Chapter 187: Chapter 431-440

In fact, Anastasia couldn’t help but sense a chilly aura and the man’s eerie silence filled the atmosphere.

Soon, Elliot looked up and sat her down beside him. “How are things with Jared? Would you like to leave and check on him now?”

“Don’t worry about him. He is with my dad. Anyway, have they identified the reason that caused your grandmother to faint?” Anastasia curiously asked.

Elliot nodded. “I’ll tell you more when I’m done taking care of everything.”

“Sure. What matters now is that your grandma wakes up.”

An hour later, Harriet woke up and was seemingly in a good mood, although she had no idea why she fainted in the first place.

“Mom, let me handle our dinner next year! The years have caught up to you, and you should rest more.” Brenda thought the hectic preparation for the dinner had taken a toll on Harriet’s health and caused her to pass out.

“I didn’t do anything much either.” The lady shook her head.

“You nearly scared us all to death, Grandma.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine, aren’t I?” Harriet insisted that she was still healthy and refused to worry the others.

At the same time, Elliot was relieved after seeing his grandmother come around, thinking he could finally put his mind to ease. “Grandma, you should probably stay in the hospital for a week,” he suggested.

“That’s right, Mom! I promise I’ll visit you every day so that you won’t feel bored. Please stay here!”

“Why do you guys look like you’re trying to incarcerate me here?” Harriet wasn’t happy with everyone’s suggestion as she expressed her dissatisfaction. After all, they all thought that the more energetic she tried to make herself seem, the more childish she appeared to be.

In the meantime, Anastasia felt just as relieved as the rest while looking at the old lady with a smile on her face while finally feeling the joy of having an elderly senior in the family.

“Aunt Brenda, why don’t you stay here to keep Grandma company with Nigel while I give Anastasia a ride home?”

“Go ahead.” Brenda nodded her head in response.

When Elliot took Anastasia home, he was surprisingly quiet in the car, which made Anastasia think it was because he was too shocked about his grandmother’s condition. Therefore, she silently stayed by his side until they arrived at the entrance of her residential area just as Elliot said, “I’ll come over to pick you up later.”

“There’s no need for that. I’ll be staying home tonight.” Anastasia didn’t want Elliot to be tired out by the hassle of traveling.

“Sure, I’ll pick you up tomorrow then.” He hoped that she would move in and stay with him.

“Alright, do what you must for now.” She alighted from the car and walked further into the residential area.

After watching the lady walk through the gate, Elliot reached for his phone and dialed Rey’s number.

“Gather a few men and tell them to come with me to Hayley’s house.”

On the other hand, Hayley and Daniel were cuddling each other in their sleep at Summit Mansion as they were exhausted from their intimate moment just minutes ago. However, that also left the unsuspecting duo completely unaware of Elliot and his men’s arrival.

Meanwhile, Rey was shocked by what he discovered as he managed to trace a transaction that led them to a source, which was later identified to be from the black card given to Hayley. “President Presgrave, Miss Seymour has spent approximately fifty million with this card in the past six months.”

Damn! Hayley hasn’t really been frugal with the money she’s been given.

Elliot squinted, deciding to stop aiding Hayley financially from that moment on. At the same time, Rey had the access card to the mansion and was able to drive into the compound. Throughout the entire time, Hayley and Daniel were still sound asleep in the room. Since the manor belonged to Elliot, he had the authority to reset the password. Instead of waking the two of them up, he reset the password and opened the door.

“They’re now upstairs. Should we head up there?” Rey awkwardly asked, considering the fact that Daniel was his colleague.

“Get them down here.” Elliot had no interest in witnessing what he deemed would be an eyesore.

Therefore, Rey reluctantly headed upstairs by himself and made his way to the bedroom where he saw several clothes lying on the ground. At the sight of that, he felt goosebumps running all over his body as he knocked on the door, waking the two of them up instantly.

While Hayley snapped out of her alcoholic influence, Daniel immediately asked, “Who else has access to your house, Hayley?”

“Is it Anna?” Hayley, who was seen with her messy hair, was mad at Anna whom she thought was knocking on the door.

As Daniel wore his clothes in a panicky manner, Hayley wrapped herself in her pajamas and opened the door, only to be greeted by Rey’s face which left them horrified and stunned.

“M-Mr. Osborne, what brings you here?” Hayley asked in a terrified manner and went on to explain what might have appeared to Rey, although Daniel could be seen buttoning up his shirt in the background. “Mr. Lancaster and I were discussing something in the room.”

“Mr. Presgrave is waiting downstairs. Get down there when you’re done putting on your clothes.” Rey finished his words and walked away.

Upon hearing the man’s words, Hayley turned pale in the face. What?! Elliot is waiting downstairs? She then turned her attention to Daniel and glared at him. “We will say nothing about our relationship!”

“You don’t say!” Daniel replied. What kind of dumb question is that?! I don’t want to die yet!

