Chapter 161-170
Chapter 161
After Jarren left, Blake had no appetite. She only had a few mouthfuls before putting down her spoon. Olivia, on the other hand, had her appetite roused. Olivia had two bowls of soup, almost as if she was making up for the food she hadn’t eaten the past few days.
Olivia’s face was no longer sad and dispirited. Instead, Olivia seemed full of vigor.
Blake was dumbfounded. After a long while, Blake said slowly, “Olivia, you…”
Olivia put down her spoon and suddenly smiled at Blake. Her smile felt like the breath of the first spring, emerging out of a cold winter. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’ve just had some clarity.”
For this period, Olivia had stayed in Layfield. On the one hand, she wanted to accompany Isaac. On the other hand, she wanted to wait for Jarron.
Olivia wanted to wait for Jarron to come back and talk with him and Gillian to clear up all the misunderstandings.
All along, Olivia had been upset about this. Olivia was filled with grievances, and she had sealed herself away. This was also why she had not returned to Layfield for the past few years.
Gillian said that she hated Olivia, that Isaac was biased, and that Olivia was selfish and only cared about herself.
The young Olivia had taken it to heart and felt wronged because she was misunderstood. In a fit of anger, Olivia refused to return home and see
Gillian.
Olivia did not understand why Gillian had ignored everything that Olivia had done for her and instead focused on vague and nonexistent matters.
To ensure Gillian had enough nourishment, Olivia pondered over medicinal cuisine and personally tested the medicine, almost destroying her stomach. Gillian was blind to all these. Gillian only saw Isaac helping Olivia with the medication preparation and suspected that Isaac had given Olivia the Smith family’s prescription for Olivia to adapt to medical cuisine.
Olivia knew that Gillian liked playing the violin, but the violin teacher was unwilling to take her in as a student. As such, Olivia taught Gillian
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everything she learned every day. Every time Olivia had a new insight or learned something new, she would share it with Gillian immediately. The funny thing was that Gillian could not see Olivia’s sincerity. Instead, Gillian thought that Olivia was showing off.
There were too many things that turned into misunderstandings like that. The young Olivia felt that she was really wronged and was so upset that she distanced herself in a fit of anger. However, Olivia constantly hoped that Gillian would come to her senses and that Gillian would regret her actions and feel guilty toward Olivia.
Olivia had always had this thought until today. She wanted to wait for Jarron to come back so that the three of them could sit together and talk things out.
However, now, Olivia didn’t think it was important anymore.
In this world, the only person Olivia could control was herself. She couldn’t control what Gillian and Jarron thought of her.
Olivia only needed to be herself and have a clear conscience. As for everything else, there was no need to think more about it.
After thinking it through, Olivia started to have an appetite and began to enjoy food. Olivia even pinched Andrew’s chubby little face playfully.
Andrew was not angry when his face was pinched. Instead, he leaned the other half of his face toward Olivia and said softly, “Squeeze this side. This side is also very easy to pinch.”
Olivia was speechless.
Olivia felt like her heart was about to melt.
“How could there be such an adorable child in this world? I love him so so much!” Olivia thought.
After sorting out her emotions, Olivia no longer immersed herself in her feelings towards Isaac’s illness or Gillian’s misunderstandings toward her. Now, Olivia had other things to take care of.
Olivia had finally returned, so she felt she should visit her teachers.
When Olivia was young, she learned many things. Olivia had gone for violin, painting, martial arts, and chess lessons with a teacher. As for other skills like lettering, public speaking, modeling, and so on, she had merely attended a few months of courses.
Olivia had been an attractive girl since she was young. She had studied. modeling and had even taken some magazine advertisements.
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Finley Hill, who had taught Olivia how to play chess, lived the closest. As such, Olivia decided to bring Andrew along to visit Finley in the afternoon.
Gillian had always been paying attention to Olivia’s movements. When Gillian found out that Olivia was going to her chess teacher’s house that afternoon, she stopped whatever she was doing and immediately went home.
Gillian looked gentle, but she was actually very competitive. When Gillian was young, she had many classes and did not have spare time. However, when Gillian saw Olivia learning chess, she wanted to learn it
too.
Isaac did not allow it, saying Gillian was too greedy and was trying to bite off more than she could chew. Isaac emphasized that it was better for Gillian to be a master of one thing instead of a jack of all trades, so Isaac asked Gillian to focus on learning medicine from him.
Gillian did not say anything on the surface, but she was unhappy. Gillian knew that Isaac felt she was stupid and not as clever as Olivia.
Olivia was younger than Gillian, but Olivia learned more and even had time to go out and play with her friends.
However, although Gillian complained, she did not hold a grudge against Isaac. Instead, she felt a little inferior. Gillian knew that it was because she was not smart that she could not learn chess.
After growing up, Gillian became a pediatrician and minored in child psychology. Only then did Gillian realize there were not so many natural geniuses in this world. Many geniuses‘ intelligence was developed after birth.
Elementary school was the golden period for the development of a child’s mental potential.
The Smith family had a long history that spanned hundreds of years. One of the many items they had passed down over the years was a book called “Mind Of A King“. It was said that it was a collection of the thoughts of many important people over the years and it could help develop children’s intelligence and make them smarter.
Gillian was honest when she was young. She wasn’t too quick but was obedient. On the other hand, Olivia was very active and naughty, so she always secretly climbed onto a stool to get this book that was kept on the top shelf.
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Olivia would then hide in the room and secretly read it.
After Isaac found out, he threatened Olivia with punishment and told her not to read it anymore. Isaac told Olivia that the book was not meant for children.
Gillian had an honest personality, so after hearing that she would be punished, she did not dare to enter Isaac’s study. Olivia was bold, so the more she was told she couldn’t read it, the more she wanted to. Olivia even locked herself in the study, angering Isaac.
After a few times, Isaac gave in. Not only did Isaac not stop Olivia, but he also explained some of the book’s concepts to her.
Whenever Gillian and Jarron were doing homework in the room or memorizing medical information, Isaac would bring Olivia to the study alone and give her a special study session.
Since Olivia had learned from this book, her intelligence had developed well. Hence, Olivia became even smarter. She learned everything quickly and understood everything almost immediately. Olivia even had a photographic memory.
Gillian felt that Olivia could learn so many things because she had studied this book, “Mind Of A King“.
Thinking of this, Gillian felt jealousy gnaw away at her heart. Gillian hated Isaac for being biased and she hated Olivia even more for being selfish.
If Gillian had also studied this book, she would definitely be smarter than Olivia. If so, Gillian would not have felt inferior for so many years.
Gillian was always standing behind Olivia like a shadow, unable to surpass her.
For the past few days, Gillian had been thinking about the prescription and the Smith family’s miraculous treatments. Things had been a little chaotic, so she had not thought about this at all.
It was only today when Gillian heard that Olivia was going to visit the chess teacher in the afternoon that she remembered this book.
Although Gillian was grown up now and had already passed the golden age of developing her intelligence potential, she could still train her mental, logical, and memory abilities.
Gillian could not control the excitement in her heart. She hurriedly ran home and went to Isaac’s study. Gillian carried a ladder and climbed up
to get the old book, which already had yellowed pages.
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Gillian carefully carried the book down as if she was holding some rare
treasure.
First, Gillian gently shook off the dust on it, then wiped it with a tissue. This book was just as Gillian remembered. It had always been something that she could only dream of. Now that she was holding it in her hand, Gillian had a strange feeling.
It was as if something she had dreamed of for many years was finally coming true.
The book wasn’t printed. It was handwritten and bound in parchment paper. The cover was brown and very textured. On the cover were four large words.
“Mind Of A King“.
Gillian took a deep breath and opened it with a trembling hand. She gently flipped to the first page. It was a piece of white paper with just two words, “Scribbled transcripts“.
It was indeed an ancient book with an ancient charm.
Gillian nodded and flipped to the second page. The second page was another piece of white paper. Only the bottom right corner had three familiar words, “Olivia Taylor“.
Gillian’s eyelids twitched, her heart aching a little. It was such a precious book, but Olivia had written her name on it. “Did she think it was her elementary school textbook?” Gillian thought.
Gillian turned to the third page.
The third page was completely different. It wasn’t a blank sheet of paper, but a tattered printed cover.
After carefully making out the handwriting, Gillian saw that it was written that this was a selection of works from “Heart Of A Lion“.
“What’s going on?” Gillian wondered.
Gillian found it unbelievable and quickly flipped through a few pages. The back was filled with printed texts. There were texts from “Regal Ages Record“, “Migration Ages Record“, “Divine Ages Record“, “War Of Burning Plains“, and even “Battle Of Itegh“. Gillian realized this was indeed texts from “Heart Of A Lion“.
