Chapter 174

“Are you… Jasmine?” Gwendolyn asked with uncertainty after searching through her memories.

Upon seeing that the woman still remembered her, Jasmine Newton approached Gwendolyn with joy and held the latter’s arm.

“Gwendolyn, you look so beautiful! It’s been so many years since we last met. Did you miss me? Charles told me you were in Fairlake, so I couldn’t wait any longer and came over to visit you right away.”

Jasmine and Charles were half-siblings. The former was the seventh child of the family and the youngest daughter, a trait which she shared with Gwendolyn, though the woman was three years older. Since childhood, Jasmine had always been clingy toward Gwendolyn. She had an innocent and pure personality, though she sometimes behaved like an arrogant little princess.

Gwendolyn’s lips curled into a smile as she tapped the tip of Jasmine’s nose, teasing the latter, “You’re all grown up, but you’re still as clingy as ever.”

Jasmine swayed their connected arms softly and gently. “Gwendolyn, you’re teasing me. I act in such a way because I like you. I wouldn’t let anyone else touch me like this. I finally got to go on a long trip this time, so you’d better make sure to have fun with me.”

At that, a thought crossed Gwendolyn’s mind. Have fun with her? Won’t this kiddo merely add to my troubles?

“Gwen, I received an urgent matter from the Central Intelligence Agency this morning, and it’s something I have to attend to. Jasmine secretly came over. I’ll be leaving Fairlake first thing tomorrow morning, so I’ll leave her in your care,” Charles added just then.

Gwendolyn could not help but furrow her brows slightly.

Just as she was about to refuse, Jasmine playfully rested her head on Gwendolyn’s arm, putting on a cutesy act. “Gwendolyn, I haven’t seen your house in Fairlake yet. Please let me stay with you for half a month. I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”

How could I let her stay with me for half a month? This little kiddo will drive me crazy. “Three days at most,” said Gwendolyn in response.

“Fine, three days it is!” Jasmine pouted, deciding she would just rent a small place to stay by herself if she needed to.

Outside, one could hear the vague sound of a bar’s bustling dance floor.

Having gotten herself a temporary place to stay, Jasmine enthusiastically extended an invitation to Gwendolyn. “Gwendolyn, come with me to the dance floor outside. I’m usually stuck at home, and my parents are very strict on me. This is my first time at a bar.”

Going outside?

Gwendolyn recalled the man in the suit she had bumped into in the alleyway earlier, and suspicion began welling up in her heart.

She subconsciously glanced at Charles beside her.

The man was pouring himself a drink without a word. His side profile sufficiently showcased his well- defined and exquisite facial features. His deep sapphire eyes were enchanting, though devoid of any emotions.

On the other hand, Jasmine continued to put on her cute and childish act, her expression innocent and adorable.

If she were hiding anything, her eyes would instantly betray her.

Seeing that Gwendolyn had not responded for a long time, Jasmine emphasized again, “Come on! Gwendolyn, you always treat me the best. Just come and play with me for a while.”

Gwendolyn gently pinched her cheek. “All right.”

At Bay Villa, Maverick was preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Nico sat in the living room, struggling on his laptop to look for information on Justin. At the same time, Swain and Elven, along with the other bodyguards, were in the backyard playing cards, and they were all having a great time.

“Boss, come and take a look at this.” Nico’s tone was solemn.

Upon seeing Maverick emerge from the kitchen, Nico spun the laptop around so that the screen was now facing the former.

“Look, I pulled a screenshot from the surveillance footage when Justin was at Wright Construction Group. I remember his face. On the day of the Crane Bridge incident, he was taken away by Mr. Harris. He was also the person who was sent to kill Ms. Shalders that day.”

After a brief pause, Nico went on, “Moreover, I couldn’t find any information or a single topic on this person throughout the entire internet. My bet is that he’s an assassin hired from the black market.”

Maverick scrutinized the mysterious man’s face, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

There’s no way Gwendolyn didn’t know about this person’s past identity. If she knows, then why is she keeping such a dangerous person by her side? What on earth is she up to?