Upon putting on their clothes, they headed downstairs as if they had just finished discussing their business. Then, Hayley made her way to Elliot, although she was still trying to get over her surprised feeling about the man’s untimely visit. “Here you are, Elliot.” Despite the short period, she managed to put on some makeup and applied some lipstick to her lips before showing herself in a decent coat.

At the same time, Daniel was too scared to look up as he seemed afraid to step forward. Meanwhile, Elliot set his cold eyes on the lady who was coming his way, his eyes gaze filled with rage and exasperation.

“Rey, please show Miss Seymour the video.” Elliot had never thought about killing someone, but at that moment, he was tempted to make an exception.

While Hayley had no idea what she was going to be watching, Rey proceeded to turn up the volume and show her a video of herself swapping the medicine at Presgrave Residence with the highest resolution. In that instant, Hayley’s eyes were left wide open in horror as she covered her mouth and spent the next few minutes watching the video until the end.

Deep down, she didn’t expect that her wrongdoings would be caught on tape, and she shivered so much that she struggled to muster the courage and meet Elliot’s gaze. However, she eventually decided to take a peek, only to notice the man’s glacial expression like he was suppressing his murderous intent. On the other hand, Elliot, who met Hayley’s eyes, instantly felt a strong desire to kill her.

“I’m sorry, Elliot. I-I… I…” Hayley stammered and struggled to complete her sentence in the face of Elliot’s indifferent sharp gaze. While she was usually good at giving excuses, nothing seemed to come to her mind at that moment. After all, her wickedness and heartlessness were exposed by the video, which left her with almost no way to explain herself. “I’m sorry. I-I was foolish to make that mistake.

Please forgive me, Elliot. I just couldn’t think straight.”

“Miss Seymour, do you know that Old Madam Presgrave has been admitted to the hospital because she mistakenly took the medicine you swapped and fainted?” Rey asked rhetorically in an attempt to make Hayley understand the gravity of the situation.

Upon hearing Rey’s reply, Hayley felt her blood freeze. “What?! Grandma mistakenly took the medicine?! I’m sorry. I never thought of doing any harm to Grandma. I swear I didn’t…” The lady stubbornly tried to talk her way out, gazing at Elliot tearfully. “I’m sorry, Elliot! I didn’t mean it! I didn’t do that on purpose…”

“Hayley, I’m going to spare your life for the sake of that incident five years ago, but I demand you to return my card and my watch to me. Then, pack your stuff and get out of my manor,” Elliot answered coldly without a sign of expression that indicated his anger.

Scared by the man’s words, Hayley bit her lips in fear as she didn’t think her nightmare would catch up to her so soon. Although the truth about the incident that happened five years ago wasn’t exposed, she was surprised that Elliot still wanted to take everything away from her. “You can’t do this to me, Elliot! I gave you my first time five years ago, so is that how you’re going to treat me?”

“You tried to kill my grandmother, so do you think I’m going to give a damn about what happened five years ago? With this video, I could put you in jail and have you locked up in a cell for eternity,” Elliot answered coldly.

Meanwhile, Hayley went weak in the knees and collapsed onto the ground after hearing Elliot’s words.

After all, Elliot was like a god that had made her somebody. Now, he was going to take everything away from her. I’m no longer who I used to be, and I’ll never be the person I was. I’m now living like a princess, so how can I go back to the old days when I was poor and broke?

“Please, Elliot! Please don’t do this to me! I’m sorry! I made a mistake, but I’ve learned my lesson…”

Hayley sank to her knees and crawled toward Elliot, beseeching him to cut her some slack. “Please don’t take my card away from me. Please don’t chase me out of this manor! I promise I’ll never harm anyone ever again, Elliot! I don’t want to lose everything I have now…”

On the other hand, Rey and the other bodyguards were speechless upon seeing Hayley’s reaction, seeing how the lady was willing to beg Elliot not to take away her money at the cost of her pride. As the man’s glacial gaze stopped the lady from moving, he said, “From the moment you tried to kill my grandma, you no longer deserve to own everything you have right now. I have no more tolerance for you, Hayley!”

At the same time, Daniel, who was staring at Hayley, lost his liking toward her as he found her embarrassed look ugly and laughable. “I’m sorry, President Presgrave. I’ll resign right away.” He walked closer and added, “I know I’ve made a mistake for allowing Miss Seymour to seduce me. I apologize to you for that.”

“What are you talking about, Daniel?! I didn’t seduce you, but you forced me to sleep with you instead.”

Hayley refuted Daniel, refusing to let the latter’s accusation add to Elliot’s hatred for her.

Nonetheless, Elliot felt nothing but disgust toward the two of them. He glared at Daniel and said, “Get out of my face now!” Knowing that Elliot was showing him mercy by telling him to leave, Daniel rose to his feet and staggered away desperately while Hayley stayed behind and continued to kneel on her knees with a pale face to show her unwillingness to lose everything she had.

“Find Mr. Presgrave’s card and watch.” Rey gave the bodyguards an order.