Gillian was dumbfounded.
“How did ‘Mind Of A King, which was supposed to develop intelligence,
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Chapter 162
Since they were going to visit Finley, Olivia brought Andrew to the mall to buy some things.
After buying a few gifts, Olivia also bought a few sets of clothes for Andrew. Andrew was obedient and adorable. He didn’t seem frustrated even after trying on many clothes and even walked around, posing for Olivia’s comments.
The shop assistants loved Andrew and asked several times if they could take a photo with him.
Andrew was very polite. He took Olivia’s hand and politely refused. “Thank you for liking me, Miss. But Daddy said that I can’t take photos when I go out.”
The shop assistants exclaimed, “Did you hear that? He called me Miss. He’s so sweet.”
When Olivia led Andrew out, the shop assistant was still waving vigorously at him.
Olivia bought a camouflage down–jacket for Andrew. Andrew put it on immediately and even looked up at her with a smile. “I like this one.“” Olivia stroked his nose and decided they should make their way to go and see Finley.
As soon as Olivia walked out of the mall, Zoila approached her with a worried expression.
“Did something happen?” Olivia asked.
Zoila didn’t answer Olivia. Instead, she bent down to look at Andrew. Zoila sized Andrew up carefully for a while and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that he did not look tired.
Then, Zoila looked up at Olivia and said in an uncontrollably cold tone, “Ms. Taylor, Mr. Andrew is only five years old. His body can’t withstand walking for such a long time. He takes an afternoon nap every afternoon at this time. If you bring him out, you should tell me in advance and pay more attention to his condition.”
Zoila was already prepared to have it all out with Olivia. Even if Olivia became unhappy or complained to Daniel, Zoila would still speak her mind. Zoila felt that Olivia did not look like she was taking care of Andrew at all. Zoila was worried that Olivia would not treat Andrew well
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after she married Daniel.
However, the result was unexpected. Not only was Olivia not angry or upset with Zoila’s tone, but Olivia also reflected on herself.
Olivia lowered her eyes to look at Andrew, and her eyes flashed with
heartache.
Olivia felt that she had indeed neglected Andrew.
At the thought of this, Olivia felt extremely sorry. She bent down and hugged Andrew in her arms, apologizing sincerely, “I’m sorry, Andrew. It’s my fault. I didn’t know you were tired.”
“Is Olivia apologizing to me?” Andrew wondered.
Andrew smiled and held Olivia’s face with both of his small hands. Andrew said seriously, “Olivia, don’t apologize. I’m not tired. I’ll tell you if I’m tired.”
“How sensible.” Olivia stroked his nose and asked for Andrew’s opinion. “I’m going to visit Mr. Hill in a while. Do you want to come with me? If you’re tired, you can go back to the hotel with Ms. Milton to rest and I’ll come back later.”
Andrew quickly shook his head and immediately said, “I’m not tired, I’m not tired. I want to go with you.”
“Alright then.” Olivia nodded. “If you’re tired, don’t force yourself. You can rest at Mr. Hill’s house for a while.”
With that, Olivia stood up and pulled Andrew forward.
After taking a few steps, Zoila’s disbelieving voice came from behind them. “Ms. Taylor, are you bringing Andrew along?”
Olivia looked back at Zoila and nodded.
Zoila found it hard to understand. Zoila felt that Olivia should prioritize Andrew and consider him first. Andrew was clearly tired, so she felt that Olivia should bring him back to the hotel to rest.
“She can just visit her teacher tomorrow, or any other day.
“How could she completely ignore Andrew and only care about herself?” Zoila thought.
In Zoila’s opinion, Olivia was a daughter who had been separated from the Taylor family for 18 years, and she wasn’t worthy of Daniel. Yet, she didn’t care for or respect Andrew at all.
Olivia should take care of Andrew, pamper him, be careful at all times,
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and always put him as a priority.
Zoila did not know the Smith family or Isaac Smith. In her heart, Olivia was not worthy of Daniel at all. Zoila felt that it was only because Andrew liked Olivia that she could cling to Daniel. In that case, Olivia should be more aware of her status and her place.
Olivia did not know what Zoila was thinking. Seeing that Zoila was silent, Olivia did not think more about it and led Andrew to the parking lot. The two of them walked happily, both of them complementing each other as they walked hand in hand.
Olivia told Andrew about Finley and how Finley was very skilled in chess. Olivia even asked Andrew if he liked chess. If so, Olivia said she would ask Finley to teach him.
When Andrew heard that Olivia had learned chess before, Andrew wanted to learn it too. However, he had his own worries. “Will Mr. Hill like me?”
“Yes,” Olivia said firmly. “I like you, so he will definitely like you too.”
Andrew did not understand this logic, but he understood the first half of the sentence. Andrew immediately smiled, revealing eight small teeth, smiling so widely that his eyes gently closed.
Andrew was so happy that Olivia liked him.
Zoila followed behind the two of them. When Zoila heard Olivia mention letting Andrew learn chess from her teacher, Zoila subconsciously frowned.
Zoila disliked Olivia even more and felt that she had no boundaries. Andrew was Daniel’s son and was the youngest of the Sullivan family. If Andrew wanted to learn chess, he would need to learn from a well–renowned teacher. At the very least, it should be a teacher from Evervale.
“How could a lousy place like Layfield have a good teacher?” Zoila thought.
Finley didn’t live far away. Blake drove them there and they arrived in less than half an hour.
Olivia pulled Andrew along. Olivia took the heavier gifts herself and distributed the lighter ones to Andrew.
Finley had already received a call and knew that Olivia was coming. Finley had been waiting for a long time and rushed over to open the
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door almost as soon as they knocked.
Finley’s wife, Shannon, got such a fright as Finley rushed past her that she shuddered and couldn’t help but rebuke him. “You’re about to grow wings and fly!”
“Mr. Hill!” Olivia came in and hugged Finley before running over to hug Shannon.
Before opening the door, Shannon had still been calm. However, once Shannon saw Olivia, she immediately burst into tears. Shannon couldn’t help but grab the corner of Olivia’s clothes tightly. “You naughty girl. Why haven’t you come back to Layfield to visit us for so long?”
Olivia wheedled and coaxed Shannon until she smiled. Then, Olivia turned around and introduced Andrew. “Mr. Hill, Mrs. Hill, look who I brought along?”
“Look at this chaos!” Shannon smiled and smacked Olivia lightly. “We’ve scared the little kid.”
Olivia led Andrew in and pushed him in front of Finley. “Look, I found you a new student. What do you think?”
Finley said helplessly, “You are troublesome enough, and you want me to take another student?”
As everyone entered the house, Shannon went to make some coffee and prepare some snacks. Olivia carried Andrew in her arms and introduced him to Finley. Then, Olivia asked Finley to accept him as a student. “Teach him like how you taught me. Just teach him to play chess for fun.” Finley was angry at the mention of this. All his students were professional chess players who competed in big competitions and made a name for themselves. Olivia, on the other hand, was clearly the most talented, but her skills were the most amateur.
Finley was the student of the “God of Chess“, Mason Hughes. Finley had won countless grand prizes and was a national chess player. After Finley retired, he took in some professional chess players as his students. They had only come to him after gaining some fame in the industry to get some pointers. Only Olivia was different.
Olivia only treated chess as a hobby, but she was Finley’s favorite student. Finley was already heartbroken enough to have Olivia waste her talent and only treat chess as a hobby. If Finley had another student like Olivia, his heart would really ache.
Chapter 163
Olivia had just entered the house, but before she could even take a sip of water, she was taken to the study for a chess game. Andrew was taken to the guest room to rest. He was already tired, his eyelids were heavy, and he could barely open them. Andrew had just been fighting his sleepiness earlier.
Not long after lying on the bed, Andrew began to snore. It was obvious that he was exhausted.
Blake and Shannon were talking and eating snacks in the living room. Zoila stayed in the guest room to take care of Andrew.
Zoila really did not know what was so good about Olivia. She was not meticulous at all and did not seem to be trying to please Andrew at all. Zoila did not understand why Andrew liked Olivia so much.
Just as Zoila was feeling puzzled, her phone suddenly vibrated. When Zoila saw the caller ID, her heart skipped a beat and she instantly panicked.
Zoila hurriedly picked up her phone and hid in the bathroom. After locking the door, she leaned against the door and took a deep breath before answering the call. “Hello, Mr. Sullivan?”
Zoila’s voice was especially clear and pleasant.
Unfortunately, Daniel was not in the mood to pay attention to this. Daniel had just completed a merger overnight and was very tired.
Daniel pressed his temples and asked, “How is she?”
Daniel’s voice was dry and crisp.
“Mr. Andrew is sleeping,” Zoila replied quickly.
