Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 971-980

Chapter 971-980

“Are you taking your clothes off?” Angela could not help voicing out her curiosity.

Richard hummed sexily before asking, “Wanna see?”

“See what?” She could not understand.

“We can make a video call, so you can look at my body.” He offered without any charges.

Her breathing became slightly heavier. “Richard Llyod, cut it out.”

Where did his cold attitude and composure go?

He let out a chuckle. “Okay, I’m going into the bathroom now. I’ll let you see it some other day.”

In actuality, Angela could imagine his body vividly without taking a look at it. It was not like she had never sneaked a few peaks in the base back then.

“Alright. Sleep early. Good night.” She then terminated the call before sprawling on the bed. Her stomach churned with mixed feelings as she was feeling sorry toward Annie. Although the engagement had been called off, she could not get over it just yet.

When the morning came, Angela woke up and picked a stylish yet feminine coat to go to the company with Daphne.

Today, Daphne would announce the news of Angela taking over her position in the shareholder meeting. In hindsight, she replaced her usual demeanor with solemnity.

During the meeting, everyone treated her politely while masking their doubts in their gazes. After all, she was too young in their eyes.

The billion-worth company was bestowed to a twenty-five-year-old woman; a sheer blunder in a significant decision-making would incur a massive loss. “Are you taking your clothes off?” Angela could not help voicing out her curiosity.

Even so, their notions did not go unnoticed by Angela. Despite the pressure, she was full of confidence; despite her tender age, she had more time to learn and improve.

When the meeting was coming to an end, she took a glance at the time; it was 11:18AM. She looked at Daphne, who was still speaking, and was already on tenterhooks as she looked forward to the lunch date with Richard.

“Okay. Angela, please give us a word or two.” Daphne cast her gaze onto Angela.

She rose to her feet and flashed a smile at the shareholders who were sitting along the long table. “I’m very pleased to be here and it is my honor to be able to take over my mother’s position. For the following days, I hope you can believe in me, support me, and acknowledge me. Thank you.”

Daphne stared at her daughter with contentment. She was aware of the doubtful attitude of many shareholders toward Angela’s takeover, but she would definitely help her from behind the scenes in order to consolidate Angela’s position.

“That marks the end of today’s meeting. You may disperse.”

Angela let out a silent sigh of relief. When she rose from her seat, Daphne called her, “Angela, let’s have lunch together somewhere else.”

“But, I have plans with my friend.”

“Nevermind, then.” Daphne nodded approvingly, for her daughter was expanding her social circles.

Angela exited the entrance to see a black SUV parked at the opposite street. Akin to a belligerent wild beast, the huge and black vehicle was as formidable as its owner.

She alternated her gaze from left to right before approaching the passenger seat gingerly to enter the car.

The man, who was on the driver seat, watched every single one of her expressions and amusement was evident in his eyes. Her course of actions appeared adorable to him.

After hopping onto the passenger seat, Angela breathed a sigh of relief before turning to face the man who was cladded in a black sweater. It seemed like he loved this kind of black sweater that fit his body perfectly. It displayed his handsome and neat image of a tough guy. Angela was crazy over his fashion sense as well.

“Did I keep you waiting?” She brushed her hair to one side and smiled at him.

“I arrived not long ago.” Richard reached out his hand to the back seat to grab a bouquet of flowers for her. “This is for you.”

It was then she was stunned for a moment. I didn’t know this side of him. They’re roses! I thought the word ‘romantic’ was never in his vocabulary!

With a sweet expression, she accepted the lovely flowers as it lightened her mood.

“Did you pick them yourself?” She sniffed the flowers while asking him.

“Hmm, I picked them one by one and asked the staff to arrange them into a bouquet.”

The image of Richard selecting the flowers intently in the florist’s amused Angela and rendered the bouquet in her hand more precious.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“You’ll find out once we arrive there.” He left her hanging. There was a smile on his ever rigid countenance, which indicated how happy he was at the moment.

Therefore, she did not sound him out and decided to just follow him. Regardless of where they were heading to, she would be happy as long as he was by her side.

It was not until they entered a top-notch restaurant did she realize that Richard had reserved a place at the most expensive restaurant in the city.

It pained her at the thought that he was going to spend a lot of money on this meal. After staying seated, she whispered, “You don’t have to buy me a meal at such a pricey place. I don’t mind any other places.”

He propped his chin with his hands as he smiled at her. “Are you worried that I can’t pay for it?”

“I just don’t want you to splurge your money on me.”

“But I just wanna give you the best.” His scorching gaze fixated on her.

