Chapter 16

He slightly opened his eyes and saw Angelia, embracing her waist and bringing her to his bed. “Sleep, dear,” he said.

“I really saw it, right outside the window. Its face was silver and glowing, with big, blood-red eyes,” Angelia said fearfully.

Jerome had a terrible headache. He pulled the covers over her head and held her in his arms, closing his eyes and whispering, “If it’s outside the window, it won’t come in. Don’t be afraid, I’m here. Sleep soundly.”

Angelia thought about it and felt reassured. The thing was outside the window, and she was protected in Jerome’s arms. Even ghosts and spirits were afraid of Jerome, so it should be okay.

Gradually, her mood calmed down.

Jerome smelled good, not like perfume, but a mixture of shower gel and his own scent. It was clean and refreshing, lingering on her nose and having a calming effect.

Unconsciously, she fell asleep again.

In the morning, Jerome woke up before Angelia and looked at the small woman sleeping in his arms.

Angelia slept well, her face red, possibly due to being stifled. Her long eyelashes were like a fan, covering her eyelids, and her mouth pursed as she took a deep breath. She didn’t wake up and continued sleeping.

Jerome chuckled.

She really looked like a cute little kitten.

Angelia heard the laughter and slowly opened her eyes, meeting Jerome’s dark eyes. She was confused for a few seconds, staring at him as if she remembered something. She was no longer sleepy and nervously said, “I saw a ghost yesterday?”

“And then? Did it climb onto my bed?” Jerome teased.

“No, it’s you…” Angelia paused for a moment, trying to recall whether it was a dream or reality.

“I climbed onto your bed?” Jerome continued her sentence.

“No, it was a ghost,” Angelia explained.

Jerome was in a playful mood. “The ghost climbed onto my bed?”Angelia realized that Jerome was doing it on purpose. This man, who appeared mature and cool, was actually very cunning. “I’m going to brush my teeth now,” she said.

Jerome held her shoulder and said, “Sleep a little longer. You were on my bed yesterday, and I didn’t sleep well.”

“Then you should sleep,” she said, trying to get up.

Jerome hugged her waist and said, “Don’t move around. I’m not a saint.”

Angelia felt the heat of his palm, which made her head swell. She wanted to indulge in it, but she made a great effort to remain rational. “I know you don’t like me, so you keep your distance. But this is not appropriate.”

“It’s not appropriate for you to climb onto my bed,” Jerome retorted.

“That’s because… there’s a ghost,” Angelia said softly, feeling guilty. She was afraid she would fall in love with Jerome, and no one would come to save her. She had to maintain 100% rationality.

“Okay, I won’t tease you anymore. You’re really a coward,” Jerome said meaningfully, letting go of her and getting up to go to the bathroom.

Angelia took a deep breath, and another one. Was she hypoxic from the heat just now? Her heart rate still hadn’t returned to normal. Something was brewing and fermenting in her blood.

There was a hurried knocking at the door. Angelia regained her senses and quickly got up.

She was still lying on Jerome’s bed, which was very inappropriate.

She looked through the peephole and saw two police officers in uniform. They were suspicious and asked, “Excuse me, do you have a moment? There was a homicide next door last night, and we hope you can cooperate with our investigation.”

“Last night?” Angelia’s spine tingled, and her legs went numb. “I…”

She was about to say that she had seen a ghost, but Jerome interrupted her in time and said, “Angelia, I’ve squeezed toothpaste for you. Come in and brush your teeth first.”

“Oh,” Angelia replied and said to the police officers, “Please wait for me for a moment.”Jerome’s eyes sank, and he said, “She’s very enthusiastic, just a bit too naive.”

He said to the police with some distance, “Sorry, we need to change our clothes.”

He closed the door and went into the bathroom.

Angelia was still rinsing her mouth, spitting out water anxiously and hurrying out of the bathroom.

Jerome held her hand and said, “Tell me what you saw last night, and I’ll talk to the police. Don’t get involved.”

Angelia was puzzled, “Why?”

“As a girl, you shouldn’t be afraid of retaliation. Don’t forget, you live alone on the third floor of a small community with poor security. Even if you don’t consider yourself, you should consider your child,” Jerome reminded her.

Angelia felt like she had been hit by something violently and quickly, and ripples spread through her body.

“What about you? If they retaliate, they will retaliate against you too.”

Jerome smiled and asked, “I have no fixed abode. How can they retaliate against me? Should I go abroad with you?”

“Then… what if it’s really a ghost?” Angelia felt that it was ridiculous to say so, but she really saw it.

“What does it look like? Tell me in detail, don’t leave out any details,” Jerome patiently asked.

“It’s silver, not very bright, and the face looks like a face in an opera, with one red, one white, and one black. I didn’t see its clothes,” Angelia recalled.

“What about its clothes?”

“Clothes? I didn’t see its clothes. I only saw a face outside the window, looking inwards, but I only looked at it for about five seconds. Then it flashed past our window, and then… ” Angelia pointed outside, “I heard the police say that someone died next door.”

“This building has 17 floors in total, and we are on the 16th floor. If I’m not mistaken, someone fell from the top floor wearing black night clothes and blended into the night. Their face would glow, and they wore a mask with fluorescent powder or something. They looked in our window to confirm the room,” Jerome speculated.Angelia thinks Jerome makes sense, “This is all I saw.”

“What about the time?”

Angelia shakes her head, “I didn’t see it.”

“I know, stay in the room,” Jerome instructs.

He takes off his pajamas, revealing his muscular and powerful physique that extends directly to his abdomen.

Angelia blushes and turns away.

Jerome looks at her…

She doesn’t look like a married woman who has had children at all, but more like a shy teenage girl who easily blushes. Even when she kissed him before, it was very awkward, and she didn’t even know how to breathe properly.

Jerome feels a strange feeling in his heart… Her relationship with her husband doesn’t seem to be what he imagined.

“You can turn around now,” Jerome says.

