Jeff was lying on his phone at home. Ever since he returned from the police station, he had been under his mother’s strict supervision. He was confined to his home, spending his days watching TV and using his phone. Even when he went to school, he was accompanied by someone, not a private driver, but a supervisor appointed by Mrs. Marget. If he arrived home a bit later than scheduled, he would surely have his allowance cut off. Once his family withdrew financial support, he would have nothing left, not a penny to his name.“Mom, this is like being imprisoned!” Jeff mumbled to himself while staring at the screen. When Mrs. Marget bailed him out of the police station, she made him promise not to leave the house during this time, except for attending school. Due to fear, he had agreed, and the result was that he had officially become a prisoner in his own home for nearly a month.“Is it any different from being in jail?” Jeff continued to complain. The more he thought about it, the angri
“Where do you think you’re going?” Marget glared at Jeff with a stern voice.Jeff noticed his mother’s attitude and involuntarily stepped back. He understood his mother better than anyone else. She did not know joking, and once she was angry, not even his father could escape her wrath. Jeff glanced at Marget and the surrounding bodyguards. If he left now without following through on finding Janet, Marget would cut off all his financial support. On the other hand, if he didn’t find Janet and clarify things, he couldn’t bear it. Just the thought of Janet being affectionate with another man in those photos made Jeff’s blood boil, and this enormous humiliation was something he couldn’t tolerate.“I’m going to find Janet!” Jeff replied without hesitation, ignoring his mother. In his mind, he had to focus on Janet’s matter, and even if his mother tried to block him, he had to go out today.Upon hearing this, Marget lost her temper, and her face turned as red as a freshly picked tomato. She
Janet felt ecstatic. Yesterday it was a necklace, and today its earrings, and their value was not small. These were all prestigious brands that one might not afford.“Edward, is this for me?” Janet gazed at Edward with sparkling eyes.“Yes, I just hope they’re worthy of you,” Edward replied.“How can they not be? I love them!” Janet exclaimed and jumped to kiss Jonas on the cheek.Facing Janet’s intimate gesture, Edward couldn’t help but feel disgusted. Goosebumps ran down his body. He only wished he could push her away far. What kind of girl just flirts with guys she barely knows, especially when she already had a boyfriend? Edward couldn’t help but wonder what Jeff would think if he found out about this. He would probably be furious. His girlfriend is in the hotel with her ex-lover, being so intimate with him. Thinking of Jeff, Edward couldn’t help but expect how he would react to the “gift” he had given. In a way, Edward had to thank him. If it wasn’t for Jeff and Janet pushing the
Jeff was furious. How could he dare to challenge him so blatantly? Although he wasn’t a professional boxer, Jeff had some knowledge of the sport. This rage was almost unbearable.“Fine, I’ll meet you there!” Jeff took out his phone and sent a message to the other person. After sending it, he threw the phone on the ground, shattering it. For the sake of his honor as a man, Jeff would definitely go there. This time, he would teach that masked person a lesson to remember.Edward, on the other hand, received Jeff’s response and suddenly burst into laughter. He had expected from the beginning that Jeff would accept the challenge. With Jeff’s childish and competitive nature, how could he bear this humiliation? Doing anything for a woman it was truly ridiculous.“Let me see how far you’ll go for this woman,” Edward said with a mocking smile.Just at that moment, there was a knock at the door. Edward quickly put his phone in his back pocket and went to open the door. The person who arrived wa
Cipher was overjoyed when Edward returned. Recently, Edward hadn’t been back to the mansion, and Cipher had missed him a little.“Edward, you’re back?” Cipher looked at Edward with gleaming eyes, and in his heart, Edward had already become like a family to him.“Yeah, I just got back from your place, had a few things to deal with,” Edward replied gently while ruffling Cipher’s hair.Behind Cipher stood Matt, who had been watching Edward intently since their previous encounter. Not that Matt held any grudge against Edward; it was just that their first meeting had left a deep impression on him. In Matt’s eyes, Edward was like an encyclopedia, knowing about everything. Not only did he possess a collection of rare plants, but he also had extensive knowledge about them. And he could play the guitar, and that was Cipher’s favorite music. To Matt, Edward was more than just a close friend; he was an idol.Matt stepped forward, reducing the distance between him and Edward, greeting him politel
Mr. Shively was at home when his phone suddenly rang; it was Edward calling. They had been in contact during their previous visit. Mr. Shively looked at the phone’s screen with a hint of confusion, wondering why Edward was calling him. Then he realized Matt was still at Edward’s house. Had something happened to the boy? Mr. Shively’s heart raced, and other than that, he couldn’t think of any other reasons.“Hello, Edward, what’s going on?” Mr. Shively hastily answered the call, his voice tinged with tension. Matt was his only son, and any matter related to him could make Mr. Shively extremely anxious, especially considering that Matt hadn’t fully recovered from his recent accident. The previous camping trip had given him and his wife a lesson they would never forget. Now, whenever Matt was out of sight, Mr. Shively couldn’t help but worry. Matt was too lively, and not every time he’d be so fortunate to meet good-hearted people like Cipher and Edward in this society.“Oh, it’s nothing
The person in the room, Edward thought, was Harry. When he saw it was Harry, Edward could finally breathe a sigh of relief. After all, Harry was an ally, and his nature was straightforward, not much scheming. Edward didn’t need to be overly cautious around him.“Harry, why are you still here? I thought you had already left!”“I saw you taking so long to come back, so I waited. Is there something wrong? Am I not allowed to be here?” Harry asked, somewhat uncomfortably. Lately, he had noticed that Edward was becoming increasingly strange. Over time, he no longer recognized his friend. Edward seemed to contemplate some elaborate plan.“No, that’s not what I meant! I was just curious,” Edward gently explained. He entered the room, pulled a chair from the desk, and sat down.“Speaking of curiosity, I have a bit of my own. It’s late; why are you only coming back now? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?”Hearing this, Edward was surprised. It was the first time Harry had shown su
Harry looked at the person in front of him, and in a short amount of time, he seemed to no longer understand his friend. The connection with Edward became increasingly unfamiliar; in those eyes, there was no trace of trust left. Every word and action from the other person seemed calculated.“Edward, answer me. What do you ultimately want with the two kids?” Harry stood up, forcefully placing the tea cup he was drinking back on the table, creating a highly unpleasant sound as glass and porcelain clashed.Edward looked at Harry, then glanced at the teacup on the table. He knew what Harry was thinking right now. Surely, he believed Edward intended to harm the two kids, turning Matt and Cipher into stepping stones in some plan of his. Harry’s suspicion was not baseless, although Edward genuinely had no intention of hurting Matt and Cipher. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he wouldn’t let the kids suffer because of the actions of adults. As for the idea of using Matt and Cipher as stepp