“No, please don’t take my card away! Please don’t…” Hayley tried to grab her handbag, but the guards were one step ahead of her as they emptied it and reached for her wallet. As soon as they got their hands on the black card, they wiped it with a piece of tissue paper and handed it over to Elliot.

Nonetheless, he didn’t take the card. Instead, he let Rey take it. In the meantime, one of his bodyguards headed upstairs and came down shortly after he found Elliot’s watch and returned it to him.

When Hayley saw what they were doing, she lost her mind and shouted, “No, none of you can take anything away from me! They are all mine! I deserve them, Elliot! You’re indebted to me, so you can’t take them away from me.” As Hayley wanted to hug Elliot’s thigh to beg him not to take away her possessions, two of his bodyguards immediately restrained her to keep her from getting closer to Elliot.

“Take all her possessions and throw them away.” Elliot gritted his teeth, ordering his guards to take everything away from Hayley.

Hayley immediately covered her necklace with her hands, her eyes left wide open in horror. After all, she wasn’t about to give up a necklace worth over five million, but soon, a bodyguard came closer while the other two pinned her to the ground. Humiliated, Hayley screamed out loud. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t do this to me, Elliot! Help me! Ouch! It hurts, Elliot!” Despite the lady’s painful screams, Elliot’s gaze had no sympathy at all; there was only coldness and indifference to it.

The guard swiftly removed Hayley’s necklace, as well as her diamond bracelet, diamond watch, and diamond ring. After that, the guard reached for her handbag, in which he put her cell phone and identification documents before throwing it back to her. With her messy hair, Hayley was seen sitting while crying on the floor while glaring at Elliot resentfully. “If I had known you were so heartless when you slept with me five years ago, I wouldn’t have bothered to save you, Elliot!”

No matter how Hayley complained, Elliot’s eyes were only filled with hatred as he appeared emotionless. “You set Anastasia up five years ago, and now you tried to kill my grandmother. The two of them are the women I love the most, so you should consider yourself lucky that you’re still breathing right now.”

“Miss Seymour, I’d like to ask you a question. Why did you instruct the guards at Abyss Club to burn down the server room? What are you hiding?” Rey seized the opportunity and asked.

Hayley’s face changed as she looked at Rey in horror. “I-I did no such thing.”

“What are you not telling us?” Elliot questioned Hayley.

Upon hearing Elliot’s question, Hayley was horrified to realize that the former had already started to investigate the incident five years ago. For that, she was grateful that she had acted soon enough to destroy the evidence, or her lies would have been exposed a long time ago. “Yes, I did that because I didn’t want anyone to know that you slept with me.” Hayley tried to brush Elliot off with an excuse, but the man wasn’t convinced by her perfunctory explanation at all. I don’t believe in her words. They are not convincing at all, and I’m sure she knows more than she lets on.

On the other hand, Rey reckoned it was a good thing for Elliot for confronting Hayley about the incident five years ago. By doing so, Hayley could no longer mess around in the name of what had happened back then.

Soon, Elliot stood up, seemingly tired of looking at Hayley’s face as he turned to his bodyguard. “Get her out of my manor.”

“Please don’t do this to me, Elliot! Please, no! I’m sorry. I’ve learned from my mistakes now, so please forgive me!” Hayley rose to her feet in a panicky manner, wanting to collapse into Elliot’s embrace.

However, just when she was a foot away from him, she stopped in her tracks.

It turned out that Elliot’s nonchalant yet menacing gaze fell upon Hayley, intimidating her with his prominent status. At the same time, Hayley didn’t dare to take a step forward as if she was about to fall off the edge of a cliff even though she was only standing several feet away from the man.

“I’ll get out of here myself.” Hayley clenched her jaw, thinking she should do one last thing that would make her proud in front of Elliot. In the meantime, she couldn’t help but figure out whether Elliot would treat her better after he had calmed down from his anger. Therefore, as she walked closer and closer to the door, she was looking forward to hearing Elliot calling out to her out of sympathy, but in the end, her wish didn’t come true.

Instead, Hayley only felt a pair of cold eyes glued to her as she walked out the door. Upon stepping out of the manor, she looked back and took in the big house in which she had stayed for the last six months. The place felt like a castle to her, and she had enjoyed a life of wealth and comfort like a princess who was taken care of by her servants. Then, when she laid eyes on the Ferrari that she deemed was supposed to be hers, she couldn’t help but feel sorry to see it taken away from her, along with everything else she owned just a few minutes ago.

Now that she was back to being a normal person with nothing left, she regretted not transferring some of the properties under her name and stashing some of the expensive jewelry in her house. After all, she never had a thought that she would end up so miserably one day. Deep down, she beat herself and regretted harming someone innocent. If I didn’t do any harm to anyone, I would still be enjoying all this. What the heck have I done?