Angelia turns around to look at him. He has already changed into a suit, looking handsome and full of restrained desire.

“Why can’t you look?” Jerome bluntly asks.

“You’re not wearing clothes, is it okay for me to look?” Angelia explains with a smile.

“Where on my body haven’t you seen?” Jerome asks meaningfully. He not only saw it, but also used it and even ate it…

“Ah?” Angelia quickly searches her mind. Is he thinking she peeked at him while he was showering? “Last time we took a photo, I took a picture of your upper body, I didn’t see anything else, I swear.”

She raises her hand and puts it on her face, looking particularly sincere.

Jerome’s gaze becomes darker and darker. Did she forget about what happened five years ago or did she not remember at all? “Why did you take a picture of me?”

“Um…” Angelia silently withdraws her hand.

She doesn’t want to mention Darcey’s name, afraid it will cause unnecessary trouble for Darcey. She vaguely says, “One of my friends really likes you, so I took this picture.”

“Which friend?” Jerome asks.

“Don’t ask about this, the police are still waiting at the door,” Angelia reminds him.”If you don’t say anything, I will assume that you like me and took the photo to keep as a memento, Angelia. Even if I think that, don’t you want to defend yourself?” Jerome asked seriously, without any joking tone.

“Why do you want to know who it is?” Angelia asked, puzzled.

Jerome looked at her deeply. He didn’t want to know who it was, he just wanted to know her feelings.

The sound of knocking interrupted them. Jerome checked his watch and realized that the police had been waiting for three minutes already. He didn’t want to waste their time. “We’ll talk later,” he said as he opened the door. “If you have any questions, ask me. My girlfriend is timid.”

The two police officers exchanged a glance, and the younger one said, “Did you waste three minutes discussing how to trick the police?”

“I don’t think changing clothes is a waste of time. If you think I’m going to trick you, then I don’t think there’s any point in talking to me. You can ask someone else,” Jerome said seriously as he turned to go inside.

“Sir, we don’t mean that. Could you please cooperate with the police?” the older police officer said politely.

Jerome looked at the older officer and stopped walking, waiting for them to ask their questions.

“Did you hear any strange noises yesterday?” the older police officer asked.

“No,” Jerome said.

“What do you mean no? The person was killed next door to you, and the sound insulation here isn’t great. You couldn’t have heard nothing,” the younger police officer shouted.

“The killer climbed in through the window and attacked the victim while they were sleeping. Do you think there would be any strange noises, like the sound of opening a window?” Jerome asked.

The younger police officer widened his eyes. “How do you know the killer climbed in through the window and not through the door? You must be the killer.”

“Because the killer passed by my window, and there’s surveillance in the hotel hallway. The killer wouldn’t be stupid enough to wait to be caught. Climbing in through the window is also reasonable,” Jerome replied.The young one was about to speak, but the older one said, “What does the killer look like? How tall is he and what is his build like?”

“He’s wearing a glowing mask and night clothes. You can’t see his build or face clearly,” Jerome said seriously.

The young police officer sneered, “What time was it?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I think you guys are the killers. What are you doing up so late?” the young police officer shouted harshly.

Jerome looked at him, very unhappy with his tone and baseless suspicion, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes. “What are we doing up so late?”

“What’s with your attitude? Is this how you cooperate with us? We need to talk to your girlfriend now,” the young police officer said in a bad tone, rushing towards the room.

Jerome stood in front of him, “I said she’s scared. Just ask me if you have any questions.”

“We suspect you murdered Mr. next door. Let your girlfriend come out, or we will arrest you for obstructing the police investigation,” the police officer warned sternly.

Angelia heard it all from inside the room and was really worried about Jerome. She took the initiative to come out and said, “I can prove he’s not involved in this.”

“Whether he’s involved or not is not up to you to decide. We will judge. What were you doing between 2 and 4 yesterday morning?” the young police officer said rudely.

“Sleeping,” Angelia replied.

“How can you prove that your boyfriend didn’t climb out of the window during that time?” the young police officer said sarcastically.

Angelia felt that the police officer was trying to provoke them, “I was sleeping, and then I woke up in a daze and saw a masked man outside the window. He looked at my room for five seconds and then left.”

“Well, that’s quite a coincidence. The killer happened to be outside your window when you opened your eyes, but he didn’t kill you. Instead, he killed the person next door,” the police officer said in a weird tone.Angelia was also a little angry.

“It’s just a coincidence!”

“Then please come with us to the station and explain it clearly. I now suspect that you are the murderer,” the young police officer said fiercely, taking out handcuffs and going to cuff Angelia.

Jerome pulled Angelia behind him.

“Oh, resisting arrest, huh?” The police officer took out his gun and pointed it at Jerome.

Jerome looked down at the young police officer expressionlessly. “With her delicate body, do you think she could climb through the window next door? This is the 16th floor, and falling down would be fatal.”

“So you specifically chose the victim’s neighbor, right?”

“When we came, this was the last room. You can ask the front desk if we had a choice,” Jerome said calmly.

“So you came prepared. Let’s go to the station and talk,” the young police officer went to cuff Jerome.

Jerome opened his hand.

The young police officer was annoyed and wanted to shoot at Jerome.

Jerome grabbed his gun and the bullet hit the wall with a bang.

A glint flashed in Jerome’s eyes. “Even if you treat me as a suspect, do you have to shoot? What do you want to prove?”

Without thinking, the young police officer continued to press the trigger and fired a second bullet…

Jerome had already noticed and raised his gun. Bang! The bullet went into the wall again.

Other police officers from the next room came out to see what was going on. Jerome took the gun and threw it on the ground.

“You attacked a police officer. You attacked a police officer,” the young police officer deliberately shouted.

“Attacked a police officer? If I didn’t resist, I’m afraid I would be lying on the ground now,” Jerome asked the young police officer coldly.

The young police officer looked at the older one for help.

“I’m sorry, he just wanted to scare you, but it went too far. Can you please come with us to the station? We’re just doing our job,” the older police officer said politely.

