Brandon quickly discerned the trepidation clouding her thoughts.With a helpless shake of his head,he pressed the bottle of water into her hands.”Rest easy.The water is perfectly fine.”
On hearing his reassurances,Natalie’s anxiety ebbed away.Grasping the bottle,she took a refreshing sip.
She was indeed parched.From the anxiety-
riddled morning flight,fraught with concerns about Brandon’s safety that left her without an appetite for either food or drink,to the afternoon spent in the frantic bid to rescue him,her day had been devoid of hydration.
Once she was done drinking,Brandon retrieved the bottle from her and placed it back on the table.
Her mind wandered back to the man who had met them earlier,seemingly sharing a close bond with Brandon.After several speculative glances at him,curiosity finally impelled her to whisper,”The man who welcomed us…His name is Harrell,isn’t it? He must be part of the Darkmoon Assassin Group,right?Why do I get the sense that you two are acquainted?”
Natalie’s astute observations of his relationship with Harrell slightly surprised Brandon.He nodded in affirmation,sharing candidly,”Yes, his name is Harrell.Despite his affiliation with the Darkmoon,we’re allies for now.So far,he’s proven to be trustworthy.”
Natalie nodded and said,”Okay,”with an expression of confusion.
Affectionately brushing his hand through her hair,Brandon cautioned,”But you still need to remain wary.If he ever reaches out to you privately,you should inform me first.
Understood?”
Obediently,Natalie bobbed her head in agreement.
Observing her compliant demeanor ignited a tender warmth within Brandon.His gaze, brimming with affection,made Natalie shift uncomfortably.She reached for the water on the table and took several more sips.
Time trudged on.Half an hour later,as Natalie’s eyelids grew heavy with sleep,a flurry of footsteps roused her.
Looking up,she saw a livid Corinne storming in,trailed by a slightly bowed Harrell.The slap mark on his face was startlingly prominent.
Before she could make sense of the sudden intrusion,Brandon instinctively stepped before her,a protective barrier shielding her from the unfolding commotion.
Gazing at the incensed Corinne,Brandon was acutely aware of the rage and animosity radiating from her.He instinctively stepped in front of Natalie,his frosty gaze following Corinne’s advance.
Corinne’s stare briefly lingered on Natalie,a fleeting spark of envy and anguish flitting across her eyes.
Yet this emotion was quickly concealed,her gaze swinging back towards Brandon as she jeered,”We’ve weathered countless trials and fought battles together for years.Why are you so guarded against me?”
From the moment she had entered,she had observed that Brandon’s reaction to her presence was akin to confronting a formidable adversary. He immediately sheltered Natalie with due diligence,wary of any potential harm Corinne might inflict.
In the past,Corinne would have suppressed these emotions,burying them deep within her heart.However,perhaps the day’s ordeals had taken a toll,exhausting her to the point of no longer being able tomask her jealousy.She was eager to voice these thoughts outright,hoping to evoke emotions from Brandon and the innocent Natalie behind him.
Brandon met Corinne’s gaze with an air of indifference,as if she were nothing more than a stranger.”I have no ties to you, neither in the past,present,nor future.My guardedness towards you stems from my belief that you are not a person of good character.”
Brandon’s unflinching words seemed to wound Corinne,causing her to bite her lower lip as her face turned a ghastly shade.
A frigid and mocking smile played upon Brandon’s lips.”Furthermore,given your past actions,shouldn’t I be vigilant around you?” Corinne knew he was referring to the incident where she had purposely set Jeremy free from the abandoned school.Her countenance darkened completely.With a huff,she retorted in a hostile tone,”The past is behind us.Feel free to despise me as much as you like.I merely want to pose a single question to you.Were you behind the attack on the Darkmoon headquarters?”
Raising an eyebrow,Brandon coolly inquired, “Oh,is that so?Then why don’t you tell me first who attacked the Darkmoon?”
“You…”Corinne found herself at a loss for words,incensed yet speechless.
She had ventured to confront him openly, suspecting his involvement in the matter. She hadn’t anticipated his outright denial,let alone the counter-question that implied his complete disassociation from the incident.
However,she lacked any concrete evidence. The truth about whether the person who orchestrated the attack on the Darkmoon was connected to Brandon was known only to him.
Brandon,arms folded over his chest,added frigidly,”Moreover,aren’t you aware of who I’ve transferred here?”
Corinne found herself unable to respond to his question.True,she had noticed Brandon’s competent aides on the helicopter. They hadn’t left their posts,making it implausible for them to have executed the attack on the Darkmoon.
Yet,who else would dare to provoke the Darkmoon if not Brandon?
Corinne found it hard to believe Brandon’s words,yet she was at a loss for a rebuttal.All she could do was grind her teeth in frustration and glare at him.
Brandon remained unmoved by the hostility in her eyes.He stood protectively in front of Natalie,unwavering.
Observing the stoic Brandon,Frank couldn’t help but harbor a sense of admiration for him in his heart.
