Chapter 261
Mackenzie clenched her jaw. “Very well. This time, choose someone in the
room and kiss them.”
There was a strange twist on everyone’s faces when they heard that.
Quintus wondered what was wrong with Mackenzie. She had not been acting
like herself for the past two days.
If he had not known her for years and knew her well, he might have thought
her aloof act was actually just an act.
Everyone then turned to stare at Emmanuel.
Emmanuel had meant to just down a glass of liquor to get it over with. After
all, he could not kiss a single person in the room. In that case, it was better for
him to kiss his glass.
However, Quintus stopped him before he could do more than that.
“Emmanuel, two of the most beautiful women in Yeringham are in the room
with us tonight. Are you sure you want to give up on this chance? I see. You
really aren’t a man.”
He thought that if he forced Emmanuel to kiss one of the women in the room,
Emmanuel would surely kiss Claudette.
After all, there was no way he would be crazy enough to kiss Mackenzie,
right?
Was there a single man in Yeringham who had the guts to do that?
Claudette had a bad feeling about this, but she did not stop Quintus. Perhaps
this was the deciding moment in her war against Mackenzie.
“Are you sure you want me to kiss someone, Quintus?”
Emmanuel had just downed an entire glass of liquor. Due to how fast he was
drinking, he was now feeling the effects of the alcohol.
Mackenzie wants to play, right?
Well, she’d better not regret it!
“Of course! You have to keep an open mind during games. Go on…”
Swoosh!
Before Quintus could finish speaking, Emmanuel placed a hand on the table
and used his other hand to forcefully drag Mackenzie over.
She just had to do this.
And he would show her that he wanted to kiss her instead of Claudette.
A smooch.
#
The other three people in the room froze in shock when they saw that he had
kissed Mackenzie on the lips.
Among them, Quintus was going crazy.
He never imagined Emmanuel would be that ballsy. Emmanuel knew that he
liked Mackenzie, yet Emmanuel decided to kiss her right in front of his eyes.
Claudette felt like her heart had shattered into tiny pieces.
In the end, she still lost to Mackenzie.
Smack!
When Mackenzie snapped back to her senses, she swiftly slapped Emmanuel
in the face.
He did not dodge. Instead, he took the blow and just stood there, dazedly
staring into her eyes.
He felt like he was going mad as well.
Where did that bout of courage come from? How could he have kissed
Mackenzie right in front of the Lenoir siblings?
Still, he did not regret what he did. Let the consequences strike!
Just as he was about to pull away, Mackenzie grabbed him by the collar and
dragged him closer.
Then, she kissed him.
While doing so, she even let her eyes wander to “accidentally” glance at
Claudette.
Once more, Claudette’s heart shattered into a million pieces. Her jaw was
clenched tight.
Quintus had gone absolutely made.
Darn it! Oh, darn it! What?
What is going on?
What on earth is going on?
He could barely accept the fact that Emmanuel kissed Mackenzie. The first
kiss could be because she had been caught off–guard. But, what on earth
was this second kiss?
“Aah! Aaah!”
Mackenzie only let go of Emmanuel when Quintus was so overwhelmed that
he started flailing his arms around. She coldly huffed and strode out of the
room.
“Mackenzie!”
Emmanuel stood up to run after her.
Finally, Quintus realized what was going on.
Crap! Emmanuel knew Mackenzie before this. They had kept it a secret from
him and played him for a fool!
He wanted to stop Emmanuel and demand an explanation, but Emmanuel
had been so intent on chasing after Mackenzie that he was already gone
from the room.
Quintus felt the urge to chase after them, but upon seeing Claudette crying,
he panicked. “Darn them! Shoot!” he cursed.
This was supposed to be the perfect evening. How did things end up like this?
Chapter 262
“Mackenzie! Mackenzie!”
Emmanuel ran out of the restaurant before he finally caught up with
Mackenzie. For the first time, he boldly grabbed her by the hand.
Whoosh!
Mackenzie immediately swung her hand to slap him across the face.
This time, he finally dodged it. She seized the chance to pull away from him
and continue stomping away, looking like she was about to hail a taxi to bring
her home.
“I’ll send you home!” he called out.
He dragged her outstretched arm down.
The arm bounced back up.
He pressed it down.