Jerome smiled and said, “Sure, let’s go then.”Angelia grabbed Jerome’s arm and shook her head worriedly.

“Stay in the hotel and don’t open the door for anyone, no matter who knocks, okay?” Jerome instructed.

Angelia was concerned; the young police officer really wanted to shoot.

She also felt a strong desire to frame them for something, starting from the provocation at the beginning.

They wouldn’t torture Jerome on the way, but he was unfamiliar with the place, and even his wealth couldn’t help him fight against the authorities.

“I know Jacob from the city bureau, don’t mess with him,” Angelia warned.

“Forget Jacob, it doesn’t matter if you know the Chief of Police,” the young police officer arrogantly replied.

Jerome looked at Angelia’s worried and caring face, his eyes deepened, and he lowered his head and kissed her directly on the lips.

Angelia’s whole body stiffened, and something hit her mind, causing a momentary blank.

Jerome only kissed her once and said in a deep voice, “I’ll be fine, I promise. Stay in the room, and I’ll be back in the morning to take you out for dinner.”

Angelia watched him leave, and for a long time, she couldn’t regain her senses.

Why did he kiss her?

Did he like her?

He said he didn’t like her!

Or was he just trying to comfort her?

Her heart and thoughts were in turmoil, but more than anything, she was worried about his safety.

Those two police officers might not even give him a chance to make a phone call.

Yes, a phone call.

She immediately called Whitfield, but he hung up on her.

She sent him a text message in a hurry: “Whitfield, this is Angelia. Jerome is in trouble. Please answer my call.”

She had just sent the message when Whitfield called her back, worriedly asking, “What happened to Jerome?”

“Jerome is in Denver for an inspection. Someone died in the room next to his at the hotel, and the police suspect him and took him away,” Angelia said anxiously.

Whitfield was even more shocked, “Jerome is in Denver?”

He remembered that the BOSS’s current schedule was supposed to be in France for a meeting.

He didn’t know when he would return to the country.”I’ll handle it right away,” he said, hanging up the phone.

Angelia waited anxiously in the hotel, but waiting was not a solution. She wanted to help Jerome and went out.

The room next door was sealed off, and someone was gathering evidence inside. She took the elevator to the top floor.

If the killer went down from the top floor, there should be evidence left on the top floor.

She carefully examined and found several suspicious places, took photos, and went downstairs.

The forensic team was preparing to leave.

She stopped them and said, “Don’t you suspect that the killer flipped down from the top floor? If the killer flipped down from the top floor, there should be a lot of evidence.”

The forensic team looked at Angelia suspiciously and asked, “Who are you?”

Angelia did not answer directly, and said, “I went up to see it. There are bread crumbs on the ground, and there are more than one place, which means that the killer has been squatting on the top floor for a long time. You can check if there are any bread packaging or something. Many stores have surveillance cameras now.

This hotel is the highest and far from other buildings. Unless the killer came by plane, he must have entered the hotel. You can check the hotel’s surveillance. The suspect should be someone who appeared in both the bread shop and the hotel at the same time.

Also, I saw that there was a place on the iron ladder on the water tower that was bent. Due to the old age of the iron ladder, the wear and tear on it can be seen. The killer should have brought a rope, and the weight of the killer can be estimated roughly through force testing.

In addition, from the top floor to the 16th floor, you have to pass the 17th floor. Even if the killer is a martial arts master and only uses a simple rope, I think it is very difficult, so the killer may not be alone.”

After Angelia finished speaking, she hoped that the estimated weight would not match hers and Jerome’s, so they would be innocent.

The forensic team nodded and thought that what Angelia said made sense. “We will go up now to collect evidence.”

“Please do.” Angelia looked up.She did not notice that someone was staring at them from the darkness, with cold and fierce eyes…

Police Office

The chief personally served Jerome tea, “I’m sorry, my subordinates were just following protocol. We have investigated and found that Jerome has nothing to do with this matter.”

Jerome took the teacup, “Following protocol is necessary, and cooperation between the police and the people is also necessary. That’s why I came to give a statement. But during the interrogation, accusing someone without evidence and even shooting at them is not right, is it?”

“This was an accident, we just wanted to scare them, we didn’t expect things to escalate like that. This is just a psychological tactic, mainly to see if the other party is guilty or not.” The captain explained.

Jerome’s eyes narrowed, he didn’t drink the tea, and put the teacup aside, asking, “So, I was brought to the police station because I was guilty?”

“Of course not, they just wanted to be accurate and make sure nothing went wrong.”

Jerome sneered, “To be accurate and make sure nothing went wrong, or to control personal emotions? To abuse power, waste police resources, and satisfy personal desires! If I hadn’t resisted and died in Jarvis’s hands, would you have said I committed suicide out of fear?”

“How could that be? You are Walter Taylor’s son, disciplined and upright. You would never do such a thing. Jarvis was just eager for recognition. I will talk to him.” The chief promised.

Jerome saw his bias towards Jarvis, “If you want recognition, you should keep a clear head and find crucial evidence, instead of randomly arresting someone and immediately trying to convict them.”

“Yes, yes, Jerome makes a good point. Jarvis is too impulsive, I will handle it strictly.” The chief nodded and bowed.

“How will you handle it strictly?” Jerome’s eyes turned cold.

He had seen this kind of perfunctory attitude from the chief before.”Police officers need sharp observation skills and rational analytical abilities. If these are lacking, they should at least have a basic sense of justice. I think those two police officers are not suitable for this position. What do you think?” Jerome asked directly.

“Yes, yes,” the chief echoed Jerome.

Jerome stood up, particularly disliking dealing with this chief. His words were ambiguous and insincere.

He walked towards the door.

Angelia saw Jerome coming out of the police station and ran over happily.

Jerome frowned, “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to stay at the hotel?”

“You came out, that’s great,” Angelia said happily.

