Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1231-1240

Chapter 1231-1240

“Yes, I have someone I like. I’m eager to give way to Bonnie so we can marry the right person! See, she and Leslie were so in love that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other before I called off the engagement with Leslie! I didn’t want to be in their way, so I quickly broke off the engagement!” Queenie chuckled.

Maggie, who sat beside Queenie, tugged at Queenie’s sleeve under the table, urging her to stop talking. After all, this matter did tarnish their family’s reputation.

Bonnie’s face turned a little red in embarrassment. Was Queenie implying that she was shameless? Leslie also felt discomfited by Queenie’s seemingly accidental social blunder.

Was Queenie trying to ridicule him in front of his family?

“Queenie, I’m sorry I cheated on you, but I love Bonnie. I can’t let Bonnie down, even though you like me.”

“Oh, please, you think too highly of yourself. I’ve never liked you. Also, the man I like is much better than you,” Queenie sniffed proudly.

After hearing her remarks, the members of the Payne Family were disgruntled. Did Queenie mean to say that Leslie was unworthy? This meant that she somehow looked down on their family!

“Is that so? You’re so lucky, Queenie. It’s unfortunate that Leslie doesn’t like you,” Keira said in a passive-aggressive manner.

“Oh, I should thank Leslie for allowing me to find someone better. I wouldn’t have had the chance to take a fancy to someone else if Leslie hadn’t hooked up with Bonnie while we were engaged!” Queenie smiled.

Feast your eyes on the trash that is your son! He cheated on me with my sister while we were still engaged. How shameful! Queenie thought. At this point, the members of the Payne Family looked outraged. Keira didn’t want to say another word while Leslie’s grandfather covered up his embarrassment by drinking water.

“Shush, Queenie. Stop talking,” Brandon muttered discretely. Even though he did feel that Queenie was running her mouth today, he also felt rather proud that she was being particularly eloquent.

On the other hand, Bonnie’s paranoia was running high as she started theorizing about Queenie’s actions, Queenie said she likes someone else. Is it Nigel? Are they really dating?

“Queenie, how can you say that? You can’t force someone to like you. Although I heard you also like Leslie, he will be your brother-in-law. As Bonnie’s sister, you should be more gracious and open- minded. You should give them your blessing!” one of Leslie’s aunts rebuked furiously after Queenie ridiculed Leslie in front of them.

She was definitely mocking Queenie for being petty.

At this moment, Queenie’s phone rang. As she laid her eyes on the caller ID on the screen, she smiled and said, “Excuse me, my boyfriend is here. I’ll fetch him over and make sure to introduce him to all of you later.”

Bonnie, who was drinking water, jerked her head up abruptly and looked toward the door. What the hell? Was Nigel really here?

Leslie’s expression also changed. Who did Queenie ask to come? Boyfriend? Hah! He didn’t believe that Queenie had a boyfriend within a few days.

She must have asked one of her male friends to pretend to be her boyfriend to save face.

Queenie pushed the door open. As soon as she came out, she saw Nigel standing in the corridor in a white shirt and black trousers. He looked like an elite businessman who had just gotten out of a meeting.

At this moment, Queenie was so touched that her eyes turned slightly red-rimmed. She was all too grateful that he came to back her up and give her a helping hand.

“Mr. Nigel, you’re here!” Queenie smiled as she looked at him.

Nigel couldn’t help but frown when he saw her red eyes. “What’s wrong? Did someone upset you?”

Queenie shook her head. “No. These are tears of joy. I’m so glad you came! I was so worried that you wouldn’t show up!”

“I gave you my word, so I will definitely attend!” Nigel narrowed his eyes with a determined expression.

“Alright, let’s go in. Later, I’ll call you Nigel, and you’ll call me Queenie,” Queenie whispered.

At the dining table, Bonnie was so anxious that she could feel her heart hammering against her chest rapidly. Her eyes were fixed on the direction of the door. Was it really Nigel?

Was Queenie so capable that she could win Nigel’s heart in just a few days? Bonnie secretly balled her hands into fists under the table.

In the meantime, Leslie knew Queenie’s unyielding personality very well. He was curious to see which friend she had invited to play her fake boyfriend in order to regain her dignity after being dumped by him.

Of course, Nigel would never have crossed Leslie’s mind.

In Leslie’s opinion, the Manson Family was highly affluent, and it was impossible for Nigel to have anything to do with Queenie. Despite the fact that he had bumped into Queenie and Nigel several times, Leslie refused to believe that Queenie had the charm to win the heart of a wealthy man like Nigel.

With his family background and social status, Nigel could have all the women he wanted. However, Leslie thought that all men were the same as him. Once they were rich, they would only pick their dates in the upper-class circle and would not bat an eye on the girls in the lower-class circle.

On the other hand, Maggie and Brandon exchanged surprised and confused glances. They wondered where Queenie found a boyfriend in such a short period of time and what she planned to do this time.

Regardless, the members of the Payne Family were displeased by Queenie, who brought her boyfriend over to join their dinner. She just broke off the engagement, yet she brought her boyfriend over. This was such a disrespectful act to Leslie.

At this moment, the door was pushed open. Queenie stepped in first, and she held a man’s arm. Soon, the mystery boyfriend was revealed before everyone’s searching gaze.

Bonnie couldn’t help the sharp inhale before she hastily cut herself off, while Leslie’s pupils dilated due to sheer shock. They looked at the man beside Queenie in utter disbelief. That man was indeed Nigel!