She was stunned by his response. There was something off about him
tonight. Not only had he called her by name, but he also had the audacity to
touch her.
He did not know what came over him either. Perhaps it was the effects of
liquid courage?
When he thought of how he kissed her, his heart still skipped anxiously. He
had risked his life for that kiss.
However, why did she kiss him back?
Was the kiss meant for Quintus‘ eyes or Claudette’s?
“Enough. You can save the money you’ll be paying for the taxi by following me
home,” he said.
For once, he decided to take charge and dragged her over to his scooter.
His actions shocked her, infuriated her, and even made her laugh. She
tugged at one of the strands of her hair, speechlessly questioning him if he
was actually telling a daughter of the Quillen family to ride on the back of his
scooter.
What would people think of the great CEO of the Terence Group?
He did not care what she thought and quickly straddled the scooter. “Get on!”
“No way!”
She huffed and turned away with crossed arms.
“If you’re not getting on yourself, I’ll make you get on.”
He was seething as well.
“That’s a bluff!”
“You can verify that yourself.”
He got off the scooter. Frankly speaking, he did not want this cold war
between them to continue any longer.
Firstly, he did not want to sleep outside through the winter. If he did not do
“You filthy liar! Are you an actor?”
Quintus shook his head. He thought Emmanuel was a nobody. Who would
have known that Emmanuel actually had a trump card up his sleeves? He
had forcefully dragged home the city’s most unapproachable woman, the
woman neither Hubert nor he could get with.
As for Emmanuel, he had already forgotten about Quintus. Mackenzie was his
wife anyway, so what was wrong about riding off with her?
The scooter wobbled the entire way back to Yociam Residence.
The security guards gaped in shock upon seeing that.
They had never seen Mackenzie return home in such a vehicle.
She was always seen riding in Bentleys and Maseratis, so why was she riding
on some shabby electric scooter today?
This man was certainly somebody. He was able to drag a goddess down to
earth, tainting her ethereal image.
Chapter 263
After arriving home, Mackenzie locked herself in the bedroom, slamming the
door shut with a loud bang. It was clear that she did not intend to speak to
Emmanuel.
Nevertheless, he was helpless because he knew his wife’s temper was
explosive. If I had done something inappropriate, that would explain her
anger, but I haven’t! In any case, she threw a tantrum and accused me of
having an affair with Claudette. As he was seething with anger still, he soon
returned to his room to turn in for the night.
When she heard a door click shut, her anger burned brighter upon seeing he
had not even tried to calm her down. “What an absolutely useless fool. Would
it kill him to learn to flatter and flirt like Hubert and Quintus?” she grumbled.
Then, she sighed. How could a wife be asked to appease her husband during
a fight? Does he think I’ll go out of my way to make amends with him? He is
as dumb as rocks! Why did Grandpa choose such a husband for me? This is
so infuriating!
The next morning, Mackenzie woke up to find the man, who was as dumb as
rocks laying out a breakfast spread on the table. After two days of giving
each other the cold shoulder, she suddenly realized Emmanuel’s importance
in the household.
“I made you breakfast, Ms. Quillen!” he greeted. While he was still angry at her,
he was not a petty man and would not refuse to make her breakfast just
because they were fighting.
“Got it,” she huffed. Mackenzie was initially moved by Emmanuel’s actions.
She would have forgiven him when he said something sweet, but the fool
then resumed his formal tone. However, she noticed he had forcefully kept
them at a distance again.
After hearing her bland response, he felt displeased. Why is she so difficult to
deal with?
When he had finished his breakfast and was about to leave the apartment,
he noticed she had just finished cleaning up and was sitting at the dining
table. However, he could only spare a few minutes to speak to her, so he
focused on the most pressing matter at hand. “My sister’s wedding
ceremony is this Saturday. I hope you’ll be there with me, Ms. Quillen.”
Since they were still married, his sister was also hers. Emmanuel knew it
would be detrimental to Mackenzie’s reputation if she did not attend the
wedding. Moreover, he was also concerned about making his family
suspicious of his marriage.
“That soon?” she asked, surprised. “She just started dating him, right?”
“Yes, it’s a little fast.” He had been just as shocked when he received the news
last night. All of that reaction was now hidden away behind a smile. “Their
speed is nothing compared to us.”