Daniel paused for a moment. Realizing that Zoila had misheard him, he said helplessly, “I’m asking about Olivia.”
Zoila was speechless.
Zoila had not expected Daniel to call and immediately ask about Olivia. Zoila felt this was strange.
“Ms. Taylor is well.” Zoila’s voice was calm, but her palm was covered in sweat as she held her phone. Zoila said casually, “Today, Ms. Taylor brought Andrew to the mall for a long time. Andrew was so tired that he couldn’t walk anymore, but Ms. Taylor was still in high spirits.”
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After saying that, Zoila immediately held her breath. She was so nervous that she felt her scalp tingling as she tried to guess what Daniel would say after hearing that.
Zoila wondered if Daniel would be angry with Olivia and blame her for not taking good care of Andrew.
“They still went shopping?” Daniel was in a good mood. The joy in his dry and slightly hoarse voice could be heard clearly. “Was Andrew obedient? Did he disturb her shopping? If Andrew can’t walk next time, carry him. Don’t let him disturb Olivia’s mood.”
Zoila was speechless.
“Was this Andrew’s biological father talking?
“Did he even understand what I just said?” Zoila wondered.
Zoila was telling Daniel that Olivia didn’t take good care of Andrew and wanted to shop at the mall even if Andrew was tired. Zoila had no idea how the conversation had taken a turn and became about Andrew disrupting Olivia because he was tired.
Zoila almost couldn’t breathe. It took her a while to calm down. Zoila continued, “This afternoon, Ms. Taylor brought Mr. Andrew to visit her chess teacher. This Mr. Hill looks very ordinary. He’s not a well–known teacher, and he’s old. Ms. Taylor actually asked Mr. Hill to teach Mr. Andrew chess…”
Zoila said the last sentence meaningfully, hinting that Finley was of an average standard and was not worthy of teaching Andrew.
Daniel’s voice was low and slightly doubtful. “You said that Olivia wants. to find a chess teacher for Andrew?”
“Yes.” Zoila nodded and emphasized, “This Mr. Hill doesn’t seem very skilled. Do you want to…” Zoila wanted to ask Daniel to call Olivia and put a stop to this.
However, before Zoila could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Daniel’s delighted laughter.
Daniel was in high spirits and extremely happy. “I didn’t expect Olivia to be ready to be a mother already. She even knows how to sign the child up for classes. In the future, she’ll definitely be a good mother.”
Zoila made it clear that she didn’t want to talk anymore and wanted to hang up.
Zoila was so confused by Daniel’s thought process.
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After hanging up the phone, Zoila sat on the bed in a daze. She felt that she had failed in trying to complain about Olivia. Zoila did not know if it was because she did not express it clearly, or if Daniel’s thought process was different from everyone else.
Daniel always turned the conversation in a different direction, confusing Zoila.
Olivia stayed at the Hill family’s residence for the entire afternoon and they only returned to the hotel after dinner.
Andrew was so sleepy that he could not open his eyes. Andrew leaned on Olivia’s shoulder and kept nodding off.
Olivia patted his little head and said softly, “Sleep if you’re tired. I’m here.
Andrew struggled to open his eyes. “I’m not sleepy.”
When Zoila saw this, she stretched out her arms. “Let me carry Mr. Andrew.”
“No!” Andrew had a temper. Andrew turned his head and simply refused. “I want Olivia to carry me.”
“Alright, I’ll carry you,” Olivia said helplessly.
Back at the hotel, Zoe quickly came over to pick up Andrew. Zoe carried him to the bed and changed him into pajamas, wiping his face before tucking him in.
Olivia had already returned to her room to rest. Zoila leaned against the sofa with a tired expression.
Zoe came out and was a little surprised to see that Zoila was still there. “You haven’t returned to your room to rest?”
Zoila looked up at Zoe and hesitated.
“What’s wrong?” Zoe asked.
Zoila thought about it and decided to tell Zoe what had happened. After all, Zoe had been looking after Andrew since he was very young. Her words should carry more weight, and Zoila felt Daniel would take it more seriously.
Hence, Zoila said, “Today, Ms. Taylor brought Andrew to visit her chess teacher.”
Zoe nodded. Zoe knew about this since Blake had called to tell her.
“Ms. Taylor wants Mr. Andrew to learn chess from her teacher.” Zoila looked at Zoe and said hesitantly, “I don’t know much about Mr.
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Andrew’s learning, but I’m guessing the Sullivan family should have a reasonable plan for him. I don’t think it’ll be too good if we let Ms. Taylor decide on his teacher, right?”
Zoe was stunned for a moment. Then, Zoe suddenly pounced over and grabbed Zoila’s shoulder, speaking excitedly. “What did you say? What did you say just now? Andrew wants to learn chess from Mr. Hill?”
Zoila nodded. Zoila did not know why Zoe was so excited.
“That’s great, that’s great!” Zoe was overjoyed when she received an affirmative answer. Zoe muttered to herself about calling Daniel to tell him the good news.
“Zoe?” Zoila frowned. “If Mr. Andrew wants to learn chess, shouldn’t he hire a renowned teacher? That Mr. Hill is old and isn’t even famous.”
“Not famous? You must be joking!” The corners of Zoe’s mouth twitched. Zoe turned to look at Zoila. “Didn’t Blake tell you?”
Zoila shook her head. Blake had never liked her and rarely spoke to her.
“No wonder!” Zoe nodded. Then, she pointed at Zoila’s phone and said, “Search for it yourself, Finley Hill.”
Zoila was still a little confused and subconsciously took out her phone to
search.
As soon as Zoila typed in Finley Hill’s name, a Wikipedia page popped up. The photo was of the old man she had seen in the Hill family’s residence that afternoon.
The information on Wikipedia was very detailed. It listed what awards Finley had won and what honors he had received.
Zoila didn’t remember anything she was reading. She only remembered three words, “National Chess Player“.
Finley was also the top chess player in the country!
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Chapter 164
Olivia did not go to the hospital that day. Instead, she stayed in the hotel to keep Andrew company and read some books with him.
Since she had learned more about Isaac’s condition, there was no need for her to stay by his side all the time.
Andrew was now able to recognize many words and could even read a book by himself. His favorite book was “Infinite Whys“. Whenever he came across something he did not understand, he would ask Olivia. While they were engrossed in their reading, someone knocked on the door.
The visitor tapped politely on the door. The knocking sound did not display any haste.
Olivia thought it was the housekeeping service from the hotel and called out, “I don’t need any housekeeping service.”
The knocking stopped briefly before a man’s voice was heard.
“Olivia, it’s me.”
It was Jarron. Olivia put the book down the book with a quizzical look. Andrew obediently got down from the chair and ran to the door. “I’ll open the door.”
Both Jarron and Gillian were standing at the door. They were surprised when they saw it was Andrew who opened the door.
“You must be Mr. Andrew from the Sullivan family.” Jarron leaned over and stroked Andrew’s head..
Olivia walked over and said to Andrew, “Andrew, greet the visitors.”
“Hello.” Andrew’s voice was crisp and clear.
Jaroon was even more astonished.
Although Isaac mentioned in passing once that Olivia was dating Daniel of Evervale, Jarron did not expect both of them to have grown so close over a short period.
They were now so close that Daniel even entrusted his son to Olivia.
Jarron figured Daniel would not leave Andrew with Olivia if they were not on close terms.
“What brings you here today?” Olivia made way for both of them to enter
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the hotel room.
Seeing the visitors, Andrew picked up his book “Infinite Whys” and was about to leave the room. “Olivia, I’ll go back to my room first.”
Olivia nodded. The door remained open. It was only after Andrew returned to his room that the sound of the door closing was heard in the corridor.
A hint of sarcasm flickered in Gillian’s eyes when she saw how concerned Olivia was about Andrew.
Olivia appeared to be a very capable stepmother.
Isaac always said that Olivia was someone who never harbored ill intentions and valued relationships. However, to Gillian, Olivia was only capable of sucking up to the rich and influential.
The Taylor family had just acknowledged her as their daughter not too long ago. Yet now, she was already ingratiating herself with the Sullivan family.
Gillian lowered her head and took a sip of water. The corners of her mouth curled into a smile. She was gloating at the thought of what was going to happen to Olivia next.
One day, the Sullivan family would learn that Olivia was no longer the beloved granddaughter of the Smith family and had been disowned by the family.
Gillian wondered if the Sullivan family would still accept her after knowing the truth.
No prestigious family would accept a girl with an ordinary family background.
After closing the door, Olivia walked back to the room and sat opposite Gillian and Jarron.
Jarron placed a gray–colored invitation card embossed in gold on the coffee table. He then pushed it toward Olivia.
Olivia picked up the invitation card and looked at it. It was an invitation to the banquet.