Maggie and Brandon had never seen Nigel before. So, when they saw the young man Queenie was holding, they were momentarily too stunned for words. Who was he? His appearance was striking, and he carried the temperament and aura of a rich and refined gentleman.

Bonnie lowered her head and tried to calm her raging emotions. It was really Nigel! Queenie was actually capable of asking Nigel to come and support her.

After the shock, Leslie looked gloomy and irritated. Finally, he picked up the glass of water and took a sip to cover up his self-conscious state.

“Everyone, I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Nigel Manson.”

“Hello.” Nigel glanced at the people present and finally looked at the two vacant seats. Then, he chose the seat right next to Queenie.

Maggie and Brandon greeted Nigel with a nod and a smile, yet the members of the Payne Family looked indifferent and aloof. They didn’t even try to be polite because they were flustered. Today was supposed to be the day Leslie called off the engagement, yet Queenie brought her boyfriend over and openly displayed their affection.

Moreover, this young man had a better physique than Leslie; his face was far more stunning, and there was no doubt his temperament was better than Leslie’s. It was absolute humiliation to them.

“Mr. Manson, I didn’t expect you to attend as well,” Bonnie immediately greeted Nigel with a charming smile.

“Queenie, hurry up and introduce this fine young man to us!” Maggie was extremely curious. Previously, Queenie told her that she was working. So was Queenie working for him?

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein. My name is Nigel Manson. My family mainly works in the hospitality industry,” Nigel humbly introduced himself with grace and elegance.

Queenie asserted with a smile, “His family business, Manson Group, has more than 1,700 five-star hotels around the world, with franchises all over the world, focusing on the top luxury hotels. He is the president of Manson Group and my boyfriend.”

Queenie’s voice was crisper than that of a reporter. After she was done with her introductions, she hooked her arm around Nigel’s and looked at him adoringly.

Nigel also turned his head and looked at her with a gleam of warmth and affection.

When everyone returned to their senses, just in time to hear Queenie’s remarks, the members of the Payne Family were shocked and aghast. Was the young man in front of them the heir of the Manson Group?

Leslie felt even more humiliated this time. Queenie didn’t pull her punches as she had succeeded in completely degrading him.

“So, Leslie, I’m really grateful for your decision to break off the engagement. I was so worried that my engagement would affect my relationship with Nigel!” Queenie looked gratefully at Leslie. Then, she turned to Bonnie and beamed. “Also, Bonnie, I want to thank you for being by Leslie’s side. He won’t be alone after we break off the engagement, and I’m delighted to have such a brilliant and excellent brother-in-law like Leslie.”

Queenie asserted her statement sincerely and earnestly. But, other than Maggie and Brandon, everyone else looked flustered and abashed, especially Bonnie.

She laughed awkwardly. “Queenie, what are you talking about?! The things between Leslie and me are still up in the air!”

Leslie turned to look at Bonnie in bewilderment. He couldn’t believe his ears when Bonnie denied the fact that they were dating.

The members of the Payne Family were disgruntled. It turned out that Queenie dumped Leslie because she had found a better man, yet she had the cheek to sit on her high horse and speak in a high and mighty manner. She even tricked Leslie into dating Bonnie, her arrogant and rude sister!

She was so vicious and cunning.

However, Ashton, Leslie’s father, was a businessman through and through. So, when he heard about Nigel’s identity, he instinctively wanted to leave a good impression. If he managed such a feat, he would have won a valuable connection which would be a great advantage if there was an opportunity for collaboration in the future.

“Hello, Mr. Manson. My name is Ashton Payne. I run an equipment and machinery business. Here, a toast to you.” Ashton immediately got up and raised his glass.

Nigel glanced around the table. Unfortunately, he didn’t have his own glass. Hence, when he saw Queenie’s glass, he swiftly took it, stood up, raised it to Ashton, and took two sips.

Queenie’s heart skipped a beat at his actions! She had drunk the wine prior to his attendance! Could this be considered an indirect kiss?

Brandon hurriedly urged the waiter to bring a wine glass and filled it with wine before handing it to Nigel.

Maggie was overjoyed at this moment. Both her daughters were dating, and she was even more surprised that Queenie’s boyfriend was from an extremely wealthy family.

“Queenie, why didn’t you bring Nigel to our house before?” Maggie murmured as her tone held a slight reproach. Although, to be fair, it was more than a little inappropriate to meet Nigel on such an occasion.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll bring him back for dinner someday.” Queenie grinned.

Bonnie glared at Queenie with envy and hatred, but when she looked at Nigel, she immediately turned gentle, shy, and timid. This was her usual tactic when she was with someone she admired. She would pretend to be a mild-mannered damsel in distress who needed protection.

Leslie noticed that Bonnie’s favorite dish, grilled shrimp, was placed far away from her. So, he took the initiative to place two shrimps on Bonnie’s plate. “Bonnie, here. Have some shrimps.”

Bonnie’s pretty face was painted with annoyance as she glared at the shrimp on her plate with disgust. “Don’t you know that I’m allergic to shrimp?!” With that, she swept the shrimp aside and refused to pay attention to it.

Leslie was shocked. Only a few days ago, Bonnie specially requested the grilled shrimp and told him it was delicious.