Feeling the honey-sweet happiness springing up in her chest, Angela pursed her lips before showing her lovely smile. She often felt giddy by the man’s unreserved affection.

Then, she noticed the other table that was filled with four girls, who seemed to be from rich families. They kept peeping at Richard with the two of them laughing intentionally in order to draw his attention. “Hmm, I picked them one by one and asked the staff to arrange them into a bouquet.”

Angela was very familiar with their little ploys. She could even count how many times they peeked at the man before her.

Richard was indeed a popular person with admirers swooning over him, which made her wonder, Was he really single before he met me?

She honestly felt that he was quite an easy target since it took her less than two months to win his heart.

Plus, the advances Angela made were no-brainer; would it not take a shorter time for him to be taken if there was a better player?

She left the table to go to the restroom and by the time she returned to her seat, there was a beautiful girl standing next to their table, flirting with Richard.

Angela’s eyes narrowed dangerously. It was unpleasant to have someone else coveting her possessions.

“Miss, please do not disturb us. My boyfriend and I are trying to enjoy our meal here.” She stared at the girl with a warning gaze and crossed arms.

Unperturbed, the girl smiled and returned to her seat. Obviously, Angela was just a small fry to her.

Angela sat down, but her eyes zeroed in on that girl, who reciprocated with a provoking expression.

Meanwhile, Richard was pleased to see her being jealous, yet his heart ached as well. The girl approached him to offer a drink, but before he could make any response, Angela was back.

The girl at the next table, who was crossing swords with Angela in mute, realized that he was looking at her. Instantly, she made eyes at him to seduce him while endeavoring to piss Angela off.

However, at that moment, he turned his head sideways and shot glares at her, which were cold and sharp like the excalibur.

Her heart missed a beat in fear, for never once had she felt the gaze of a wild beast before. It was perilous yet tantalizing.

“Let’s go.” She could not sit still due to the surging fear and ultimately pulled her friends to leave the place.

While Angela was disappointed by how they left without finishing their food, Richard piped up, “Let’s not mind the strangers. We should dig in.”

Sharing the same notion, she felt that it was meaningless to waste time. Next, her gaze landed upon the steak on his plate, which seemed tastier than hers. She pointed at it. “I wanna have a bite of yours.”

He proffered her a small piece of meat to her mouth and she gladly chewed it. “Hmm. It is tastier than mine.”

“I’ll order another one for you,” he suggested.

“No. I want to have yours.” She was actually full, but she acted as though she wanted to snatch his food.

Angela was suddenly in the mood to poke fun at Richard again.

After finishing lunch, she checked on the time and it was 2.30PM. It was time for her to return to the company since there will be a meeting with a department that required her attendance.

As such, he drove her to the entrance of the company. Holding onto the bouquet of flowers, she suddenly hesitated. Should I bring it to the office? If I bring it along, Mom will know that I have a pursuer, though. If I don’t, I will have to throw it away, but he picked the flowers for me. I can’t do that.

After contemplating for a while, she hugged the flowers and alighted from the car before waving her hand at him. “Bye-bye.”

Richard watched her off despite the heavy heart. It was not until she disappeared into a corner of the lobby that he started the car and left.

However, Daphne, who was about to get out of the car nearby, witnessed the whole scene; she saw her daughter alighted from a mysterious, huge SUV with a bouquet in her hands. The person in the car seemed to be reluctant to let Angela go as he watched her leave.

Daphne was surprised, for she had not known that Angela started a new relationship again.

Who is he? What is his family background? Is he a greedy fraudster like Dexter?

She alighted from the car anxiously and made a dash to the office. At this moment, Angela already hid the flowers behind the curtains. Since her mother was not around, she decided to keep it a secret for as long as she could. Angela was suddenly in the mood to poke fun at Richard again.

Even so, while she was going to peruse some documents on the couch, she noticed Daphne’s return and rose to her feet. “Mom, you’re back.”

Daphne’s stern gaze fixated upon Angela as she interrogated, “Angela, I saw a man sending you back. Tell me. Are you dating someone?”

Angela’s heart squeezed as she did not expect Daphne to see her getting out of Richard’s car.

“You were holding a bouquet of flowers too. Where did you hide it? Are you going to keep me in the dark?” Angela’s previous relationship had consigned Daphne into distress. Now, her anxiety was arising because she was worried that her precious daughter would encounter another deceiving, bad guy.

“Mom, don’t worry about it. He’s not a liar,” Angela comforted.

“Then, what is his name and what is his job? Is he from a decent family? Since when did you start dating him?” Daphne bombarded Angela with a flow of questions.

