Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 981-990

Angela also fulfilled Dexter’s wish by allowing him to stay in jail for a few more years and enjoy the free prison meals.

Later in noon, she invited Richard to lunch and asked him to accompany her to a destination.

Meanwhile, Dexter had been bombarding her with messages asking if the money was ready.

In response, she pretended to be scared and upset, baiting him to agree to do the transaction at a park.

At 2.00PM, Angela received a call from the police. They had completed the deployment strategy, so she could meet Dexter at the park at any time and the police would arrest him right away.

She was about to leave for the park by Richard’s car fifteen minutes before the transaction when her cell phone rang. The scumbag had called and she frowned as she reached for the phone. “Hey, I’m already on my way to the park. What else do you want?”

“I’ve changed the location for our deal. I’ll send you the new address,” Dexter said in a sly manner.

Obviously, he feared that Angela would call the cops on him, so he changed the address fifteen minutes before the transaction so that he could flee after he received the money.

“All right, send me the address and stop with the games. I don’t have the time to play with you,” Angela grumbled.

“Yo! Now that you’re CEO, you’ve changed! You’re occupied with important matters every day! Angela, your company must be making millions daily!” Angela also fulfilled Dexter’s wish by allowing him to stay in jail for a few more years and enjoy the free prison meals.

“It’s none of your business.” She snorted coldly. NôvelDrama.Org owns this.

“Okay, see you later!” He finished his sentence before hanging up the phone and sending the new meet-up location.

In the meantime, Richard’s car was currently on the frontage road. “Aren’t you going to tell me what we’re up to in a little while?” Angela looked up, having just lowered her head to read the address and met the man’s dark gaze.

She was now helpless. Richard appeared to be the only person who could stop Dexter because it was too late for the police to arrive.

“All right, but you have to calm down and cooperate with me,” Angela was terrified that Richard would murder Dexter in an instant. Her plan was to put Dexter in jail and sentence him for as long as she could.

“Okay! I’m all ears.” He raised his brows and his tone clearly expressed his displeasure. She clearly had something to hide from him, which made him feel less needed.

Angela sensed his emotions and leaned forward from the passenger seat to kiss his lips.

This was a very effective move and the man’s eyes were instantly sprinkled with joy. With a smile, he said, “I’m all ears!”

She nodded before explaining, “Last night, I received a call from Dexter, a jerk who wanted to extort five million from me by threatening to spread my old photos. I intended to have the police assist me in apprehending and prosecuting him. Who knew he would change the location at the very last minute? I’m afraid of looking like a fool if I call the cops, so please help me to catch him.”

Angela looked at Richard’s face after she finished speaking. He was gritting his teeth and his piercing gaze indicated that he wanted to tear Dexter apart after catching him.

“With what photos did he threaten you?” His eyes glowed with rage.

“It’s just some of my old photos. He intended to photoshop them into some obscene content and post them on the Internet,” she exclaimed angrily.

He assumed Dexter was a scumbag who deceived her feelings, but Richard greatly underestimated Dexter’s ability to do evil.

“Where is he now?” Richard gritted his teeth.

“Stay calm. Those photos aren’t explicit. Let’s cool down and we’ll catch him now,” she assured, her heart tensed as she looked at his gloomy handsome face.

“Show me the address.” He reached for her phone, which she handed to him. He then looked down to double-check the address before launching the navigation system.

Angela secretly examined the man next to her several times, only to notice that his handsome face was tense, his eyes were narrowed, and he was suppressing his anger. Her heart was warm as she looked at her furious man, who was about to avenge her.

It feels great to be protected.

At this point, Dexter had arrived earlier than expected in another park. He looked around nervously while keeping an eye on the time, carefully observing everyone who passed by.

To his credit, he had nice facial features, a handsome face, and a nice fashion sense, but he still came across as a scumbag.

His finances were tight right now and he was depressed as a result of his large expenses. He was already in a lot of debt, so he was forced to commit crimes to get money under the urging of multiple creditors.

He learned that Angela had now taken over her mother’s company and would soon have the wealth of a publicly traded company. He was desperate for the money and would go to any length to obtain it.

He now deeply regretted flirting with another woman on the plane and failing to return as an honest man. Had he not done that, Angela would not have discovered his true colors.

After all, she had put her faith in him during his time abroad. She even called him two days before his flight, pleading with him not to get engaged because she loved him. He believed he had her in his grasp.

As the events unfolded, he was not sure what went wrong as Angela found out about his one-night stand with another woman. The perfect character he had been playing for three years shattered in an instant.

For the last three years, he did not dare to touch her in order to gain her trust, since he had slept with too many women and had STDs. To appear as a pure lover, he refused to touch his own girlfriend. He was extremely regretful for not doing so now that he thought about it.

As Dexter was feeling worried, he noticed a familiar figure approaching. It was a young lady dressed in a blue woolen coat and windbreaker with her long hair down. She was wearing sunglasses and exuded an elegant and noble air.