Mackenzie huffed coldly in response. This hasty wedding is the cause of my
current state of anger. “That’ll depend on my mood on the day.” She had
purposefully avoided saying yes right away because she wanted to see if
Emmanuel would try to cheer her up, and if he did not make any attempts by
Saturday, she would not be accompanying him.
He sighed upon hearing this. Why is it so hard to communicate with her? Still,
it is best to stick with this until the wedding is over. Furthermore, the situation
is much better now, and the rest can be discussed later.
After he had left on his scooter, a Land Rover pulled out of nowhere and
blocked his path. Suddenly, he had a bad feeling about this. Yesterday, he
had finally broken the ice with Mackenzie, but in doing so, he had made
Quintus his enemy.
Emmanuel knew that Quintus was unlike Hubert because he was a man who
expressed his emotions honestly. Consequently, he realized that Quintus
would be a difficult adversary to deal with, but he also did not wish to be
Quintus‘ enemy.
The car door swung open at this moment as Quintus marched down with a
nunchaku. Since he was over six foot two, most people would be quivering in
fear as soon as they saw him.
On the other hand, Emmanuel was a tough man and a fighter, which was the
only reason he did not turn his tail and run. He even forced a bitter smile and
greeted, “Morning, Quintus!”
“Shut up! If you’re a man, you’ll take up my challenge right now!” Not only was
Quintus a burly man, but he was also the owner of a very loud voice. One
roar, and he had the attention of every security guard in the area.
One of the security guards tried to do his job and stop the fight, but his
companions stopped him while whispering fiercely into his ears. “Do you
want to die? Can’t you see the air of murder lurking around him? You could
die if you try to stop him!”
Chapter 264
After a while, the security guard began to fear Quintus, realizing how powerful
and intimidating he could be with his nunchaku. This man is unquestionably
a trained fighter; I could tell he has trained for at least a decade.
“I… Quintus, why would I accept your challenge? I have to get to work right
now. I don’t have time to play!” Emmanuel explained as he did not intend to
fight him at all. He might be dense, but he was not an idiot. Quintus must be
here because of Mackenzie. However, she is my wife, and why would I use my
wife as a trophy in a fight with another man? Only fools will do that!
“Play? This is a serious problem!” Since Quintus was not immoral, he would
never attack his opponents before establishing conditions. Hence, to stoke
Emmanuel’s passion, he stated, “In other countries, chivalry is one of the most
important qualities in society. Only the strongest and most sincere knights
could win the princess‘ affections!”
He is crazy! Emmanuel sighed.
At this moment, Mackenzie exited the apartment and walked to the security
booth when she noticed the unfolding events. However, she did not stop the
fight since she wanted to see who would be stronger between the two men.
She knew Quintus had been part of the military since he was 9 and had been
training in martial arts for nearly 20 years as he was considered invincible in
Yeringham. In addition, she knew that Emmanuel was no slouch because he
had defeated Samuel’s gang all by himself and rescued her and Beatrix from
the hands of professional killers. Until now, she had never met anyone as
strong as him.
“I admire your passion, Quintus, but I must get to work right now! This is also
not the best place for a fight. Someone might call the police. You wouldn’t
want to be arrested, right? I don’t think a fight between us would end in just a
few minutes. Why don’t you pick another time and place for the challenge?”
Emmanuel was the Wolf Warrior of the north, and while he wasn’t particularly
good with emotions, he was a master of tactics. With that, he quickly figured
out a way to delay the fight.
“You’re right… You’re absolutely right!” Quintus put away his weapon, realizing
he had been acting too recklessly. “Very well. I’ll pick you up on Saturday
morning. We’ll duel in the fighting ring! Bye then.”
However, Emmanuel did not respond with an answer and promptly rode off
since he did not want to fight at all. In which era does Quintus believe we are
currently living? How could anyone still believe a fight can decide the right to
date a woman? What a joke!
The next two days passed in silence.
As Roselynn’s wedding quickly approached, Emmanuel had to return home to
help decorate the house. This meant that he would never return until late at
night, but no matter how late, he would always go home. Alessandra
instructed him to do so because she was concerned for Mackenzie’s safety
and worried that being home alone would be unsettling for her. Although his
sister’s wedding was important, so was his wife because Mackenzie was
Alessandra’s greatest hope of having a grandchild.