Jerome looked at her bright face seriously, “Angelia, I’ll only say this once. You listened carefully and made your choice. I’m not joking with you or testing you. If I take 99 steps towards you, how would you choose for the last step?”

Angelia looked at Jerome steadily, her heart beating rapidly. Was this a confession with such a strong tone?

She vaguely felt his feelings for her, but they were not clear.

She couldn’t figure out his thoughts.

If it were five years ago, before Alyssa and before that incident, even if it was just a vague feeling, a simple liking, she would have dated him.

Even if it didn’t work out, she didn’t want to waste her youth and wanted to enter his world, to have a deep understanding of him, and to burn once for love.

But she was already twenty-six, no longer young, married with a child, past the age of a young girl, and could no longer make unrealistic fantasies.

Jerome was very good, very excellent. Excellence for her was like a godly height that she could only look up to.She has no confidence in herself, nor in love, and doesn’t want to be hurt again.

As she told Sammie, she knows it’s impossible, so she doesn’t even want to like Jerome.

He is not a man she can have.

Jerome’s confession to her sounded too beautiful and too fantastical.

Infatuation is a momentary impulse, but being together requires too many factors, which she cannot afford to play with.

“In life, there are only 100 steps, and even if you take 10,000 steps a day, it’s still not enough. If your 99 steps are to pry open someone else’s grave, then don’t bother. There is no good scenery, no beautiful woman, only withering, decay, and stench. So don’t get close, just stay where you are,” Angelia said with a smile.

Jerome’s face became increasingly ugly.

“I don’t believe you don’t have feelings for me,” he said.

“Of course I do,” Angelia said playfully. “You are so outstanding, so handsome, besides having a super high IQ, you can handle things with ease, and despite being only 26 years old, you have a maturity and stability beyond your age. You have a fatal attraction to women, and I really admire you.”

“Admiration? Besides that, there are no other feelings?” Jerome asked, scrutinizing her eyes.

Angelia flicked her hair and lowered her eyes. “No,” she said.

This “no” was meant for him to hear, but also for herself.

Jerome pursed his lips and didn’t say anything, moving his gaze away and walking quickly ahead.

Angelia ran to catch up with him.

He suddenly stopped, and Angelia stopped with him.

He turned around and looked at her, his eyes flashing with complexity.

“Don’t follow me,” he said in a low voice.

“Where are you going?” Angelia asked, puzzled.

“Only my girlfriend has the right to ask me where I’m going. Are you?” Jerome asked in a sarcastic tone.

Angelia pursed her lips and didn’t say anything, watching him leave in front of her, feeling a little lonely.

She knew that some people were like opium.

Once you got involved with them, you would become addicted.

It was better for her to keep her true feelings safe.Okay, watching him leave with his head held high also gives me a feeling of sadness. But it’s okay.

Jerome acted swiftly and decisively, she was only his temporary attention, not his decision or pursuit.

Unlike her, who suffered from a broken heart for several years and still couldn’t heal, she was too emotional.

She walked towards the bus stop.

A taxi stopped next to her, and Jerome lowered the window and looked at her, saying in a deep voice, “Get in.”

“Huh?” Angelia was puzzled.

“Don’t you want to know where I’m going? I’m going to take a taxi,” Jerome explained.

Angelia felt strange in her heart. She thought he would be angry with her refusal and ignore her. Unexpectedly, he came back to pick her up.

She opened the car door and got in the back seat. The driver drove the car.

Angelia looked at Jerome carefully. He noticed her gaze but didn’t look at her. He looked coldly ahead and said meaningfully, “You walk ten thousand steps a day, and I walk ninety-nine steps, which can indeed be ignored.”

Angelia couldn’t guess the meaning of Jerome’s words, but she wanted to express her attitude and position, “I don’t expect to be your friend, but I will try to be an excellent employee for you.”

Jerome looked at her as if nothing had happened, “Then I’ll wait and see. Let’s go eat first, then go to Denver in the afternoon, and come back to the city at night.”

“Are you going to Denver?” The driver was surprised and continued, “Let me tell you, that village is a bit strange. I advise you not to go. Last week, I picked up a guest who was also going to Denver. He seemed to be a photographer, and today he died in the hotel. His throat was cut, and the bed was full of blood. It was very scary.”

Angelia felt that the hotel the driver was talking about was the one they were staying at.

“Are you going for the treasure in Denver?” The driver said again.

“Treasure?” Angelia was skeptical.”This village was established with many pearls hidden in Denver,” the driver said.

“If there really is treasure, it has been over sixty years since it was discovered in this village, and all the places that should have been explored have been explored. Even if there is treasure, Wichita will not publicly bid for development. Even if treasure is discovered during construction, it will be handed over to the country and delay the construction period. For developers, it is not a good thing,” Jerome said expressionlessly.

“If you don’t believe it, forget it. That place is weird,” the driver said, turning into an alley.

From afar, Angelia saw a person sitting on the bridge.

That person was wearing a strange mask.

“Jerome,” Angelia shouted, “the person on the bridge is wearing the same mask I saw last night.”

“Exactly the same?” Jerome asked.

Angelia nodded, “Exactly the same. How did he get here? Isn’t he afraid of being caught? Should we call the police?”

Jerome made a phone call. “Director Anjou, we saw a suspect on the Qing Bridge who is wearing the same mask as the suspect. Can you send someone to check it out?”

“Is that person the suspect?” the driver asked gossiping.

“I don’t know. We have to wait for the police to investigate,” Jerome said cautiously. “Angelia, don’t get off the car. The driver will drive away if there is any danger.”

“The car is burning fuel. You pay for it,” the driver complained.

“I’ll pay double,” Jerome said, pushing open the car door and getting out.

The masked man also stood up, muttering unclear words, and it was unclear what he was saying.

Soon, a group of onlookers gathered by the bridge.

As soon as Jerome arrived, the masked man pointed a knife at him and said, “Evil humans, the gods will punish you and let you fall into endless hell and never find peace.”