Angela is here.

At that moment, his heart was racing like crazy. She captivated him not only because of her vast financial resources, but also because of her stunning appearance and perfect figure.

Despite being exposed for what he was, he still believed Angela would forgive him and that she might still love him after all.

“You’ve arrived, Angela.” Dexter took a confident step forward with excitement. He even dressed up spectacularly today, wearing clothes she had bought for him.

“Don’t come near me,” she reprimanded coldly, standing three feet away from the scumbag.

Her voice was full of disgust and annoyance.

Dexter’s smile froze and he nervously tightened his fists. “I apologize, Angela. I’m sorry for hurting you this way. I’m deeply in debt and my mother’s health is failing. Furthermore, I’m struggling to afford a meal right now. I’ve been consumed by grief ever since your departure and I have no plans to work… Angela, please forgive me…”

This was all an act in an attempt to pull her heartstrings and gain sympathy from her.

She looked at him as if he were a disgusting fly. Behind the sunglasses, her delicate face was expressionless like a beautiful sculpture.

“Are you done with your act? Now, delete all of my photos from your phone,” instructed Angela.

“I can’t get you out of my mind, Angela. I love you the most. If it isn’t for my limited funds, I won’t have to hurt you like this. Don’t worry; if I earn money in the future, I will definitely give it back to you.” He sighed.

“How dare you ask me for five million?” she questioned with a sneer.

“Angela, you can’t be this ungrateful. When I was abroad, I treated you as if I’m a servant by listening to your words and taking good care of you. Did you forget?” His face darkened as he inquired.

“It’s a shame. You signed up for it.” She coldly snorted.

“You… Angela, how could you treat me like this after all that we’ve been through?” His face turned red with rage.

“Weren’t you just blackmailing me ten seconds ago?” She sniggered.

Dexter’s expression changed when he realized Angela was uninterested in mending things with him. Not wanting to waste his effort, he sneered, “It’s not my fault that your family is so wealthy. I won’t let my efforts over the years go unnoticed. You will never get rid of me without five million.”

“So, you admit that you’re blackmailing me, right?” Angela questioned angrily, her beautiful eyes narrowed.

“You’re astute! What? You don’t want to hand over the money, do you? I’ve finished editing your photos and saved them to my Cloud. If you don’t pay up, I’ll upload the photos to the Internet for the world to enjoy and you can say goodbye to your reputation.”

Dexter was proudly threatening Angela when he felt a large palm locked onto his shoulders with a bone-crushing force. He turned to see who this person was, but his back was slammed to the ground before he could do anything. Following that, a military shoe stepped onto his chest and Dexter’s ribs were almost crushed by the strength, causing him to howl out of pain.

“Ah… Ah… It hurts! Who the hell are you?” Dexter’s face had turned blue, drenching in cold sweat. He continuously slapped on the foot that was stepping on his chest while thoroughly embarrassed to be tackled onto the ground.

However, the force exerted on his chest suddenly increased and the torture had reached new heights, prompting him to beg for mercy out loud. “Let me go… Please let me go. Remove your foot. My ribs are about to break!”

Angela wrapped her arms around herself and observed the commotion. As she watched Dexter beg for mercy like a dog, she realized how stupid she had been to be duped by such a man.

Removing his foot, Richard then punched Dexter in the face, causing blood to gush out of his mouth together with a fallen tooth; the scene was rather gory.

“Ah…” On the verge of passing out from pain, Dexter had a lightbulb moment and went to beg Angela instead. He knelt on the grass as he begged sorrowly, “Please, Angela, tell your bodyguard to stop beating me. Please! I’m not going to do it anymore.”

“You are mistaken. He is not my bodyguard. He is my boyfriend and future husband,” she responded with a smile.

Richard’s fiery eyes instantly softened as he was overjoyed with the titles.

Dexter, who was in so much pain, looked back in surprise at the person who had struck him—a handsome man with a devilish aura. Where did Angela find such a man to be her boyfriend? This had undoubtedly made him jealous.

“I would have beaten you to death if I hadn’t spared your life to throw you into prison.” Richard clenched his teeth coldly, disgusted by Dexter’s threats and hatred against Angela. How did this scum get so lucky to spend those three years with my woman?

At this thought, he wanted to kick Dexter in the shins twice more.

“Angela! Angela, please forgive me!” Shaken like a rat, Dexter was terrified as he nudged toward Angela, but she took two steps back in disgust and exclaimed, “Dexter, you will pay for what you did.”

At that moment, he realized the reason why she had gone along with his blackmail so easily. Forget the money; all she had planned to do all along was to collect the evidence and send him straight to prison!

“Angela, please let me go! Please! I’m sorry, I swear! I was just blinded for a moment, but I won’t do it again,” Dexter begged her for mercy with his swollen face.

