Chapter 375

When the young woman heard Gwendolyn’s voice, she turned to look at her with a gentle smile on her breathtakingly beautiful face.

“It has been a while since we last met, Ms. Harris. It’s New Year’s Eve today. Are you and Mr. Jenson doing well?” she said.

“Of course. Ms. Evelyn, don’t you have anywhere to go during the holidays? Why are you not celebrating the occasion with your family? Who allowed you to come up to Mount Tranquil?”

Gwendolyn replied.

“The guard at the foot of the mountain allowed me to come up. Please don’t misunderstand my intentions, Ms. Harris. My endorsement contract with Jenson Group’s Rossi Project is coming to an end, and I heard Mr. Jenson is here, so I came here in person to discuss the possibility of extending my contract with him.”

Gwendolyn narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “Ms. Evelyn, as a highly acclaimed actress who has received the Best Actress award several years in a row, you’re undoubtedly an A-lister. Why do you find it necessary to engage in business negotiations personally? Are your manager and company useless?”

“It isn’t easy to sign an endorsement contract with Jenson Group, after all. I’m afraid my manager and team cannot manage it. I don’t want to miss out on such a money-making opportunity, so naturally, I have to make the trip personally.”

Gwendolyn stared at her, refusing to buy her explanation.

If she came all the way to the Harris residence on Mount Tranquil just to talk to Cedrick, that means she’s quite well-informed, huh?

Evelyn’s eyes crinkled in a smile. Her gaze revealed a depth beyond her tender age of barely twenty, even though she was the same age as Summer.

Casting a sidelong glance at the villa, she asked, “Ms. Harris, you must be having a lively gathering with your family today. Do you mind inviting me inside?”

“It’s a family gathering, so I do mind.” Gwendolyn rejected her firmly, doing away with formalities.

“All right. It seems that you hold a deep grudge against me, Ms. Harris.” Evelyn did not seem flustered by her outright rejection, as she was still all smiles.

Refusing to entertain her further, Gwendolyn said directly, “It’s getting dark; I’ll ask a bodyguard to escort you to the foot of the mountain. Cedrick is busy, so I’m afraid he won’t be discussing the contract with you anytime soon. Goodbye.”

Inside the villa, Asher was worried about Gwendolyn being outside for a long time. He came out in search of her, but his eyes narrowed when he spotted Evelyn.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

Hearing Asher’s question, Gwendolyn looked over her shoulder and cast him a look of bewilderment.

“Do you know her?”

Evelyn did not respond, and Asher remained composed.

“No, but I saw her face a few times on the television. Kiddo, you can’t stay in the cold for too long.

Come on, let’s head in,” he urged.

Asher had come out with a fur-lined cape, which he draped over Gwendolyn before carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

He then commanded a bodyguard stationed at the gate, “Escort this young lady to the foot of the mountain.”

With that, he led Gwendolyn back into the villa without sparing another look at Evelyn.

Instead of leaving immediately, Evelyn stood before the gate for a long time.

For the duration, she stared at Asher’s and Gwendolyn’s retreating figures in silence.

The cold wind tousled her hair, obscuring her icy gaze.

Only after their figures had completely disappeared from her line of sight did she finally spin on her heels, allowing the bodyguard to escort her down the mountain.

On the way back to the villa, Gwendolyn kept an eye on Asher’s expression. She discovered he looked grim after meeting Evelyn, but she could not tell what was on his mind.

Tentatively, she asked, “Asher, you don’t seem to like Ms. Evelyn very much, huh?”

“I don’t know her well, so I can’t comment on that,” Asher responded expressionlessly. “Rather than being concerned about that, why don’t you focus on Cedrick and his well-being?”

Gwendolyn had to admit that Evelyn was not as important as Cedrick.

She stopped pondering over the matter and hurried into the living room of the villa.

Kieran and Asher had already placed the alcohol they had meticulously prepared on the coffee table.

There were three shot glasses in front of Cedrick, all of which were filled to the brim.

Gwendolyn hurried forward to observe the liquid in the shot glasses. It was transparent and seemed to be of excellent quality.

However, she was familiar enough with her brothers to know that Kieran would not just ask Cedrick to consume three shots of liquor.

“Kieran, can I drink this? They look nice. Why don’t I try one for Cedrick?” she asked, looking at Kieran.

“No!”

“You can’t!”

Everyone yelled out and got to their feet in agitation, trying to stop her in haste.

Before Gwendolyn could touch the shot glass, Sienna took her arm and led her to the couch.

“Gwen, I understand your concern for him, but you can’t meddle in this. Trust me; your brothers won’t go to extremes. He impregnated you accidentally, and he did it before marrying you! Whatever happens later, he brought it upon himself.”

“But—”

“It will be fine. Trust me.” Sienna patted Gwendolyn’s hands, comforting her nonstop.

Cedrick stood silently before the coffee table as he made eye contact with Gwendolyn, signaling to her to relax.

Bending down, he picked up the shot glass in the middle, which represented Asher, and raised it in a toast to him.

“Mr. Asher, this is the last time I address you this way. I hope you’ll be my brother-in-law the next time we meet!”

Asher arched a brow and fixed him with a hawk-like sharp stare.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Cedrick glanced at the alcohol in the shot glass, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Without hesitation, he downed the contents of the shot glass in one go.

The fiery alcohol scorched his mouth, making it difficult for him to swallow.

Cedrick fought to keep a composed expression as the scorching alcohol seared his throat, its fiery path piercing his stomach. He felt as if a cascade of needles was attacking his organs.

Did he add wasabi to the liquor?

A pucker formed between his brows as his cheeks turned pink. In the end, he clenched his fist and brought it to his mouth, coughing softly several times.

Asher’s lips curled into a smirk when he realized Cedrick was doing a good job composing his features.

“How does it taste?”

After recovering from the burning liquor, Cedrick chuckled softly. “Nice one. The alcohol you prepared for me is indeed unique!”

Asher said nothing. I wonder how long he can endure this.

The toasting session continued.

Tamping down the fiery sensation in his chest, Cedrick picked up the shot glass on the right with trembling fingers and raised it in Kieran’s direction. “Thank you for doing your utmost in treating my eyes, Mr. Kieran. Here’s to you!”

That time around, he glanced at the shot glass but did not down it immediately.

Asher’s alcohol was spicy. I wonder what Kieran’s alcohol would taste like.

Sensing his hesitation, Kieran gazed at him wordlessly.

Treyton was the only one among the Harris brothers who had accepted Cedrick. Softly, he informed Cedrick, “The taste might be horrible, but it’s good for your health.”

Kieran cared for Gwendolyn and thus would not torture Cedrick badly. In fact, all three shot glasses were medicinal alcohol with a little something sprinkled in them.

Hearing Treyton’s assurance, Cedrick gulped down the second glass of alcohol.

It was extremely bitter, a hundred times more bitter than when Kieran pranked him back then.

The alcohol was not only bitter but also sour and tart.

The moment Cedrick drank it, his stomach heaved uncontrollably.

Determined not to cause Gwendolyn any concern, he forced himself to swallow the bitter liquor and suppressed his discomfort. His face grew pale, and his facial muscles tightened as a result.

Gwendolyn felt her heart clenched in anxiety. “Forget it. Stop drinking!”

Right then, Treyton spoke up. “He can’t stop now. If he doesn’t finish this last shot, the pain he endured from the previous two shots will be in vain.”

Gwendolyn locked eyes with him and caught the silent message conveyed through his gaze. She gradually loosened her clenched fists, a sign of her decision to trust him.