On Friday night, Ryder called Emmanuel to express his frustration. “It has been
one week since the fight with Abellyn, and she has not returned home! It feels
like there’s no difference between this and divorce!”
On the other hand, Emmanuel understood what he was going through.
Ryder wanted a divorce but could not bear to say a word for Tommy’s sake. It
did not matter what Emmanuel and Mackenzie recommended or that a
lawyer had already been picked out for the divorce process. Moreover, Ryder
was a straightforward man who could not bear to betray his wife, regardless
of their short relationship. He might have agreed to do it when angry, but now
that his wife gave him the cold shoulder, he had no opportunity to act on his
impulses.
“Mackenzie and I have told you our opinions. Abellyn cheating on you is a
fact. It is your decision whether you decide to forgive her for the sake of your
family or you get a divorce.” Emmanuel was at a loss for what else to advise.
“Fine. If she doesn’t return and attend Rosie’s wedding with me, I’ll divorce her
immediately!” Ryder finally came to a decision.
Chapter 265
Since Abellyn’s presence in Ryder’s life was as visible as thin air, it did not
matter to him if he got a divorce. He wanted nothing more than to provide a
mother for Tommy, even if that meant getting remarried.
However, Emmanuel agreed with that train of thought. If she could turn over
a new leaf and admit her faults, it would be good news if he could forgive her
for his family’s sake. However, divorce would be the best course of action if
she insists on betraying him.
During the phone call, Mackenzie walked past him. While they no longer gave
each other the cold shoulder, they did not engage in much conversation
because there was nothing to discuss. When he ended the call, she said,
“Don’t wait until tomorrow. Tell him to just get a divorce already.”
“Why?” Emmanuel asked. He knew that there must be a reason behind her
declaration.
In response, she bit her lips and hesitated. The mere thought of spotting
Abellyn and Zane together was so revolting that Mackenzie had to leave the
living room.
At this moment, a frown formed on his face as he realized a major factor
must be behind her reaction. Since she does not explain the situation, I
cannot immediately call Ryder to tell him to file for divorce.
On Saturday morning, Quintus arrived at Yociam Residence in his Land Rover.
This time, he was not waiting for Mackenzie but instead for Emmanuel.
However, his wait was similar to the paradox of happiness in that the more
one pursued it, the more elusive it became.
When he used to wait for her, she would never show up. However, when he
stopped waiting for her, she drove toward him in her Bentley and rolled down
her window to talk to him. “You can stop waiting now.”
“Ah, you’re mistaken. You can’t say no today because I’m not here for you!”
Quintus grinned and added, “Just wait. Once I defeat him, I’ll continue my
pursuit of you.”
“Fool.” Mackenzie rolled her eyes. After a few moments of muttering to herself
under her breath, she told him the truth. “Emmanuel’s sister is getting married
today. He had returned home to help before dawn, so you won’t be able to
talk to him today.” After saying this, she rolled up her window.
“What?” He exploded in anger and scolded, “That brat did not keep his word!
He promised me we would duel today. Does he think he can leave me
hanging just because of a wedding? Where is his home? I’m going to him!”
“Fool.” After repeating the insult once more, she told Wally to continue driving.
Quintus was fortunate that Mackenzie witnessed the events of that day, as
Emmanuel did not consent to the duel. However, he had only assumed
Emmanuel agreed to it. “Dang it! Darn him!” Then, he stomped on the ground
and grumbled, “Oh, why do Claudette and Mackenzie like that dishonorable
man? Is there no more demand for an honest man like me?”
Achoo! Emmanuel, who had been busy helping with the wedding, suddenly
sneezed. Due to his hectic schedule, he had completely forgotten about
Quintus. Emmanuel was so dense that just dealing with the marriage with
Mackenzie was a headache for him. Moreover, he did not need a third party
to butt in to worsen the situation.
“What is it, Manny? Did you catch a cold?” Roselynn suddenly appeared from
her room upon hearing the sneeze.
His eyes lit up the moment he landed his eyes on her. “You look beautiful
today, Roselynn!”
According to Yeringham tradition, both sides of the family had to host
wedding dinners. Today was the bride’s turn to host the wedding dinner, and
after that, his sister would head over to Jaxton’s home for the wedding dinner
hosted by the groom.