Jerome smiled confidently, “Sorry, I don’t believe in hell.”The Masked Man muttered to himself, jumping up and down on the pedestrian bridge like a street performer.

He took out a large bag from his pocket and scattered it among the crowd.

“Everyone disperse,” Jerome warned.

The Masked Man took advantage of the situation and threw a bag of powder on Jerome from another pocket.

He then lit a yellow symbol with a lighter.

Angelia realized that Jerome was in danger and without hesitation, rushed down from the car, grabbed a bucket of water from the restaurant entrance, and ran towards the bridge.

The Masked Man threw the symbol on the ground, which was possibly already covered in phosphorus powder, and it quickly ignited, whistling like a devouring demon, rushing towards Jerome.

Angelia was unable to reach him and poured all the water on Jerome.

The Masked Man saw this and drew a knife towards Jerome.

Jerome dodged and the Masked Man went straight for Angelia.

She couldn’t dodge in time, so she grabbed the blade with her hand.

Jerome saw the blood flowing from the blade and felt regret and heartache.

He should not have dodged.

Even if he was the one who was stabbed, he did not want Angelia to be hurt.

He grabbed the Masked Man’s hand with all his strength, almost breaking it, and pushed him towards Angelia.

“Find a place to hide,” he said.

Angelia was worried about slowing Jerome down, so she ran towards the car.

The sound of police sirens grew louder and the Masked Man realized he couldn’t escape.

He gave up the knife and ran towards the fire.

Jerome grabbed him by the collar and saw the white substance on his neck.

He kicked the back of the Masked Man’s knee and he fell to his knees in front of Angelia.

The police arrived and quickly surrounded the area.

Two officers held the Masked Man down.

The chief removed his mask.

The Masked Man’s face was covered in white substance, his eyes red, staring at the chief with suspicion.The director was shocked, his eyes flickering.

He didn’t finish his sentence and ordered the police to take the person away.

‘Wait,’ Angelia shouted, ‘the mask he’s wearing is the same as the one the killer wore yesterday.

He just tried to kill someone and everyone around can testify.’

The director looked at Angelia as if wanting to say something, but then looked at Jerome with some apprehension.

‘Thank you, the police will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give the citizens an explanation.’

‘Thank you,’ Angelia said politely, feeling that the director… wasn’t too happy, and his expression was very heavy.

The police left and Angelia looked at Jerome worriedly.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Shouldn’t that be you?’ Jerome raised his voice and blamed her.

‘You got off the car, and you ignored everything I said, didn’t you?’

‘I saw fire just now, and something was thrown on you…’

‘So you think I can’t dodge it!’ Jerome interrupted her.

Angelia paused, the words she wanted to say choking in her throat.

Seeing that he was in danger, she couldn’t think about whether he could dodge or not, she just didn’t want him to get hurt.

Feeling a bit wronged and sad, but unable to explain, she lowered her eyes.

‘Hand,’ Jerome said.

Angelia didn’t reach out.

It was her meddling that caused this, and even if she was in pain and bleeding to death, it was something she deserved.

‘I’m fine, you go change your clothes first, luckily the hotel is very close.’

Jerome forcibly grabbed her injured hand and pried open her tightly clenched fingers.

There was a deep scar in the palm of her hand, and blood was still flowing, staining his eyes red.

‘Are you stupid? You never know how to do what’s good for yourself?’ Angelia felt his anger.

‘It’s just a small wound. Girls bleed for a week every month, it just increases blood circulation.'”I may not have any skills, but my spirit is like that of Ah Q, shining brighter than anyone else’s.

If Lu Xun were alive, he would use you as the prototype for writing Ah Q’s Spirit 2.”

Jerome was annoyed and picked up a knife from the ground, cut open his shirt, tore a long strip, and tied it around her.

He held her hand and walked towards the taxi.

“Miss, you are really brave. That is a dangerous person. If you are not careful, you could lose your life,” the driver joked.

Jerome’s eyes narrowed and he was still a little scared.

“Shut up and go to the hospital.”

“Did you eat a bomb?” the driver muttered.

Angelia looked at Jerome, whose dark face was terrifying, like a lion that had been provoked.

She didn’t say anything and dared not speak.

They arrived at the hospital.

The doctor removed the bandage, pulled the cloth off the wound, and the blood that had just stopped started to flow again.

Jerome frowned and felt heartbroken, but didn’t say anything.

“Can’t you be more gentle? You know she has a hand injury. Do patients still come to you for treatment?”

“I have to remove the previous cloth. Are you a doctor? Do you know more than me?” The doctor was unhappy.

“Get out of here.”

Jerome kicked the chair away, sat down, and held Angelia’s hand.

He didn’t remove the cloth, but poured hydrogen peroxide on it, melting the coagulated blood and carefully cleaning it with a cotton swab.

His strength was light, and Angelia felt a tingling sensation in the palm of her hand.

She stared at Jerome as he worked with his head down.

Was he angry because he felt sorry for her injury?

Something seemed to have entered her heart, melting the ice and turning into mist, filling her eyes.

Jerome finished cleaning and looked at her, his voice unconsciously softening.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

It hurt, a lot.

She didn’t feel it when she was holding the knife, but her palm was hot afterwards.At this moment, a stronger emotion surpasses the pain of the injury.

Angelia shakes her head.

“If it hurts, why are you trying to hold back your tears? You’re a girl, you have the right to scream in pain,” Jerome sympathizes.

Angelia smiles, she’s not a girl anymore, she’s a woman…who needs to use her own strength to hold up the sky.

“I’m sorry, Jerome, if I hadn’t found that masked person last night, we wouldn’t have been caught up in this unjust disaster,” Angelia apologizes.

Jerome has applied a good anti-inflammatory medicine and bandaged her wound.

“If you’re sorry about that, then shouldn’t I apologize for bringing you here?” She doesn’t blame him, “We just have bad luck.”

She looks at her hand, Jerome’s bandage is done very well, almost professionally.