As he was deep in thought, Ezra returned. Hearing some commotion in the backyard, he walked over from the living room window.

Maverick noticed him keenly and hurriedly opened the door, only to find that Ezra was the only one who had returned to Bay Villa.

He had a vague sense of foreboding and questioned Ezra in a deep tone, “Where’s Gwendolyn?”

“It seems Ms. Shalders has a party at Realm Bar tonight. She said there’s no need for too many people to tag along, so she sent me back.” At the mention of this, Ezra couldn’t help but feel dejected.

Maverick’s frown deepened when he heard this. If Ezra came back, wouldn’t that mean she only brought Justin with her?

All of a sudden, realization struck him, and an icy, hostile aura immediately enveloped his entire body. He headed straight to the backyard and brought all the card players out with him.

Meanwhile, the inside of Realm Bar was lit up by colorful lights. It was both a dazzling and mesmerizing sight to behold.

Gwendolyn leaned gracefully against a pillar, keeping her gaze fixed on Jasmine, who was dancing enthusiastically on the dance floor and moving to the music just like everyone else.

Gwendolyn disliked such noisy places.

Therefore, she merely watched from the side and would occasionally clap and cheer for Jasmine, indicating that the other woman was dancing well.

Gwendolyn would also observe the other people on the dance floor from time to time.

Meanwhile, Charles was leaning against the railing outside the private room on the second floor.

Since their distance was relatively far from each other, and all the colorful spotlights were focused on the dance floor, Gwendolyn could not see Charles’ face clearly. She only knew that he seemed to be watching the situation on the dance floor as well.

Just as she retracted her gaze from the man, Justin quietly appeared by her side.

His expression was serious as he moved closer to her and whispered, “Something feels off about this place. We need to be careful.”

Gwendolyn gave a soft hum in response, her expression calm. “When I entered the private room earlier, did you see the man who looked similar to your portrait?”

“I did.” Justin nodded honestly.

“Is it him?”

Justin gave it some thought before shaking his head. “I can’t be completely sure, but something feels off about the atmosphere in the bar tonight. Since you only brought me along, we must be extremely cautious.”

The words had barely left Justin’s lips when a handsome man approached Gwendolyn, looking slightly flushed.

Gwendolyn tossed the man a glance. Seeing that he was rather good-looking and appeared to be a well-mannered young man, she asked him, “Can I help you?”

The man appeared slightly embarrassed. As if he was mustering great courage, he pointed at a group of men and women in the small cubicle across from Gwendolyn.

He then gave her a pleading look and explained, “Miss, I lost the game, and they dared me to strike up a conversation with you. Only if you accept my toast will I complete the dare. Can you help me out?”

Gwendolyn locked gazes with him but did not say a word. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with amusement, but upon closer inspection, it didn’t look all that sincere.

Despite not receiving an affirmative answer, the man was not discouraged and took the initiative to grab an empty cup from a waiter’s hand. Then, he poured filled the glass half full with red wine.

“Can you help me out, Miss?”

Gwendolyn did not move, nor did she accept the glass of wine.

Standing beside her, Justin quietly reminded her, “Ms. Shalders, it’s best not to drink the alcohol handed to you by a stranger at a bar.”

The man shyly lowered his head and continued, “Miss, you caught my attention right away in the crowd. Your beauty is unlike any other woman’s. You won’t refuse to help me complete my dare, will you?”

At that, Justin continued to whisper to Gwendolyn, “No, you mustn’t accept it, Ms. Shalders.”

Caught in between the two men’s vastly different approaches, Gwendolyn raised her eyebrows and flashed them a charming smile. “Sure.”

The man was overjoyed by her acceptance and gleefully handed over the glass of red wine to her.

Gwendolyn was about to accept the glass, and her hand had just touched the wine glass when a large palm emerged from the side and intercepted it in mid-air.

She turned around, only to see a face with a cold and profound depth staring at the man who handed her the wine. The person’s gaze was filled with unimaginable fury.

“She doesn’t even accept my toasts. Who do you think you are, hm?”