Chapter 190: Chapter 190: He Became So Greedy
The name Leona Chambers was not unfamiliar to Ann Vaughn. She had heard Susie mention it in conversations over the years; she was an old friend of Susie’s, who had just returned from abroad.
Ann Vaughn furrowed her delicate eyebrows, feeling like cursing, but then again, she couldn’t bring herself to swear.
Whether or not Susie and Silas Master Moore were together, their relationship could never be accepted by the outside world.
Since Susie’s mother married Silas’s father as a second wife, any hope of them being together was doomed.
No matter how much unwillingness and resentment they harbored, they would have to accept it; otherwise, the deeper they got, the more hurt Susie would be.
"Susie, whether you want to tear that woman apart or deal with those two cheating bastards, I’m here with you," Ann Vaughn softly comforted. "Besides, Silas Master Moore isn’t worthy of my excellent Susie."
Ann knew Ann Vaughn was trying to console her, but Susie couldn’t help but smile smugly. "Of course, he isn’t even worthy of a single finger of mine!"
Amid their playful banter, they arrived at their destination.
Through the shadowy branches, Ann Vaughn could vaguely see an European-style villa perched on a hillside not too far away.
The moonlight spilled in through the car window, revealing a face that was entirely different from just a moment ago.
"Annie, he won’t be back until eight-thirty, so you have another half hour. I’ve looked into it; there are only six servants and two security guards inside. I bribed one of them, and you should be able to sneak in with her identity."
Susie said this while eyeing Ann Vaughn’s made-up face with satisfaction, "Your makeup skill is even better than Photoshop, teach me someday."
"No problem, come find me whenever you want to learn," Ann Vaughn agreed with a subtle smile, then put on the padded coat, instantly making her slender figure appear bulky.
Having prepared everything, Ann Vaughn finally opened the car door, carrying a bag as she headed toward the villa.
At that time of day, the servants in the villa were preparing to rest. Ann Vaughn entered the code and went inside, carrying her items onward into the villa.
She first placed the items in the refrigerator in the kitchen, feigning the appearance of just returning with groceries, then she slipped upstairs to the master bedroom, avoiding the attention of a cleaning servant.
The room was decorated in a monochrome scheme with a minimalist style, yet it exuded a sense of discreet luxury.
Ann Vaughn glanced around and her gaze suddenly halted at the small pile of medicine bottles on the table. A rough look revealed they were medications for headaches and anorexia.
And... a bottle of sleeping pills.
Ann Vaughn recalled Susie mentioning that Cyrus Hawthorne had quite severe insomnia over the years, consuming sleeping pills in such frequency and dose that he developed resistance.
Therefore, the room was filled every night with calming incense meant to help him sleep.
Next to that, there was also a stack of files with the English letters "Virus" faintly visible.
Ann Vaughn’s gaze paused for a moment, but the urgency of the situation left her no time for distractions.
It wasn’t long before she located the source of the incense in the room, and she stepped forward to replace it with the one she brought.
She had just finished doing this when she suddenly heard faint footsteps outside the door.
In the next second, Ann Vaughn, almost without thinking, hid inside the closet.
She had just hidden when the room door was pushed open, and a tall, distinguished figure stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
"...Send the proposal back for a redo. I didn’t hire you at such expense to do nothing. If this project isn’t sorted by next week, have the person in charge go back and take care of themselves."
The man’s deep, magnetic voice came through the closet door’s seam, cold and devoid of any human warmth.
Ann Vaughn curled herself up at the very back of the closet, fearing discovery, not daring to even breathe heavily.
Just then, the closet door was suddenly opened.
Tentative footsteps drew near, coupled with the man’s cold tone, "What’s the status of the batch of medications set to be launched in K Country?"
Oh no!
Hearing the wardrobe door open in front of her, Ann Vaughn’s eyes widened.
Among so many closets inside, why did she have to choose the one he would open?!
The clothes in front of her being moved caused Ann Vaughn unimaginable anxiety, fearing at any moment she would be discovered by Cyrus Hawthorne.
Just as Ann Vaughn was about to pass out from holding her breath, the closet door was finally shut, and the footsteps departed.
"Phew..." Ann Vaughn let out a heavy sigh of relief, grabbing clothes from the closet to wipe the sweat off her forehead, feeling an odd sense of having narrowly escaped danger.
...Wait, something’s not right.
In the dark, Ann Vaughn made out the shape of the clothing she held, and once she did, she immediately froze!
Ahhhh—
What was she doing?!
With her face flushed, Ann Vaughn scrambled out of the closet, vigorously wiping her hands on her skirt as if they’d been burned, pressing her red lips tightly together.
Not until the lights in the room dimmed did Ann Vaughn gauge the time. Only then did she step out of the closet.
The scent of incense was so strong that, had Ann Vaughn not prepared beforehand, she might have fallen asleep as well.
To avoid a repeat of what occurred last time, Ann Vaughn decided to act fast.
However, just as her soft body pressed against that firm frame, which should have been weakened by the incense, Cyrus Hawthorne suddenly spread his arms and gathered her into a full embrace!
Ann Vaughn’s forehead thudded against his strong chest, tears welling up in her bright eyes.
Too preoccupied with the pain to give it any thought, Ann Vaughn immediately tried to pull away from him in a panic.
What was happening? He was still awake? How was this possible?!
The incense she had prepared would weaken even the strongest of men, leaving them barely able to move, their senses dulled and lost in a dreamlike state.
This way, even if he realized something the next day, he would assume it had been a dream.
But he—
While Ann Vaughn was in a heart-pounding panic, Cyrus Hawthorne gently lifted his head, his cool lips brushing against her neck, tracing soft kisses that carried profound tenderness, as if he were handling his most cherished treasure.
His voice was gently hoarse, "Meeting you again..."
Ann Vaughn’s shoulders lightly trembled, and she looked up at the expression on Cyrus Hawthorne’s face. It was partly dazed and partly enchanting, yet clearly not conscious.
She couldn’t help but sigh with relief, as she knew the incense was reliable after all.
Then, Ann Vaughn intended to take control, only to have her waist abruptly seized, with no warning as he encroached upon her territory.
"Mmph!" The sudden pain caused Ann Vaughn to tremble all over, her fine brows knitting tightly, and she bit hard on Cyrus Hawthorne’s hand that was caressing her cheek.
She was like a solitary boat adrift on the tumultuous sea, tossed up and down by the raging waves, with no defense against being capsized into the water.
Only by desperately clinging to the last piece of driftwood could she avoid drowning.
"Ann Vaughn..." Cyrus Hawthorne pressed his forehead against Ann Vaughn’s, arms tightly holding her petite frame, his voice tinged with a slight sense of insecurity and panic.
In just two meetings, he had grown this greedy.
He not only wanted her in his dreams but yearned to truly hold her tightly in his arms.