Queenie watched their interaction in gleeful satisfaction. She secretly rejoiced when she saw Leslie being disliked and hated by Bonnie in various ways. There was no doubt in her heart that she genuinely thought that he deserved every bit of it.

“Bonnie, Leslie is being nice to you!” Keira couldn’t help but speak up for Leslie.

“I don’t need anyone to be nice to me!” Bonnie grumbled disrespectfully. The expressions of the members of the Payne Family darkened at her words. Even Brandon reprimanded her less-than-stellar demeanor sternly, “Bonnie! Watch your words!”

Bonnie bit down on her lips and remained silent.

At this moment, Nigel brought a piece of shrimp to Queenie. “Do you like it?”

“Yes! I like it very much.” With that, Queenie didn’t hesitate to bite down on the shrimp and enjoyed the shrimp with relish. “One more, please.”

Nigel took another piece of shrimp, but instead of placing it on her plate, he fed it to her. Queenie was taken aback by his daring at first, but she quickly composed herself as she smiled, opened her mouth, and bit it.

They openly displayed their affection in front of the people present.

Bonnie could feel the resentment burning inside her. Queenie was doing this on purpose.

Maggie and Brandon exchanged glances at the couple’s behavior but said nothing in the end. In their minds, Queenie had always been carefree and forthright, so they did not find her current behavior odd or inappropriate at all.

“Leslie, right? Allow me to give you a toast.” Nigel suddenly raised his glass to Leslie.

Despite the annoyance and resentment bubbling in Leslie’s veins, he had to force a smile and raise his glass reluctantly due to his fear of Nigel’s wealth and affluent background. “Mr. Manson, cheers.”

“Before drinking this glass of wine, I want to thank you for giving Queenie to me,” Nigel narrowed his eyes and said.

Leslie sighed and lamented, “Well, I suppose we’re not meant to be together.”

After Nigel took a sip of the wine, he extended his arm and wrapped it around Queenie’s shoulders. Queenie stiffened in shock and looked up at Nigel beside her.

Nigel looked back at her, and their eyes met. Then, finally, he called out her name softly, “Queenie, I have something to tell you.”

Queenie blinked curiously, looking forward to what he would say to spice things up.

Even Bonnie, who sat across from Nigel and Queenie, felt her heart leap to her throat when she heard Nigel’s remark. Did he plan to confess to Queenie in front of her parents?

“Queenie, you may have been worthless to a man who didn’t appreciate and cherish you, but you are priceless to me. So from now on, I’ll care for you and love you for the rest of your life.”

Queenie was enjoying a morsel of food when she heard Nigel’s statement. She was so dazed that she forgot to chew for a moment as she stared at Nigel, who was smiling so gently. Was he telling the truth or making their bluff seem more believable?

She must admit that Nigel was a natural-born actor if it was a bluff. Julian should even give his best actor award to Nigel.

But it seemed impossible to be true. After all, she was the one who came up with the idea for him to be her pretend boyfriend.

Unexpectedly, Nigel got into character so seriously that she didn’t know how to follow up.

However, never let it be said that Queenie didn’t know how to ad-lib on the fly as she regained her composure and smiled sweetly. “Really?”

Nigel flicked the tip of her nose lightly. “Of course! Do you think I’m bluffing?”

Queenie chuckled and thought, Of course you are! This is all fake from the start!

Still, everyone present felt that Nigel’s confession was genuine. Nigel even mocked Leslie as the man who didn’t appreciate Queenie and regarded her as worthless.

Bonnie was so jealous that she was barely holding on to her rationality, and at the same time, she immediately came to a decisive conclusion. She must ruin Queenie’s happiness and steal Nigel from her. Even if she couldn’t win Nigel’s heart in the end, she would definitely ruin Queenie’s chances to be with a man like him.

“Oh! By the way, I broke off the engagement today, but it is also Bonnie’s engagement day! So I won’t steal the limelight. Dad, Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Payne, please host their engagement party!” It seemed as if it finally occurred to Queenie that she was stealing the limelight.

Maggie nodded when she heard her reminder and said, “Right! We almost forgot about this. So, Bonnie and Leslie…”

“Dad, mom, you misunderstood. I have no intention of getting engaged to Leslie,” Bonnie put her foot down.

At the same time, she glared daggers at Queenie.

It was only natural for Queenie to pick up on Bonnie’s ire. Still, considering the situation, she merely smirked in amusement and turned her attention to Leslie, “You must be responsible for my sister.”

Leslie was a bit chagrined. Bonnie had been so affectionate to him before this, but why did she suddenly change her mind and refuse to marry him?

Were all his efforts in the past six months in vain?

“Queenie, stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Leslie and I are just friends. You’ve clearly misunderstood things,” Bonnie continued on with her bald-faced lie. After she had set her sights on Nigel, there was no way she would ever admit to being involved with Leslie.

Queenie knew Bonnie’s character like the back of her hand. She knew Bonnie wanted to dump Leslie and steal Nigel. Nevertheless, she would not give her such a chance.

“Bonnie, I’m your sister, so of course, I have to mind your business. Both of you have already done the deed, so it’s only right for me to ensure he marries you!” Queenie avowed firmly.

Bonnie’s frayed nerves snapped as her face flushed with anger. She was flustered as Queenie bluntly revealed that she had slept with Leslie in front of Nigel. She glanced at Nigel to observe his expression, but he was drinking water and didn’t look like he was paying attention to the proceedings.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing happened between us. That day, I was drunk, and Leslie took care of me the whole night. Nothing happened,” Bonnie explained angrily, trying to alter the fact.