She looked up in disbelief. For a moment, her hand that was holding the invitation card stiffened. “Is this invitation card for me?”
Olivia wondered if Gillian had changed her mind.
Jarron nodded. “This invitation care is specially prepared for you. Gillian
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wanted to wait for me to come back so we can give this to you together.” Olivia looked down at the card calmly. No one could tell what she was thinking. However, her expression revealed a quiet, tender glow in her eyes, hinung at a hidden emotional response.
“Oh, by the way.” Jarron frowned as if he suddenly thought of something. “Olivia, do you remember the book, ‘Mind Of A King‘ that was kept in Grandpa Isaac’s study? I can’t seem to find it.”
“Mind Of A King‘?” Olivia had a good memory. After thinking for a moment, she remembered what Jarron was looking for. “Oh, do you mean ‘Heart Of A Lion“?”
Jarron was taken aback.
Olivia did not think much about Jarron’s reaction. “I don’t know where I’ve left it. I may have thrown it away. Just buy another one if you want to read it. That one is just a selection, and there are spelling errors in that book.”
Gillian was appalled by Olivia’s flippant response.
Unable to tolerate Olivia’s behavior any longer, she forcefully pushed away Jarron’s hand that was holding her down. Gillian stood up and glared angrily at Olivia. “Stop pretending! Where have you hidden the book? Are you threatening me with the book so you can get an invitation to the banquet? Well, you’ve got the invitation card now. Give me the book.”
Olivia was baffled.
She frowned and regarded Gillian with a chilly expression. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re still pretending, aren’t you?” Gillian was so angry that her body was shaking like a leaf. She gave Olivia an icy stare. “How can you be so evil? You’re very mean. Do you think you can control me by hiding the book? Let me make this clear to you. It’s impossible. The Smith family belongs to me. Grandpa Isaac entrusted the Smith family to me. You have nothing…”
She was about to say further when Jarron hugged her and made her sit on the couch. “Gillian, calm down!”
Jarron then turned to Olivia, looking helpless. “Olivia, just give her the book.”
“What book?” Olivia blinked her eyes, wondering why she always got
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involved in such bizarre situations.
“Olivia!” Jarron suddenly raised his voice, casting a cold look on Olivia. “Stop all this nonsense. Hand over ‘Mind Of A King‘ to Gillian.”
“Don’t beg her!” Gillian was furious. It seemed as though Jarron suffered a great injustice. “Report her to the police. Call the police immediately. Tell them the Smith family has lost a very important book. Since she’s so shameless, I shan’t spare her any humiliation. The Smith family now belongs to me. She has nothing to do with the Smith family. She can’t take away anything from the family.”
Gillian eyed Olivia with hostility.
She wanted to make known to everyone that the Smith family had severed ties with Olivia, ensuring that Olivia could no longer leverage the Smith family’s reputation for personal gain.
Jarron was at a loss for what to do. After much effort, he managed to
calm Gillian down.
He looked at Olivia in disappointment. “Gillian always said you were a selfish person, but I spoke up for you. I told her you were young, and you were not able to think sensibly. However, I didn’t expect you to do this to us.”
Jarron could not continue any further. Rubbing his face with both hands, he went on, “When you were young, Grandpa Isaac favored you. He shared with you ‘Mind Of A King,‘ a skill set designed to develop your intelligence. However, he never passed on that knowledge to us. I have never once complained about it because the book belongs to Grandpa Isaac. He has the right to teach those skills to whomever he chooses.
“I didn’t blame you either because you were young and ignorant. Now that we’ve all grown up, you’re still not sensible. How can you be so selfish to keep the book for yourself? You know that Gillian has always envied you. She admires your intelligence. She’s envious that you can play the violin, painting, and chess.
“However, she doesn’t want to compete with you. She’s also not finding fault with you. It has always been her childhood dream to read the book. That’s all she wants. Why can’t you give in to her? Why must you make things so difficult for us?”
Olivia finally understood what was going on.
She could not help but mock the chaotic scene in front of her, as well as the evident disappointment on both Jarron and Gillian’s faces.
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She wanted to laugh out loud.
Olivia wondered why she had not seen through Jarron and Gillian previously. Was she too blinded by their relationship?
Olivia was at a loss for words. After staring at both of them for a long while, she finally said, “I am amazed at both your intellect. One of you is a top international brain surgeon, and the other is an outstanding pediatrician. You’re both highly educated and exceptionally intelligent. Yet you believe that such a book exists. Do you think you can become smart immediately by reading the book?”
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Olivia never liked to argue with people. However, things seemed to have gotten so out of hand that she needed to confront both Jarron and Gillian.
“Who said you will become intelligent after reading the book? she asked. Gillian looked up. “Grandpa Isaac said so.” Olivia only lived with the Smith family for less than a year, but she had already shown astonishing intelligence. She was a fast learner and could grasp any information after seeing the information once.
Over time, Gillian began to feel inferior to Olivia. She did not understand why Olivia could memorize half of the book’s medicinal ingredients while Gillian had barely finished reading one page.
In addition, Olivia could also analyze the properties of the medicine. Sensing Gllian’s inferiority complex, Isaac would hug her. He comforted Gillian, “You’re not learning as fast as Olivia, not because you are not smart enough. It’s the book ‘Mind Of A King‘ that Olivia is reading. This book can make someone more intelligent. When you’re older, I will also teach you from this book. You will become smarter than Olivia.”
Olivia kept quiet for a long time.
She originally had her legs crossed, but when she heard what Gillian said, she straightened her legs and rested them on the coffee table. Supporting her chin with one hand, she chuckled softly.
Ignoring Gillian, Olivia turned to Jarron. She tilted her head and asked, “Jarron, are you here to cheer me up because you know I’ve been in a bad mood recently?”
Sensing Olivia’s questioning look, Jarron felt embarrassed. He wished he could remove himself from the awkward situation.
He was aware that Gillian always grumbled about not being able to learn ‘Mind Of A King. She often claimed the book could make someone intelligent. However, he never found out why Gillian had harbored that thought.
Isaac was trying to comfort Gillian and was not serious when he said that. No one expected Gillian to believe what Isaac said.
Jarron felt ashamed when he recalled how overbearing he had been to
Olivia earlier.
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“What do you mean?” Gillian frowned at Olivia.
Gillian was completely obsessed with how ‘Mind Of A King‘ could make a person smarter. If it was someone else Isaac said those words to she would have guessed that Isaac was not telling the truth. She would think he was only trying to pacify the person. However, she did not have the same self–awareness when she was the party involved. She was very sure reading the book would make her more intelligent.
Olivia looked up at Gillian without saying a word. She merely leaned over and took an orange from the coffee table. She then started to peel the fruit.
Olivia took a bite of the freshly peeled orange and said dismissively, “You claimed that I became smarter after learning ‘Mind Of A King. I
remember very clearly that I learned how to play the violin, how to paint, and how to play chess before reading the book.
Gillian was speechless.
After eating two slices of orange, Olivia tossed the remaining slices back onto the plate. She narrowed her eyes and scoffed, “Green–eyed monster.” Gillian’s face contorted with rage. She knew Olivia was implying that Gillian was jealous.
“You must have come across ‘Mind Of A King‘ and realized it was actually ‘Heart Of A Lion! Did you suspect that I swopped the books?” Although Olivia appeared to be asking a question, her tone sounded certain.
Gillian remained silent.
Olivia curled one leg and extended her palm in front of Gillian. “Give it to me. Give me the book you found.”
Jarron immediately said, “I’ll go back and get it.”
Olivia ignored him and continued to stare at Gillian with her extended hand.
She knew Gillian too well. Given her personality, Gillian would have brought the book wherever she went.
In the past, Olivia could not understand what Jarron and Gillian were thinking. She now realized she was blinded because she treated them like her close friends. It was like a fortune teller who could never predict the fates of herself and her loved ones.
It was true with the saying that the cobbler’s children were the worst shod.
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She was not perceptive of their intentions because they were her closest friends.
At that moment, she detached herself completely from them. All feelings of kinship toward them had disappeared.
She could see their characters clearly now.
Their intentions were very apparent.
Olivia did not like to judge anyone. However, she still could see through
someone’s nature.
As expected, Gillian had ‘Mind Of A King‘ with her.
Olivia took the book and flipped through it. She then took out a ballpoint pen from the drawer of the coffee table and scribbled ‘Mind Of A King’ on the cover.
It was written in exactly the same way as the title of the book.
Unbothered by their shocked looks, Olivia tossed the book to them and said offhandedly, “I used a random piece of paper to wrap the book.”