The doctor also thinks that Jerome’s bandaging is more professional than his own and his face looks strange.

He says, “I’ll prescribe some antibiotics, twice a day, one pill at a time.”

Jerome takes the prescription from the doctor, holds Angelia’s hand, and leaves.

Angelia feels like the place where he’s holding her hand is like a cigarette butt, leaving a mark on her trembling heart through her blood. This is not appropriate.

She discreetly pulls her hand away and brushes her hair aside.

Jerome turns around to look at her.

“Um, did you think that director was a bit strange?” Angelia changes the subject.

Jerome hands the prescription to the counter, “He should have recognized the young police officer who came to ask us questions before as the one wearing the mask.”

Angelia is surprised. The person’s face was painted all white, she didn’t recognize him.

“So that person is the culprit, no wonder he was so anxious to find someone to take the blame.”

“There’s more than one culprit, they intentionally chose Qing Bridge to lure us over.”

“But how did they know we were coming to eat at Qing Bridge?” Angelia is even more puzzled.We live at The Black Olive, where there aren’t many places to eat.

There’s an 80% chance that we’ll go to Qingqiao to eat.

To prevent any accidents, they didn’t sprinkle the yellow powder at first, but waited until we arrived.

Angelia understood, “They deliberately wanted to kill us?”

“Their original plan was to kill us, then the masked man would disguise it as a suicide. He would be covered in fire retardant, burn for five minutes in front of everyone, then fall into the river and be rescued by his partner. They would be able to escape,” analyzed Jerome.

“But why did they want to kill us?”

Jerome didn’t answer, instead taking the medicine handed to him over the counter.

Just as they left the hospital, Director Anjou called.

Jerome answered, “Director Anjou, do you have time for lunch today?” the Chief of Police asked politely.

“No, I have things to do today, maybe another day,” Jerome replied decisively.

“Oh,” the Chief of Police paused for two seconds before continuing, “Through comparing the surveillance footage from the bakery and The Black Olive, we found out that Payne was the one who was squatting on the top floor. No wonder he took two days off. We have to thank the girl you brought for reminding our forensic team. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to confirm that Payne was the killer.”

Jerome looked at Angelia, his brows furrowed.

“So Payne wanted to kill Angelia because she disrupted his plan?”

“That’s what Payne said, but fortunately, he was caught. By the way, the previous victim was a photography enthusiast who took pictures of Payne with his accomplice. He blackmailed Payne, who was afraid of being caught, so he killed him to keep him quiet. We found the victim’s camera in his house, which had pictures of him and the accomplice,” explained the Chief of Police.

“Was the accomplice an accomplice?” Jerome was suspicious.

“The surveillance footage from The Black Olive showed him entering the store with the accomplice. Our people went to find her and found out that she had just committed suicide.””I understand. Whatever the reason, just don’t provoke me, otherwise, I won’t just let it go.” Jerome hinted.

“Yes, yes, and I heard that Jerome is going to Denver for inspection?” Chief of Police continued to inquire.

“What do you suggest, Chief of Police?” Jerome asked back.

“Denver is a complicated place, no one has been able to crack it for decades, there are too many messy things going on. If you take pictures of anything, feel free to contact me, but be careful that the girl who came with you may be traumatized.” Chief of Police said with a smile.

Jerome sneered and understood all of Chief of Police’s warnings. “I am a businessman, seeking profit while hoping for a win-win situation. Since someone has already established a stable foundation there, there is no point in me going in.”

“Jerome is a smart man. If you’re not investing in Denver, there are other good projects that you can do very well in. I won’t keep you, come back and visit another day, I’ll be your host and guarantee your safety.” Chief of Police said with a smile.

Jerome hung up the phone.

Angelia vaguely heard something and asked, “Are we not going to invest in Denver?”

“We’ll see.” Jerome said vaguely.

If this project doesn’t involve her, he will take on any difficult task. But Chief of Police threatened her safety in every sentence, and he couldn’t ignore it.

“That Chief of Police must have some issues.” Angelia guessed.

“Forget about this matter.” Jerome demanded forcefully.

He was afraid of her worry and bringing danger to her life.

“I’m not a fish’s memory. I can’t just forget things. But there are some things that we can’t control and are powerless to change. The outcome looks okay for now, but be careful of some people.” Angelia said helplessly.

Jerome looked at her gentle expression, and it wasn’t difficult to communicate with her. It was more like a drop of water that could easily blend into his body.

He remembered that night five years ago, and she was indeed as gentle as water.Jerome said in a deep voice, “You remember what you should forget, but you can’t remember anything you shouldn’t forget.”

Angelia sensed the implication and asked, “I can’t remember something?”

Jerome looked at her with an innocent expression. He remembered that night very clearly, even the details. But she had forgotten her first time and what she said she liked.

“Angelia, I’m going back to France in a month,” Jerome said seriously.

Angelia’s heart sank and her breath became unsteady. She knew that Jerome wouldn’t stay long in North Carolina. His business empire was spread across Europe and America, and he was only here to inspect investment projects. Once he confirmed the project, his project team would come over, and they would handle everything. He had hundreds of projects in different countries. She couldn’t stop him from leaving or his progress. She restrained her discomfort and smiled, “Have a safe trip. I believe the Taylor family will flourish under your leadership.”

“As my assistant, come with me to France,” Jerome said in a deep voice.

Angelia was surprised and asked, “Didn’t you say I should learn from the project manager?”

“Being with me is better than learning from the project manager. There aren’t many people I trust, and you happen to be one of them. I can focus on training you. What do you think? Don’t you want to?” Jerome looked deeply at her.

Angelia knew that learning from Jerome or going to France was a great opportunity for her. Perhaps, from then on, she could climb to the upper echelons of society and become a successful woman in her career.Alyssa is still young and her grandmother is not in good health.

She went to France and Alyssa is worried about who will take care of them.

For her, the most important thing is not money, power, status, or reputation, but her remaining… family.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“You don’t have to refuse me immediately, you have a month to consider,” Jerome interrupted her.