On this particular day, she wore a tight–fitting red dress that showed off her
long legs and slim waist. She looked like the perfect personification of
feminine beauty.
Emmanuel suddenly realized Jaxton had lucked out in convincing Roselynn to
marry him. He could only hope that Jaxton would continue to be good to her
after the wedding.
Chapter 266
“Hmph! Finally, you see my beauty,” Roselynn said.
She was so proud of how she looked that she even struck a pose.
“I am your brother, Roselynn. I am not your husband. Save the poses for when
you’re married,” Emmanuel protested with an awkward laugh.
“Huh? Are you tired of living?! I’ll teach you one last lesson before I’m married
off!”
The siblings started play–fighting.
They only stopped when Alessandra walked into the room.
“Honestly, Roselynn, it’s your big day. How can you fight with your brother as if
you’re some tomboyish little girl? Go in and get ready now. The guests are
about to arrive!”
Alessandra delivered her lecture in a gentle voice.
“Mom, it’s only 7.00AM. Who would be here this early?”
Roselynn pouted as she protested. To her surprise, someone actually
appeared soon after she said that.
“Ms. Lenoir? You’re here! Come, sit!”
As Claudette sweetly spoke to Alessandra, she kept sneaking glances at
Emmanuel. However, she soon kept her eyes off of him.
matchmaking attempts. He was undeserving of even wishing to get together
with Claudette, so why would Claudette like him?
“She said she would come. I’m sorry, though. She said she doesn’t have time
He made sure to pass on the message Mackenzie told him to.
“Oh, that’s fine. Your sister’s friend will be helping with the makeup anyway!”
Unbeknownst to her, Terence Quillen was currently all dressed up and waiting
Of course, according to tradition, he would also be bringing Felicity,
Felicity did not want to go. To her, it was a waste of time, and she would have
boss!”
“If you won’t acknowledge me as your granddaughter, I’ll be your
grandson-in–law’s boss. Either way, you’ll be seeing me there, and you have
to be very respectful to me,” she continued with a giggle.
Meanwhile, the Lowe residence was bursting with life.
After arrival, she immediately sat on the couch and scrolled on her phone.
tense at the moment, so they all ignored her.
Jack, however, could not do so. He could not resist going over and grumbling
at her, “Abellyn, don’t you think you’re acting like an outsider? It’s Roselynn’s
big day. There are over a dozen tables outside. Everyone is swamped with
work. Can’t you help out?”
Jack’s young wife chimed in as well. “He’s right. Everyone feels even more
Out of the three brothers in the Lowe family, Jack’s side of the family was the
wealthiest. Still, they were helping out since today was Roselynn’s wedding.
“Tell me then. Just how will you be different?” he asked.
The two of them were insistent on getting a proper answer.
As Abellyn was quite uneducated, she was so blunt that she could never hide
For the past few nights, she had been living with Zane.
was much better than Yociam Residence.
Zane said that he would marry her soon. Hence, she was now ready to show
know everything that happened in the Lowe family.
“She’s the wife of my cousin, Ryder. She must be showing off because she’s
long since known the marriage would end in tragedy. With more people
knowing about what Abellyn had done, Abellyn would be unable to steal too
“Zane Xanders?”
close to Quintus. According to her memory, his annual salary was in the
millions. As for other income sources, she knew nothing of those.
Claudette could not resist laughing though. After all, Abellyn thought she
Did she not know that the Lowe family included individuals so very rich and
Claudette was not a braggart; otherwise, she would not have chosen to work
At this moment, Mackenzie walked into the Lowe Residence, and the cold air
fool she was.
more capable people than you!” As she spoke, she recalled seeing Ms.
Quillen at the banquet the other day. Back then, she thought that the two
shared a similar silhouette, but as she watched Mackenzie walk into the Lowe
Residence with a lack of grandeur, it was a stark contrast from the reverence
the same league and could not be the same person!
forced to swallow her rage and could only let out an angry huff before
“Where do you think you’re going, Abellyn?” Ryder, who had been assisting in
arguing with another person, just in time to see her walking away, and
shouted after her.
“It’s none of your business! Just take care of yourself!” she roared, using him
as an outlet for her anger.
However, this was what Abellyn was waiting for. Chloe had previously
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