“Listen, I will hire the best lawyer and persecute you with the harshest sentence,” Angela declared. She had no intention of letting him go.

“You… Angela, you can’t treat me like this. I love you. I really do!” He was starting to blabber.

What he did not know was that his blabbering would enrage a certain man. Without a doubt, Richard booted Dexter to the ground again before yelling angrily, “Not a dirtbag like you deserves to say that!”

Hearing those words, Angela could not help but twitch the corners of her mouth.

“Angela, your boyfriend assaulted me! You know what? I’m going to sue his *ss and make him pay for this!” Dexter screamed in agony once more.

The woman squatted down with a smile and said, “Yeah, I told him to do that. What, do you not like that? If you’re not satisfied, I’ll let him knock a few more teeth out of you.”

Stunned by her words, the fallen man was so terrified that he shifted his body backward. Despite Angela’s portrayal of a young lady’s temperament in front of him, he realized at this point that she could be very cold. Cold-blooded.

“You… Angela, don’t think you can rely on your father’s connection to hit me whenever you want… I’m warning you…”

“Are you talking about the fact that I hit you? That is exactly what you deserve! You reap what you sow!” When Angela saw the police car approaching, she smiled and said, “Wait for my lawyer. Let’s go, Richard!”

Dexter turned to face the cop behind him as fear smeared across his face. “They hit me and injured me! Arrest them!” he rebuked.

“Dexter Kavinsky, please get up and follow us to the station,” the officer said solemnly to Dexter, who was covered in bruises from the beating.

“He kicked me… I lost a tooth from that… Look! Even my ribcage is shattered!” he screamed angrily. The next second, he was apprehended and taken away from the scene. No one seemed to care regardless of how loud he yelled.

Subsequently, Angela and Richard also returned to the car. She was finally satisfied to witness that man’s downfall. If she had wanted to dirty her hands, she would have slapped Dexter a few more times earlier.

“Does your hand hurt?” She turned to face the distraught man beside her.

“How did you end up falling for this jerk in the first place?” Richard inquired, his gaze deep and resentful.

She screamed quietly, Oh, no. I guess I’m not the only one who knows how to bring up the past.

“Uh… That’s… Well… Let’s just say I was blind… Yes.” Angela quickly acknowledged her mistake.

The next second, his long arm reached out and clasped the back of her head. He then leaned forward and kissed her red lips as punishment.

“Uh…” She panicked at first, but then accepted his punishment meekly.

After a few kisses, Richard pressed his forehead against hers and commanded, “From now on, there can only be one man in your heart.”

“That’s not going to work,” Angela stated, shaking her head.

“Why?” His pupils dilated.

“I still have to make room for my dad and grandpa!” she explained innocently.

“You and your words…” Annoyed, he planted a kiss on her again.

When Angela returned home, she contacted her mother’s lawyer and filed a lawsuit against Dexter. When Daphne discovered that her daughter had been mistreated, the furious mother demanded to know everything about his sentence.

After sorting through all of the evidence and handing them over to the lawyer, the family went to Meyers Residence for dinner.

Angela and her parents arrived early. She sat on the garden swing while taking in the evening breeze. She wondered if it was her uncle and aunt when she noticed someone else in the parking lot.

At this point, Angela was still worried about upsetting her uncle and aunt’s feelings by revealing that Richard was her boyfriend.

She approached them and saw a young couple who had alighted from the car. She could not help but be surprised that Annie had indeed brought a young man over.

“Angela, please allow me to introduce my boyfriend, Elton Hemmings,” Annie shyly said before adding, “This is my cousin, Angela.”

“Nice to meet you,” Elton greeted with a smile, looking generous.

“Hello! Annie has told me a lot about you.” Angela looked at Elton and realized he and Annie were a match made in heaven!

Meanwhile, Annie’s parents arrived in another car. Elton’s handsome face became nervous as they exited the car. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Meyers,” he politely greeted them.

Jennifer turned to face the unfamiliar young man with a smile. Is he really Annie’s longtime crush? At first glance, he appears modest and polite. Ooh, and he is dressed nicely as if he comes from a wealthy family! Her heart was full at that moment.

“Hello, Elton! We’re delighted to have you here.” A clearly satisfied Jennifer informed her husband, “Bring Elton in! I’ll talk to Angela.”

Angela’s heartstrings tightened as her aunt requested a private conversation with her. Oh God…

“We’ll head in first, Angela.” Having said that, Annie turned shy as she boldly grabbed Elton’s arm and went in.

In the garden, Jennifer and Angela had found themselves alone. Jennifer heaved a sigh before speaking, “Annie has already told me about you and Richard. As for their previous engagement, I hope that you don’t mind too much of it. All they did was have an ordinary meal and that’s about it. So, I sincerely hope that you can get along well with Richard.”

Angela was rendered speechless by Jennifer’s words.