No doubt,his reputation as CEO of the Larson Group was well-earned.He effortlessly managed to wreak havoc within the Darkmoon Assassin Group,and even in the face of pointed questions,he retained an unruffled demeanor as if he truly was innocent of any underhanded actions.
Yet Frank harbored no qualms about the Darkmoon,a nefarious organization,being put through the wringer.He chimed in, questioningCorinne,”You’ve stormedin here, accusing Brandon with such vehemence.But do you have any concrete evidence to support your claims?”
Corinne turned a ferocious glare towards Frank,retorting angrily,”Who else possesses the audacity and capability to pull off something like this,if not him?”
“Despite Brandon’s formidable power,had he desired to harm you,you and your grandfather would have been eliminated during the club fire,”countered Frank,a derisive sneer dancing on his lips.
Upon hearing this,Corinne’s face,twisted with resentment,suddenly froze.
Frank,arms folded over his chest,leaned back lazily in his chair.He drawled, “Moreover,when your grandfather had his hypertensive crisis on the helicopter, Brandon graciously asked me to treat him, free of charge.Yet here you are,causing a ruckus and insinuating that Brandon orchestrated the attack on the Darkmoon.Is this your idea of gratitude?It’s truly disheartening.”
Mention of her grandfather seemed to darken Corinne’s countenance further,her eyes blazing with fury.She bared her teeth and seethed at Frank,”How dare you bring up my grandfather!”
“And why shouldn’t I?”retorted Frank sarcastically.”Did I utter any falsehoods? Didn’t I administer medication to your grandfather on the helicopter without charging a single cent?”
“Without you,my grandfather wouldn’t be bedridden!”Corinne abruptly clenched her fists,her eyes reddening as she roared.”Just now,his blood pressure spiked again.The doctor informed us he would be bed-bound hereafter,unable to even utter a single word!
Had you not nonchalantly handed him a few pills on the helicopter,he wouldn’t have experienced a secondary hypertensive crisis, and he wouldn’t be severely incapacitated now.This is all your fault!”
Corrine became hysterical.Everyone’s expression changed when they heard the resentment and blame in her words.
Unable to take it any longer,Natalie’s face darkened. She stood up and walked in front of Brandon,staring Corrine down.
“Miss Scott,Dr.Watson is not part of the Darkmoon Assassin Group,and he doesn’t owe you anything!He is kind enough to treat your grandfather,but you can’t blame him even if he wasn’t willing to do it!”
Driven mad by those words,Corrine glared at Natalie and taunted,regardless of Brandon’s presence,”The Darkmoon’s matters have nothing to do with you. What right do you have to interfere?”
However,Natalie was unfazed by her hostility and said indifferently,”Of course,I have nothing to do with matters related to the Darkmoon,but Dr.Watson is our friend,and I can’t allow you to distort the truth and defame him.”
Corrine’s face was livid as if she wanted to kill Natalie at once.
But before she could speak another word,Brandon’s cold voice came.”Corrine,I don’t want to meddle in the Darkmoon’s matters,but you can’t offend my friend.”
Corinne’s resentful expression suddenly froze when she noticed the warning in his words.
Frank sighed and apologized,”Corinne,I’m truly sorry but Brandon and I were here today to discuss business with you.I did not bring any hypertension medication,which is why I couldn’t help your grandfather.It wasn’t because I didn’t want to.”
Not buying his reason,Corrine questioned rudely, “Wasn’t there a first-aid kit on board?Do you want to tell me that there was no medicine in it for hypertension?”
With a helpless gesture,Frank explained,”The first-aid kit only included basic medications.Despite my efforts to stabilize Britton’s blood pressure,I was limited by the available resources.”
“If that’s the case,why didn’t you treat my grandfather when he had his second hypertension attack after we got off the helicopter?”Corrine’s burning gaze of hatred was fixed on Frank.Gritting her teeth,she snapped,”My grandfather wouldn’t be in this condition if you had given him proper treatment when he had his second attack!”
Frank’s usually good temper faltered as he couldn’t help but appear sullen when faced with Corrine’s unreasonably probing questions.”I’m not part of the Darkmoon.Could you really rest assured and let me treat Britton?Besides,we were in your territory at that time.Don’t you have a doctorin your group to help him? Anyway,I think Britton deserved what he suffered today.No one else can be blamed for it.”
Corinne’s expression darkened as she snapped,”What do you mean?”
“I’m merely speaking the truth,”Frank replied with a sneer.”Despite being a doctor,I find it difficult to be kind to an immoral and cruel person like Britton.In fact,I feel like the medication I prescribed him is going to waste.
Corrine couldn’t say anything.She had to admit that Frank was right.After all,in his eyes,Britton wasa cruel man unworthy of his medical expertise.
But so what?He was still her grandfather!
However,because Frank was Brandon’s friend,she couldn’t vent her anger on him as that might worsen her relationship with Brandon.
Though Corrine was understandably furious,she couldn’t do anything because she knew how to act.
Clenching her fists,she tried her best to control her rage as she turned around and glared at Harrell.”This is all your fault!”
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New Book:Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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