However, Hayley quickly asked herself how a lady couldn’t be blinded by her delusionally idealized fantasy after meeting a man like Elliot. Well, I guess it’s not something fortunate for a lady to be treated kindly by Elliot. Instead, it’s a misfortune in disguise because it is going to drive her crazy since she will now crave to marry Elliot more than ever. Then, Hayley realized her madness all began with her love for Elliot, which was why she had done everything to win him over even though that had eventually led to her downfall.

Soon, Hayley looked up and saw Elliot standing by the window. Meanwhile, the man seemed as graceful and handsome as he usually was, but she felt sorry for herself because she now no longer had the chance to even ask to see him.

After leaving the manor, she realized the only valuable thing was the outfit that she was wearing at that moment. After all, she had spent hundreds of thousands purchasing her coat and tens of thousands on her shoes and handbag, but other than those things, she had nothing else left with her.

In just a day, Hayley lost everything and went back to the way she used to live her old days. At the thought of that, she could no longer fight back her tears as she cursed Elliot and Anastasia, hoping they would suffer terribly until they died. She then curled her lips upward and smiled since she was planning to keep Anastasia in the dark about Elliot’s identity as her son’s father.

At the same time, she gloated at Elliot’s unawareness about Jared’s actual identity, finding joy in the fact that Elliot thought Jared was Anastasia’s illegitimate child with another man when he was in fact his son. Only I know this secret, but too bad that I’m going to keep it with me until my last dying breath.

By then, I’m going to reveal it and make them suffer in remorse. I want Anastasia to remember that she slept with Elliot once back then. That’s going to sting her like a nail in her chest, eh?

“Anastasia and Elliot, you will both die a horrible death!” Hayley cursed the two of them with a loud voice. Not long after that, she decided to settle down at a nearby café, trying hard to adjust to her normal life after having lived her days luxuriously and comfortably for the past six months. Upon ordering herself a cup of coffee, she silently swallowed the unpleasant truth of being treated meanly by Elliot who had now become the person for whom she had nothing but hatred and grudges.

After taking a sip of her coffee, Hayley was stunned by the diluted taste. She remembered ordering a cup of coffee with a rich flavor, yet she didn’t taste anything except for a strange hint of bitterness. “Is there something with your coffee? Why does it taste terrible?” Hayley vented out her anger on the waiter.

The waiter came over and asked, “Is there anything wrong with the coffee, miss?”

“What kind of coffee did you serve me? It contains no fragrance at all. I asked for hand-brewed coffee.

Is this instant coffee?” Hayley inquired.

“It is indeed hand-brewed coffee, miss,” the waiter explained.

“This is the worst cup of coffee I’ve ever had!” After finishing her words, Hayley stood up angrily.

As she approached the door, she heard two ladies mocking her.

“Despite her nice outfit, her personality is terrible.”

“Exactly! It’s as if she’s uneducated.”

Hayley turned her head to see the two ladies mocking her and chastised them. “What are you talking about behind my back?”

“Did we refer to you? We’re just talking about a b*tch who was barking earlier. Why are you fitting yourself into what we said?”

Just as Hayley was about to walk over and confront them, they waved their hands to someone behind her. “We’re here, my dear.”

At that, Hayley turned her head and saw two bulky men walking in. When she saw them, she became frightened and left after casting a stern glare at the two ladies.

After she exited, she realized at that moment that she no longer had the right to be arrogant. She was even having trouble surviving now. It was easier to transition from frugality to excess, but not the other way around.

In the past six months, she had no friends and had not communicated with her family at all. She was a selfish person who would never share anything good with others. Hence, for the past six months, she was busy enjoying herself without even helping her family out. Her family remained poor and still struggled to make ends meet.

She, on the other hand, had lived the life of a princess. She had plastic surgery, drove expensive cars, lived in a luxury bungalow, and carried a premium credit card with an unlimited limit.

Meeting Elliot was the disaster that ruined her life.

At this point, Hayley noticed a swarm of cars exiting the intersection in front of her. The line of Rolls-

Royces that cost millions looked imposing on the road. Indeed, they belonged to Elliot.

Hayley suddenly recalled that she could take some of them and sell them since her villa was full of luxury things. She might be able to survive for a while with the money she received from the sale.

However, after hailing a cab to the villa, she discovered that the password for the gate’s digital lock had changed. She gritted her teeth and attempted to enter from the other side, but she accidentally set off the warning alarm while climbing in. As a result, she was forced to flee in despair.

When she had previously lived here, Rey had assured her that she did not need to be concerned about its security because there was a warning alarm outside the wall. If anyone broke in, the alarm would notify the security office that would immediately notify the police station who would thereafter dispatch officers over.

As she remembered this, she felt hopeless. It was impossible for her to get anything out of this place.

A disappointed Hayley was walking on the street when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and immediately answered the call. “Hello, Mr. Alan. How are things going on your end? When can I return to Hogland again?”

“We’ve contacted the relevant authorities, Miss Seymour, and we have arranged a time for you.

However, you must first pay an examination fee.”

“How much is that?”

“It’s not a lot to you. Just a hundred thousand.”