Leslie was shocked when he heard Bonnie’s denials. Yet, this was indeed an opportunity for him to see an individual lying through her teeth and trying her best to get away with it.

“Bonnie, how can you…” Leslie was heartbroken.

“Leslie, hurry up and explain to Queenie what happened that day. Nothing happened between us, right?” Bonnie’s gaze was fixed on him. She was forcing him to take her side.

Leslie finally accepted reality for what it was as he gulped down the wine and hissed, “Whatever!”

“Bonnie, what do you mean by that? You don’t like Leslie?! Do you know how much he spent on you in the past six months just to ask you out?! How can you say such a thing now?” Keira roared, feeling upset on behalf of Leslie.

Maggie and Brandon immediately defended Bonnie valiantly, “Bonnie is still young and immature. Please forgive her.”

“Young? Immature?! Leslie has spent millions on her! How are we going to settle this then?!” It would be an understatement to say that Keira could feel her temper rising with each question she spat.

“Well, that’s not on me. He spent that money willingly,” Bonnie wasted no time in retorting huffily.

After hearing this, Keira was enraged. “What?! How dare you shirk things off, you brat?!”

Queenie was a little bewildered at this point because she didn’t expect things to turn out like this. So, she got up and said, “Dad, Mom, why don’t we go home first?”

“Queenie, are you happy now?” Even at a moment like this, Bonnie didn’t hesitate to push all the blame on Queenie.

Her shameless remarks rendered Queenie speechless.

Alas, Leslie genuinely loved Bonnie. Therefore, he turned to Keira and said, “Mom, please stop. This is between Bonnie and I. We’ll solve the problem ourselves.”

An irritated Bonnie threw the cutlery down harshly, grabbed her handbag, and stormed off. As a result, Leslie hurried to catch up with her as he called out to her, “Bonnie!”

Maggie and Brandon felt a little embarrassed at this moment. Keira hissed in fury, “I don’t think Leslie is lucky enough to marry Bonnie. There will be no further discussions about the matter!”

“We’re sorry. We’re so sorry for Bonnie’s attitude. We will knock some sense into her when we get home.”

“Dad, Mom, we’ll take our leave first.” With that, Queenie nudged Nigel, and they made a hasty exit.

Maggie and Brandon were left in the room, and they kept apologizing to the Payne family members.

When they finally escaped from prying eyes in the restaurant corridor, Queenie patted her chest and was a little worried about her parents. “They won’t fight, will they?”

“No, but the two families are bound to fall out,” Nigel concluded with a quirk of his brow.

Queenie had underestimated Bonnie’s shamelessness. How could Bonnie just leave and let their parents deal with her mess?

Just as Nigel and Queenie walked to the restaurant entrance, they heard arguments outside the door and saw two figures clearly entangled in some sort of disagreement.

Queenie took a closer look at the commotion and saw that the two figures were Bonnie and Leslie. Leslie was holding onto Bonnie, who was trying to leave, with all his might, and apologizing to her profusely as if it was entirely his fault.

Meanwhile, Bonnie kept trying to tug her hands out of his grasp with an unhappy grimace as though it was disgusting for Leslie to even lay a single hand on her.

Queenie watched the ruckus calmly by the side. She didn’t expect to be able to see a hidden finale!

“Bonnie, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault! Please come back and get engaged with me. I love you!” A surge of complicated emotions engulfed Leslie’s heart at this moment. He wasn’t really bothered by Bonnie wanting to end things with him, but the only way he could become Brandon’s son- in-law was to marry Bonnie.

He couldn’t just stand back and watch as the Silverstein Family’s fortune slipped out of his hands. Therefore, he must grasp onto her with all his might and get engaged with her no matter how ridiculously humble he had to be right now.

“Let go! Leslie, I’m warning you! We’re over! I’m done dating you! It’s your business that you love me, but I don’t love you anymore!” Bonnie pulled her hand back while shouting those hurtful words.

Nigel was not interested in this kind of drama, but he found that Queenie was watching them with a relish he couldn’t understand. So, he forced himself to be patient as he accompanied her.

Finally, Bonnie and Leslie came all the way to the main road. Bonnie wanted to cross the street to the opposite side of the shopping complex, but Leslie kept pulling her hand and refused to let go.

Finally, having had enough of this farce, Bonnie showed incredible dexterity in high heels as she ran across the street at the last few seconds of the green light. Leslie, who didn’t even notice that the green light had turned red, chased after Bonnie desperately.

As soon as he took a step, a car that had been waiting for the light to turn green rushed over and knocked him down. Luckily, the driver hit on the brake in time, and the car stopped less than half a meter away from Leslie. Nevertheless, Leslie still fainted due to the fright of having such a close brush with death.

Queenie, watching the drama, did not expect to witness a car accident. It didn’t matter how much she despised Leslie; a life was at stake. Therefore, she darted forward and rushed to him, and Nigel, who was behind her, followed her.

On the other hand, Bonnie, who was so intent on leaving Leslie to the dust, didn’t look back at all when she disappeared into the crowd.

Hence, she had no idea that Leslie almost lost his life in order to chase after her.

