CHAPTER 933: CHAPTER 933: HE FINALLY CAUGHT HER

"... Are you talking about Ron Warren?"

"If I remember correctly, his real name is Zane Lancaster."

Zane Lancaster...

Ann Vaughn was understandably shocked, thinking she had successfully avoided anyone from the Lockwood Family, yet here was the second son right by her side.

And he even got his head smashed by her cactus ball...

However, they met before she started making her concoctions, so the theory that Zane Lancaster approached her on purpose didn’t hold.

Maybe it was just a pure coincidence?

Ann Vaughn’s mind wandered, drifting across The Veridian Ocean, completely oblivious to Cyrus Hawthorne’s increasingly deep gaze.

"The person who put a billion-bounty on you has arrived in The Imperial Capital, want to meet them?"

Originally, Cyrus Hawthorne hadn’t planned to tell Ann Vaughn so soon, but he changed his mind.

Upon hearing this, Ann Vaughn’s attention was instantly drawn over, nodding quickly, "Yes, yes, yes."

Rather than sitting and waiting, she preferred to take the initiative.

...

The Emerald Courtyard.

"I heard you saw Ann Vaughn today," Lucy Lock in a purple cheongsam lay on the sofa, absentmindedly stroking the Persian cat in her arms. "Why didn’t you bring her to see me?"

Her tone was calm, more like a casual mention than an accusation.

Zane Lancaster stood compliantly and explained, "She doesn’t trust me completely yet, it’s not the right time."

"Did you misunderstand something? I didn’t send you to befriend her," Lucy Lock’s carefully maintained face was icy.

Zane Lancaster said nothing.

After staring at him for a while, Lucy Lock suddenly smiled, "I heard you withdrew from the National Painting Competition finals?"

"Yes."

"Good. As per our agreement, you won’t be allowed to paint anymore," Lucy Lock said slowly. "The lab has several new drugs. From tomorrow, you’ll start there and won’t leave until the drug tests are complete."

Saying this, Lucy Lock’s expression softened, "I’m doing this for your own good. Unlike Zephyr, you don’t have a talent for pharmaceuticals. Testing drugs might be tough, but if you study hard, the experience you’ll gain will surpass what Zephyr could achieve."

Experience?

Zane Lancaster responded with a silent, bitter smile, accepting Lucy Lock’s arrangement.

...

Late night.

Outside the top-floor suite of The Imperial Hotel.

About ten well-trained bodyguards swiftly cleared the hallways and guarded all elevator entrances and staircases.

In the silence, two men walked one after the other from the corridor’s end.

"Are you sure she’s inside?" The low male voice sounded somewhat cold.

"Young Master Keaton, there’s no mistake this time. Our people saw her enter this hotel and book this room,"

As they spoke, they arrived in front of room 5201.

The man in front looked at the gilded door plaque, his ice-gray eyes narrowing, his tone chilling.

"Aquarelle Vaughn, this time you won’t escape."

Click.

As the door opened, darkness greeted them.

The man shut the door behind him, relying on his decent night vision, disdainful to turn on the lights, his gaze sweeping the room, finally settling on the figure seated on the sofa.

He finally caught her.

The man chuckled darkly, his tongue grazing his cheek, then strode toward the figure.

As the man’s footsteps drew nearer, the tension of the figure facing away from him grew, not daring to move.

Just as she was about to turn, the man was already in front of her, arms swiftly reaching out—

With a light "bang,"

The figure was forced against the man’s chest, bound tightly by his steel-like arms, seemingly eager to crush her, yet holding a sliver of tenderness.

The figure in his embrace immediately went brain-dead.

What... what the hell?!

Weren’t you here to settle the score??

"Aquarelle!" The man’s gritted voice resounded by her ear, "Caught you at last!"

The figure in his arms suddenly jolted awake, instantly starting to struggle.

This struggle ignited Josiah Keaton’s accumulated year-long grief and anger, obliviously heading straight to the bed with her in his arms!

"Letting you escape again, I’d be a fool!"

"Tonight I’ll seal the deal, see how you play with my feelings later!"

"Aquarelle, you shameless—"

Before he could finish, the room’s lights abruptly turned on.

Josiah Keaton halted, sensing something, and turned to see the woman he yearned for over a year standing with a distinguished man by the curtains...

Then what was in his arms—

Josiah Keaton looked down to see an exceptionally numb male face.

"..."

There was another "bang," but this time it was the sound of someone hitting the ground.

Ten minutes later.

Ann Vaughn looked at Josiah Keaton, who was securely tied, and after a while, curiously asked him, "Do I know you? Why did you put a billion-bounty on my whereabouts?"

Cyrus Hawthorne, standing beside her, remained silent, his eyes coldly fixed on Josiah Keaton.

"Aquarelle, don’t think pretending not to know me will erase everything you did to me!" Josiah Keaton, thinking Ann Vaughn was playing dumb, spoke with an air of one insulted, his face a blend of fury akin to a disreputable gentleman.

Hearing him address her, Ann Vaughn was momentarily stunned.

Her suspicion was right, she was indeed Aquarelle Vaughn.

"What did I do to you?" Suppressing her thoughts, Ann Vaughn asked him, puzzled.

"You have quite the memory lapse," Josiah Keaton bitingly smiled, "You can memorize medical books forever, yet forget all the sweet words and loving past between us?"

Sweet words, loving past?

As he finished, the room’s temperature suddenly plummeted to freezing, a cold wind chilling to the bone.

The hidden guards around didn’t even need to look up to know that Cyrus Hawthorne’s expression was certainly ashen.

And it was just about accurate.

Ann Vaughn didn’t notice this, almost choking on Josiah Keaton’s words.

"You mean, we were in a relationship before?"

The pressure around the man beside her dropped even further.

"... Almost," Josiah Keaton frowned.

This damn woman tricked him, leaving him spellbound, yet he never even earned the title of a boyfriend?!

Hearing this, Ann Vaughn immediately understood, mercilessly stabbing a knife into Josiah Keaton’s heart: "Since we never had a substantial romantic relationship, there’s no question of me toying with your feelings."

"Because it sounds like I never had any feelings for you?"