Chapter 024: Quite Daring!

'Ding-dong—'

Just at that moment, suddenly a cell phone next to her lit up, displaying a new WhatsApp message on its screen.

Landon Brooke glanced over, only vaguely seeing that it must be a message from her friend—

Elisse Gonzales: Tiana, are you home yet?

Then another message followed.

Elisse Gonzales: It looks so pretty! I knew it would suit me, it's uniquely mine, beautiful![Picture]

The phone's screen dimmed, and of course, Landon couldn't see the subsequent messages, but that didn't stop him from capturing the information that followed!

His slender fingers extended, tapping the phone, and the screen promptly displayed the interface prompting for the lock screen password.

Landon Brooke pondered for a moment and entered a string of numbers, only to be alerted that they were incorrect.

The man's dark brows slightly furrowed, he glanced at the woman who had fallen asleep for a few seconds, his eyes also filled with a trace of depth, and very quickly, he calmly re-entered another set of data.

As expected, the screen unlocked.

He swiftly clicked in and saw the most recent message.

It was from that woman named Elisse Gonzales.

He opened the message to view the accompanying picture, and the image suddenly came into view.

It was a hand, wearing a red ruby bracelet.

If he wasn't mistaken, it should be the very bracelet that Tom Rosenthal had bid on at the auction to give to her!

Was this woman actually using the gift he gave her to curry favor with another woman?

Elisse Gonzales: How does it look? Pretty, right? Wait until the day I wear it to slap Berlina Holmes's face, let Maxwell Perry see our strength. Berlina shows off that thirty-million diamond necklace as if it's such a big deal, getting so excited over it—clearly a country bumpkin who's never seen the big city! Tonight, you should've given Maxwell Perry a good beating too, don't hold back.

Elisse Gonzales: Fallen asleep? Not replying?

...

Quite the bold one!

A cold, dark hue flooded the man's quiet black eyes in an instant, as if the deep sea in a silent night had suddenly encountered icy winds and cold rain, casting a slight pallor over his noble countenance.

He suppressed a few light coughs, propping himself up with one hand on the coffee table, and closed his eyes to calm himself for a moment before opening them again. The eerie dark gleam at the bottom of his eyes had already faded away, but Tiana Williams, though in a deep slumber, was alert enough to sense the change in the atmosphere.

She vigilantly opened her eyes, and what came into view was the noble countenance of Landon Brooke, his deep eyes seemingly tinged with a freshly melted layer of ice, silent as the deep sea, chillingly devoid of emotion.

"Awake?"

The man leaned over to look at her, his indifferent lips parting slightly, his voice carrying a hint of chill!

Tiana Williams started, as all her senses snapped back into place!

Had something happened?

His proximity was truly disconcerting to her!

Moreover, she was all too familiar with this demeanor—it was undoubtedly the prelude to the Great Demon summoning a storm...

"What's wrong?"

Tiana Williams raised her hand to rub her eyes and hastily asked, her entire being on high alert, her body leaning back slightly to create distance between them, her sharp gaze scanning before settling on Landon's hand...

It was her cell phone.

"Here's your chance to explain."

Landon Brooke handed the phone over to her.

Tiana Williams quickly saw the message from Elisse Gonzales and, of course, did not miss that picture…

Looking at it, Tiana couldn't help but raise her hand to her forehead, "Fifty million, I sold it to Elisse Gonzales. She asked me to bid for it anyway. I'm not particularly interested in those things, and it would be a waste to keep it. It's also a good thing for someone who appreciates it to own it."

She had been short on money recently and had too many uses for it. The funding application was being approved slowly and had to go through so many layers. Lately, she had no time to fight for funding with those old folks; she had to use her own money as a stopgap until the funding came through, so there would be more leeway.

"At Orange Night, I taught a few people a lesson tonight. Some old scores...Elisse might have gotten involved because of me."

Tiana briefly explained.

The gloom in Landon Brooke's eyes faded a bit. His cool fingers gently pressed against her cheek, and his thumb lightly caressed her soft, fair skin. His husky voice seemed to come from the polar winds—

"You disdain the gift I gave you?"

Feeling the pressure from the Great Demon, Tiana couldn't help but shiver slightly, but she quickly managed to remain calm and looked away, "No. It's already past midnight, the night is deep and the dew is heavy. You've only just recovered, so be mindful of that and rest early, lest something else goes wrong."

A hint of a smile flicked across Landon Brooke's handsome, refined face, and he said softly, "Now you're learning to care about me. Don't worry, I'll certainly take care of myself, after all, we're not married yet."

At his words, Tiana's eyes darkened, and her face grew colder in an instant, "Why shouldn't I be relieved? If you collapse, I'll finally be free, and why wouldn't I want that?"

Landon Brooke coughed lightly a few times and replied with a smile that was not quite a smile, "If... I die, then you should remain a widow for me, inherit everything I have, and peacefully live out the rest of your life before joining me."

Tiana's starry eyes stilled for a moment, silently looking at him, understanding that there was not a hint of jest in his words.

"I'll go make you a cup of herbal tea."

She suddenly got up, rummaged through a cabinet, and swiftly prepared a bag of herbal tea for him.

By the time she returned with a steaming cup of herbal tea, Landon Brooke sat in the spot she had just vacated, looking at her translated documents.

She placed the tea next to him and draped his coat back over his shoulders.

"Senior, do you know someone from Ring City?"

She asked softly.

The two of them attended high school consecutively and both went to G University. Tiana usually referred to him as 'senior' on regular days and only called him by his full name when she was annoyed with him.

"Hmm?"

Landon gave her a puzzled glance.

"I mean Ring City Entertainment, the one with Conan Gray as the president."

Tiana hadn't forgotten Elisse's situation.

"Did he dare to lay a hand on you?"

Landon's eyes instantly grew dark and tranquil, his gaze becoming sharp and cold.

Tiana shook her head, "No, they can't hurt me. It's just that they might have ruined Elisse's lead role. If possible, could you get them not to replace Elisse? She fought hard for that part."

"I know."

He responded with those few words, his eyes tranquil, revealing no trace of his emotions.

Tiana looked at him, wanting to ask if this 'I know' meant he would help ensure Elisse kept her lead role. But seeing that he was clearly in a bad mood, she just silently closed her mouth.

Seeing him go back to his documents, she could only sit beside him, shifting slightly, propping her head up with one hand while lightly clenching her fist to rub his back. It wasn't long before she fell asleep entirely.

Feeling the hand on his shoulder slip away, Landon suddenly reached out—

PS: Here's one update. I'm heading to the countryside for the holiday. I'll have another update tonight! Wishing everyone a happy Valentine Day! Remember to vote~ Mua~