Without waiting for them to react, she fished out a USB flash drive. It looked like an outdated model. The color of the cover had already faded. Olivia inserted the USB flash drive into the laptop and retrieved some old photos. They were all images of the book.
One of the photos showed a small hand holding the book.
“Have a good look, and compare it to the actual book.” Olivia turned the laptop in their direction to show them the photos. She asked, “Is it the same book?”
Gillian was a little stunned and stood still for a long time. She was at a loss for what to do. Jarron looked at the laptop and clicked on the photo to enlarge it. He tried to compare the book in the photo to ‘Mind Of A King‘ that was lying on the table.
The resolution of the photo on the USB falsh drive was not of good quality. Although the picture looked a little blurry, he was still able to see the image of the book clearly.
It was exactly the same book.
After making a comparison, Jarron looked defeated. He suddenly leaned back on the couch, looking helpless.
After a while, he rubbed his eyes and laughed bitterly. No one knew if he was mocking himself or Gillian.
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He despised himself for acting in such a principled manner earlier. Now, everything seemed like a joke.
Olivia went to the kitchen and poured a glass of fruit juice for herself. She sat on the couch, drinking the fruit juice. She then started twirling the pen with her fingers.
“Are you done studying the book?” She suddenly stopped playing with the pen. The pen flew out of her hand and landed on ‘Mind Of A King.
The pen tip scraped against the cover, producing a sharp sound. Gillian, who was in a daze, instantly snapped back to her senses.
Olivia placed the glass of fruit juice on the table and leaned back on the couch. She crossed her legs elegantly.
Her movements were very graceful.
Gillian cast a glance at Olivia and looked down immediately.
She always knew Olivia was a beautiful woman. There was an alluring charima in both her expression and action. No one could imitate her charm.
Olivia never learned dancing. When she was a child, she was always running around with a bunch of boys in the martial arts school. Her elegance seemed to be inborn.
Since young, Gillian liked to secretly observe Olivia. Olivia always appeared to be cheerful and bubbly in front of others. Her mannerisms were unrestrained, and she always spoke her mind. She carried herself with the grace of a flower.
Everyone around her seemed to be living in her shadow.
However, Olivia would transform into a timid girl when she was with Gillian. She always behaved with restraint and cautiousness at home.
Gillian always thought Olivia was very pretentious. She behaved differently in front of outsiders and her family. She despised Olivia for being a scheming girl who would hide her talents only to reveal them at the most unexpected times.
Gillian hated pretentious people most. Her classmate used to study late into the night. However, he would go to school the next day and claimed that he did not study the night before and went to bed early. Gillian found such behavior detestable.
Such people were the most annoying to Gillian.
Gillian thought Olivia was the same as those people.
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At that moment, Olivia dropped all her pretense. She was no longer the quiet and timid girl. Instead, she was sitting upright, looking composed and elegant. Although Gillian detested how arrogant Olivia looked, she also understood one thing.
Perhaps, Olivia was not pretending all the while. Neither was she as scheming as Gillian made her out to be. Olivia was trying not to appear too outstanding so she would not outshine Gillian.
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Chapter 166
Olivia leaned forward and stretched out her hand to close the laptop. With a downward pressof her hand, the laptop instantly closed
Without any big movement, the laptop smoothly slid into her hands. Olivia then placed it on one side.
Her moves were very sleek.
Previously, Gillian had seen Olivia performing the trick at a friend’s house through the crack in the door. All her friends had praised Olivia for her smooth movement. Everything she did was swift and polished. She was like a heroine to them.
However, Olivia never did the trick at home. She was always fumbling with her laptop while sticking her head out to chat with Gillian.
In the past, Gillian thought Olivia was deliberately hiding her talent. She thought Olivia was being hypocritical and pretentious.
However, at that moment, Gillian could no longer hide her true feelings. She quickly lowered her head so that no one could see her expression. “Since you’ve seen the book for yourself, you can leave now.” Olivia turned off the laptop and sat back on the couch. She looked down at her glass of fruit juice and started swirling it. Although her tone sounded indifferent, one could still sense a hint of coldness in it.
“My little sister…” Jarron felt terrible, but he did not know what to say. Olivia chuckled and looked up at Jarron. “Why didn’t you call me your little sister just now? You called me Olivia like you were talking down at me. Do you now realize your mistake and acknowledge me as your little. sister?
“Olivia, don’t say that.” Jarron’s voice quivered with apprehension. A feeling of foreboding washed over him.
Olivia did not look up. She continued swirling the glass of fruit juice and did not say a word.
Seeing this, Jarron felt even more remorseful. His eyes were filled with sadness, and his lips trembled. “Olivia, I’m sorry. I’ve been too impulsive.
I…”
Jarron could not say any further.
Jarron rarely apologized all his life. On some occasions when he annoyed
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Olivia, he would mutter the word ‘sorry; and Olivia would immediately look up and say, “It’s okay. I forgive you.
Hence, Jarron was never good at making apologies. He did not know how to apologize to Olivia. He only knew how to say sorry to her.
He thought Olivia would reply with a smile like always and say, “I forgive you.”
He waited for a long time, but she did not speak.
This silence made Jarron feel extremely uneasy. His stomach was churning uncomfortably. He had not eaten much in the morning, but he still wanted to throw up now.
Gillian dragged Jarron away. When they reached the door, Olivia suddenly stopped them.
Jarron looked back in surprise. Olivia knocked softly on the coffee table. “You forgot something.”
Jarron looked in the direction of the coffee table and saw the invitation card. He winced uncomfortably.
The lighting in the hotel suite was very dim. However, when it shone on Jarron’s face, it looked very bright, as if it was emitting a bout of cold air.
Jarron’s mouth moved, but no words came out.
Gillian frowned. “I know I misunderstood you about ‘Mind Of A King‘, but we’ve already apologized. Don’t be so unforgiving. Stop being angry at us. There are many big shots attending the banquet. Don’t miss the opportunity just because you’re angry with us.”
Olivia frowned. She was running out of patience.
She had always been very patient with her family. She was willing to wait for several hours and even up to a day for them. However, she was immensely impatient with outsiders.
“Take it away.” She interrupted Gillian curtly.
“Do you really want me to take it away?” Gillian’s tone was filled with disbelief. “Do you know what you’ll be missing out? From now on, I’m in charge of the Smith family. You’re no longer part of the family.”
“You talk too much.” Olivia looked at Gillian calmly. “I let you into my room today so I can explain my side of the story about ‘Mind Of A King‘ It’s not because I’m afraid of you. It’s also not because of this invitation card. I just need to make things clear to you.
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“Since I’ve already clarified this matter with you, you can leave now.” Gillian looked quietly at Olivia before picking up the invitation card. She suddenly turned around when she reached the door.
“Many things have happened between us. There’s a lot of unhappiness. It’s hard to tell who’s right and who’s wrong. I can’t care less about that now.” She looked at Olivia and said haughtily, “I don’t want to bother about you or meddle in someone else’s business, but we’ve been friends for so many years. I still want to remind you of some things…. “Don’t lose an important opportunity in a fit of anger.”
Gillian paused for a moment before continuing, “The Sullivan family is willing to accept you because of the Smith family. I know you are a very smart woman, but your intelligence is nothing compared to the Smith family’s years of history. I’m saying this for your good. Smart people tend to think too highly of themselves. Pride comes before a fall.
“I hope you know what you’re worth. Don’t miss out on the banquet because you’re angry with us.”
She waved the invitation card with a sense of superiority. “I’ll save this invitation card for you. If you change your mind, let me…”
Before Gillian could finish speaking, a hand snatched the invitation card from her. Olivia tore the invitation card into two and threw it into the wastebasket right in front of Gillian.
“Goodbye.” Olivia took out a tissue and wiped her hands as if she just touched a dirty item.
Gillian’s face went ashen. She glared at Olivia. “Don’t regret what you just did.”
Olivia tossed the piece of tissue into the wastepaper basket and said
indifferently, “You’re right. We’ve been friends for so many years. I should remind you about one thing. A leader should be ethical and upright. One should lead by example.”
“How dare you!” Gillian went cold with fury. She glared at Olivia and opened her mouth to speak.
Just then, she heard the door slam. In an instant, she was locked outside. “Olivia!” Gillian had lost all her senses. Her face turned a fiery shade of red, and her fists tightened, knuckles white with tension.
She wondered how long Olivia could continue behaving so arrogantly. She was certain Olivia would have to swallow her pride one day.
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Gillian originally wanted to look out for Olivia on account of their past friendship. She wanted to help Olivia boost her standing in the Sullivan family as the granddaughter of the Smith family. Since Olivia had
refused Gillian’s kind intentions, the latter decided she had no reason to be softhearted toward the former. She vowed to take back everything that belonged to her.