“Leslie.” Queenie hurried over and squatted down to support Leslie’s body. Then, the second before he lost consciousness, Leslie felt himself being held in a warm embrace. A pair of soft hands patted his face, and an anxious voice beckoned him to return to the land of the living.

“Leslie, wake up! Are you okay?”

Leslie finally regained consciousness but was still clearly panicking and in shock. The first thing he saw was Queenie’s face. Then, all of a sudden, he hugged Queenie and cried like a child.

“Queenie…”

Queenie was startled by his reaction. Still, she figured that Leslie was merely terrified due to the rather morbid turn of events, so she gently patted his back and comforted him, “Alright, calm down. You’re fine.”

At this moment, a hand suddenly clasped Leslie and rudely dragged him from the floor to the side of the road to sit. It was Nigel. After he removed Leslie from Queenie and forced him down, he even dusted his hands in disgust.

Under the streetlamp, they saw that Leslie’s face and hands were scraped. He looked utterly wretched and miserable.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, sir! Are you okay?” The female driver rushed over with her face pale in fright. Earlier, a man suddenly ran a red light and rushed out onto the street as soon as she shifted her gears to drive. Fortunately, she managed to hit the brakes in time, or she would have killed a pedestrian tonight.

The terrified Leslie suddenly grabbed Queenie’s hand tightly. Just now, when he was on the verge of death, it was Queenie’s voice that snapped him out of his fear. Her voice was the most melodious and angelic voice he had ever heard.

Only after the death ordeal was Leslie able to withdraw his feelings from Bonnie. He finally realized that Queenie was a kind and lovely person, and he regretted his previous behavior.

“Queenie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Can you please forgive me?” Leslie was sobbing uncontrollably as he held Queenie’s hand tightly.

Queenie tried to pull her hand back to no avail as Leslie grabbed her hand with the desperation of a drowning man.

“Alright, calm down. Do you want to go to the hospital? We’ll take you to the hospital,” Queenie asked.

“Yes! Please go to the hospital! I’ll pay for your medical bills,” the female driver urged in worry.

Leslie was fine except for the shock and a few scrapes on his body. He waved his hand at the female driver and said, “Just go. You don’t need to pay.”

Despite that, the female driver was still concerned. “You’d better go to the hospital to treat your wounds.”

Leslie sat on the side of the road decadently and said to the female driver, “I won’t hold you accountable. Just go.”

The female driver had no choice but to leave because of his unwillingness to cooperate. Queenie glanced at Nigel before saying to Leslie, “We’ll drive you to a nearby clinic to clean the wounds.”

“Okay.” Leslie nodded docilely.

Both families had yet to leave the restaurant, so they had no idea what was happening downstairs. The members of the Payne Family demanded answers from Maggie and Brandon, while Maggie and Brandon kept apologizing to them for Bonnie’s actions.

Nigel drove over in order to attend the ‘show’ as it were. So, Queenie sat in the front passenger seat while Leslie got into the car; his legs were still jelly-like as he was still in shock. Nigel searched the navigation and drove to the nearby clinic. Leslie walked into the clinic, and Queenie followed him.

The doctor prescribed some ointment for sterilization while the nurse bandaged Leslie’s abrasions in quick and efficient movements.

As the nurse cleaned and bandaged his wounds, Leslie looked at Queenie intensely. He could not express the gratitude and love in his heart through his gazes. Yet, at this moment, a firm thought emerged from the bottom of his heart.

He had utterly fallen in love with Queenie after tonight’s events.

Nigel felt inexplicably displeased as he noticed Leslie’s fiery and passionate gaze directed at Queenie. Thus, he clasped Queenie’s forearm and said, “Let’s go.”

“Don’t! Queenie, don’t go,” Leslie hurriedly called out.

Queenie didn’t even manage to say anything when a force pulled her halfway out of the clinic.

“He won’t die, so you don’t need to pity him,” Nigel muttered coldly. He opened the door of the front passenger seat and invited her to get in.

Queenie blinked as she interpreted his remarks. He was right. As long as Leslie was alive and well, his family would not come after her family. But, because of Bonnie, the two families, who were firm allies, had turned into enemies.

“Where are we going?” Queenie asked curiously.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Hmm…” Queenie narrowed her eyes as she thought it over.

Nigel suggested before Queenie could say anything, “Let’s go to another restaurant to have dinner. I didn’t eat much just now.”

Queenie was rather famished, too, so she beamed and agreed happily, “Alright! My treat!”

With that, they headed to the nearby restaurant. Leslie’s family was horrified when they got a call from him. They immediately rushed out of the restaurant to the clinic to fetch him in a flurry of movements. Meanwhile, Brandon and Maggie were saddened because their friendship with the Payne Family was utterly severed after that debacle. So, when they left the restaurant, they made a call to Bonnie and Queenie, respectively, on the way home.

During the call, they learned that Queenie was having dinner and Bonnie was taking a stroll outside. Although satisfied that their daughters were safe and sound, they were still bogged down by the situation with the Paynes. Thus, they demanded the girls return home as swiftly as possible.

Queenie ate while complimenting Nigel across the table over the restaurant of his choosing.

“You’re very good at acting! It’s a shame that you’re not interested in theatre!” Queenie praised him sincerely.

“You told me to get into character, remember?” Nigel curled his lips into an impish smile.

Queenie choked on her food and coughed slightly. As it turned out, he was just acting tonight. But, for some reason, she felt a little disappointed.