Angela bit her lips and pleaded, “Mom, can you leave the questions later? I’ll introduce him to you when the time is right.”

“Angela, once is enough. I must know everything about that man. You cannot hide anything from me,” claimed Daphne as she sat on the couch with a grim face.

“Mom… He’s—”

“Where is he from?”

“He lives in the same city,” Angela answered hastily.

“What does his family do?”

“His family is richer than us.” She was feeling guilty.

Daphne was stunned at that. “Really? Tell me. Which family is he from? How old is he? And what is his name?”

Daphne thought to herself, Once I got his name, I must look into his background. Angela is still young and clueless about so many things. I need to pry further into the man’s family history too. It’s Angela’s future. I mustn’t be sloppy and careless about it.

However, Angela merely stared at her mother in silence.

“Fine, you’re not saying anything, are you? I took a photo of his number plate and I’m going to call your father to look into it. With his capability, I don’t believe that he won’t be able to find out who that guy is,” said Daphne while reaching out her hands to look for her phone.

“Mom, don’t! I’ll tell you.” Angela stopped her immediately.

“So, what is his name and what does he do for a living?” questioned Daphne forcefully.

Angela took a deep breath and lowered her head. With eyes closed, she revealed the name in a loud voice. “Richard Lloyd. He’s Richard Lloyd.”

Thud!

The phone in Daphne’s hand slipped through her fingers and dropped onto the ground. Her expression turned into a surprised and baffled one.

She had no idea that her daughter’s date would be… Richard Lloyd.

The Richard who had just called off the engagement with Annie?!

It took a few seconds before Daphne regained her composure. As she looked at her daughter’s guilty and slightly flustered eyes, she let out a sigh while clearly agitated.

Angela rushed over to her mother and held her arm. “Go ahead and lash out on me all you want! Just promise me that you won’t get worked up and hurt yourself, okay?”

To be fair, Daphne was not upset with her daughter, but things were just too absurd to take in at the moment. Richard, who just broke up with Annie, is dating my daughter? When did this happen? Why did Angela keep this information hidden from us?

She stared at Angela and questioned, “Tell me all about it. When did it all start?”

Not wanting to keep her mother in the dark for much longer, Angela revealed her active pursuit of Richard back in the base and explained that she had no idea he was Annie’s fiancé at that time.

To her surprise, Daphne had not expected her daughter to take the initiative in pursuing a man. According to the timeline, it was factually correct that her daughter was unaware of Annie being Richard’s ex-fiancé since Angela was shielded and had all communications cut off at the time. Therefore, it was natural of her to develop feelings for him in the base.

“What should I say to your uncle and aunt? Your aunt is still upset about the canceled engagement! You have no idea how much she adores Richard, her ideal son-in-law. I can’t believe he’ll be my son- in-law instead!” Daphne expressed her concern. She had no idea that her daughter’s date would be… Richard Lloyd.

“Pfft!” Angela burst into laughter. In exchange, Daphne shot her a glare and sneered, “Oh, you’re laughing, huh? How about you suggest ways for the elders to get out of this awkward situation?”

At this point, Daphne suddenly remembered that she had purposefully brought up Richard’s work and family issues at the previous dinner to persuade her sister-in-law to open up. Now, it was a total slap in the face.

“I apologize, Mom. That was not my intention,” Angela expressed solemnly.

“Is Richard genuinely fond of you?” Daphne was curious.

Angela’s lovely face turned bright red. “He is, I guess?” Her shyness had overshadowed her confidence in this case.

She had no idea how much Richard liked her; all she knew was that he did not agree to the breakup.

“Alright! We’ll explain it to your uncle and aunt once you’ve told Annie about it and received her approval.” On the contrary, Daphne was joyful after the shocking revelation moments ago. Afterall, it was a blessing to marry into the Lloyd Family!

Not only did Richard possess dependability and strength, he was also an exceptional appearance and physique. More importantly, Angela would always have his full support in the future.

Although Angela never dared to confront Annie and come clean about her situation, she had reached a point where there was no other choice.

“Okay. I’ll invite Annie out for dinner tonight to talk about it; perhaps even seek her forgiveness if I could.” She nodded, agreeing with her mother’s words.

Satisfied, Daphne bobbed her head before looking around the office and inquired, “Didn’t you just bring a bouquet up here? What did you do with it?”

Out of embarrassment, Angela stood up and reached behind the curtains for the bouquet of flowers. On the other hand, Daphne could not help but sigh inwardly; she was completely satisfied with her daughter’s boyfriend this time.