The Smith family was now under Gillian’s control. Olivia was no longer the beloved granddaughter of Isaac. Without the Smith family’s backing, no one would regard Olivia highly.
Olivia had been very stubborn, thinking that she could sever ties with the Smith family now that she was about to marry into the Sullivan family. Gillian was determined to announce to the public that Olivia had severed all ties with the Smith family. She vowed to spread the news to the Sullivan family.
She was certain the Sullivan family would not allow Olivia to marry into their family when they knew she was no longer part of the Smith family. The Sullivan family would not accept her even if she was willing to be Andrew’s stepmother.
Chapter 167
“Calm down. She’s still young.” Jarron shook Gillian’s hand and comforted her. “We’re not kids. We have to be tolerant.”
Gillian was looking at the closed door and was furious. When she heard Jarron’s words, her face froze for a moment.
Still young? Olivia was still young?
She was sneering in her heart. Jarron always defended her regardless of right or wrong. Olivia was already in her twenties, yet he still insisted that she was young!
Gillian lowered her head and said calmly, “Alright, I won’t really be angry with her.”
Jarron heaved a sigh of relief.
Gillian just appeared angry and failed to control her temper, but she didn’t mean it. Her bark was worse than bite so she wouldn’t really hurt Olivia. Now that Jarron was blindly defending this so–called young girl, she started to feel angry in a true sense.
Olivia’s disobedience, Jarron’s preference for her, how the big shots valued her, and the indelible influence she left on the Smith family all made Gillian uncomfortable.
Apart from the discomfo
she exerted on Gillian, the position Olivia was consolidating also impaired Gillian’s control over the Smith family.
This was what Gillian could not tolerate.
In an instant, Gillian comprehended a truth. In an organization, the new successor had to rule out the competitor even if he had already been a loser. Or he would continue exerting his influence backed by his faction’s support. Only through exterminating all the competitors and their reactionary forces could we climb to the peak and maintain our position. If Gillian wanted to take over the Smith family, she had to let everyone know that she was in charge of the Smith family now. Gillian was the head. Olivia was already dumped in history. Without her Isaac’s support, Olivia lost her foothold like a leaf adrift in the wind. She could not stand firm in the Smith family now!
She had to consider this matter in the long run. Gillian needed more time to study it carefully.
When she got home, she immediately confined herself to the study and
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began to rummage through the cabinet. Finally, she found a yellowing book in a secret corner of the cabinet. The Smith family’s genealogy was well recorded on it.
Gillian’s angertips paused on the title for a moment before quickly flipping to a certain page.
She had once heard her Isaac mention that the Smith family had already split into three branches 200 years ago.
The one that stayed at home was not lineal, but a collateral branch. It was because of the inheritance of the miraculous treatments that they were modified as lineal descendants. The true lineal branch had long given up on miraculous treatments and went overseas.
Another branch also remained in the country, but they did not inherit the miraculous treatments. Instead, they changed their surname to Smithson and became a family of craftsmen.
The exquisite white T–shirt Olivia wore was made by this family. The Smithson family had almost completely broken away from the Smith family. They were now in a cooperative relationship. They provided clothes, shoes, and hats to the Smiths. The Smith family was obligated to provide medical services and food to them in return.
Gillian wanted to contact that lineal branch overseas through the Smithson family.
According to her Isaac, the lineal Smiths overseas had switched to business and had become a powerful tycoon. They could even exert an influence on the election.
Gillian wanted to contact the Smith family overseas and cooperate with them to develop the Smith family’s secret recipe to push the Smith family to the international stage.
Unfortunately, she did not have the contact information. Furthermore, the Smith family overseas had already changed the name and had become complete foreigners. It was impossible to find them.
Therefore, she had to ask for help from the master of the Smithson family to get the contact method.
The Smithson family had always been very close to her Isaac. Even before her Isaac’s accident, they still often gave him excellent clothes and precious jewelry as gifts.
However, after Isaac fainted, their attitude towards them was not as good
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as before. Although they still provided clothes, jewelry was no longer sent
over.
Gillian knew what they were thinking. They were worried that she wouldn’t be able to lead the Smith family.
However, it was not the time to haggle over these things.
Gillian packed up some things and went to the Smithson family to ask for a meeting with Mr. Smithson.
The master of the Smithson family was in his 80s, almost 90 years old. He was even older than Isaac. However, he was still heaty and hale.
When Gillian came over, he was studying a game of chess with a frown on his face. He had been holding a piece in his hand for a long time as if no matter what he did next, he would be bound to lose the game.
When he heard that Gillian was here, he excitedly waved his hand. “Oh, Gillian is here. Let that girl in.”
Gillian had just stepped through the door when she was called over by Mr. Smithson. “Gillian, my girl, come over here. Tell me, what’s your opinion about my next move?”
He had been lost in thought for a few days. He had asked many other people, but none of them could provide anything useful.
Gillian had also learned chess. She had been paying attention to almost everything Olivia had been learning when she was young, including chess.
When she was a little girl, Isaac didn’t allow her to learn to play chess, so she learned it secretly. After junior high school, she got more pocket money, so she enrolled in the chess course. She studied there for a while, even Olivia couldn’t be her match. After entering university, she even participated in a chess competition and won an award. So Gillian was quite very confident in her chess skills.
She strolled over and sat opposite him, looking down at the unfinished board.
She thought that it would be easy to resolve, but after looking at the board for more than ten minutes, her eyes turned blurry and a headache crept into her body. However, she still failed to figure out a solution.
There was no way out for Mr. Smithson’s side. He would definitely lose.
As soon as she said this, Mr. Smithson rejected it. “No! That’s impossible. That’s not what Livy said. She said that there’s still a chance!”
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Gillian was stunned. Her expression immediately turned gloomy. Her voice was absent–minded. “Mr. Smithson, you asked Olivia before?” Mr. Smithson shook his head. “No, I played this game with her. The day she returned to Layfield, I invited her to play chess with me. At first, she was still unwilling to play a game. I’ve been pleading for a long time and my lips are almost worn out. Then finally she agreed to play with me. She was probably in a bad mood that day and so she didn’t show any mercy. It’s her show time all through the game and soon it became like this.”
Speaking of this, Mr. Smithson felt aggrieved.
Where was the kind, adorable, and considerate Olivia? Where was the old Olivia going? She had changed!
In the past, she had always been patient and never refused to play chess with him. She would not defeat him utterly, nor would she let him win easily. It was like an AI that could adapt herself to match his level. It was truly an amazing experience to play with Olivia..
But now, she had become a different person.
Gillian’s eyes were no longer calm. She couldn’t believe it. Since it was Olivia’s chess game, how could she not see a flaw? Olivia was not even as good as her.
In the past, when they played chess, Olivia was always the loser. She had never won. In her best performance, she managed to persevere for an hour but still lost the last move.
Plus, Finley, Olivia’s chess teacher, had frequently criticized Olivia’s poor performance. She couldn’t even last ten minutes when playing with him. She was the worst student he had ever met in his lifetime.
Every time he saw Olivia, he would scold her for a long time.
Why did she suddenly improve her skills?
Gillian stared at the stalemate and remained silent for a long time. Her mind was in a daze.
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Chapter 168
Seeing the Gillian did not speak for a long time, Mr. Smithson realized that she was also a useless player. It seemed he couldn’t get a solution from her. Then he decided not to waste time and took out his phone to ask Livy.
He had been racking her brain for days and he felt terrible as if there was a cat clawing inside his body. If the answer didn’t come out, he would probably die.
For the sake of his health, he immediately made a call to Livy for the
answer.
Mr. Smithson was old, but his heart was young. He handled his
smartphone very well. He opened WhatsApp and sent a voice message to Olivia. “Livy, can I have a minute?”
In one instance, the other side sent him three photos. They clearly showed how to proceed with the unfinished game. In order to make it easier for the old man to see, the font was enlarged.
Mr. Smithson put on his reading glasses and enlarged the photos. He looked at them one by one. After reading three of them, he was so excited that he slapped his thigh. “So that’s how it is! What a brilliant girl!” Finally, this conundrum that had haunted him for days was solved. Mr. Smithson was in a good mood and sent a voice message to Olivia. “Livy, how did you know that I wanted to ask you about the game?”
Before long, Olivia’s lazy voice came from the phone. This was a tone that Gillian had never seen before. It was casual and free. To Gillian, it also contained a weird evil aura.
“Mr. Smithson, because I’m not stupid.”
Mr. Smithson was drinking coffee. When he heard this, he spat it out. He wiped his mouth with a tissue and scolded jokingly, “You’re a bad girl. You’re always joking with me.”
In the hotel, Olivia was reclining on the sofa. Her plump legs were crossed, casually resting on the coffee table. Her posture was unrestrained and relaxed.
