Chapter 122 Annoying Bennett a Bit
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+8 Pearls
“Even though you appear calm and collected on the outside, with your gentle demeanor and lack of visible anger, if you look closely, you can still spot the small signs that give you away,” Charmaine observed.
Keon let out a resigned chuckle. “Yeah, there is something else…
“Are you seriously planning to keep your true identity a secret from Emyr?”
Charmaine asked, her voice flat and unflinching, “What identity do you mean?”
Keon was taken aback, unsure how to respond.
They were supposed to keep things confidential, after all.
His face darkened slightly. “After Emyr came back from his injury, he didn’t just ask us to track down clues about Master Field. He also wanted me to keep an eye on someone.”
“I know. It’s a woman, right? Hasn’t he already found her?” Charmaine replied, unaffected.
Keon lowered his voice, barely a whisper. “She’s the one who owns the bullet–casing necklace. The ‘Fox‘ he used to fight alongside.”
His voice dropped further. “And Veronica, holding that necklace, is the person Emyr believes to be the Fox.”
Charmaine’s eyes widened in realization. “So that’s what’s going on.”
“How did your necklace end up in Veronica’s hands?”
Charmaine shrugged casually. “Leah’s stolen a lot of my things. I imagine she gave that necklace to Veronica a while back–just by chance, really.”
Charmaine quickly pieced together the likely story.
Given Leah’s selfish and controlling nature, Charmaine assumed Leah must have realized she couldn’t pull off the deception herself. So, she handed it off to Veronica.
This way, Leah could still use Veronica to gain favor with Emyr and keep Charmaine in check.
Two birds with one stone.
Keon blinked, clearly taken aback. “Aren’t you upset that Veronica is pretending to be you?”
Charmaine looked at him, unfazed. “Why would I be upset? Besides…”
She smirked, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “If she’s trying to be me, she’ll have to deal with the consequences when the truth comes out.”
Keon stared at her, momentarily stunned.
There was a certain change in Charmaine—a confidence, a radiance that wasn’t there before.
She was no longer the same person he had known.
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12:33 Sat, Feb 22 ·
Chapter 122 Annoying Bennett a Bit
+8 Pearls
After leaving the Regal Tavern, Charmaine checked her phone, finding several messages from Celeste.
Celeste wrote, “It’s all over! The plan failed! My dad couldn’t get it done…”
Charmaine typed back, “I thought you were confident?”
Celeste replied quickly, “Who could have predicted this Mr. Riverson owes a favor to Leah’s grandpa! My family’s worked with him for years, and when it came down to it, he turned us down!”
Leah’s grandpa? Charmaine’s eyes narrowed slightly in response.
Celeste, now utterly frustrated, dialed Charmaine in a panic.
Sighing, Charmaine answered the phone.
The moment Celeste’s voice came through, it was full of agitation. “Ahhh! Charmaine, what are we going
to do now? I can already imagine Leah’s smug face! She’s probably gloating already!”
Charmaine held the phone away from her ear, wincing at the loud, chaotic sound. It was nearly unbearable.
“Calm down,” Charmaine said with a composed tone.
Celeste wasn’t having it. “Can you stop being so calm? Aren’t you even a little worried?”
Charmaine smiled faintly. “Panicking won’t help. Did your father give up that easily?”
Celeste continued, her voice tinged with frustration, “He said he’d keep trying, but I’m not holding my breath. The Reads have people they can call in favors with, and they’ve got the Nelsons backing them. It’s clear who they’re going to side with.”
“Well, it sounds like you’re just giving them more confidence while losing your own. Not my problem,” Charmaine replied flatly.
Celeste fell silent.
Before Celeste could go into another fit, Charmaine added softly, “Tell Mr. Wheeler to keep pushing. Even if it doesn’t work out, annoying Bennett a bit won’t hurt
Celeste scoffed. “What’s the point? By the time they lock in the contract, they’ll just turn around and laugh at my dad.”
As the taxi sped through the lively streets of Eragos, the neon lights flashing by, Charmaine’s face was illuminated by the city’s glow.
It cast shadows over half her face, making her appear both mysterious and intense.
Her voice dropped low and steady, as if she were revealing something deeper–something hidden beneath the surface.
“Bennett won’t get the contract. Pressuring him will only push him to pour more money into the investment. In the end, he’ll be left with nothing.”
Celeste, still confused, asked, “What do you mean? I don’t get it.”
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Chapter 122 Annoying Bennett a Bit
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“It’s probably better that you don’t. Just focus on handling your dad; that’s where your energy should go. As for his business … maybe he’ll find some benefit in all this, after all.”
“Wait, what?” Celeste asked, confused.
Without bothering to answer, Charmaine hung up, her expression unreadable.
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