather?

a sharp pain on his face and retorted, "Huh? Who said that you

no

and I grew up

We are best friends.

one who

that’s how I

his eyebrows and crossed his arms in front

you don’t want it, that fact

uninjured hand and said, "Humph! If I don’t want to admit

clicked his tongue as he withdrew his

in a slightly low voice, "I also

it’s a fact

you’d better change your

he stuck out his tongue at

the corner of his eye, Carson

composure and commented, "I

that Mr.Sullivan

here with Rachel

Roger explained.

plan to lose his composure

"Oh, I see."

pointed at the room and said,

He is resting inside.

Rachel

was going through her

"Let’s go,"

Roger reminded Rachel gently.

"Alright."

nodded and walked towards

followed her, pushing

placed over his

was lost in thoughts

when he was about to sav something, Joey spoke

"Mr.Jimenez."

"Is anything the matter?"

Roger asked.

and looked at

not standing

see him from the

his eyebrows as if he

taking a quick glance at him,

I need to use

what Joey was

about I take

"No!"

a very decisive

serious look

I am a

bathroom in Joey’s ward, so it wasn’t a problem for Rachel to take him

were

it wouldn’t be appropriate for Rachel to take a boy to the ladies’ room, just

reaction to Joey’s words, Rachel looked at

it was Roger, then her

Carson soon observed that she was staring

she wanted him to take Joey to the

and refused to pay any attention

his phone and turned around

a

Carson pretended like he was answering

I have read the plan you sent to

talking, he headed towards the

very good at

while he was still holding it to

there was no call at all! Rachel saw what just happened clearly and understood that it

"It’s okay.

will take

He is actually right.

like him to

Roger smiled gently.

"Thank you very much,"

Rachel said to Roger.

those words,

Rachel ought to have been

they got along

them were always in one another’s

known to her, she

look of things, Rachel still

knew that it couldn’t be

night Rachel

Joey headed towards

some time, Carson

"Where is Joey?"

he asked Rachel knowingly.

took a quick glance at the

with the phone

"What?"

took a peek at

a smile appeared

am

with no choice! My subordinates are

"Of course they are!"

Rachel narrowed her eyes.

fake smile on her

not very

that Rachel knew that he had pretended to answer

nose and coughed to ease

you want to

order to look through the glass panel on

was

point of view, only the living room could be seen, and it was

Rachel pushed the door open

lie in the bed for two

undergo half a year’s

came from behind

in a stable condition

"Get out of here!"

voice interrupted Carson’s

man in

He looked dejected.

a document in

and Carson as soon as he came

first,

"Mr.Scott!"

hung

It was quite noticeable.

the Sullivan Group and the director

about what just happened to

that

was drawn

surname was what

She turned to Carson.

her, she raised her

"Well, this is Troy.

works as a member of

knew exactly what she meant by just looking at

a loss

so many surnames in

had to choose

recognized who

and

"Miss Bennet."

nodded her head

was covered with

scare of his life! Nonetheless, he was still holding the

going back to

hand and said, "Very

should do

out of

looked at

for her to see that Victor was sitting

doesn’t seem as bad as

and

walked to the door and pushed

leaned against the

follow Rachel

was reading some document when

head

her gaze on

in a

was pale despite the fact that he lowered his

and

hundred percent sure that she waited outside the operating room for more than seventy hours half a month ago, Rachel would have thought that the man in front of her

she

you to go out,

Victor heard the

person who was walking towards

in his usual cold and

Even after we finished

were many guests around, I figured it wouldn’t bode

"The dance is over.

to let

I reminded him.

he still loosened his grip

steps back to

still feel the warmth of

face blushed and i

my heart was

felt like I had

the happiest

as I reminisced, I knew that those days were long gone

looked down, feeling

"Happy birthday, Caroline."

guests suddenly approached me and greeted

forced myself to ignore the burning gaze from behind me and began chatting with the guests with a smile on

my glass and taking

to drink and

this time, Elena came to

waiting for you

you like to go upstairs and

she asked.

"What’s the surprise?"

This "surprise"

piqued my curiosity.

when you

smile appeared on Elena’s

I followed her to the deck on the second

there were bright red rose petals

also numerous balloons around the

eyes widened

whole scene was picturesque

had no idea who

first person that came to mind was Charles, but I

bitter smile appeared on my lips, and somehow, I began to

on me, and yet I still couldn’t

this

stared at the night scene around

and yet

cold sea breeze,

a fireworks display lit up the sky, forming

to the sky, a deafening sound resonated in the

sounded like a

the noise, I covered my

on the ground and curled

trembling uncontrollably, and i felt like my

abandoned warehouse kept flashing through

I felt so

having a panic attack, a pair of strong arms held me tightly "There’s no need

I’m here."

familiar voice came from above me, making me feel

It was Charles.

arms as tears burst from my eyes,

to be scared ever