It was, however, a minor annoyance as the situation had to be handled correctly to avoid tension with Annie’s family.

Exiting the room, Daphne made a phone call to her husband, Gilbert.

As soon as Gilbert picked up the phone, he was greeted with a question.

“Gilbert, Angela now has a boyfriend. Can you guess who?”

Stumped, he could only toss a few gusses in his head before he asked, “Who is it?! There’s no way I could have guessed. Now, tell me.”

“It’s Richard,” Daphne answered right away.

Gilbert, who was on the other end of the phone, was equally astounded. “Why is Angela in a relationship with Richard? What exactly is going on? Did they just start dating?”

“No. They met at the base and fell in love since then. I would have been kept in the dark had I not seen my daughter on a date with him back at the office today! She was afraid of being chastised, so she never told us about it.”

“Annie may not be able to enjoy that life, but I can’t believe our Angela can!”

“I know, right? I just hope their side will understand.”

“Let’s all meet up and talk sometime!”

“Okay, but we’ll have to wait till Angela speaks with Annie tonight! We can go back to Dad’s for dinner and discuss it tomorrow.”

Lying dazedly on the couch, Angela could not believe her mother had discovered everything without any prior ‘rehearsal’. All that was left to do now was to be honest with Annie.

“President Meyers, someone just sent you a dinner invitation,” Daphne’s assistant said as she prepared to leave the office.

“What kind of dinner invitation?” Daphne was surprised to see the assistant hand over an invitation card box with lavish packaging.

For a few seconds, she was stunned as she looked at the words printed on it. It was an invitation to a charity dinner with a royal theme. This is no ordinary dinner invitation.

“Angela, are you familiar with the person who sent this invitation card?” As she brought the card into the office, she inquired of her daughter.

Taken aback, Angela took the invitation card from Daphne’s hand. She then ripped open the girdle, revealing a handwritten note inside an enveloped card.

“Dear Miss Meyers, The Golden Peony Charity Dinner cordially invites you to join us for our annual dinner celebration. We eagerly await your arrival and thank you for taking the time to meet with us.” The simple invitation was signed by a person named Scarlet Husson. “Annie may not be able to enjoy that life, but I can’t believe our Angela can!”

“Mom, this is the name of Richard’s mother.” Angela gasped with one hand covering her mouth.

Daphne noticed it as well and could not help but ask, “Have you met his mother?”

“I’ve never seen her,” Angela replied while shaking her head.

“That’s probably because she knows you’re Richard’s girlfriend and specifically invited you to this dinner.”

Has Richard told his mother about me? Why else am I invited?

Daphne looked intently at her daughter as a sense of worry surged within her. She hoped that Angela’s future mother-in-law would adore her and generously accept her into the Lloyd Family.

“Angela, show your best self at this dinner party. It’s possible that this is a test from your future mother- in-law.”

To that, Angela could not help but clench her fists and nod, “I know, Mom.”

She then dialed Richard’s phone number as she left the reception area.

“Hello.”

“Did you bring up our relationship with your mother?” she inquired, clearly intrigued.

“What’s the matter?”

“I just received a dinner invitation from your mother and I’m perplexed.”

“My mother appears to be very eager to meet her future daughter-in-law.” Richard, on the other end of the phone, was clearly unsurprised because he had told his mother at the base that he would bring his girlfriend home.

Angela reluctantly expressed her concern to him, “I had just gotten out of your car when my mother saw me carrying a bouquet of flowers! When she asked about our relationship, I told her everything. Now, I’ll have to spill all the beans to everyone in my family.”

“I’ll do it,” he uttered quietly as if he was willing to withstand all blame and criticism by himself.

However, she flatly refused. “You are not allowed to speak. I was the one who got it all started. I owe my family an apology.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“They are my family. They’ll never hurt me and I only hope to receive their blessings. Don’t worry, I’m going to be fine,” promised Angela.

Richard wanted to protect her from being hurt and criticized, but she had the same thoughts—no matter how serious the mistake was, she would take on all of it and never involve him.

It was the evening and Angela had invited Annie out to dinner. Coincidentally, Annie was also getting ready for a trip and she gladly agreed to accompany her.

At around 5.00PM, Angela drove to pick up Annie, who emerged in a casual outfit as she opened the door of the passenger seat and smiled. “Angela, my luggage is all packed. I’ve already booked a flight and I will be leaving in two days.”

“Are you traveling by yourself?”

“No, I invited a few of my classmates to join me. I’ll have many companions there!”

Nodding, Angela then drove to a well-known western restaurant. She did not want to spoil Annie’s dinner appetite, so she refrained from saying anything before their meal.

