CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER 138_1

Regardless of why Big Brother suddenly married Julia Bluen, as long as Big Brother was happy and Julia also felt happy, he wouldn’t inflict suffering upon them.

"What are you doing? Help me..." Orlando Evans’s piercing, pleading cries kept coming, but James Horne remained indifferent.

The men Halton Hillraise had sent didn’t lay a finger on Orlando; they only tore away the blanket wrapped around her body and took photos of her.

No matter how she struggled or resisted, she was just one woman. How could she overcome several men?

Orlando was so ashamed she wished she could die.

How foolish she was to have chosen James Horne as the target for her "drunken debauchery."

She had thought James would resent Glades.

Only now did she suddenly realize that James held great respect for his elder brother, Glades.

She had brought this upon herself.

She didn’t need to guess to know what those men would do with her photos.

She feared she would never again enter the Horne family’s doors, never again have a chance at becoming Mrs. Horne.

Should she be angry, or should she hate?

Orlando Evans cried, but even her tears couldn’t soften James Horne’s iron heart.

The only woman who could soften James’s heart was his dear sister-in-law, Julia Bluen.

In a matter of minutes, the men finished taking the photographs.

"Fourth Young Master, it’s done."

One man tossed the blanket back to Orlando Evans, letting her hastily cover herself. They turned away from her, speaking only to James Horne.

Only then did James slowly turn around. He signaled for one of them to hand him the film negatives and then gestured for them to leave.

When only James and the ashen-faced Orlando Evans remained in the room, James coldly approached her, his frigid gaze sweeping over her. He held up the negatives in his hand and said icily, "If you dare try to break up my brother and Julia, or do anything to hurt them, these will be posted online. I think you know what the consequences will be. Also, even if I, James Horne, am an illegitimate son, I am one who is openly acknowledged and accepted—an illegitimate son of the Horne Family. Don’t think of me as a nobody, a pawn for you to use. You can call the police now, but if you dare, I’ll make the Evans Family disappear from T City in the shortest possible time. Don’t think I can’t do it. I’m not like my brother, who would spare you for Adele’s sake. If you truly anger me, even your uncle’s company will be ruined because of you!"

Having said that, James turned and coldly left the room.

Orlando, like a leaf in the autumn wind, slumped to the floor. Her eyes flickered with hatred for James.

It turned out the cruelest person wasn’t Glades, and the coldest wasn’t Marcel; it was James!

She had no strength left to resist, let alone to snatch back that roll of film.

Now that James had leverage over her, what was she to do?

No, she couldn’t be defeated like this.

Hurriedly dressing, Orlando Evans quickly composed herself, then fled the hotel as if escaping for her life. She decided to go home and discuss countermeasures with her parents.

Becoming Mrs. Horne was impossible now. She had to consult her parents about how to extort money from Adele Horne.

Adele and James had never gotten along. While Glades might feel some brotherly affection for James, Adele had no sisterly love left for him.

If she extorted money from Adele, James surely wouldn’t interfere, and Adele wouldn’t let him know either.

Losing the title but gaining material benefits would still help the Evans Family.

After leaving the hotel, James Horne returned to the Blue Moon Pub.

However, he no longer sat in a corner; instead, he took a seat in Halton Hillraise’s office.

Halton placed a cocktail in front of him, then sat down opposite James. A faint smile touched his lips as he looked at James, whose expression was still dark, and asked teasingly, "Still haven’t vented all that anger?"

James didn’t respond. He simply picked up the cocktail, a type common at banquets, and drank silently.

After a short while, he finished the drink. Placing the glass gently on the crystal coffee table, he stood up, glanced at Halton, and said coldly, "I owe you a favor. If there’s anything you need in the future that I can help with, I will." Then, he turned and walked out of the office.

Halton Hillraise remained seated on the sofa. He shifted slightly, rested one hand on the armrest, and turned his face towards James. Smiling, he said, "We’re friends, aren’t we? Helping you is a small matter, so no need for thanks, and certainly no need to feel you owe me a favor. Fourth Young Master, you seem troubled. If you’d share what’s on your mind, perhaps I can help ease your worries."

James paused. He then turned and gave Halton a cold glance, saying icily, "I have no concerns; your eyes are playing tricks on you. I’m leaving." Without another word, he left, not looking back.

This time, when he left the Blue Moon Pub, he went straight back to his own small villa. As for the Coastal District, he hadn’t made a single visit since receiving his father’s call.

Going there would only add to his troubles.

Whenever his father wasn’t around, his mother would always nag him. She would ask him to devise ways to take some shares of the Valence Group from his elder brother.

When his father was present, his mother would nag even more. She would also weep to his father, saying they, as parents, had wronged him.

He was tired of hearing all this.

He didn’t want to listen anymore.

He had already achieved so much; he didn’t need to rely on the Horne Family for his current success.

As for whether his parents had failed him, he didn’t want to think about it.

He knew his parents had feelings for each other, even if his mother was the other woman.

But what child doesn’t hope their parents love each other and can be together every day?

He understood his mother. Loving someone isn’t wrong; her mistake was falling in love with a married man and vainly hoping to break up his marriage.

He couldn’t choose such parents.

Since he couldn’t choose, he could only accept it quietly.

James’s villa wasn’t large, covering just over two hundred square meters. The two-story Western-style house occupied one hundred and fifty square meters, leaving only about one hundred square meters for the small courtyard. There were no flowers or plants in the courtyard; instead, a two-meter-wide concrete path led straight through it to the front door of the house. On either side of the path stood a grape trellis, but now, in late autumn, the grapes were long gone.