“Yes, it was awesome. Thanks to you, I have preserved my dignity.” Queenie gave him a thumbs up. “Thank you. When you need my help, just say the word, and I’ll definitely lend a hand when I can.”

“Oh? Can you help me with anything?” Nigel narrowed his eyes as he clarified with her again.

“Yes, anything! Just tell me. I will help you. You have my word.” Queenie felt a little thirsty after speaking, so she picked up the glass of water and took a sip.

“Well, I feel a little lonely tonight. How about you keep me company?” Nigel smirked as he teased her.

Queenie was so shocked that she sprayed that sip of water on Nigel’s face and the food on the table.

Poor Nigel was so startled that he stared at her in shock as though his brain had stopped functioning. He could clearly feel fine drops of water spraying on his handsome face, but he just couldn’t believe that it actually happened.

Queenie was utterly taken aback by his teasing, so she was still somewhat dazed. Nevertheless, when she finally regained her composure, she hurriedly grabbed the napkin and handed it to Nigel, who looked at her with a complicated expression.

“Oh, my! I’m so sorry! Here, wipe your face. I didn’t do it on purpose. I’m terribly sorry!”

Nigel closed his eyes, and his thin lips twitched a little as he finally came to terms with reality. He took the napkin from her and wiped his handsome face while fixing his aggrieved gaze on her.

“Uh… I don’t think we can eat this. Let’s order something else!” Queenie flushed in embarrassment. Her actions, never mind how accidental, had ruined the entire table worth of food.

This was why it was best to keep unpredictable or shocking things to oneself when eating, or the consequences would be disastrous!

“I’m full.” Nigel placed the napkin away and said to her, “Let’s go!”

Thankfully, Queenie already had a fill, and she sensed that Nigel was angered, so she didn’t protest as she nodded and followed behind him quietly.

Unfortunately, when they were in the elevator, she couldn’t help but recall the scene and felt that the whole thing was hilarious. But since she was the cause and her victim was right next to her, she tried her hardest not to laugh as she replayed the scene repeatedly in her mind. Still, her shaking shoulders and the way she avoided looking at him betrayed her thoughts.

Nigel looked at her in askance and grunted, “Just laugh.”

“Haha!” When she heard his ‘approval’, she immediately stopped suppressing her laughter and laughed her head off.

When they walked out of the restaurant, Queenie, who was laughing so hard that she began to gasp, didn’t even notice that Nigel stopped in his tracks. Thus, she bumped straight into his back.

“Ouch! It hurts…” Queenie rubbed her stinging nose ruefully.

It seemed as if Queenie had a laughing problem because she could not stop it, no matter how hard she tried. When Nigel turned around and stared at her, she looked up, and another round of chuckles would burst from her lips when she saw his serious face.

Oh goodness, what is wrong with me?! She felt she couldn’t stop giggling as long as she looked at him tonight.

On the other hand, Nigel didn’t find it funny at all. Instead, he felt embarrassed when Queenie kept cackling. It felt like he was being laughed at rather than admired for his humor.

“Queenie…” he called in a low, threatening voice.

Queenie looked up at him. Then, all of a sudden, two large palms cupped her face. Before she could process what was going on, Nigel closed his eyes and kissed her.

The warmth on her lips surprised her so much that she stopped laughing altogether. Rather, she was so flustered that her mind went blank due to panic.

Nigel sucked on her red lips before releasing her with a slight gasp. He looked at her and questioned her huskily, “Cat got your tongue?”

The kiss seemed like an effective method to silence her laughter. Queenie blinked, bit her lips, and looked at him in bewilderment. There were tears at the corners of her eyes that looked like diamonds embellishing the corner of her eyes. She looked particularly delectable.

Mesmerized by Queenie’s beauty, Nigel felt that one kiss was not enough. So he extended his arm to embrace her and kiss her again, but this time, Queenie responded quickly by taking a step back and pushing him away.

“No, stop… You can’t just do whatever you want to me. If you kiss me again, you have to be my boyfriend.” Queenie was wise regarding her love life. Hence, she barely held hands with Leslie when they were ‘dating’.

Nigel snorted because he felt that she was snubbing him. “Do you think I don’t want to date you?”

“Do you want to date me?” Queenie’s eyes lit up with delight.

Nigel narrowed his eyes as he replied affirmatively, “Of course.”

This time, it was Queenie’s turn to be shocked. She had always been relatively levelheaded in the relationship department, so she bit her lips and muttered, “Wait… Give me some time to think about it, okay?”

She didn’t know much about Nigel’s family other than the fact that they were extremely wealthy. She and Nigel were not of the same social status, and he was way out of her league.

Nigel was dumbstruck by her question. What was there to think about? Was he not good enough for her?

“I’ll give you three days to think about it. Then, when the time comes, we’ll date.”

“What if I need more time?” Queenie blinked and asked, fighting for a way for herself.

As Nigel walked toward his car, he proclaimed, “You can’t run away from me no matter what.”

Queenie felt like she was a rabbit that had become the target of the big bad wolf, Nigel.

As she tried to digest what was happening, she finally came to her senses, and her lips curled into a smile. Challenge accepted! Her clear eyes shone with anticipation of a new journey ahead of her.

If she succeeded, she would become Mrs. Manson. If she failed, she would return to being Miss Silverstein. It seemed that she wouldn’t suffer any loss either way.