After dinner, she suggested a walk in a nearby park and the two went there. Despite the fact that Annie was usually a lighthearted character, she could tell Angela was full of thoughts.

“Angela, are you having any troubles? Why do you look so down this entire evening?”

At last, Angela led Annie to a bench and raised her head before saying, “Annie, I have something to tell you. What I am about to say may possibly hurt you, and you can blame or shout at me all you want after hearing it, but you must remain calm and rational.”

Blinking in confusion, Annie could not imagine any scenario where a cousin like Angela, who had loved her since they were a child, would ever hurt her.

“Angela, you’re confusing me. What could you possibly do to hurt me?”

“Listen to me first.” Of course, Angela did not want to hurt Annie, but the damage had been done and she had no choice but to come clean.

“Just spill it! Whatever the case may be, I will forgive you.” Annie was ready to listen. “Are you traveling by yourself?”

“No, I invited a few of my classmates to join me. I’ll have many companions there!”

“Remember the night I got home and you cheerfully called to tell me that Grandpa had arranged for you to get married? I was happy for you, but you didn’t tell me the name of your fiancé when we spoke on

the phone. Do you remember that?”

“Of course!”

“I was kidnapped the next day. My father hired a bodyguard to keep me safe. This bodyguard is both powerful and intimidating. He took me to a safe location that night to protect me, but he took away my phone and disconnected me from any external contacts.”

“I know it’s Richard,” Annie stated unequivocally.

“Yes, that’s him.”

“That’s the same night we got engaged. You know, I tried to text and call you, but your phone was out of service the entire night. I guess that explains why now.”

“Hence, when I was sent to the base for protection, I couldn’t contact my family and I couldn’t contact you, so I had no idea who your fiancé was from the very start. As a result, I had no idea that the person who had been watching over me for over twenty hours was your fiancé.”

“Yes. I was horrified when I heard my parents say that the world was hunting you down.” All of these events were fresh in Annie’s mind. “But I don’t see how any of this is hurting me! Why are you taking it so seriously, Angela? You’re terrifying me.” She considered Angela’s words and concluded that they were unharmful.

“There’s one more thing. I told you that the base’s conditions are not that great. The bathhouse is shared and my room barely has any place to shower other than a toilet. I was surrounded by four walls and a window. As a result, I had to take a shower in Richard’s room. Furthermore, he is always at the base and I am with him at all hours of the day and night. We even shared three meals a day.”

“And then what?” Annie’s eyes blinked.

“Then… After Dexter cheated on me, I was gloomy and I… I fell in love with Richard.” Angela sighed.

With her eyes widened in surprise, Annie questioned, “Angela, do you like Richard as well?”

In response, Angela immediately apologized as she looked at Annie in panic, “I’m sorry, Annie. I really didn’t mean to. I wouldn’t dare to have feelings for him if I knew he was your fiancé. I’m so sorry… Please forgive me.” At this point, Angela was too ashamed to look Annie in the eyes.

However, what resounded in the air was Annie’s fatal question. “Angela, does he like you too?”

Overwhelmed by guilt, Angela lowered her head and nodded lightly.

On the other hand, Annie was stunned and shocked for a few seconds. The last person she would expect was the woman Richard liked to be her very own cousin! This was an unexpected occurrence that rendered her speechless.

Suddenly, they could feel the atmosphere tensing up as cold filled the air.

Since Angela was ducking her head all this time to avoid looking at Annie, she had assumed Annie was furious with her at this point. “Annie, if you can’t accept that… I will break up with him,” she continued while raising her head and inhaling a deep breath.

However, what flashed across Annie’s face was a smile as she reached out to embrace her cousin. “Angela, don’t feel sorry for me; I’m overjoyed that Richard has become my cousin-in-law.”

Frozen upon her words, Angela could not help but clutch onto Annie’s shoulders as she looked straight into her eyes. “Annie, what did you just say?”

“Do you know, Angela? I actually liked Richard solely because of his appearance! I’ve always been after good-looking dudes, as you know. Sure, he’s attractive, but I’m not sure why I feel this constant

sense of pressure whenever I am around him; almost suffocating, I should say. To be honest, I don’t have the guts to like him; in fact, I’m even scared of him,” Annie explained as she sighed.

“Is that true?” Angela was surprised. Overwhelmed by guilt, Angela lowered her head and nodded lightly.

