You never appreciate the special ways I love you. In spite of all my efforts, you still regard me as
someone who never understands. Please know that while I cannot give everything that you desire, the
things I am able to give come from the heart.
Smile Hotel in A City.
This land used to be in ruins. The Dragon Empire Group needed three years to construct a hotel there
after it prevailed in competitive bidding. Completed two years ago, Smile Hotel was Frank's anniversary
gift to Richie and Shirley when they celebrated thirty years of marriage. Like the hotel in T City, Dragon
Empire Group owned the business, but everything it made benefited only Shirley.
At the top floor were garden seats, and one of them was occupied by Becky now as she enjoyed
afternoon tea. After spending the entire morning browsing through posts in various Internet forums, she
left her room and went upstairs to take her lunch there. Even after eating, Becky sat there, listening to
the sound of rain splashing on the umbrella over her head. She was thinking about the situation Molly
was about to face.
Although she had only known Molly for a few years, she was aware of the girl's temper. And Becky
didn't think Molly could enjoy a peaceful life hounded by negative public comments.
With her eyes half-closed, she sat thinking and was interrupted by the phone ringing. She glanced at
the screen and saw it was Brian calling. Not at all surprised, she answered it.
It was a brief call, and she hung up shortly. Becky signaled the waiter to prepare another cup. Not long
after, Brian arrived just in time to join her for a pot of black tea.
Pausing at the stairs, Brian waited for the waiter to bring an umbrella over and escort him to Becky's
table. She watched him advance towards her, stood up and greeted the man with a smile, and his
name on her lips, "Brian."
After a casual glance from Brian, the waiter bowed in respect and then left the two alone.
It was drizzling the whole day, although the weather had already been terrible days before. The non-
stop rains cooled the place, yet the area with garden seats took on a dreary mood. Still, with ample
space between tables, guests enjoyed a certain amount of privacy. The ideal set-up also made it
possible not to have the area cleared with Brian's arrival.
"What brings you here today?" Becky asked with a bright smile. There was obvious joy in her eyes at
the thought that Brian specifically came by to see her.
After sitting across Becky, Brian picked up his cup and took a graceful sip of tea. He stared at her
languidly before speaking slowly to enunciate every word. "Becky, you know exactly why I came here
today," Brian said.
The joy disappeared in her eyes, and bitterness quickly took its place. But Becky pasted on a smile as
she replied, "No, I don't know why you're here."
Brian dropped his gaze and focused on the blue-white porcelain teacup. The light taste of lychee-
flavored tea lingered in his mouth. Tasting Becky's favorite black tea didn't comfort him as Molly's
stubborn but distressed face flashed through his mind. Unconsciously, his mouth twitched. Looking
directly at the woman, he said, "Becky, didn't I make myself clear before that you are not allowed to do
anything to her?"
"But I didn't!" she said defensively.
"You didn't?" Brian's cold voice countered. He kept his expression blank although inside, he was
smoldering with fury. "Wasn't it you who hurt her feelings? And wasn't it you who had people track
down Spark? And who told them about the value of the news items, and taught or threatened the
media not to cover them on TV? That was you, right? And who dared to challenge me and push my
buttons?" He was a mixture of hot and cold as he fired the questions at Becky.
And he didn't miss a thing as her face seemed to grow paler after every question. Gripping her teacup
tightly, Becky tried to keep the smile on her face before innocently asking, "Brian, whatever do you
mean by all that?" She stood firm. "Do you think I was responsible for all that news about Spark and
Molly and I did it secretly?" she pretended to be astonished.
He didn't answer the question but only nailed her with a piercing gaze. Instinct told Brian it was all
Becky's handiwork. "Have you seen the press conference earlier this afternoon?" Brian suddenly
changed the topic to Becky's surprise.
Her brows knitted at the query. Becky had left her room and gone upstairs before noon and was
unaware of a press conference that Brian mentioned. "What's that? A press conference?"
The corner of his mouth lifted and Brian gave a mysterious smile. It came out as a charming grin, but
Becky felt chilled at the sight of it. His voice extremely cold, he said, "This is my final warning to you,
Becky. You are not to do anything to Molly without my permission. I may not love her, but I do not want
her to get hurt. Do you understand?" The look he gave her was deep and cruel, as he continued, "I
want her to be happy, and I will not allow anyone to hurt her!"
His words were like a slap to her face. Becky held the cup more tightly until her knuckles turned white.
She ground her teeth and said with difficulty, "Even if you do everything to make her happy, do you
think she will love you back?"
A hint of mockery quickly flashed through Brian's eyes. Plainly, he said, "It doesn't matter whether she
loves me or not. The only thing I desire is for her to stay by my side."
"How can you tolerate her like that?" Becky spat. Her eyes had turned red with fury. "What about me?
What about your promise to me?"
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