On the way home, Queenie’s phone rang. She frowned when she saw the caller ID. “Leslie? Why is he calling me?”

“Don’t answer it,” Nigel commanded in an authoritative tone.

Queenie didn’t answer his call, but Leslie called for the second time. She wondered if something terrible had happened to Bonnie, so she answered, albeit unwillingly, “Hello! Is something the matter?”

“Queenie! You finally answered my call. I’m fine. I just want to talk to you…”

“I don’t have anything to say to you.”

“No! Please don’t hang up… I’m so moved today! Do you know how much you mean to me? I just realized today that you are ten thousand times better and kinder than Bonnie… I was so stupid to break up with you. You would have been my wife now if I hadn’t been charmed by Bonnie,” Leslie confessed his feelings affectionately.

“That’s enough. Stop it.” Queenie was irritated by his frankly shameless attitude.

At this moment, the car stopped at the traffic light. Nigel snatched the phone from Queenie’s hand and warned Leslie, “I like Queenie. Stop pestering her.” After that, he ended the call and handed the phone back to her.

When Queenie took the phone, her face flushed crimson, and her heart thumped wildly.

It felt as if someone had made a reservation for her lifetime happiness, and the person who made the reservation was a rich and handsome young man.

Did it mean that the snack pantry in his house belonged to her?

When they reached the entrance of Queenie’s house, Nigel parked his car under the tree. Queenie looked in the direction of her house and then at Nifel beside her. Then, she murmured reluctantly, “Thanks for the ride. I’ll head off now.”

“Go on!” Nigel tilted his head and looked at her as he said gently.

Queenie opened the door and got out of the car. Only after watching his car leave did she enter the house.

As soon as she walked into the house, her parents were deep in conversation, and she heard Maggie’s guilty voice. “It’s all my fault. I didn’t educate Bonnie well, so the Paynes thought she was an ill- mannered brat.”

“Alright, don’t blame yourself. We’ll talk to Bonnie when she gets back. But, since Leslie did not want to take responsibility for what he had done, we won’t allow Bonnie to get married to an irresponsible man like that. She will have a tough life if she marries him,” Brandon dismissed in anger.

They were angry at the Paynes instead of Bonnie.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home.” Queenie walked in with her handbag in hand. The moment she caught sight of Maggie’s red eyes, she instantly headed over to comfort her. “Don’t be sad, Mom. It’s all my fault.”

“I know that Leslie and Bonnie wronged you, but Queenie, promise me that you won’t take out your anger on Bonnie again, okay? Both of you are my daughters. I’ll be heartbroken and torn if either of you is unhappy.”

Queenie understood Maggie’s anguish, but she could not expect Maggie to understand her misery. It was even more challenging for her to tell Maggie about all the nasty things Bonnie had done to her.

She could not whine about them. All she could do was keep them to herself.

Only by restraining herself would her family have a modicum of peace.

“Okay, I’ll try not to needle her,” Queenie promised. Her parents had had a hard time today after handling the whole lot of angered Paynes, so she did not want to upset them further.

“Where is Bonnie? Why hasn’t she returned yet?” Brandon asked worriedly. “She can be quite stubborn. What if something bad happens to her?!”

A horrified and worried Brandon made another call to Bonnie. Bonnie obviously answered the call because Brandon quickly asked, “Bonnie! Where are you? Hurry up and come home. Queenie is already home.”

“Dad, I’m sad. I don’t want to go home yet.”

“No, you must come home now! It’s already ten. Send me your current location. I’ll go over and fetch you,” Brandon demanded.

“Alright, but I’ll go home by myself. You don’t have to come and fetch me,” Bonnie said on the other end of the line.

“I’ll ask the driver to fetch you.”

“No, you don’t have to. I’ll take a cab back.” After that, Bonnie hung up.

Queenie disapproved of Bonnie’s behavior as she looked at her parents’ apparent anxiety over their wayward daughter. The twins had a 10.00PM curfew, and she had never caused her parents such

worry by returning home on the dot.

It was almost 11.00PM when a grumpy Bonnie finally deigned to return home. The resentment was even more evident in Bonnie’s expression when she looked at Queenie sitting on the couch.

Queenie said, “Did you know that Leslie had a car accident tonight?”

“What?!” Bonnie shrieked in shock. “What car accident? Where?”

“Outside the restaurant. You shook off his hand and ran across the street. He chased after you and was hit by a car,” Queenie said.

Bonnie was taken aback for a few seconds. Then, she remembered that only a few seconds were left on the green light when she crossed the street, but she didn’t see if Leslie had caught up with her. She felt somewhat guilty for a moment, but on second thought, she felt that Leslie deserved it. She never asked him to chase after now, did she?

“He didn’t die. So, what’s the fuss?” Bonnie blurted indifferently.

At this moment, Maggie came down the stairs. Bonnie’s expression changed immediately, and she cried as if she got straight into her character, “Oh my goodness! Is Leslie alright? It’s all my fault. He wouldn’t have had an accident if it weren’t for me.”

Queenie frowned in disgust when she watched Bonnie acting immediately as soon as Maggie showed up. “Cut the crap, will you?!”

Maggie happened to hear what Bonnie said. She rushed downstairs and assured her, “Bonnie, it’s not your fault. Leslie wasn’t seriously injured, fortunately. He just got a few scrapes, that’s all.”