She was prepared to embrace her aunt’s questioning, but she had no idea that her aunt would comfort and reassure her instead. It was the last thing she had expected.

“I’m not bothered at all, Aunt Jennifer. I’m grateful to Annie for introducing him to me.”

“You appear to like Richard a lot. That’s fantastic. Your grandfather has always desired to merge with the Lloyds someday through a blessed marriage. It’s perfect now! Richard is a wonderful child, so please seize this wonderful opportunity. Have you seen the boy Annie brought with her? He’s one of

her classmates and I think he looks great with his height and all. The most important criteria is that he is the one Annie prefers,” Jennifer said.

“You’re right, Aunt Jennifer. The most important thing is Annie’s happiness.” Angela nodded.

“All right, let’s go in!” Jennifer walked toward the entrance after she finished speaking.

However, standing still was Angela, who then breathed a sigh of relief. The evening sky was crimson at this time. Despite the fact that it was winter, she could not help but be awestruck by the sight.

At that moment, the sound of a car engine could be heard unexpectedly, which surprised her. Who else would be here?

As she was wondering this, she noticed a familiar black off-road vehicle approaching before averting her gaze. Why is Richard’s car here?!

He’s here too?

Angela’s heart began to pound quicker. The car door opened before revealing a tall, handsome man stepping out of the driver’s seat—it was none other than Richard.

He noticed Angela in the yard and cast a deep gaze toward her. As their gaze met, she returned with a shy smile. He then opened the back seat door and assisted an elderly man from inside.

At that sight, she was taken by surprise. This has to be Richard’s grandfather! Meanwhile, the gentle, dignified old man looked at her as well.

To that, she quickly dashed over and took the initiative to greet Phillip, “Hello, Old Master Lloyd.”

The old man eyed her, then nodded with satisfaction while saying, “You must be Angela!”

“Yes, I am.”

He noticed that Angela appeared more magnanimous than Annie and had a quieter personality. As such, he found that she was unquestionably a good match for his grandson.

“Not bad at all,” Phillip expressed happily. He could not hide his joy as he no longer had to resort to forcing a marriage on his grandson. He finally met a girl he favored and that was all it took.

“Old Master Lloyd, let me help you.” Angela came over to assist him.

“No, it’s fine. You guys can talk. I’ll head in by myself.” Phillip motioned with his hand. He walked steadily despite his age and Meyers Residence was a place he frequented, so he would not get lost for sure.

After seeing the old man enter the house, Angela resentfully looked at Richard and complained, “Why didn’t you give me a heads up before coming?”

“We only received a call from your grandfather about an hour ago. I wanted to surprise you.” Richard smiled as he opened up his large windbreaker to wrap her in his arms, seeing that the cold wind was a little too strong. “Let’s go! We don’t wanna catch a cold from the wind.”

Angela wrapped her hand around his strong waist and sank into his embrace. Her heart was pounding as she smelled his strong masculine scent, igniting a certain feeling within her.

When will we be able to progress to the next stage? she pondered.

Since she had decided to spend the rest of her life with him anyway, Angela thought it would be reasonable to fight for more time with him by progressing to the next stage of their relationship sooner. He came so late into my life, I guess I’m not selfish for wanting to cherish my time with him, right?

She reluctantly drew her hand away before walking into the living room with Richard.

The two old men were already happily engrossed in conversation. As soon as Phillip arrived, Gilbert and Gabriel lowered their voices and the respectful look in their eyes was clearly evident. That was because the Meyers Family had received help from Phillip in many different aspects and Gilbert had even worked under Phillip for a period of time too.

The Lloyds’ family background was impressive. There was no other family in this country that was able to compete with the Lloyds.

“Richard, come over here and take a seat.” Gilbert gestured to Richard.

Hearing that, Richard quickly walked over and took a seat. Despite his identity in the outside world, he was just the younger generation in today’s event after all.

Angela and Annie sat together as they whispered to each other. Now that Annie met Richard once again, the infatuation she had for him before had now turned into a different kind of admiration. Besides, she also realized that Angela and Richard made a perfect match as they stood next to each other.

After a round of introductions, everyone then went off to the dining room. The meal served tonight was sumptuous and Angela sat next to her mother as she looked at the men toast each other. Joshua was exceptionally happy today and he had taken all of his well-stored precious wine out of his cellar and placed them all on the table. Richard didn’t seem to be avoiding alcohol that night and there was also a glass of wine in front of him and Elton.

At that moment, Angela thought to herself, How’s his tolerance for alcohol? I’ve never seen him drink this much.

Richard’s face unexpectedly flushed red upon the slightest bit of alcohol. After just two glasses of wine, his handsome face was already glimmering quite red unnaturally. Under the light, he was red all over,

even on his temples and in between his brows. Angela couldn’t help but feel her heart race as she looked at him. His tipsy face looked somehow quite charming to her.

