“Agreed,” Marissa said, nodding with a mischievous grin
“But I can’t trust you anymore after you broke your promise more than once. How can I be sure you won’t betray me again once I let you go? To ensure there’s no risk, it might be best if you just disappeared!” Marissa said with resolve
Then, she pulled an iron chain sharply, causing Derek’s seat to flip unexpectedly
“Ah!” Derek screamed as he fell
“Whoa!” Everyone in the monitoring room gasped simultaneously as they saw Derek fall from his chair. Connor, standing closest to the screen, clenched his fists, shocked that Marissa could go to such lengths. Worry consumed him. For a moment, he nearly rushed out to save Derek. Despite Neil and Lorna’s constant malice towards him and Derek’s dubious character, they were still related. Connor could not just watch indifferently as Derek potentially faced death. Any harm coming to Derek would deeply upset his grandmother
As Derek plummeted toward the sea, seemingly destined to become shark food, he suddenly bounced back up several meters from the water. That was when everyone noticed the safety rope attached to Derek’s ankle, turning his terrifying fall into a thrilling bungee jump. Concerns about his safety quickly dissipated. Relief spread through the monitoring room
Connor slowly relaxed his fists. When Derek was still in free fall moments ago, he felt himself descending into a nightmare with every passing second. As he dropped, terror overwhelmed him, his screams blending with the sound of the waves. He saw the open jaws of a shark below, ready to consume him. Bracing himself for the worst as he approached the water, he envisioned his demise in gruesome detail, his heart pounding ferociously
At his lowest point, something tugged sharply at his ankle, reversing his fall. In that instant, he opened his eyes, spotted the safety rope secured to his foot, and exhaled a deep breath of relief. But the rope soon reached its limit and began to retract, sending him downward again. This time, knowing he wouldn’t hit the water, he felt less anxious. Yet, as he came close to the sea surface, several sharks leaped from the water, mouths wide open, ready to attack
“Ah!” Derek’s terrified scream echoed across the cliff
In the monitoring room, the onlookers grimaced together, horrified by the intense ordeal. Yet, Connor couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “What a mischievous girl.”
The safety rope bounced several times before finally stabilizing, swaying calmly in the wind. After enduring multiple terrifying moments, Derek was left trembling, foaming at his mouth, his eyes empty. Had the camera angle been different, those watching might have seen a man caught in an agonizing battle for survival
Above, the air was clear of any unpleasant smells. With her steak finished and her wine glass empty, Marissa casually picked up the remote control and hit the rewind button. Returning to the cliff’s edge, she descended from the zip line with leisure, her composure intact except for a slight blush on her cheeks
Derek was pulled up and laid out on the ground, muttering, “I want to go home. I miss my mom!” He was still foaming at the mouth
“What a pitiful sight!” Marissa sneered. A man so easily frightened was no threat to her
With that, she walked toward the pavilion. As Connor was about to leave, Marissa came up to him and asked, “Mr. Daniels, have you seen enough?”
Like a thief caught in the act, Connor raised an eyebrow awkwardly before managing a smile. “What a coincidence.”
“Coincidence?” Marissa’s sharp stare met his. “Mr. Daniels, you’ve followed me all the way here and even observed me from the security room. You call that a coincidence?”
Domenic quickly came to his boss’s defense. “Miss Nash, Mr. Daniels was concerned you might get mistreated by the Nash family, so he wanted to check on you himself. Also, when he learned about your meeting with Derek here, he feared Derek might harass you, so he followed you.”
“Really?” Marissa asked. “Mr. Daniels, were you concerned about me being harassed, or were you worried I might hurt your nephew?”
“It was you I was concerned about,” Connor responded bluntly. However, he wasn’t worried that Derek might harass her; rather, he feared she might still harbor feelings for him. She had slipped into the Palace Hotel, evaded numerous Daniels family guards, and confronted Derek. Clearly, Derek was no match for her. Now that he had witnessed how she had tormented Derek, Connor couldn’t suppress a mischievous grin. Perhaps he could never become a good uncle to Derek
Marissa seemed both flattered and a bit embarrassed. “I seem to have frightened your nephew quite a bit. Will you hold it against me?”
“No,” Connor replied
“His parents might stir up some trouble next.”
“I’ll handle that.”
“Thank you then, Mr. Daniels. Goodbye.”
With that, Marissa started to walk away. Connor quickly caught up. “Where are you heading?”
“Back to the Nash family’s house.”
“Why are you returning there?”
“If I don’t return as Tiffany, how can I investigate my connection with her? Plus, staying with the Nash family means free room and meals. Living at your place would cost me ten thousand a day. I’m not about to waste that kind of money!”
Connor was left speechless for a moment. Had he made things harder for himself? Upon reaching the parking lot, Marissa climbed onto her motorcycle and said to Connor, “Tell Marc to stop following me. It’s getting on my nerves!” With that, she revved the engine and zoomed away
Marc paused, unsure whether to follow Marissa. He looked to Connor for guidance. Watching Marissa speed away, swift and graceful as a dragonfly skimming across water, Connor gave Marc a dismissive glance. “She said you don’t need to follow her, so don’t. You couldn’t keep up even if you tried.”
Marc’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment
By the time Marissa got back to the Nash family’s house, the sun was dipping below the horizon. The Nash family had just finished their meal and were lounging on the sofas, talking. The topic was still centered on Ayla’s chance to become Dr. Riss’ student. Ayla was smiling, confidently assuring Balthasar, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I will meet your expectations and restore the Nash family’s prestige.”
“Excellent! Hahaha…” Balthasar looked at Ayla with pride and affection. “Ayla, the Nash family is barely holding together. We are all counting on you.”
Feeling proud, Sansa chimed in, “There’s a medical conference coming up in Blebert. Dr. Riss will be there. Ayla, you should get a photo with him. It’ll make the medical community envy the Nash family!”
Ayla, who had been glowing with pride just seconds before, suddenly stiffened, her smile faltering. Unaware of the truth, Sansa asked, “What’s the matter, Ayla?”
“Nothing, nothing. I just think Dr. Riss might prefer not to have his picture taken,” Ayla quickly made an excuse
“That makes sense. Dr. Riss always keeps a low profile. By the way, Ayla, you mentioned Dr. Riss is a young man in his thirties. He must think highly of you. Perhaps he’s taken a liking to you?”
Sansa’s remark made Balthasar even more thrilled. “Imagine if Ayla married Dr. Riss; the Nash family would reach new heights!”
At that moment, Marissa couldn’t resist commenting sarcastically, “I’m not into girls!”
The mood shifted abruptly from joyous to tense as Marissa’s words sank in. The family’s faces darkened with displeasure as they looked at her warily, clearly uncomfortable with her presence. They didn’t ask about the reason for her statement; their disdain was evident from their silence. Tiffany had endured countless similar treatments in the past, which had led her to become increasingly isolated within the family. Yet today, it was Marissa standing before them instead of Tiffany. She ignored their disdain and declared confidently, “I’ll be moving back today.”
“Why are you moving back? Don’t you live with Connor?” Sansa asked, her eyebrows knitting together in visible disapproval
“I’ve married Connor at the City Hall, but we haven’t had the wedding ceremony yet. It seems more appropriate for me to temporarily live here,” Marissa responded. Upon hearing this, Balthasar agreed. “Indeed, it’s not suitable for you to live with Connor before the wedding ceremony. People might gossip. You should return and stay with us.”
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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