“Mom, I’m sorry. I’ve disgraced you today. Did the Paynes give you a hard time?” Bonnie embraced Maggie, and her eyes turned red instantly.

Queenie’s jaw dropped when she witnessed the scene. Even an actress would not be able to cry as fast as she could. Despite being used to such a thing, she still felt agitated and resentful at the fact that her parents had never seen past Bonnie’s façade.

“Never mind us, but you have to break up with Leslie. But, Bonnie, don’t worry. Your dad and I will find a better husband for you,” Maggie avowed.

Bonnie nodded timidly. “Okay.”

“Go and take a shower. I’ll ask Courtney to make sandwiches for you.”

“No, I don’t want them. Her sandwiches are not delicious at all. But, mom, I want to eat your sandwiches,” Bonnie pouted and even grimaced in disgust even though Courtney was standing next to them.

Courtney lowered her head sadly. She had been cooking for over a decade and took pride in her cooking skills. Bonnie’s belittling remarks had truly hurt her.

“Courtney’s food is very delicious. It doesn’t suit your taste, that’s all,” Queenie rebuked.

“Delicious? Blargh! Mom, we should fire her and hire a new chef. I’ve been eating the same dishes every day. I’ve had enough of it!” Bonnie sneered with disdain.

Maggie hurriedly coaxed, “Shush. Alright now, that’s enough out of you. Go and take a shower. I’ll make the sandwiches.”

As Bonnie headed upstairs in a huff, she glared at Courtney as she walked the stairs.

As soon as Bonnie was out of sight, Maggie comforted Courtney before going into the kitchen to cook something up for Bonnie.

Meanwhile, Queenie was fuming with anger inside. Ever since Bonnie returned, everyone at home had not been in a good mood and had to coax her like she was a princess.

Arriving upstairs, Queenie found that Bonnie had already taken a shower as she came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of revealing pajamas. At that, Queenie’s face darkened as she chided, “Hey, Dad is still at home. Why are you dressed like this?”

“Oh, Queenie. You must be jealous, aren’t you? After all, I’m much better than you when it comes to certain aspects.” Then, Bonnie proudly puffed out her chest while taunting, “Yours look like they have yet to hit puberty. What a shame.”

In actuality, Queenie’s figure was not as bad as Bonnie made it out to be; her chests were merely not as exaggerated as Bonnie’s, which looked fake since she had some surgery done.

“Yeah, fine, sure. Yours are bigger than mine. Are you happy now? Change your clothes and head downstairs,” ordered Queenie as she gritted her teeth.

Although Bonnie was their father’s daughter, it would still be embarrassing for her to go downstairs in such clothing and get seen by their father. Moreover, their mother would be upset as well if she saw it!

Yet, Bonnie only wore this outfit with the intention to show Queenie how her figure was better than hers.

Seeing that her sister had gone back to her room, Queenie heaved a sigh of relief. There were times when Bonnie’s actions and behavior reminded her of the shameless women from nightclubs.

As such, Queenie went back to her room and came to the mirror in her bathroom. She turned to her side and looked at her figure in the mirror. Puberty has yet to hit me? Pfft. I think they’re already better than others.

Ring! At that moment, her phone rang. She picked up the phone and saw that it was a call from Nigel.

“Hello!” she answered the call as she plopped onto the bed.

“Are you asleep?”

“Nope. What about you?”

“I just came out of the shower.”

Queenie’s mind immediately fled to the scene of that man coming out of the bathroom. Her pretty face flushed as she replied, “So, are you going to bed soon?”

“Yeah, soon.”

“I can’t sleep, though.”

“Why? Are you too excited to sleep?” Nigel teased her.

“No. I’m too angry to sleep.”

“Did your sister anger you again?”

Distressed, Nigel was actually empathetic to her situation. This was because even at first glance, Bonnie did not look like a person that was easy to deal with. He knew that Queenie must have suffered a lot of grievances to have to interact with a person like her.

“I’m going to ask you a question, but you have to answer me honestly.” As Queenie finished her words, she lowered her head and looked at her sash. The words Bonnie had said earlier continued to challenge her confidence.

“Ask away.” Nigel listened carefully to what she was about to ask.

“You promise not to laugh at me.”

“Of course.” He was looking forward to her question.

Plucking up her courage, Queenie took a deep breath and asked, “What do you think about my body? Is it good?”

“Pretty good.”

“If so… Do I look… small?”

“Where do you mean?” Nigel asked in a serious manner.

“There!” She buried her face into the blanket in shame.

As if she heard the man’s muffled laughter, she exclaimed, “You promised not to laugh at me!”

“Cough… I didn’t. I think you’re fine. According to my visual inspection, I think they’re quite good,” Nigel reassured her.

“When did you visually inspect them?” she asked while biting her lip.

“When I was with you. Not really a hard task to do so,” Nigel replied.

Queenie snorted. As expected, men never have pure intentions! Even Nigel’s one of them. In that case, does that mean he’s checked out Bonnie’s too?!

“According to your ‘visual inspections’, my sister’s chest must be more attractive, right?” With jealousy rising within her, it became evident in her tone as well.

The man on the other end did not expect her to react this way, so he responded straightforwardly, “I only look at women whom I am interested in. Women that I am not interested in will not attract me, no

matter how good they look.”

“But my sister and I look quite similar. If you like my looks, you should like hers too!” Queenie argued while biting her lips.

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