Angelia fell silent, if she directly refused him, it would be too unkind.

They went back to the hotel and didn’t speak to each other on the way, there seemed to be some distance between them.

When they arrived at the hotel, Jerome took his clothes and went to the bathroom without saying a word to her.

Angelia’s clothes were stained with blood, so she changed into a new one and sat on the bed, lost in thought.

If her grandmother agreed to go to France, she would take Alyssa and leave Sammie and all the bad memories of North Carolina behind.

Perhaps it would be a good choice.

But would her grandmother be willing to go?

Her phone rang and she thought it was hers, but it was Jerome’s phone with a call from the Queen of Smiles.

She didn’t have this person’s number in her phone.

Suddenly realizing that this was Jerome’s phone, she put it down without answering.

However, the woman referred to as the queen by Jerome must be an extraordinary woman.

Shortly after, Jerome came out of the bathroom, already changed into new clothes and casually drying his damp hair with a towel.

“Um, you had a call just now,” Angelia reminded him.

He picked up the phone and saw the caller ID, couldn’t help but be happy.

For a moment, Angelia saw that smile on his face and felt like she had been pricked by something.

That smile was warm and affectionate, something she had never seen on Jerome’s face before.Jerome made a phone call, “Hmm…got it, I will definitely come…with you, got it…hehe…don’t always talk about love, it doesn’t seem sincere, got it…that’s it.” Jerome hung up the phone.

Angelia listened to their conversation, feeling a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere between him and the girl.

Now, she realized that although she and Jerome were classmates, they had only known each other for less than a month. He was sometimes passionate like the sun, and sometimes cold like winter.

He could test her feelings, but he could also handle his own emotions in an instant, decisive and without hesitation, just like Thad’s efficiency in the market.

He was like a mystery to her, attracting her while also making her feel helpless.

She couldn’t see his heart, and she was afraid that he, like other wealthy people, was just hunting.

Ignoring the inexplicable sourness in her heart, Angelia smiled and said, “We’re checking out now, right?”

“Yeah, we’ll find a place to eat on the way back. It might be late,” Jerome said, putting away his phone and turning to pack his luggage.

Angelia watched him distantly and also packed her own luggage.

On the way, Whitfield called, “Jerome, the headquarters is still waiting for you to attend the meeting.”

“The Marriott International project is not being pursued anymore, and the Denver project is also temporarily on hold. I am currently exploring new projects. After I get home tonight, I will have a video conference with the headquarters. I will notify you then,” Jerome said in a businesslike manner.

“Okay, are you coming back for your aunt’s birthday?” Whitfield asked cautiously.

“I am, I just spoke to her on the phone,” Jerome replied.

Whitfield was happy, “Then I’ll go and order the limited edition LV, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get it next month.”

“No need, she has channels to buy these luxury goods and won’t have trouble getting them. I will personally buy her birthday gift, that’s it,” Jerome said simply and hung up the phone.

“Jerome,” Whitfield exclaimed anxiously. “How much longer will you be in North Carolina? Do you need me to come over?”

“Not at the moment. Just wait for my notification and make sure to take care of the tasks I assigned to you,” Jerome instructed expressionlessly.

“Oh,” Whitfield was still worried. “And Angelia, is she still working with you?”

“Yes,” Jerome replied. Whitfield became even more concerned.

He thought his boss was becoming obsessed with work.

Jerome had left an important meeting to go to North Carolina because of Angelia. It was unbelievable. “I have almost finished the tasks you assigned me. Can I come over and help you once I’m done?”

“Sure,” Jerome responded before hanging up the phone.

An hour later, he stopped in front of a restaurant.

There was a small bridge, flowing water, willow trees, and a pavilion in front of the restaurant. The scenery was beautiful.

He got out of the car and walked towards the restaurant with Angelia following him.

Jerome chose a table by the window, and a waitress in blue and white porcelain Hanfu poured them lemon honey water and handed them the menu.

Jerome had intended for Angelia to order, but upon seeing her injured right hand, he took the menu and asked, “What is Xiaqiaoliushui?”

“It’s our specialty dish, made with angu, tofu, and our own homemade beef balls,” the waitress explained with a shy smile, her gaze on Jerome’s face.

“And what about Xiangsi?” Jerome asked again.

“That’s also our specialty dish. We fry the pork ribs and then process them in a special way. It’s sweet and delicious, and served with red bean balls,” the waitress replied.

“We’ll have those two dishes and two other specialty dishes,” Jerome handed the menu back to the waitress.

“Would you like any drinks? We have watermelon juice, corn juice, kiwi juice, and mango juice,” the waitress asked.

Jerome looked at Angelia and asked, “What would you like?”

“Watermelon juice,” Angelia replied.

“Two watermelon juices,” Jerome told the waitress.

The waitress happily went to place their order.Angelia heard the excited chatter of the nearby waiters.

“That man is so handsome, with a great temperament and very restrained. Is he available?”

“His voice is also very pleasant and magnetic.”

“The woman across from him must be his girlfriend. They look good together. But what’s with her hand?”

“Maybe they got too rough at night! Used their hands or something.”

Angelia: “…”

She uncomfortably placed her hand under the table and looked outside, pretending to admire the scenery.

Jerome noticed her small gesture and inexplicably felt a surge of heat.

If he told her that they had all done what they were discussing, would she be even more uncomfortable?

He took a sip of water, took a deep breath, and changed the subject. “What about the medicine I gave you to apply to your forehead?”

“Oh, it’s in my bag,” blushed Angelia.

“When your hands have healed, you can use that kind of medicine. It’s good for wounds and doesn’t leave scars. The wound on your forehead can’t be seen anymore,” said Jerome.

“Okay,” Angelia took a sip of water too.

Thinking of the incident with Marriott International, she brought it up. “Um, Jerome.”

Seeing her hesitant expression, he saw through her immediately. “Do you need something from me?”