Meanwhile, Annie was aware of Elton’s alcohol tolerance level, so she started to get slightly worried.

Halfway through the dinner, the men continued to enjoy their drinks while the younger generation left the room first.

Phillip’s only habit after retirement was to enjoy the occasional drink. So, right now, he didn’t really have too much to drink but was busy engrossing in conversation. He continued to boast about his past with Joshua.

Richard grabbed the opportunity and took Angela’s hand to pull her outside for a breather. At the same time, they bumped into Annie and Elton about to go out for a drive too. “Angela, Richard, we’re leaving now. See you around.” Annie greeted them quite naturally.

At that moment, Angela blushed but she didn’t refute Annie’s words. Angela merely watched on as their car drove off.

Angela found out something interesting that night. She could tell from the way Annie looked at Elton that Annie was fond of Elton. I hope Annie finds happiness too.

Richard held her hands and strolled around the garden before taking a seat on a bench. There was a slight whiff of alcohol on him and Angela snuggled close to him as she asked, “Do you have any missions lately? If you don’t, then let’s get married!”

Richard lowered his head to look at her, “Do you really need to do that in such a hurry?”

Angela turned to him and lifted her pretty eyes, “Don’t you want to marry me as soon as possible?”

“Of course I do,” he replied without any hesitation.

In response, she revealed a contented smile. “Since you do, you should hurry up.”

Richard’s eyes flickered slightly and he spoke in a hoarse voice, “Angela, could you give me some more time? I need to get something done first.”

“What is it? How long would you need to get it done?” Angela blinked and she suddenly felt slightly uneasy.

“I can’t divulge the details to you, but I have to do it.” There was a firm look in Richard’s eyes and it seemed to be a very important matter to him.

“Would this matter put your life in danger?” Angela sat up straight and she fixed her pretty eyes on him as she tried to catch every expression that flashed across his face.

However, Richard had a relaxed front and he revealed a slight smile. “It’s not dangerous, but it is just going to take some time.”

Angela cupped his face and she pouted her red lips. “Don’t lie to me, alright?”

Suddenly, there was a flash of waver in his eyes because he was lying to her. Instantly, he leaned forward and kissed her with the intention to mask his panic by kissing her passionately.

At that moment, Angela’s senses were heightened. We’re currently at Grandpa’s house! He doesn’t even bother to take note of the occasion and behave appropriately!

However, the more Angela panicked and felt her senses heightened, the kiss felt all the more stimulating to her.

Fortunately, everyone else was in the dining room, so no one noticed the couple was sharing a passionate moment on the bench in the corner of the garden.

Richard’s kiss felt exceptionally passionate than ever to her tonight. Perhaps, it was because he had consumed some alcohol earlier on.

At around 10.00PM, Richard finally sobered up. He had to send Phillip home because Phillip was too drunk to go home by himself.

“Drive safely.” Angela and her family sent them off.

As for Gilbert, he was also too drunk to drive home. So, Angela became the driver of the night and sent her parents home. In the car, she heard Daphne complain, “Why did you drink so much?”

“Because I feel happy.” Gilbert chuckled happily.

“What’s there to be happy about?!”

“Our daughter has found such a great match and our future son-in-law is so impressive. Of course, I’m happy!”

At that moment, Angela—who is currently driving—couldn’t contain her laughter. Meanwhile, Daphne couldn’t contain her exasperated laughter too. “You should take a look at your silly self!”

That night, Angela texted Richard to express concern about Phillip’s condition. Phillip was a good drinker so he just needed a good night’s sleep and he would be fine the next day.

The next morning, which was a Friday, she had an appointment to pick out a gown in preparation for the banquet that night.

She had originally intended to get Richard to come over and pick a suit too but after giving him a call, she was told that he was occupied so he couldn’t come over. Besides, his mother had prepared his outfit too.

As soon as Angela realized that she was about to meet her future mother-in-law soon, she couldn’t quite contain her anxiety.

Daphne came along with Angela to pick out her gown for the banquet. Angela has required an elegant yet slightly more conservative gown for the occasion tonight. As long as her elegance and beauty could be showcased by the gown, the style of the gown did not really matter to her.

Angela had fair skin and the perfect figure to look good in the different styles of gowns. Soon enough, she picked a slightly shimmery gold evening gown. She also had a makeup artist scheduled to arrive at her place at three in the afternoon to put on her makeup for the night.

She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep the night before so she took a nap in the afternoon. After waking up from her nap, she was well-rested and in good spirits. Her skin looked more supple and flawless than ever.

In a short while, Richard would come to pick her up. So, she started on her makeup session. Her flowing hair was weaved into a crown on her head and it was held in place by a simple pearl headpiece at the back of her head. There were no other embellishments necessary as her feature itself was already stunning enough.

The simple and refreshing makeup she had on was enchanting and was emphasizing her beauty.