“What?! A hundred thousand for the examination fee? I want to sue the hospital for causing my loss of taste, but he still dares to ask for an examination fee?” Hayley yelled and she sounded as if she was about to collapse.

“Miss Seymour, the surgery you had cost about two million, so of course the examination fee would be this much. Furthermore, if you intend to sue the hospital, you must have at least one million set aside for legal fees.”

It drove her insane when she heard that. “What? You all are just going crazy over the money! They should be the one to compensate me!”

“I’m sorry, Miss Seymour. The contract, which you signed, clearly states that you will bear all consequences including any after-effects. If you want to make more amendments to what was done, you will have to pay for additional treatments.”

“Piss off!” she exclaimed. At that point, Hayley was regretting her plastic surgery.

She could not afford the fee to maintain what she had done in the future. Even for her current loss of taste, she was unable to sue them, and all of this occurred within two months of her surgery.

The car was on the road and Elliot was sitting in the passenger seat, looking exhausted. “President Presgrave, where do you want to go?” Rey asked.

The first thought that came to Elliot was to look for Anastasia. However, she had informed him that she would not be coming to his house today, so he had no idea where he should go.

“Let’s go see Grandma at the hospital.” Truth was, he was concerned about Harriet’s health.

“I think you should inform Miss Tillman how you dealt with Hayley, President Presgrave, in case Hayley finds ways to cause trouble to Miss Tillman,” Rey suggested.

Elliot considered what Rey said before saying, “Let’s go Anastasia’s place, then.”

Meanwhile, Anastasia was preparing dinner when she received a call from Elliot, who said he would be coming over. She asked if he was going to have dinner here, to which he replied, “Can you prepare my portion as well?”

As she had not prepared dinner yet, she mentioned, “Come over!”

Francis was elated to know that Elliot would be coming, as it meant that Anastasia had reconciled with the man.

“Prepare more food, Anastasia,” Francis instructed. “I’ll bring Jared out for a walk.”

“Sure,” Anastasia replied with a smile.

Francis’ phone, which had been left on the table, rang not long after he left. That surprised Anastasia, because she had not anticipated Francis not bringing his phone. She walked over to take a look and when she saw who was calling, she answered.

But before she could respond, the person on the other end of the line yelled, “Do you still want to live here, Francis? You’re back at Anastasia’s house, looking after her child, aren’t you? You don’t stay at home all day every day, not even on weekends! Do you even remember our home?”

Anastasia frowned upon hearing that. Turned out that Naomi appeared to be dissatisfied with Francis coming to look after Jared. I bet he would need to face her nagging when he goes back later!

“It’s Anastasia here, Naomi. My father is taking a stroll downstairs,” Anastasia voiced out.

“Anastasia, what do you mean by asking my husband to leave every day? Are you attempting to divide us? What nefarious plans do you have?” Naomi immediately chastised her.

“I didn’t mean that. I merely wanted him to look after Jared for a while.”

“You shouldn’t have had your child if you don’t have time to care for him!” Naomi responded angrily.

That infuriated Anastasia. “He’s my father, so why can’t he look after my child?”

“All right, let him look after your child as much as you want! Maybe one day I’ll just divorce him!” Naomi threatened.

Hearing that, Anastasia had the urge to talk back to the other woman, but she didn’t want to make things difficult for Francis, who would be spending his life with Naomi. Hence, she said, “I’ll ask him to go home now.”

“I’m warning you, Anastasia. You better not have any thoughts on your dad’s company. It doesn’t belong to you alone. Erica and I have our shares in it as well. If you intend to claim it as your own, I’ll definitely not let you off the hook.” Naomi hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking.

Anastasia, however, had never harbored such a thought before. It was just that Francis’ business was now her responsibility. She had no choice but to assist Francis in relieving his stress.

When Francis returned not long after, Anastasia requested him to go back to his house for dinner. He knew as well that Naomi would definitely be displeased since he had been out socializing all week and hadn’t been home much.

“Okay, I’ll go home. Take good care of Jared.”

Francis then left. Not long later, Elliot arrived.

“I miss you so much, Mr. Presgrave!”

“It’s only been a day since you last saw him. What’s there for you to miss?” Anastasia said with a chuckle. It seemed that Jared had become more attached to Elliot than to her.

And she was jealous about it.

“I just miss him!” Jared replied, his mouth pouting.

Seeing that, Elliot lowered his head. He then carried Jared in his arms and gave the boy a kiss. “I miss you too. I wanted to take you both home, but your mother refused.”

“Mr. Presgrave, just marry my mom fast! She’ll be your wife then!” Jared said loudly.

Anastasia, who was in the kitchen, heard everything he said, and found him amusing. Walking out, she gave him a stern glare and said, “Don’t spout nonsense, Jared.”

“I want it as well! If she agrees, I can marry her right away.”

“Mom, did you hear what Mr. Presgrave said? Please agree to it!” Jared said as he dashed into the kitchen.

Anastasia heard that, but she did not want to come out.