Hearing Mr. Smithson’s words, the corners of her lips curled up as she
said in a low voice, “Because Mr. Smithson always cares about me. That’s why I dare to joke with you.”
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Mr. Smithson chuckled. His eyes beamed as he smiled. “Livy is still as good as before. You used to be so adorable, but you’ve been cold in the past few years. You’re no longer as cute as before.”
In the past years?
Olivia was slightly stunned.
What did the old Olivia look like?
She was in high spirits and dazzling like the sun. She was like the most beloved princess in the world. She was unrestrained, carefree, stunning, and eye–catching. She was born to shine, causing everything around her to unconsciously become her foil, and stealing the limelight no matter what she did.
At that time, who wouldn’t love that popular Olivia?
Even Gillian felt comfortable when interacting with Olivia despite her burning jealousy. Sometimes she was even willing to get closer to Olivia. But now, Olivia had been restraining herself.
She showed humility before Gillian and restrained all her light, turning the once dazzling Olivia into the current cold and indifferent girl. Of course, this was partly because she was betrayed and hurt by her loved ones, but more than that, it was out of love.
Out of love for Isaac, Jarron, and Gillian.
She felt that if she could have been more humble, Olivia wouldn’t have been hurt so much. Then, they would be happy together as a family like before. Gillian wouldn’t have become jealous or resentful, and Isaac wouldn’t been sad.
Fortunately, she had let everything go.
Feelings could be forced. If they were a harmonious family, they were. If they forced it, it would be meaningless. If they got themselves bound for the feelings that they couldn’t have, it may deprive everything they had owned now.
Rather than seeking after what they lacked, it was better to cherish what they had now.
After chatting with Mr. Smithson for a while, Olivia changed into sportswear and brought Andrew to the amusement park.
Mr. Smithson was still unsatisfied. He still had a lot to say to Livy. Unfortunately, there were guests here. He had to find another time to
talk.
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Putting down his phone, Mr. Smithson got someone to put away the chessboard. He planned to study it carefully tonight when he was free Gillian had been paying attention to the game. When he saw Mr. Smithsea put down his phone, she asked, “Is there really a solution?” Mr. Smithson handed the phone to Gillian and let her look at the photos herself.
Gillian was amazed after reading them.
She looked at them over and over again, and the more she looked at them, the more amazed she felt. This move was utterly brilliant, which turned the underdog into the favorite instantly.
Why did she fail to find it?
Returning the phone, Gillian asked, “What’s the source of it?”
She still could not believe that Olivia had solved it herself. It must be a case played before. Olivia just copied it to Mr. Smithson and claimed it to be original. She had always been fond of doing these mysterious things to flatter herself.
Mr. Smithson’s expression changed slightly when he heard her doubt. He glanced at Gillian and a stream of disappointment silently flashed across his eyes.
For someone as old as him, Gillian was just like a naive baby. He could see through her mind and see through everything with a single glance. Only Isaac could not penetrate the hallucination and was still trapped in the dream about their harmonious family.
Mr. Smithson didn’t answer her question. Instead, he asked, “Why are you here today?”
Only then did Gillian remember the purpose of the visit. She expressed her intentions.
After hearing that, Mr. Smithson grew more surprised. “You want to cooperate with the lineal Smiths?”
“Yes.” Gillian nodded with a solemn expression. “The Smith family has been living in seclusion all these years. Very few people have heard of our name. I want to expand the business and let everyone know about u I want to make it known wild and far. I want to make it a household name. Since Mr. Smith has handed the Smith family to me, I can’t let him down. I will do my best.”
Mr. Smithson was silent for a long time. After a while, he said, “The line:
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Chapter 169
“You’re really smart, Mr. Smithson praised sincerely.
Insomnia was an all–pervading problem. It was awesome that Gillan created a recipe that could both solve this stubborn symptom and branz an enjoyable flavor.
Mr. Smithson liked smart people, especially smart young people, Although it seemed not like a wise option for Gillian to contact the overseas Smiths, she must be talented for she made such a brillian recipe. That redeemed her crazy idea,
Gillian was stunned at Mr. Smithson’s praise, but then she turned overjoyed,
As expected, as long as she took over the Smith family, others would pay more attention to her, gradually ignoring Olivia,
Gillian was a little overwhelmed by the unexpected compliment. She looked up at Mr. Smithson and said, “That accident came so suddenly, All of the burdens suddenly fell on my shoulders. I’m a little flustered
Mr. Smithson replied causally, “But you still have Olivia. What are you afraid of? By the way, does Livy know that you want to contact the lineal Smith family?”
Gillian choked.
After a while, she forced a smile. “Mr. Smithson, you don’t know the truth. Olivia quarreled with Mr. Smith before and has left for years. Now that she has found her parents, her heart no longer belongs to the Smith family. Even though she knew that Mr. Smith was in a coma, she came back half a month later.”
She wanted to slander Olivia, implying that she was immoral.
The best strategy was to ruin Olivia’s reputation in the early stages. So it would be a reasonable excuse for her to leave the Smith family.
Gillian did not want everyone to misunderstand that she was narrow–minded and could not tolerate Olivia. Therefore, she had to let them think that Olivia was heartless and had a bad character. That was why she was expelled from the Smith family.
This was the first time Gillian had spread malicious remarks about Olivia. It was also a test for Mr. Smithson’s reaction.
She had to do it slowly. She couldn’t rush it. If the first time she failed,
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she would do it again. Just once, Mr. Smithson might not believe it. However, as long as she said it twice and even more times, Mr. Smithson would gradually fall into her trap.
Thinking of this, Gillian slowly curled her lips. She couldn’t wait to see Mr. Smithson frown and reprimand Olivia.
As expected, hearing Gillian’s words, Mr. Smithson immediately frowned and had a dark face.
Seeing this, Gillian lowered her head to suppress her smile and enjoyment.
Mr. Smithson’s face darkened and he said in a deep voice, “Nonsense!”
However, he suddenly retorted angrily, “So ashamed of you to slander Olivia! It’s all your fault. It’s because you hid the news that Isaac was in a vegetative state and stalled for time. That’s why she came so late. Everyone is selfish in some way and has an ulterior motive. You’re not an exception! I can see you through. I never thought that you were so vicious. You’re playing the blame game and defaming Olivia. How dare you!”
Mr. Smithson was furious. He did not want to say a word to Gillian anymore. He pointed at the door and shouted, “Leave. Don’t come to my house again!”
Gillian was dumbfounded!
She was previously waiting for Mr. Smithson to reprimand Olivia, but she did not expect that she was that poor one.
Her cheeks turned red and tears welled up in her eyes.
Gillian took two deep breaths to stop herself from crying. She looked crazy. “Is this what she said? Did she tell you that I didn’t inform her in time?”
Gillian’s voice was trembling as she spoke.
Bitch! What a scheming bitch! She had told her off long ago!
Gillian gritted her teeth in hatred. If Olivia had been here, she would have pounced on her and torn her apart into thousands of pieces.
Mr. Smithson frowned. “Why are you talking about these things? Does it matter?”
Gillian’s face was covered in tears. She clenched her fists tightly and looked at Mr. Smithson accusingly. “You’re all biased! Why don’t you
believe what I said? But you never doubt a single word from her mouth!
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How can you be so sure that it’s me who hid the newd Maybe the pose didn’t want to come?”
“Because I’m not stupid!” Mr. Smithson looked impatient and repeat what Olivia had said to him
He didn’t want to waste time and said directly, “You’re not a good liart Maybe Olivia was a bad girl. Maybe she really didn’t want to come, Pest what about Yanis and 15take? It’s fine if you lie to others. Pen you’re lying to ine. We’re so familiar and know each other so well. What’s the poins of lying to me? I know what kind of person she is. She values the
relationship with everyone she loves and everyone who loves her, so how could she not come?” His chest was heaving
Gillian was bombarded with questions and accusations. She was shocked. She forgot about Yanis and Blake. What a huge mistake!
“Alright, alright!” Mr. Smithson waved his hand impatiently. “I’ll help you contact the lineal Smith family in Fesmuowana. This is the last time I’ll help you. No, not helping you. I’m helping Isaac
At this moment, in Fesmuowana.
News of the Smith family in the Hushe Republic spread to the Wilcox family.
“Angel Lotus for curing insomnia?” The man on the sofa sneered. He seemed to have just woken up. His voice was hazy and hoarse. He was mocking like a dandy, but when the words came out of his mouth, they sounded noble and elegant.
“If it’s to treat dementia, maybe I’ll be interested.”
The man stood up from the sofa and lowered his eyes.
He walked straight to the window. With a tap of his fingertip, the curtains opened automatically, revealing an entire glass wall.