At five in the evening, at the entrance to the Meyers mansion, Richard drove a black car and approached. His suit for the night was a slightly more formal-looking one. He had on a dark-colored shirt with a tie and he also had on a suit that fitted well. He looked just like a top male model.

He stood by the entrance like Prince Charming awaiting his princess date for the night. Meanwhile, Angela walked out with a nude jacket draped on her arms, and she looked like a princess indeed. She was stunning, beautiful, poised, and elegant.

Daphne came over with a smile on her face. “Richard, I’ll hand over Angela to you tonight.”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Meyers. I’ll definitely take good care of her.” Richard nodded.

His voice and expression gave one a safe feeling and Angela reached out to clutch his arm as she turned to say to Daphne, “Mom, we’ll head off now.”

“Have fun.” Daphne sent them off and watched their retreating backs. She could practically see them on their wedding day and she couldn’t help tearing up at the thought of that. My baby girl’s about to get married.

Richard behaved in a chivalrous manner as he opened the door to the front passenger seat for Angela. As she lowered herself to enter the car, he placed his hand on the door frame to protect her head instinctively.

His car moved forward gracefully under the shimmering lights of the surroundings and it felt as if an air of romance had descended upon the entire town.

The banquet was held at a world-class banquet hall and it wasn’t just any ordinary hotel ballroom. The guests invited to the event tonight were parties that Scarlet intended to express her gratitude toward and those guests were made up of the wealthy, the powerful, and even ordinary people too.

Nonetheless, each one of them was honored to be invited.

Angela was led into the banquet hall by Richard and he held her hand in his. Scarlet—greeting guests by the entrance—saw them instantly as soon as they walked in and there was a surprised and excited look on her face as she walked over to them gracefully with poise.

“Richard, you guys are finally here.”

“Hi, Ms. Husson.” Angela quickly greeted Scarlet.

“You must be Richard’s girlfriend, Angela. You’re so pretty.” Scarlet instantly took a liking to Angela.

“Mom, you seem busy. We’ll head inside and take a seat first.” Richard didn’t want to interrupt Scarlet while she was busy with work.

“Sure, head inside and get a seat. Take good care of Miss Meyers.” Scarlet nodded and watched as Richard entered the hall.

Scarlet’s eyes unconsciously landed on Angela’s back and she heaved a silent sigh as she thought, I wonder whether this girl would be able to stop Richard from joining his next mission. Would he give up for her sake?

Despite the outcome, this was ultimately one of Scarlet’s agenda tonight. She was determined to get Angela to talk Richard into giving up his current mission. This was the only wish she had as she didn’t want to lose her son.

Another woman strode over quickly to stand by Scarlet as she reported in a low voice, “Madam Falkner, the vice-president is occupied with some guests, so he won’t be able to make it tonight.”

Scarlet nodded. “Sure, I’ve noticed that. Please invite Miss Angela into my dressing room ten minutes later.”

This was a traditional formal banquet, so each guest in attendance dressed up to the nines. At that moment, there were a lot of people who shone in their respective industries gathered inside the hall.

Angela was used to attending traditional banquets so she stood gracefully and with poise next to Richard. She became the center of attention of people inside the room and most people were also quite interested in the tall, handsome man by her side.

Richard had hardly appeared with Scarlet. So, many of the guests didn’t realize that Richard was Scarlet’s only son.

“Richard,” Suddenly, a low male voice rang out.

He instantly stood up and greeted the man politely. “Uncle Walter.”

Walter Falkner was Scarlet’s current husband and they didn’t have any children of their own all this while so they had adopted a girl since she was a child. Walter was an elegant man who carried himself with an impressive aura. He had fallen in love at first sight with Scarlet and since their marriage, he had always respected her profession and her choices in life.

This was also the reason why Richard was so respectful and polite toward his supposed stepfather.

“Angela, this is Mr. Walter Falkner here,” Richard introduced Angela to Walter.

She responded by greeting Walter politely, “Hi, Mr. Falkner.”

“Nice to meet you. You must be Richard’s girlfriend. Nice to meet you.” Walter nodded with a smile. “Richard, I’ve got a few old friends who are keen to meet you. Would you be able to spare the time and come with me?”

Subsequently, Richard turned to Angela and said, “I’ll be back soon.”

Angela sent them off with a smile. At that moment, one of the female ushers came over to Angela’s side and said, “Miss Angela, our mistress would like to meet with you privately.”

Meanwhile, Angela was stunned. “Who would she be?”

“It’s Madam Falkner. I’ll lead the way.” The usher smiled and gestured ahead.

Angela hastily rose to her feet and didn’t drag things any longer. Why does my future mother-in-law want to see me in private?! She trailed after the usher toward the dressing room on the second floor with a slightly anxious heart.

