Chapter 156 A Chaotic Night
18 min left
Before Alistair could react, he was dragged into the dimly lit woods nearby by none other than Leo, moving like he was up to something sneaky.
Alistair was thoroughly unimpressed.
Perfect. One look at this and people will think we snuck off to make out.
Still, he didn’t resist. Leo wasn’t entirely insufferable, and Alistair was willing to be patient–up to a point. Once he was sure no one was around, he finally shook Leo off.
The bruises on Leo’s face had healed, and he was back to looking like the idol that made fans lose their minds.
Truth be told, good looks ran in Caroline’s family. Paige had a soft, elegant beauty. Leo was, undeniably, a knockout. Gordon, too, had a sharply defined, dignified face–one could find his photos all over the internet. Even Mabel, now older, still carried the refined features of someone who had once been stunning.
Alistair said nothing. He simply stared at Leo with a neutral, unreadable expression.
Leo gave a sheepish smile. “Didn’t expect to run into you here. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised.”
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Chapter 156 A Chaotic Night
(*) 18 min left
Alistair replied flatly, “You don’t need small talk. Just get to the point.”
Leo hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry… about what happened with Caroline. I–I really didn’t know how much damage my mom caused her. I always thought Caroline just had a bad temper. I didn’t know-”
Alistair cut him off without mercy. “It wasn’t entirely your fault. Back then, you had no idea just how extreme your mom’s control issues were.”
He could sympathize with Leo. But he would never forgive him on Caroline’s behalf.
Leo flinched, visibly shaken. A shadow crossed his face.
Maybe he was thinking about Miley.
Before this encounter, Alistair had wondered how Leo planned to face his mother again.
He’d been surprised to find out Leo still kept Ezra around. Later, he understood why–Ezra continued to report to Paige like always, except now everything he sent was dictated by Leo himself.
Leo had grown into a man with his own mind. He had no interest in being monitored under the guise of “love.” He kept up appearances in front of Paige with award–worthy acting, but it
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Chapter 156 A Chaotic Night
was only a matter of time before the facade cracked.
→ 18 min loft
He had a feeling that time was coming soon, once he learned where Miley was.
As long as she wasn’t married, no matter the obstacles, he’d find a way to be with her.
If she had already moved on…
He didn’t want to think about that.
What he hadn’t imagined—what he still didn’t know—was that the girl he’d loved, the one who had carried a child alone and silently borne everyone’s judgment, was already gone.
His voice was soft, hesitant. “Do you know where she is?”
Alistair did. But he couldn’t say.
If he did, Leo might completely lose it on the spot.
With a sigh, Alistair shook his head. “I don’t.”
Leo hadn’t expected much.
He knew Caroline’s husband would keep his mouth shut, especially if she’d asked him to.
He understood that. But still, seeing Alistair stirred a foolish
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Chapter 156 A Chaotic Night
hope in him.
18 min left
As they walked out of the woods, Leo murmured, “Just… take good care of her.”
Alistair raised an eyebrow. The look in his eyes said, “Did you think I needed that reminder?”
Back at the venue, Alistair found Yves. Yves looked visibly relieved when he saw him. “There you are! You just disappeared. I was starting to panic. You came with me, and if I lost you, your wife would have my head.”
Alistair chuckled, “I’m a grown man. You think I’d just wander off and get lost? Besides, why are you so worried? You’ve never even met my wife. How would you know she’s scary?”
Yves handed him a glass of red wine and grinned. “I don’t know. if she’s scary, but I’m pretty sure she’s crazy about you. And if someone lost you, she wouldn’t just file a complaint. She’d tear them apart.”
Alistair laughed and then paused.
Okay, that does sound like Caroline. But… if someone lost her, I’d tear them apart too.
Before he could say anything else, a new voice joined in.
“You’re Alistair, right?”
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Chapter 156 A Chaotic Night
(*) 18 min left
It was Paige, appearing out of nowhere with a polished smile directed at him.
Most people would have been flattered that someone as prominent as Paige would initiate a conversation with a nobody like them. But Alistair stayed composed.
Yves smacked his forehead. “Right! I forgot to actually say his name earlier. His full name’s Alistair Harlow.”
Paige repeated the name softly and smiled again, “Nice name.”
Alistair’s grandfather had named him that on the night he was born. The stars had been so bright that evening, he said, it only felt right to give the boy a name that sounded like it belonged to the sky.
Whether the name suited him or not, Alistair couldn’t say. But hearing Paige say it with that serene smile made something tighten in his chest.
Just for a moment, he saw something in her eyes, something hard to explain. A flicker of something venomous behind the warmth.
It was like staring into the eyes of a snake, watching it rear its head slowly, its tail coiled and ready, waiting for the perfect
moment to strike.
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18 min left
By the time he blinked, the look was gone. Paige had turned to greet someone else, her polite smile fully restored.
Was it my imagination?
Then something happened that told him it hadn’t been. Paige, chatting away cheerfully, accidentally bumped into someone. The man she hit was solidly built. She stumbled backward and crashed into the wall, the wine glass in her hand shattering. A sharp shard cut into her ankle.
It was the Schemer’s Bane at work.
The item’s magic kicked in whenever someone harbored ill intent toward Alistair.
The moment Alistair saw her surrounded by people, all talking at once and rushing to help, he felt his guard go up.
The Schemer’s Bane didn’t attack them directly. It just gave them a dose of bad luck, enough to raise red flags and let him prepare for whatever scheme was brewing.
If he didn’t stay alert, he could still get hurt. But at least he had a warning now.
Fortunately, the estate had been well–prepared. A full medical team had been on standby. Paige was quickly escorted away to receive treatment
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Chapter 156 A Chaotic Night
* 18 min left
Even after all the chaos, Alistair still hadn’t seen Caroline.
Not long after Paige’s accident, the tension at the party settled down. But then the energy spiked again.
All the guests had arrived. But the birthday girl, Giselle, was still
nowhere to be found.
Her party was being livestreamed across several platforms. Viewers were on edge, waiting for the surprise she’d promised to reveal.
Then someone screamed. A splash followed… a huge one.
Everyone turned toward the garden, where a large fountain had erupted in a spray of water. Someone had fallen in.
Yves glanced at Alistair and muttered, “Kind of a chaotic night, huh?”
They followed the crowd toward the noise.
Someone had already jumped in to help, and moments later, they pulled the unlucky soul out of the water.
So, Giselle finally made her appearance. Soaked from head to toe, dripping and disheveled, the birthday girl emerged at last- as a very glamorous, very soggy mess.
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