“Yeah! After some thoughts, I realized that he’s not for me, but he sure is for you! Now, get together! You should not be embarrassed just because I was engaged to him. Grandpa will be thrilled to have the Lloyds as his in-laws!” Annie exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

Though her words had perplexed Angela, they also relieved her greatly. “Annie, thank you so much for understanding. I’m truly sorry,” said Angela as she reached out to hug Annie again.

“Angela, be brave and follow your heart! I am so thankful to have such an amazing brother-in-law!” Annie felt embarrassed when she patted Angela on the back and discovered she was in tears.

Angela’s eyes welled up and she pursed her lips, reaching out to wipe the corners of her eyes. The two of them then exchanged smiles.

“Are you worried about what my parents have to say? Relax and leave it up to me. I’ll deal with them.”

“How do you plan to do that?” asked the curious Angela.

“There is nothing they care more about than my happiness. Do you think they’ll be happy if I bring a new boyfriend home tomorrow and tell them he’s my crush?”

This time, Angela could not help but tear up again when she saw Annie trying so hard to help her.

The two talked all the way back to the car and Angela drove Annie home. Indeed, Annie was not a least bit upset with her cousin as she sincerely wished that both Richard and Angela would end up together soon.

In fact, Annie had been feeling a little lost after her engagement as she believed that she was inferior to others in some ways. However, she now knew that the girl she envied was Angela and she was nothing but convinced.

Furthermore, Richard was unsuitable for her because he was cold and harsh; she preferred a man with a warmer personality.

As soon as Annie entered the door, she fished out her phone, pretending to be on a call with someone.

“Hey! I’m home. Please drive safely! Thank you for tonight’s treat,” she spoke sweetly.

This immediately drew Jennifer’s attention, who was watching TV in the living room. Who is Annie talking with on the phone?

“I’m also happy to be with you! Hmm, I love you.” Annie finished her sentence softly as if she was afraid of being eavesdropped.

Just as she planned, Jennifer could clearly hear her voice in the quiet hall. When Annie entered the living room, she was deliberately startled and covered her phone in shock. “Mom, why haven’t you returned to your room?”

Jennifer was compelled to ask, “Who were you on the phone with?”

“I… It’s just a friend!” Annie gave a shy smile.

“What friend? Is it a man or a woman?” Jennifer persisted in her inquiry.

With a straight face, Annie had no choice but to answer, “Mom, it’s a male friend that I’ve had a crush on for two years.”

Jennifer was surprised. Is it true that Annie has had a two-year crush on someone? How is this the first time I’m hearing about it?

“Mom, actually, I’m not satisfied with the engagement Grandpa arranged for me. Plus, Richard is not my type. Breaking off the engagement has honestly relieved me so much.” She presented a pleased expression on her face as she declared.

Surprised, Jennifer could only stare at her daughter as Annie continued slyly, “Mom, let me tell you a secret, but you can’t lecture me!”

“What is the secret?”

“On the day Richard called off our engagement, I allowed him to pursue Angela. I reflected that just because I don’t fancy such a great man doesn’t mean that some other women can’t! Guess what happened? I didn’t expect Richard to fall in love with Angela at first sight, let alone pursue her!”

“Exactly what did you say? Richard is pursuing Angela now?” Jennifer was stunned; she could not believe her daughter had done such a ‘generous’ thing.

“Isn’t it wonderful, Mom? Richard comes from an affluent family. Once he becomes a member of our family, we will be able to seek future assistance from the Lloyds!” Annie exclaimed while blinking.

“This child! Daphne just mentioned the other day that Richard is not husband material and you even matched him up with Angela! Aren’t you afraid that Daphne will be unhappy?” Jennifer was worried that his older brother and sister-in-law would blame her daughter for her rash behavior. With a straight face, Annie had no choice but to answer, “Mom, it’s a male friend that I’ve had a crush on for two years.”

“Mom, the ‘problem’ is that Angela has feelings for Richard as well. Even if Uncle Gilbert and Aunt Daphne disagree, there is nothing you can do about it. Furthermore, I believe they will adore Richard since he is a charming one!”

“I certainly hope so.” Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her daughter guiltily.

The reason for the planned engagement in the first place was because they were trying to marry Annie off into a powerful and influential family like the Lloyds. As such, they did not ask for her opinion before making such a life-altering decision. Only now had Jennifer discovered that her daughter had a crush on someone else.

Seeing that there was no sign of fury on her mother’s face, Annie concluded the issue had been resolved.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back to my room!”

“Wait a minute, you have yet to tell me anything about your crush!” Jennifer exclaimed, bringing Annie to a halt.

“Aw, Mom, hold your horses. When we head to Grandpa’s for dinner tomorrow, I’ll invite him over. You’ll be able to see him then.” She went upstairs after she finished speaking.

