A black Jeep drove down the main road of Vernon.
The driver held it in as long as he could, then finally blurted out in a low voice, "Boss, after what happened last time, you should know by now-this woman is not easy to mess with. Push her too far, and she really will call the cops! You're a public figure. Getting involved with someone like her won't do you any good."
"Did I say I wanted to get involved with her?" Christan smiled faintly, but his eyes were deep and unreadable.
The driver kept his eyes on the road. "You didn't say it, no. But we just got burned by her this morning, and yet here we are again this afternoon. Why come back?"
Then, muttering under his breath, "I think I just saw her car. She sped up when she passed us. Clearly wants nothing to do with us."
Christan's smile widened. "Yeah, I saw her too."
"Then you must've noticed-she was cold toward us."
Christan didn't answer. Instead, he murmured to himself, "This woman... she's interesting."
Ring ring ring... His phone buzzed.
He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, then picked up. "Celia, what's wrong?"
On the other end, Celia was crying, gasping for breath. "Christan, have you gotten in touch with Xavier or not?!"
"Uh... that guy's completely disappeared. I've had people watching his house and the X Group for days now. Not a single sign of him. He's not answering calls or texts. It's like he's vanished off the face of the earth."
Celia stomped her foot in frustration. "Aren't you two supposed to be best friends?! Everyone in Vernon is laughing at me right now. If he doesn't come out and say something soon, I won't be able to show my face again! What should I do?!"
Her voice cracked with growing grievance as she wiped her tears. "If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have said anything on that show..."
Christan sighed. "Seriously, why did you go and confess to him on live TV? If you didn't want to talk to Mom and Dad about it, you could've told me first! At least I could've helped you think it through."
"I..." Celia sobbed harder. "I didn't think that far ahead! You saw the show-truth or dare, you had to answer honestly. I've had a crush on him for years. I didn't want to keep it hidden anymore. No matter what, I just want an answer from him."
"You wanting an answer is fine, but... did it really have to be so public?" Christan pinched his brow. "If you'd told me, I could've tested the waters beforehand."
He sighed again.
"You little brat... you've liked him for years, and I didn't even know. You hid it that well?"
"I wanted to tell you!" she cried, nearly out of breath. "Ever since we were little, I've always shared my secrets with you. But you've been so busy these past few years. I barely see you once or twice a year. Every time you come home, you just eat in a rush and leave. I never had a chance to talk to you."
Hearing his only sister say that made Christan feel a pang of guilt.
In recent years, his acting career had soared. Endless shoots, endless commercials... he really had neglected his family.
He took a deep breath and said firmly, "Celia, don't worry. I'll find Xavier and get you the answer you deserve."
"Okay!" Celia finally calmed down a bit. "I'll wait for your news-hurry, okay?"
"I will. Don't worry."
After hanging up, Christan turned to the driver. "Last time, I asked you to check-are you sure Xavier has a childhood sweetheart he's in love with?"
"Boss, when have I ever let you down?" The driver replied confidently. "No mistake. It's that woman."
He then curled his lip. "I just don't get Xavier's taste. Sure, the woman's good-looking, but she's got a fiery temper. Totally not easy to deal with. With his status, he could have any pretty girl he wants. Why waste time on a tigress like her?"
Christan said nothing.
He turned to look out the window at the speeding scenery, his expression growing serious.
Ryder Family Mansion.
Dinner time. The traditional-style dining room glowed with warm light.
An elderly man with graying hair sat at the head of the table-Old Master Bryan Ryder.
To his left and right were a dignified-looking man and a graceful, elegant woman-Mr. And Mrs. Ryder.
Sitting farther away, to the left of Mrs. Ryder, was a young, beautiful girl with a troubled look-Celia Ryder.
Bryan glanced at her and sighed-whether deliberately or not, it was unclear.
But she didn't notice. Head down, she kept poking at her plate.
Under the table, Mrs. Ryder nudged her lightly with her foot. "Celia, what are you thinking about? Eat properly!"
Celia snapped back to attention, dazed as she looked around the table.
Only when she met her grandfather's stern gaze did she quickly sit up straight and shove a bite of food into her mouth.
Mr. Ryder cleared his throat. "If you're eating, then eat properly. What's got you so distracted?"
"I'm fine, Dad... I wasn't thinking about anything," she said softly.
He frowned and sighed heavily.
With a clack, he set his spoon down and looked like he was about to launch into a lecture.
Mrs. Ryder quickly shot him a look and chimed in, "Quick, try this soup. The kitchen just learned the recipe-it's really nourishing. Everyone have a taste."
As she spoke, she picked up the ladle, scooped a bowl, and placed it in front of Bryan. "Dad, you try first."
Bryan furrowed his brows but said nothing as the soup was set before him.
The atmosphere around the table was suffocatingly tense.
Mrs. Ryder's expression faltered. She felt embarrassed.
It was her fault. She had spoiled her youngest daughter too much, allowing her to grow willful and impulsive-enough to cause such a scandal and humiliate the Ryder family.
But what could she do? Celia is a piece of her own flesh. If she didn't protect Celia, no one else would.
She opened her mouth a few times, wanting to say something to ease the tension...
But no matter what she thought of, nothing seemed right.
Just then, a sound came from the direction of the foyer-someone had arrived.
Mrs. Ryder breathed a silent sigh of relief, quickly put down her spoon, craned her neck, and called out, "Who is it?"
***