Meanwhile, Scarlet stood in front of the French windows inside the dressing room on the second floor. From Scarlet’s posture, it seemed that she had been purposely waiting for Angela to arrive.

“Angela, it’s good to see you,” she spoke in a soft voice.

“Ms. Husson,” Angela glanced at her future mother-in-law meekly without knowing what to say.

“Take a seat and let’s have a chat.” Scarlet gestured at the couch and took a seat too. The waiter came over and served them some tea before walking out of the room.

Angela was quite nervous and she couldn’t stop twiddling her fingers. There was an air of elegance and poise that came quite naturally to Scarlet and one could feel quite pressured to be in front of Scarlet.

“Relax. I’m not here to criticize you. I like you very much and I’m pleased that you’re in love with my son. I would never interfere in your relationship with each other,” Scarlet comforted Angela kindly.

Hearing that, Angela’s nervous feeling dissipated instantly and she felt that Scarlet was such a gracious and warm person. Although Scarlet was already in her fifties, she still looked charmingly attractive and she was quite a stunner.

At that moment, Angela realized that Richard had inherited his good looks from his mother and there was, in fact, a strong resemblance there!

“Angela, forgive me for conducting some investigations on you. That’s why I have an understanding of your personality. I’ve something important to ask you for help with, though.”

Angela nodded earnestly. “Sure, Ms. Husson.”

“I’m sure that you must know by now that Richard’s father passed away when he was a young child. His father had been brutally slain on a mission. Because of that, Richard had harbored hatred in his mind all this while.”

Angela’s expression stiffened suddenly and she recalled that Richard had mentioned to her that he had an important matter that he had to deal with soon. Could that possibly be related to his father?

She didn’t direct her question at Scarlet but continued to listen to Scarlet speak with a tensed feeling.

“Right now, the person who brutally murdered his father has kidnapped an important member in our research team. His uncle and I have tried our best to stop him from joining the mission but he insists on going. All of us are aware that he is going after the man with an intention to exact revenge. This renders the mission to be of a totally different nature than his previous missions. He would quite possibly lose his cool and go all in to kill that man.”

Angela’s mind went blank upon hearing all that. She couldn’t contain the worry and fear in her mind. No! I don’t want to lose him! I don’t want to lose him at all in my life.

“I don’t want to lose him.” She couldn’t help saying that with a sobbing note and glanced at Scarlet firmly. “I love him and I want to be with him forever and ever.”

Meanwhile, Scarlet looked at Angela with a touched expression and then reached out to grab Angela’s hand. Following that, Scarlet removed a white jadeite bangle from her wrist and placed it into Angela’s hand. “I’ve acknowledged you as my daughter-in-law, Angela. We have to figure out a way to convince him that he has to come back safely. We can allow him to join the mission because he would be guilt- ridden for the rest of his life if he misses this opportunity. It’s just that we have to make sure he has the will to stay alive and come back in one piece. We’ve got to make sure that he keeps a cool head as he pursues that man intently.”

Angela instantly caught on to Scarlet’s words and Angela nodded firmly while pursing her lips. “Ms. Husson, I get what you mean. I’ll definitely make sure that Richard gets back safely. Don’t worry.”

At that point, Scarlet heaved a sigh and nodded with red-rimmed eyes. “Sure. Angela, please don’t let Richard know that I’ve spoken to you about this matter because he definitely wouldn’t want you to worry unnecessarily.”

“Alright. I won’t let it show on my face.” Angela comprehended Scarlet’s words.

“Go back downstairs and enjoy the meal with him.” Scarlet had some other things to deal with too.

“Ms. Husson, this… I can’t accept this.” Angela held the white jadeite bangle and stood up to return it to Scarlet.

“This was passed down from my grandmother’s generation and it has been passed on to each daughter-in-law. You’re quite young to be wearing such a piece, but you can keep it safe and pass it on to your future generations.”

Angela lowered her head and glanced at the translucent white jadeite. It was clearly a priceless piece and she felt that it was too precious of a gift.

Nonetheless, the jadeite represented the well-wishes passed on from each generation before. So, she was keen to accept it to pass on her well-wishes to her daughter or daughter-in-law in the future.

“Sure, Ms. Husson. I’ll definitely take good care of this.”

Scarlet was quite fond of Angela as Angela’s personality and appearance fulfilled the expectations Scarlet had for a daughter-in-law. There seemed to be a firm strength within Angela.

As Angela came down from the second floor, she was in a somber mood. She stood at the balcony on the second floor and looked down to see Richard seated all by himself. His firm, strapping back looked

quite imposing and there seemed to be a cold aura that surrounded him, which made the others around afraid to take the initiative to approach him. At that moment, it pained Angela to see that and she quickly gathered the bottom of her gown and made her way toward him. As soon as she approached his side, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She paid no heed to the surroundings as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

He was momentarily stunned before reaching out to take her hand into his. Subsequently, he tugged her over to take a seat by his side. “Did you see my mom?”