As soon as she returned to her room, she retrieved her phone and dialed Angela, telling her the story she had just made up. Angela was utterly grateful to Annie; not only was she not mad at her, she even did her a big favor.

“I appreciate it so much, Annie.”

“It’s all right. I’m looking forward to your wedding. I’ll be your maid of honor.”

“It’s up in the air!” Angela chuckled.

“Then, go for it! Tackle Richard as soon as possible, marry him, and give birth to a little great-grandson for his grandfather.” Annie chortled.

Angela’s face turned bright red at this point as she exclaimed, “You’re lightyears ahead of us.”

“Angela, please inform your parents so that I don’t blow my cover. I’ve talked about it with my mother.”

“All right, I’ll tell my parents.”

Annie hung up the phone and went through her social media accounts, deciding which male friend would be best suited to be her fake boyfriend, whom she would bring home to show her parents.

Elton Hemmings. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name. Nervous, she summoned the courage to dial his number.

“Hello, Annie.” On the other end of the line, there was a distinct male voice.

“What have you been up to, Elton? I need a favor from you.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend and go to my grandpa’s house tomorrow,” she stated unequivocally.

There was a brief silence and Elton was clearly stunned for a few seconds before responding, “Okay!”

“Really?” Annie could not hide her joy.

“Yes, really. When have I ever lied to you?”

“That’s a deal, then! Let’s meet tomorrow at noon and I’ll talk to you about it.”

“Sure.”

Annie sighed and lowered her head to look through some photos before eventually pausing on one; it was a group photo of them during a hike and a young, attractive boy was standing next to her. Elton was her childhood friend whom she used to have a crush on. However, she never revealed her feelings to him after learning that he was pursued by another girl at that time. Not wanting to create any hard feelings, she decided to leave their circle of friends.

Nonetheless, she recently spoke with her friends and discovered that Elton turned down the girl’s eager pursuit and enrolled in a foreign business school for further studies. The point being, he was currently single.

When Annie heard the news, she could only wish him happiness because she was engaged at the time. Now, she was filled with hope once again.

At Meyers Residence, Angela sat on the couch and relayed the messages from Annie to Gilbert and Daphne. Despite the fact that her parents thought it was unnecessary for them to chime in with the act, they naturally agreed to cooperate, given Annie’s willingness to put on a play.

Angela went upstairs after their discussion while Gilbert, on the other hand, was cheerful. “I had no idea our daughter would be the Lloyds’ chosen daughter-in-law!” he exclaimed to his wife.

“It’s okay to be happy, but don’t spread the word,” Daphne advised. Honestly, she was equally pleased with Richard as her son-in-law. “That’s a deal, then! Let’s meet tomorrow at noon and I’ll talk to you about it.”

The first time she saw him, she had secretly intended to make him her son-in-law, but she never imagined that her wish would come true.

As soon as Angela returned to her room, her phone rang. She dashed over, expecting Richard, but the caller ID displayed an unknown number. “Hello. Who is this?” She frowned as she answered the call.

“Hello, Angela. It’s me, Dexter. I’d like to meet you.” The man’s voice could be heard from the other end.

His voice rendered her enraged as she questioned, “How dare you call me?”

“You can’t be this way, Angela. You owe me so much after all I’ve done for you over the years!” Dexter seemed to be attempting to blackmail her.

“What exactly do you want?” Angela sneered, her lovely eyes cold.

“How are things going? I heard you took over your mother’s business, Angela. You are now a president with a seven-billion-dollar net worth. Let’s put it this way! I’d like five million dollars to compensate for my emotional commitment to you over the years; otherwise—”

“Otherwise?” She snorted.

“Otherwise, I’ll spread your photos online. You have no idea how many photos I have of you in your pajamas. All it needs is a little editing and with your beauty, I’m sure the photos will sell for a lot of money on those sites,” he threatened.

“Don’t even think about it.” Angela’s body trembled as she growled.

“I demand a precise sum of five million. Otherwise, I will do what I said since I have nothing to lose anyway. Angela, I really regret not having fun with you when we were abroad. I wouldn’t have cared so much back then had I known you’d be so ruthless.”

At that moment, Angela’s face turned pale from rage. She was thankful that the son of a b*tch did not touch her; otherwise, she would have ripped his heart out.

“Angela, I want the money by 3.00PM tomorrow. Or else… Hehe… Don’t blame me for what’s about to come.”

Without any hesitation, she hung up on him. Subsequently, she dialed the number again, but this time it was recording.

