Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

After listening to what Julian Carter said, laughter deep and low escaped from Joshua Hughes’ broad chest, wiping away the gloom he’d been feeling these past days. This was truly too funny; that woman had the audacity to make a demand that was simply unbelievable.

Damn it, you’re fierce. Because of you, that woman made such a request, and I’m still laughing like this.

Julian Carter’s face was livid. ”Is it that funny?” he said through gritted teeth, nearly bursting with anger. He had never seen a boss like this; aside from being generous with money, he was severe to the point of being appalling. He’d run around for his boss’s affairs, only for his boss to react like this. Did he even have an ounce of regard for his subordinates?

”Julian, you’re actually quite good-looking. It’s normal for women to want you,” Joshua Hughes said as he looked at the man whose mouth was twitching. It wasn’t surprising that a woman would be interested in him; it was just that this woman was a bit too forward.

Leaning against the swivel chair, with sincere and wholehearted eyes, Joshua said, ”Don’t be angry, I’m serious. If this woman doesn’t look that bad, you should just go along with it.” After saying this, his thin lips curved upward again, unable to suppress his amusement. ”If you lack experience, it doesn’t matter. She should be quite experienced.” After saying this, Joshua wondered if he might have gone too far. His cold and capable assistant was quite skilled; if it really came down to a fight, it could be tough, yet he simply couldn’t resist teasing him a little. In all these years, he’d never lost control like this before.

Julian Carter truly felt his level of restraint had reached a whole new height, or else he would have already charged at him and beaten him up. He worked for the boss, only to be mocked in return. Would it be too much to hit him?

”How about I pay you then?” Joshua’s voice, deep and magnetic, spoke slowly. ”Consider it something you do for me.”

As Julian Carter silently cursed all of Joshua Hughes’ ancestors, he sneered, ”It’s your face that’s needed now, so why don’t you go? I’ll cheer you on from the side. If you can’t handle it, I’ll step in.”

Joshua shrugged. ”I’m a family man now; such things aren’t suitable for me anymore. But you, maybe it’d be nice to have some indulgence, hmm?”

Julian Carter: ”.......”

His phone in his pocket started ringing, the simplest of ringtones. It was an unfamiliar number. He hesitated briefly before answering.

”Who’s this?” His voice was chillingly cold, much like his current expression, not just cold but filled with irritation.

Eliza Bell’s sultry voice came through the phone, ”Running away just like that, am I that scary?” Julian Carter reacted immediately to that voice; what was this woman trying to do?

With his tall and upright frame, he walked to the window, suppressing the roaring anger, he spoke slowly, ”Miss Bell, what exactly do you want?”

”I just think what I said was quite clear, but now I’m not here to talk about that. When you left just now, you knocked over the cup on the floor. That cup was very fragile and it cracked.” Eliza Bell’s voice continued leisurely over the phone. Julian recalled for a moment; indeed, such a thing happened. He’d been so startled by her that he almost fled the room and knocked over the cup on the table edge.

”I’ll compensate you,” Julian said coldly. A cup, was it worth calling to demand recompense?

”Is it accompany or compensate?” Her laughter was as sweet as honey, cloyingly so.

”Miss Bell, please have some dignity.” Julian’s face darkened again; he felt like he’d been teased by a woman, twice in a single day. He realized that if this continued, he might just rush to her establishment and strangle her, so she’d never be able to say such maddening things again.

”But you, working with Joshua Hughes, must really make a killing. Now that we know each other, I’ll give you a friend’s price, just five hundred thousand.” The person on the other end momentarily restrained their laughter, speaking softly.

”Is your cup made of gold?” This was practically extortion, and he wasn’t wrong; this woman was a lunatic.

”More precious than gold. If you have time, come over and I’ll tell you all about the origins of this cup. I’m not going to extort you.” Eliza Bell was incredibly confident, playing with the chipped cup in her hand.

Damn it, who in their right mind would serve guests with an antique cup? Lifting his long fingers, he pressed heavily on his eyebrows, rubbing fiercely. His head was about to explode.

”I’ll mail you a check.” A woman claimed he owed her five hundred thousand; naturally, he wouldn’t deny the debt, whether it was true or false. That was that.