“Yes.”

“What did she talk to you about?”

“Nothing much. Look, she gave me this.” Angela showed him the jadeite bangle on her wrist. “She’s very fond of me and she has acknowledged me as her daughter-in-law.”

Richard focused his eyes on Angela and she could clearly feel him increasing the pressure as he held onto her hands tightly.

Angela understood how he felt. After all, there were bound to be one or two things that a person definitely had to achieve in this lifetime. His love for his father was the reason why he refused to let the killer be on the loose. As for her, she was fated to fall in love with him in this lifetime.

“Did my mom mention anything else?” Richard kept his eyes lowered and it seemed that he didn’t dare to meet Angela’s eyes.

“No, she didn’t. What’s wrong?” Angela purposely directed a question at him in return as she looked at him with clear, beautiful eyes.

At that moment, Richard’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he smiled. “I was worried that my mom would stress you out.”

“That’s not possible! Ms. Husson’s very friendly and nice to me.” Angela smiled and reached out to serve him some food. “Finish your meal. Let’s go for a cruise after dinner.”

He nodded. Such banquet events were usually quite boring, so he had planned to leave with her after dinner.

Shortly after that, Scarlet came over and joined their table. Richard could sense the affection and love Scarlet had for him and there was a tender expression on his face throughout the night.

The others had to participate in the presentation later on, so Richard left with Angela first in tow after dinner.

As soon as they walked out to the parking lot, she turned to ask him expectantly, “Let’s go for a drive by the seaside. It’s still early anyway.”

“Sure, you can decide where we will go tonight and I’ll listen to you.” Richard gave her the freedom to allocate their time for the night.

He started the car and drove to the highway that led to the beach nearby and Angela sat in the front passenger seat as she asked curiously, “Do your mom and Uncle Walter have kids of their own?”

Richard shook his head. “They didn’t have any kids of their own, but I heard that they adopted a good friend’s daughter. The couple works abroad most of the time, so their daughter was raised by my mom when she was young.”

Angela realized that he did not seem to know much about his mom’s life and she could not help but look at him sympathetically. “In the future, when we have kids, I’m sure that your mom will be

delighted.”

He pursed his lips and smiled. “Yeah, she would definitely look forward to that.”

“Then, let’s hurry up and sign the marriage papers. After that, we can start planning on conceiving a child. Do you prefer a boy or a girl?”

“I would be happy with either,” he answered without hesitation.

At that moment, Angela’s lips curved into a smile and she became very enthusiastic. “I was wondering whether it would be possible to have a pair of fraternal twins; a boy and a girl. That would be great!”

“Well, there is a possibility of that.” There was a confident smile that flashed across his handsome face.

Meanwhile, she smiled shyly upon comprehending his words. “You sound so smug.”

“I am confident in my abilities,” he continued his brazen attitude.

Angela could not help smiling as she glanced out of the window. However, her smile gradually froze and a worried look flashed across her eyes instead. Nonetheless, the smile on her face remained once she turned her face back to face him.

“We should have a boy first before having a girl. Then, you can teach him how to take care of his younger sister. How does that sound?”

“Yup, that sounds good.” Richard felt that her suggestion was great.

Angela’s eyes went to a five-star hotel quite far ahead under the starry night skies by the edge of the sea and she pointed. “I heard that this is a great place to enjoy coffee on the rooftop. Let’s go there!”

“Sure.”

“Do you have your ID card with you?” she suddenly asked quite conveniently.

Meanwhile, he turned to look at her with a slightly dark look in his eyes as he seemed stunned. “Yes, I have it with me.”

Angela generously mentioned, “I heard that this is a great place to catch the sunrise. I would like to stay here and watch the sunrise tomorrow. Why don’t you keep me company?”

At that moment, Richard’s heart raced as he replied hoarsely, “Won’t your parents worry about you?”

She muttered under her breath, “What’s there to worry about? I’m not a child. I’m about to turn twenty- five this year.” After she said that, she blushed uncontrollably as she interrogated him domineeringly, “I just wanted to know whether you’d be willing to watch the sunrise with me.”

“Of course,” he replied in a solemn voice.

Angela took out her phone and secretly typed a text message to Daphne. “Mom, I won’t be back tonight. Don’t wait for me.”

Following that, she switched her phone to silent mode before Daphne replied to the message immediately, “Okay, got it. Make sure to get some rest.”

Daphne had been through this before, so she knew what was going on.

Angela’s face flushed red upon seeing the text message. What does Mom mean by that last sentence? What rest? Does she think that I will be up the entire night?

They arrived at the parking lot of the hotel and alighted from the car. She mustered up her courage before entering the lobby while clinging to Richard’s arm.

She planned to take the initiative and book a room for them.

At the front desk, Angela handed over two ID cards. “One room with a king-sized bed, please. Thanks.”