“Why did you hang up on me?” Dexter wondered with suspicion.

“Five million is what you want, am I right?” she stated unequivocally the amount he desired.

“Five million is nothing to you, so of course, you have it. Your family does not lack a mere five million. It must be transferred to my account by tomorrow 3.00PM,” he reminded, clearly letting down his guard.

“How can I believe that you’d delete my photos after I sent you the money?” questioned Angela.

“You just have to believe me, then. I will delete your photos as soon as I receive payment,” Dexter ensured.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well, I don’t think you have the choice. I have the photos in my hands now and I’ve already edited some of them. Angela, your figure must be more perfect than these models’. Do you want me to send you a few for you to look at?”

“You…” Angela clenched her fists tight.

“Prepare your funds! Otherwise, I’ll be merciless.” With that, Dexter then hung up the phone. He soon sent a few pixelated photos to her, but they were way too extreme. As she opened them, her face turned bright red with rage.

Despite the fact that the photo was photoshopped, Angela felt physical discomfort nonetheless. She tried to relax by shutting her eyes. This dirtbag needs to be jailed as soon as possible. Who knows how many other girls he duped??

Angela debated telling Richard, but if he knew Dexter had threatened her, Richard would undoubtedly track him down and beat him to death. Forget it, I just want Dexter to be locked up.

That’s where he should stay. He came to me with full-on threats and evidence. So, I’m going to play along with him one last time!

At that moment, her phone rang again and her heartstrings tightened, but upon seeing the name on the screen, she heaved a sigh of relief before answering, “Hello!”

“Are you still up?” Like the sound of nature, Richard’s deep and magnetic voice washed away Dexter’s slanderous words earlier.

“Yeah! I’m not asleep yet. Oh, I spoke with Annie.”

“Are you okay?” he inquired with his tense and worried voice.

“I’m perfectly fine. Annie not only blessed us, but she also helped us tell a good lie.” Following that, she told Richard what Annie had said and he was so thankful to Annie as well; the last thing he wanted was to see Angela hurt. “You…” Angela clenched her fists tight.

“Prepare your funds! Otherwise, I’ll be merciless.” With that, Dexter then hung up the phone. He soon sent a few pixelated photos to her, but they were way too extreme. As she opened them, her face turned bright red with rage.

After their time in the base where she was keeping her distance from him, he already had a taste of how awful it was to stay away from her. Annie, on the other hand, was a good girl, so he understood why Angela avoided him at the time.

She did not want to cause Annie any harm as well.

“Are you free tomorrow? I need you to come along with me for something.” In spite of what happened earlier, she still wished to be accompanied by him and save her parents some worry.

With Richard around, she would feel more at ease.

“Sure. What is it?”

“I’ll keep it a secret for the time being, but do pick me up at noon tomorrow!”

Angela remained silent out of fear of jeopardizing Dexter’s life as a result of her rash action. It would be a shame if he died, but she was hesitant to smear Dexter’s filthy blood on Richard’s fist.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Richard asked from the other end of the line.

“Nothing. It’s just a small matter; I’ll tell you next time,” she said as she gently nudged him.

“Alright, but only if you call me ‘honey’.” The man suddenly made a request.

Angela’s cheeks were flushed as she had never uttered those words to any men before. “Do I have to?” she asked shyly.

“Yes. I’d like to hear it.”

“Ho-Honey…” she blurted out bluntly.

“Sweetheart,” he responded with a smile.

“It’s so cringey,” Angela expressed while covering her face. Having said that, she made the unexpected decision to get back to him.

“Be honest with me, Richard. Did you really feel nothing when I kissed you for the first time?” Now that he had succeeded in making Angela his girlfriend, she needed to recount all the times he did a number on her.

To his surprise, Richard was taken aback by her questioning.

“Were you really unaware of my feelings for you back in the base?” he countered.

“Well, it didn’t have to be me. Any woman who did the same would have won your heart too,” Angela rebuked while blushing. It was true that there were a few embarrassing moments.

“No. Only you. I will never allow other women to touch me.” He was adamant that Angela was the only person who could touch him.

“Really?” she exclaimed before bursting out into laughter.

“Yes!” the man affirmed.

Early next morning, Angela arrived at the police station with her comprehensive evidence—the pictures and audio recordings that Dexter had sent her. Without a doubt, the police accepted it right away.

She also assisted the police in apprehending Dexter before charging him with extortion.

The last time Trevor and the others reported Dexter, he was only detained for seven days before being released. He was becoming increasingly agitated to the point that he had to devise such an illegal scheme to obtain money.

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