”No need, I was just letting you know. Julian Carter, you owe me for tonight.” The woman on the other end finished speaking and hung up, leaving Julian standing there, feeling utterly disoriented.

This woman was really something else. Did she not know the word for shame? Did she not know women should be gentle and lovable? Acting like a little fox, she was utterly unappetizing to him.

With a stomach full of anger and nowhere to vent, the woman was on the phone and untouchable, and the man sitting there chuckling was his boss, who was quite skilled in combat, so he might not win. He could only clench his teeth and fling himself onto the sofa with a heavy sit.

”Julian, I really didn’t expect you to have such a way with women. Are you retreating to advance?” Joshua Hughes could easily guess who was calling and what happened; this was getting more and more entertaining.

”She’s just the custodian of the shares, but she can vote on behalf of the shareholder. Julian, if you can manage, maybe bear with it for now.” Joshua spoke half-jokingly, and Julian slammed the door as he left. He didn’t want to see his boss’s hypocritical face anymore, lest it provoke him into breaking his boss’s dashing nose. How long had it been since he’d returned to the country, only to find so many people who seemed to have something wrong with their heads? These weren’t normal people, regardless of gender. They weren’t normal; they had water in their brains. Working for him, sacrificing his youth wasn’t enough, and now he had to offer up his body just because he was a man. How did sexual bribery even relate to him?

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”Avery Jane, what are you thinking about?” In the office, Emma White looked at Avery Jane’s dazed expression. Lately, she’d been zoning out more frequently, and for longer periods, clearly preoccupied.

”Nothing......” Pulling herself back from her distant thoughts, lately, there were small scenes that kept flashing uncontrollably in her mind, as if they were from her past, but all the images were fragmented. Yet, as of now, there hadn’t been any mention of Joshua Hughes, or Lucas Yates—these two men most important to her, she still couldn’t remember.

”What about after work? Avery Jane, let’s go have hot pot.” Emma White remembered Joshua Hughes’s request to accompany her well because tonight Joshua would be a bit late coming back home due to social engagements, so he’d already arranged a restaurant for them to dine at.

”No, I want to go walk around my old school.” Avery Jane remembered her school; there was a noodle shop there with quite a good flavor that she wanted to visit.

”Let’s go together then.” Emma said hurriedly, feeling a bit regretful since Joshua had booked the best self-service hot pot in town with unlimited lobster.

”I feel like walking alone.” Avery Jane gave Emma a small smile, truly wanting to be by herself now. That’s how she could really think about the past—a tangled mess she needed to pull a thread from to untangle it all.

”Alright then, I’ll make plans with someone else.” Emma said with a shrug, thinking to herself that President Hughes wasn’t against accompanying her; it was just that she didn’t want the company now. But she should report it first since she had now become Joshua Hughes’s eyes, watching Avery Jane. Sometimes she felt guilty about Avery, yet with a man caring so deeply for her, Avery should be happy.

In the empty stairwell, Emma glanced around to ensure no one was present before picking up the phone......

In the office, the man looked at the caller ID, his long fingers sliding across the screen to answer.

”President Hughes, tonight Avery Jane said she wants to go to her old school and eat at a noodle shop there. She wasn’t keen on me going with her. Lately, she seems a bit upset.” Emma’s voice dropped as she spoke. After she finished, the man on the other end said nothing before hanging up, leaving only the dial tone.

Sitting in his office chair, Joshua Hughes leaned his hand against his forehead, his deep eyes emitting a stern radiance, his lips pressed tight. She really is remembering, even if not everything. She’s gradually restoring her memory, starting from when she was still naive, still in school. Then what? Will she remember the time when her father was gravely ill and she had nowhere to turn, planning to become Medicine Man, and the good Lucas Yates did for her, the only tender and romantic love of her life, her wedding, and the crash the day after their marriage, the place where Lucas was buried, and him?

He was certain all memories about him would be a disaster for Avery Jane...

Emma clutched the phone, standing in the stairwell with a long sigh. The safety door behind her was open a crack, and through it, a pair of clear eyes were filled with disbelief and fear.