Elliot then sat on the sofa with Jared, occasionally hearing whatever was going on in the kitchen. He realized that he had really fallen in love with such a mundane life.

At the same time, Anastasia had prepared a lot of food. She had prepared Francis’ portion as well, but there were only three of them now.

Jared attentively spooned food for Anastasia and Elliot while they were eating. Anastasia looked at him, then at Elliot, and she realized they looked just like father and son.

After they finished their dinner, Anastasia was busy cleaning up the kitchen, while Elliot stood by the door, waiting for her.

“Do you have anything to tell me?” She walked out, wiping her hands.

“I retracted everything I had given Hayley. I don’t want to see her again from now on.”

Anastasia was shocked to hear that. “Why?”

“Hayley was the one who changed Grandma’s medicine, which caused Grandma to faint this time. She wanted to hurt Grandma.”

Anastasia could not believe what she was hearing, and she clenched her fists and asked, “What?

Hayley changed Old Madam Presgrave’s medicine? Why did she do that?”

“Aside from her evil nature, I’m guessing she wanted to frame you with this. Fortunately, surveillance cameras were installed in the area where the medicine was prepared, and all of her actions were documented. Otherwise, she’d undoubtedly accuse you of doing so.” Anastasia would have been implicated in the case if Elliot wasn’t lucky enough to obtain the evidence.

“Your grandmother treats her well, but she still intends to harm her. What a vicious woman she is!”

Anastasia felt an immense hatred against Hayley.

“That being the case, you need to guard against her if you ever see her in the future. I fear that she’ll go insane and hurt you.” He would protect her, but she would need to take care of herself as well.

He couldn’t possibly be around her 24 hours a day, no matter how strong he was.

“I will. Where is she now?”

“I’ve chased her out and taken back all of the things that I had given her. She doesn’t deserve all that,”

Elliot replied coldly.

Hearing that, Anastasia felt that it was Hayley’s retribution for all the harm she did.

She didn’t even qualify as a human. Anastasia could forgive her for the incident five years ago, but Hayley had deteriorated to the point where she was now attempting to harm Harriet through changing the medicine. That was a heinous crime. After all, Harriet was Elliot’s beloved grandmother.

Later in the night, Elliot didn’t seem to want to leave. Anastasia did not ask him to leave as well, but merely tidied up her bed for him to rest on since he was exhausted after a long day.

Indeed, that made Elliot utterly glad. She treats me better now, he thought.

Meanwhile, in the Seymours’ house, all five of them were staying in an old and cramped place. Hayley had two younger siblings, a sister and a brother. Her parents were both low-wage earners, with her mother working as a helper and her father as a construction worker. Despite the fact that she had been well off for the previous six months, she did not help her family financially because she hated them.

And now, when she returned, she began to cry regretful tears. Why am I so selfish? Why didn’t I assist them financially or buy a bigger house for them when I was rich in the past? Elliot would not have taken them back if I did so.

“Who are you?” Hayley’s mom, Valerie, emerged from the house to dispose of the garbage. Seeing Hayley under the bright light, the older woman did not recognize her daughter.

After all, Hayley had plastic surgery and looked entirely different now.

“Mom, it’s me, Hayley,” Hayley said calmly.

“What? Hayley? You… Have you had plastic surgery? Where did you get your money?” Valerie yelled at Hayley after realizing the woman in front of her was her daughter.

That enraged Hayley. This family is always like this. I am always the one being scolded.

“Why didn’t you use the money you spent on plastic surgery to help the family? You’re such an ungrateful child. I shouldn’t have raised you up in the first place. Why are you coming back now?”

Hayley, too, responded with a yell, “Fine! I’m not coming back! I’ll just die outside if that’s what you want!”

She turned around and ran away as soon as she finished her sentence. Valerie was taken aback by that. While she felt compelled to pursue Hayley, she knew it made no difference to the family whether or not this daughter of hers was in the family.

Hayley had always been standoffish and liked to put on airs since young. Hence, her return would only be a burden on their family. Furthermore, they had no idea where she had been for the past six months. They even had to beg her for money previously.

Meanwhile, Hayley entered a shopping mall after leaving the Seymours’ house. She yearned for such a dazzling location. She then entered a branded store. As her bag and clothes were all branded, the shopkeepers greeted her warmly.

“Miss, this is our latest design. Would you like to have a try?”

That made Hayley feel sentimental. She could take anything she wanted a few days ago without thinking about the cost, but now the cost of the shoes was far beyond her means.

Just a pair of shoes cost more than six thousand.

Her mind was in a daze when she exited the shop. She wanted to beg Elliot to return the wealthy life to her.

Where can I go now? she wondered. Suddenly, she remembered Erica. Erica was the only one who could take her in now, but for her to do so, Hayley could not let her know that Elliot had cut off all her living expenses.

Indeed, Erica came to pick her up after a call, and they both then went back to the Tillman Residence.