Behind the glass wall was an azure sea.
The sunlight shone through the glass and illuminated the whole room, revealing the man’s gorgeous face.
He was so good–looking. Too good to be true. He’s like an angel in the painting.
Seeing that the recipe did not arouse the man’s interest, the butler came out of the room and immediately dialed a number.
As soon as the call went through, the man’s cold voice came from the
other end. “How is it? What did Ernesto say? Is he interested?
The butler replied respectfully, “Mr. Ernesto is not interested.
“Then forget it.” The man did not mind. The only function of that recipe was for him to have fun. Since Ernesto was not interested, there was no need to waste time on this matter.
Before Olivia could visit the other teachers, she was called away by a sudden call.
At that time, she was playing slide with Andrew in the amusement park when a bell suddenly rang.
Andrew was about to slide down from the top. Before he could slide to the bottom, Olivia grabbed him by the armpit and carried him out. She stuffed him into Zoila’s arms.
“Bring him back!” With that, she picked up the phone and placed it by her ear. She answered the call as she was walking out.
Zoila was stunned by this sudden change. By the time she reacted, Olivia had already walked far away.
She caught up with Andrew in her arms. “Ms. Taylor, where are you going?”
Olivia turned around and looked at her. Her gaze was cold. “I have something to deal with. Take Andrew back to the hotel and return to Evervale tomorrow.”
“What about you? Aren’t you going to leave Andrew alone?” Zoila frowned. She was very dissatisfied with Olivia’s actions. How could she leave Andrew alone?
“What’s going on? Anything urgent?” Before she could ask further, she felt a hit on her shoulder. It was Olivia.
Then, she heard her cold voice. “Shut up. You’re so noisy.”
Noisy? What did that mean?
Zoila was about to speak when she realized in horror that she could not make a sound!
She actually couldn’t speak!
Instantly, a fear crept up her spine.
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Olivia was on the phone. She tilted her head slightly and lowered her eyes. The cuff of her right hand that was holding the phone curled up, revealing her delicate wrist, which was flawless and cold.
She stood at the corner of the passageway. There were not many people coming and going. Only a few people passed by occasionally.
When other people passed by her and were in the same frame as her, it was as if they were like two painting styles, like people in different worlds. Her light firmly suppressed them.
Zoila, horrified, had wanted to ask Olivia for help, but she was stunned. It wasn’t until Olivia finished her call and walked toward Zoila that Zoila slowly came to her senses.
Then, Zoila recalled everything that had happened just now.
The fear slowly rose in her eyes, and her body could not help but tremble.
It wasn’t until that moment that Zoila realized the weight of the divine doctor’s granddaughter that Zoe was talking about.
Last night, Zoila treated the national chess player as an ordinary chess teacher because of her ignorance. Zoe then told her about Olivia’s identity and Olivia’s relationship with the Smith family.
Zoila was more ashamed and embarrassed after hearing Zoe’s words just then. She was ashamed of her ignorance but did not feel much about Olivia’s identity.
Looking at Olivia walking toward her, Zoila subconsciously clenched her fists. A chill rose from the bottom of her feet, and she instinctively wanted to retreat.
What… else did Olivia want to do?
Olivia casually threw her phone into her pocket and raised her hand to tap a spot on Zoila’s shoulder.
Zoila felt her body relax, and the blockage in her throat disappeared. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Olivia’s gentle and apologetic voice. “I had something urgent to do just then. I’m sorry for scaring you.”
Zoila looked up in shock.
Was… Olivia apologizing to her?
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Would such a big shot like Olivia apologize?
A fire suddenly ignited in Zoila’s heart, warming her entire body. Olivia’s actions had overturned her previous understanding. In Zoila’s impression, people with abilities and higher status tended to have a bad temper. They had a rightful arrogance that made it almost difficult for them to lower their figure and apologize.
However, Olivia was totally different. Zoila didn’t see Olivia
condescending when they spent their time together. Olivia’s cold attitude carried just the right amount of equal respect.
Before knowing Olivia’s true identity and ability, Zoila had looked down on Olivia. Although Zoila tried hard to hide it, she still showed some of it in her every move.
However, Olivia never got angry or fussed over it. She only smiled indifferently and did not take it to her heart.
This was what a real socialite looked like. Olivia was magnanimous, calm, and generous.
Zoila felt she was being too petty when she thought about her previous behavior.
Zoila blushed and couldn’t help but say, “It’s my fault. I’m too talkative and meddlesome.”
Olivia was fixing Andrew’s sleeves. When she heard Zoila’s words, she glanced up at Zoila and nodded. “Yes. You are indeed a little meddlesome.”
Zoila couldn’t say a word.
She was a little confused. Wasn’t Olivia magnanimous and open–minded? Why did Olivia become different?
Just as Zoila was in a daze, she heard Olivia say, “However, you are sincere about Andrew. Sincerity is the rarest thing in this world.”
Olivia’s voice was faint and had an indescribable charm. “I still remember the first time I saw you. Those were the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. They were sincere and clear, filled with admiration and yearning.” Speaking of which, Olivia paused. “For such beautiful eyes,” said Olivia, glancing intently at Zoila. “I hope they will always be clear and sincere. Even if the eyes are obscured temporarily, they will become clear again one day.”
Then Olivia ignored Zoila, who was stunned, picked up Andrew, and
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walked out.
Zoila was stunned for a long time before she quickly caught up.
Her heart was in turmoil, and her eyes were filled with a burning light. She seemed to know why Andrew liked Olivia so much.
Because Olivia was worth being liked and had the purest and most open–minded heart.
Zoila ran a few steps to catch up to Olivia. Zoila had a lot to say at that moment. She chased after Olivia and was about to speak when she caught Olivia’s sudden glance.
It was gentle and irresistible.
Zoila instinctively stopped and subconsciously slowed down. She naturally followed three steps behind Olivia to protect her.
It was a submissive posture!
Olivia sent Andrew to the hotel and instructed Zoe to take him back to Evervale.
“What about you?” asked Zoe, looking worried.
Olivia said, “I have some urgent matters to attend to.”
Zoe nodded and did not continue asking, but her eyes were filled with worry.
Zoe began to pack her things and prepared to leave the place after Olivia left. When she was almost done packing, she asked Zoila to contact Daniel and ask for his opinion.
Should they stay or leave? If they left, should they take a plane or a high–speed train?
Zoila was packing her things in the living room. When she heard Zoe, she waved her phone and said, “I’ve booked the high–speed train tickets. There are still two hours. We’ll leave in a while.”
Zoila was stunned and said, “Why did you book the tickets? We haven’t contacted Mr. Sullivan yet. We have to wait for Mr. Sullivan to make a decision!”
Zoila did not mind. She still looked a little puzzled as she said, “Why should we wait for Mr. Sullivan to decide? Miss Olivia has said that she wants us to leave as soon as possible.”
Zoe felt suffocated. She stared at Zoila for a long time, unable to say anything.
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Zoe thought, “Whose secretary are you? How can Olivia speak better than Mr. Sullivan?
“Are you a traitor?”
Of course, Olivia was worried. Zoe and Zoila would leave with Andrew, so Olivia asked Yanis to send two bodyguards to escort them.
However, Olivia did not appear.
She seemed to really have something urgent to do and didn’t even have time to see Andrew off.
Since Yanis had sent people to escort them, they were taking the expressway instead of the high–speed train. Layfield was close to Evervale, and it was a two–hour drive on the expressway.
After getting into the car, Zoe kept looking out of the car window. There was no sign of Olivia at all.
So Zoe could not help but feel worried. She looked at Zoila and said, “I wonder what Ms. Taylor is busy with. Why is she in such a hurry?”
Zoila lowered her head and returned the tickets without saying a word.
Zoe added, “Ms. Milton, why don’t you call Blake and ask around?”
Zoila refused immediately. “No. Miss Olivia must have a reason for not telling us. Let’s not ask around.”
Zoe was speechless.
Zoe almost choked. It took her a while to recover. She quickly explained, “I’m not asking around. I’m just worried about Ms. Taylor.”
“Don’t worry.” Zoila waved her hand and said, “Miss Olivia must have her own ideas. We just have to listen to her. Don’t worry.”
At this point, she even used her example to comfort Zoe. “Previously, I was too meddlesome and worried too much. I always felt that Miss Olivia couldn’t take good care of Andrew. Actually, Miss Olivia has a good plan in her heart. There’s no need for us to worry at all. Even if there are any mistakes, we’re here. We only need to check and make up for them.
“Miss Olivia has no experience in taking care of children after all. It’ll be fine as long as she is familiar with it in the future. Besides, we’re here. Don’t you think so, Zoe?”
Zoe said, “Stop It, You traitor!”