“Can we not pursue the matter with Marriott International?” Angelia finally said it.

“What?” Jerome raised his voice in disbelief.

“Marriott International has already been fined billions for tax evasion. Diana family has learned a lesson. I think that’s enough.”

“Gallagher will not stop after being let off once. He will become more and more arrogant. Are you sure you want to let him go?” Jerome asked sharply.

“He’s already been fined billions. How is that letting him go? We are experienced people. Let him think twice in the future. If Diana family goes bankrupt, many people will lose their jobs.”

“When you say many people, are you referring to that chef?” Jerome’s voice became colder.

He remembered that she was close to a chef.”You mentioned Warren. Many people are interested in hiring him, so he won’t have trouble finding a job. There are also many kind and polite people at Marriott International who have families to support and debts to pay. Even if they find a new job, they will have to start from scratch and face a lot of pressure,” explained Angelia.

Jerome looked at her and said, “Are you being too kind? I’ve told you before, too much kindness is foolishness and weakness.”

“Instead of saying it’s kindness, it’s more like self-interest. Some people at Marriott International have taken care of me and helped me,” replied Angelia.

“So, am I being nosy?” asked Jerome.

“How could you be nosy? You’re just helping those in need. If it weren’t for you, Gallagher wouldn’t have been put in his place. He should have learned his lesson the first time I warned him, instead of causing trouble later on. I can let Marriott International go, but I won’t let Gallagher go. We don’t need to discuss this matter any further or plead for him. That’s it,” said Jerome coldly and dominantly.

He spoke with the air of a king, making a decisive statement.

Angelia was touched and said, “I think this is the best way to handle it. It’s a win-win situation. I’ll toast you with water instead of wine.”

“You should still be careful with your injured hand,” said Jerome, ignoring her gesture.

The waiter brought the first dish, which was a cold chicken salad with fruits, vegetables, and beans.

Angelia’s right hand was injured, so she used her left hand to pick up the chopsticks and tried to pick up the chicken, but it fell off. She then tried to pick up the pineapple, but it also fell off.

Jerome sighed and picked up a piece of chicken, offering it to her.

Angelia was stunned and looked at him. If she ate it, it would be too intimate, and the chopsticks might have been used by him. If she didn’t eat it, it would be impolite. After all, he had good intentions, and the key was that she really couldn’t pick it up.She took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and ate.

Red gradually spread across her cheeks.

“What else do you want to eat? I’ll pick it up for you,” Jerome said in a soft voice.

Unconsciously, Angelia’s heartbeat accelerated.

“That man is so gentle, with such a good personality. If he fed me a bite, I would die willingly,” the waitress gushed.

“Didn’t you see the woman’s hand was injured?”

“The man has to be willing to feed her, or else she’ll have to eat it herself.”

Angelia listened to their discussion, and a flash of inspiration crossed her mind, “Oh, I can use a spoon.”

“What?” Jerome squinted.

“Waitress,” Angelia turned to the waitress, “Can you give me two spoons, please?”

The waitress smiled and handed two spoons over, one to Angelia and one to Jerome.

Jerome looked at Angelia with a gloomy expression. She didn’t look at him, scooped a spoonful of salad into her bowl.

He was in a bad mood and threw the spoon in front of him into the trash can.

“Wow, that man is so cool,” one of the waitresses exclaimed.

Angelia looked at Jerome. He stared at her, his eyes hiding waves, and asked meaningfully, “Do you really think of yourself as a strong woman and don’t like being taken care of by others?”

“It’s better to do it yourself and have plenty of food and clothing,” Angelia said with a smile.

“So your husband doesn’t take care of you?” Jerome asked the key question.

“Uh…” Angelia didn’t know how to answer for a moment. Since she married Sammie, she only saw him a few times a month, except for when he needed her help. Other times, they lived separate lives, how could he take care of her?

Jerome didn’t ask any further, but his eyes deepened several times, “You’ll be staying with me in my villa for a while.”

“Huh?” Angelia didn’t react for a moment, and her mind went blank for a short time.”Before, Whitfield used to take care of everything in my life. He’s now overseas, and since you’re my assistant, it’s your job to take care of things. Is there a problem?” Jerome asked, with a mischievous smile.

“Or do you think that living in the same house as me means I’ll do something to you?”

“Of course not,” she replied without hesitation.

They had previously shared a bed, and nothing had happened.

Jerome looked at her confident answer, his eyes growing colder. “In your eyes, am I not a man?”

“Hehe,” Angelia smiled. “Jerome is a hero who stands up in times of danger, regardless of personal gain or loss. He seems cold, but he’s actually soft-hearted. He’s a true hero and the perfect male god.”

“Then why don’t you like me?” Jerome asked, carefully.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Angelia said, lowering her head and eyes. Her long lashes covered the emotions in her eyes. “As you know, I’m married.”

A male god is not meant to be liked, but worshipped and respected.

One word, ‘god’, meant that they were not in the same circle of life.

Moreover, he would be leaving in a month to go to his country.

She probably wouldn’t go to his country…

After dinner, Angelia sat in Jerome’s car. She didn’t know if it was due to blood loss or overeating, but she was feeling sleepy and her body was a bit lazy.

She leaned back in her seat, her eyes a bit dull.

Jerome glanced at her. “It’s still a two-hour drive back. If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep.”

“Well, thank you. When my hand gets better, I’ll drive,” Angelia said softly. Her head was heavy, and she closed her eyes. Her head tilted to one side, and she soon fell asleep.

It would be strange if she didn’t have a stiff neck after sleeping like that for an hour.

He stopped the car on the side of the road, lowered her seat, and took off his suit jacket, draping it over her.

He continued to drive, slowly and steadily. By the time they arrived at the villa, it was already 5:30.

He looked at Angelia. She was still asleep, breathing lightly, peaceful and serene, like a woman in a painting, elegant and beautiful.

If he hadn’t left her alone in a hotel five years ago due to a misunderstanding, would they be together now?