Inside the house, Hayley saw the items she had previously given to Erica. She didn’t want them before, but now she was desperate to get them back.

Erica, on the other hand, had no idea Hayley was in a desperate state now. She thought Hayley was only feeling lonely.

“Why are you looking gloomy, Hayley?” Erica asked, while laying on the bed, after seeing Hayley’s pale face.

“Nothing much.” Hayley immediately turned off the lights and said, “Let’s sleep.”

A tinge of hatred flashed through her eyes in the darkness. Elliot loves Anastasia so much. If something happened to her, he would undoubtedly go insane.

Since Hayley’s life was now meaningless, she wanted to drag Anastasia with her to the grave and leave Elliot alone in this world.

Meanwhile, Elliot was sleeping on Anastasia’s bed, and he didn’t wake up until the next morning. Only on her bed could he get such a good night’s sleep.

Christmas was around the corner, and the entire city was buzzing due to the festive season. It was a week away from Christmas Eve and Elliot started to get busy as well. The next day after the dinner they had together, Anastasia and Jared returned to Elliot’s villa.

Though Elliot had not given Anastasia an official status, living with him had become second nature to her.

Three days later, Rey walked into Elliot’s office carrying a watch box containing the watch they took from Hayley.

“The watch had been cleaned thoroughly, President Presgrave.”

Elliot took the watch from Rey. As it was his grandmother’s birthday gift to him many years back, he had always treated it as a treasure. He once thought of giving it to Hayley, but now, he simply wanted to keep it for himself.

After working hours, Elliot brought the watch back to the villa. When Anastasia heard his car, she walked out from her room to seek him out.

She knocked on his room and when she entered, she saw him holding a watch in his hand. Curiously, she asked with a smile, “You bought a new watch again?”

“No. This was an old watch given by Grandma.” Elliot, however, omitted the fact that he took it back from Hayley, fearing that Anastasia might get upset upon knowing it. Upon hearing his words, she took the watch and spent some time looking at it. Then, she said, “It looks exquisite. It must be expensive as well.”

“About tens of millions.”

She took another look at it after hearing that. “Let me examine it and feel what it’s like to hold tens of millions in my hand.”

Noticing that she liked it, Elliot said, “I’ll give it to you then.”

“No! How can I possibly accept such an expensive item from you? Even if I take it, I wouldn’t dare to wear it out. I would be just inviting snatch thieves if I wear it out without any bodyguards.”

Elliot smiled in response. “In that case, I’ll arrange twenty bodyguards for you. You can then wear any watch you like.”

“I don’t want to. I prefer a normal life,” Anastasia said while shaking her head.

He then led her into his closet. There was a massive glass display containing all of his watches, and he placed the watch she was holding in it. It glistened in the bright light. Due to the refraction of the lights, the wolf’s head figure on it, which normally shone in the dark, was emitting faint light as well.

As Anastasia was leaning against the glass display and admiring his collection, she felt a warm sensation behind her. When she turned around, she was met with the man’s intense stare.

The fire within his gaze was unmistakable.

She could understand what Elliot, as a normal twenty-eight-year-old man, was thinking of at the moment.

However, his phone rang unexpectedly. He took a look at the screen and saw the name that disgusted him.

The call was from Hayley.

Anastasia saw it too, and she immediately raised her head and wanted to ask if he would answer the call.

However, Elliot rejected the call and blocked Hayley’s number.

Anastasia knew that, despite their previous one-night stand, Hayley’s act of harming his grandmother was totally unacceptable to Elliot, and that by doing so, she would never see him again.

Noticing that he wasn’t in a good mood, Anastasia hugged him and said, “I’ll prepare dinner tonight.

What do you want to have?”

“I enjoy whatever you cook.” Elliot hugged her back, pressing her against his chest so they could hold each other tightly.

All Anastasia could smell as she was buried in his arms was his hormonal scent, and she heard him say beside her ear, “But you’re my favorite dish of all.”

At that, she pushed him away with a smile. “I’m sorry, President Presgrave, but such a dish is not available tonight.”

She exited the room after finishing her words, leaving him smiling alone in the room. Elliot was patient enough to wait for what he desired.

It was a dark night outside. All of the other watches in the glass display were dimly lit; only the watch they were looking at earlier had a wolf’s head on it, exuding a domineering aura.

Meanwhile, Hayley sat dejectedly on a bench on the cold street. She had called numerous times, but none of her calls were answered.

She knew that Elliot had blocked her.

The cold breeze blew through her, and she immediately wrapped her arms around herself. It was only now that she realized the expensive clothes she was wearing weren’t designed to withstand cold weather, as those who could afford them would never be forced to live on the streets.

Suddenly, she thought of another person, and she dialed Daniel’s phone number using her phone.

“Hello?” His voice sounded aloof.

“It’s Hayley. Can I sleep over at your place, Daniel?” Biting her lips, she requested.

“Miss Seymour, I’m sorry, but we shall not be in contact anymore.”

“How can you treat me like this, Daniel? We’ve slept together so many times. Don’t you have any feelings for me?”

“If I’m not mistaken, Hayley, you were always the one to make the first move. Which man will reject a woman who took the initiative? Truth is, I really don’t have any feelings for you.” Daniel was fired by the Presgrave Group, and he blamed Hayley for his loss of such a well-paying and promising job.

“Daniel, you’re such a b*astard,” she scolded.

“I liked you before you had plastic surgery. However, now that you’ve had surgery, I find it repulsive that your face is filled with prosthetics.” He then continued, “You look exactly like a ghost when you cry.”

His words enraged Hayley to the point where her face flushed and she thought she was going to blow a gasket.

“Anastasia is naturally beautiful, but yours is man-made. Don’t even think about comparing yourself to her. You will never be able to match her beauty in your lifetime.” Daniel spit out even harsher words.

“That is absurd! In every way, I’m not worse than she is!” Hayley screamed angrily.

“You’d do well to wake up! President Presgrave has been uninterested in you since the beginning. A lowly woman like you even wishes to be a princess, but even with the crown on, you’ll look amusing!”

“Shut up, Daniel Lancaster! You have no right to talk to me in such a way,” she angrily refuted.

“Don’t ever call me again. Well, now that you have a new look from the surgery, you might be able to survive if you sell yourself.”

“Piss off!” Gritting her teeth and trembling with rage, Hayley squeaked out these two words and hung up.

Hayley could stay at Erica’s place, but she knew it was only a matter of time before Erica discovered she no longer had anything. As a result, the former rushed to find another place to stay before that.

Naomi was sitting on the sofa watching television when Hayley returned to the Tillman Residence.

Erica had told her that Hayley was now wealthy, so she was polite to her whenever she saw her.

“Hello, Hayley. You’re back! Erica is upstairs!”

“Thanks, Naomi.” Hayley gave her a smile.

“Your surgery is quite well done, Hayley. You look prettier now.” Naomi looked at Hayley with envy and felt that Hayley resembled Anastasia.

To that, Hayley pretended to smile, but she was feeling awful deep down. Instead of advantages, this face of hers now brought her a lot of malice.

Erica was in her room, experimenting with her new perfume. When she noticed Hayley, she exclaimed happily, “Hayley, come over here and give it a shot. Is the scent of Chanel No. 5 pleasant?”

Hayley obliged. However, when Erica sprayed it on her, all she felt was some wetness on her face with not much fragrance.

“Is this genuine?” she inquired right away. She had previously worn Chanel No. 5, so why couldn’t she recognise it now?

“Of course it’s genuine! I asked someone to buy something for me abroad. I think it smells nice!” Erica sprayed it again after she said it. “I really adore this fragrance!”

As if Hayley thought of something, her eyes widened, and she right away grabbed the perfume and sprayed it all over her face. However, the only thing she felt were water droplets on her face and a very faint, if not none, fragrance scent. She tried her hardest to smell it but she got nothing.

What is going on? Why can’t I smell it?

“Hayley, what happened?”

Frightened, Hayley walked over to Erica’s dressing table and sprayed another perfume on her, but the result was the same. She couldn’t detect any scents. When she realized this, she cradled her head and yelled before squatting down on the floor and cried.

“What’s wrong, Hayley?” Erica looked at her in surprise. At the same time, she took over the perfume bottles in Hayley’s hand as well, fearing that Hayley would drop her newly purchased perfume.

Hayley was a stubborn character, so she refused to tell anyone about her unfortunate events. She feared being looked down upon.

As a result, she did not inform Erica that she had lost her sense of taste; what was even more terrifying was she discovered that she had lost her sense of smell as well. It was no surprise she had no appetite for the past few days. Any food was unappealing to her, and she realized now that it was because of her loss of smell.

“What exactly happened to you, Hayley?” Erica blinked her eyes in shock. Hayley’s behavior really terrified her.

To that, Hayley stood up and said, “I’m fine.” At that point, her eyes were red.

“You gave me a shock! Well, I’ve been waiting for this perfume for a long time and I finally got it now.”

Erica sprayed the perfume again after her words and reveled in it.

Hayley, on the other hand, was envious. She now realized how wonderful it was to be a normal human being, with intact senses of smell and taste.

But she had lost them all. The doctor did warn her before the surgery that there would be side effects because the surgery was extensive, but she ignored all of that and insisted on going ahead to become prettier and attract Elliot. The only thing on her mind was getting the desired effect.

Now, it was almost as if God was punishing her for her greed.

Hayley would later face exorbitant legal fees and a life of poverty. Even if her face could stay pretty for a while longer, she couldn’t afford the upkeep.

Problems with her face would arise if she did not maintain it, no matter how beautiful it was now. She couldn’t imagine what she would look like if the time came.

Feeling miserable, she struggled to keep her tears at the corner of her eyes from falling. She had been reduced to this point entirely due to an invisible force pushing her, which was made up of her greed, envy, and a deep hatred for Anastasia.