CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 136: PRINCE’S INVITATION, REFUSING TO GIVE FACE?

Hearing William Thorne say that, Lachlan Wyatt couldn’t be bothered to play around with him anymore. As soon as William left, Lachlan called Leo Langdon, "Help me check Iris Crawford’s whereabouts."

Leo Langdon was stunned, he was still busy with company matters, "President Wyatt, do you need this urgently now?"

"What do you think?" Lachlan frowned, thinking about Iris’s temperament, she might already be packing her luggage!

So Leo immediately put aside his work and hurried off to help Lachlan check on Iris. What he found was no small matter—he discovered Iris’s car was parked in the airport parking lot!

"President Wyatt, it seems Miss Crawford is going abroad!"

Lachlan was shocked, "What’s going on?"

He had just left, and Iris had moved so quickly?

"Yes, I found out she bought tickets, using her account to buy two of them."

Leo clicked to check the details, "Let me see, her companion is... Steven, Steven Rhodes?"

The glasses on his nose almost fell off, Leo hurriedly pushed them up to avoid losing face, coughing twice, "Why... why is it a man?"

Ha, is he asking him?

Lachlan really wanted to ask Iris if she had such deep feelings for Steven that she had to take him abroad!

Furious, Lachlan clenched his fingers and said, "I got it."

As someone who had been around Lachlan for so many years, how could Leo not understand his intention?

So he cautiously yet presumptuously added, "President Wyatt, should I also book you a ticket? The next flight is in the next hour, you can go anytime."

Lachlan swore, "Go to hell! Go, go, let her and Steven fly off together! When’s the wedding? I’ve already prepared my gift money!"

After a scolding session that felt like saliva would spew through the phone, Leo hunched his neck and said, "Don’t curse, if that’s really the case, would you attend the wedding banquet or not?"

Furious, Lachlan cursed his parents and then hung up the phone.

Going abroad and bringing Steven, Iris, what do you see in this pretty boy?

"I’m not going."

Lachlan sat on the sofa, venting his anger by forcefully throwing his phone to the side. Luckily it was the sofa; otherwise, the phone would surely have shattered into pieces.

Who knows who Lachlan was speaking to because he got angry just thinking about Leo booking a ticket for him, "It’s just going abroad, what does that have to do with me? Anyway, whether there are human traffickers outside, it has nothing to do with me!"

All Lachlan could think about was that Iris took Steven along, so going abroad to find her would be completely unnecessary!

Iris likes to be a saint, saving the weak and vulnerable, she can go! Take her precious Steven along, for all he cares! If he cares, then he loses!

Not going, not going, not going, not going—Lachlan got up and walked toward the stairs. Iris not being in the country was a good thing; he could go out and party! He wanted to call the girls to keep him entertained! One on each arm, one on each leg! And someone to give him a massage at his back too!

Ha! He was happy! He was joyful! He was blissful!

He didn’t care at all whether Iris went abroad, or if she had Steven with her!

His steps toward the stairs halted, and gritting his teeth, Lachlan twisted back, walked to the sofa, grabbed the phone, and looked at the ticket information that had just been sent in. His jaw was clenched so tight it was sore, standing there for several seconds.

Seconds ticked by.

Then, looking rather upset, he called Leo again.

"Leo!"

Upon answering the call and hearing that shout, Leo was so startled his glasses nearly slid off his nose again, "President Wyatt, what’s the matter now?"

"Drive over and pick me up!"

Lachlan shouted in frustration, "I’m going to the airport!"

"..." Weren’t you not going?

******

Steven Rhodes was still in a state of bewilderment on the plane at this moment.

He was only sending Iris back, and now he was already on a flight abroad.

Beside him, Iris was resting with her eyes closed, her head tilted to the side, sleeping lightly without any guard, her long eyelashes falling gently, lending her an adorable grace absent in her usual demeanor.

Seeing this, Steven’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and the man could only clear his throat to maintain his composure, prompting Iris to open her eyes.

She opened her eyelids slightly, her eyes showing a hint of fatigue, "What’s up?"

"I..." Steven found a random excuse, "It’s my first time in first class, a bit uncomfortable."

Iris laughed, gently patting Steven’s shoulder, "Sorry to have you running around with me."

"I didn’t expect to suddenly go abroad... Luckily, I had prepared visas and passports during my internship." Steven turned his face away, avoiding eye contact with Iris, "About the Crawford Family..."

"I’ve informed my brother," Iris blinked, signaling to Steven not to worry, thinking he was concerned about something else, she added, "I’ll take care of the expenses abroad, no need to worry about whether the money is enough."

Is this a question of whether the money is enough!

The more Steven listened, the more Iris’s words didn’t feel right. So was he really becoming a pretty boy!

His face flushed deeply, and it took a long time for the man to squeeze a sentence out of his mouth, "We, we’re not in that kind of relationship..."

"Hahaha!"

Iris burst into laughter, patting Steven’s shoulder twice again, "You’re so pure and interesting! I was just considering your financial situation, not wanting you to have too much of a burden. Besides, going to The Kingdom of L was an impromptu decision of mine, so how could I make you spend money?"

The flight attendant beside them served the airplane meal and just happened to hear Iris Crawford’s words, with only one thought left in her mind—

Being a rich woman is so delightful.

Arriving in the Kingdom of L, there was a temperature difference compared to their home country. Iris Crawford watched as Steven Rhodes hunched his shoulders and, after receiving the suitcase, took out a scarf for him from inside.

It was Steven Rhodes’ first time having a scarf put on by a woman, and he was a bit nervous. To change the topic, he said, "Is it just the two of us on this trip?"

"Yeah, I’m representing the firm to take on a commission from the Royal Family of L. Domestic matters are temporarily handed over to other members to handle," Iris Crawford nodded. She instinctively brushed her scarf, discovering it was the one she had previously taken from Lachlan Wyatt’s car.

Her eyes dimmed a bit, and Iris Crawford said, "How about we exchange scarves?"

Steven Rhodes was stunned, "Yours is obviously a women’s scarf."

"Give it back to me!"

Iris Crawford didn’t care whether Steven Rhodes was willing or not and directly pounced over to pull off the scarf he had neatly tied around his neck, then quickly took off her own and tossed it to Steven Rhodes, "You wear this one!"

No room for refusal.

Steven Rhodes couldn’t do much about Iris Crawford, sighed, and resignedly put the scarf on her again, "Why are you so against this one?"

Though Steven Rhodes wearing a women’s scarf was a bit amusing and somewhat feminine, his distinct facial features managed to suppress the femininity brought by the scarf.

The more Iris Crawford looked at Steven Rhodes, the more pleasing to the eye he appeared. "It’s nothing, I just don’t like this scarf."

"If you don’t like it, why were you wearing it just now?"

Steven Rhodes guessed something and sighed, "Where are we heading now?"

"Someone will be here to pick us up later. The envelope had an email address. I sent our itinerary to that email address and received a reply from their side."

Iris Crawford lifted her phone to show Steven Rhodes. Being a college student, he shouldn’t find reading English difficult. Just as he finished reading the message, a cool voice came from not too far away, "Miss Crawford, our prince invites you."

The Royal Family, constitutional monarchy, parliamentary system, supreme leader.

How deep is the water behind these keywords?

Iris Crawford smiled and looked up, discovering a steward in a black uniform standing not far away, with a serious expression, slightly bowing his head as he spoke in English, "Welcome, Miss Crawford, after your long journey. Our prince suggests you have a casual meal first, and we’ll invite you tomorrow to discuss matters."

Looks like the prince won’t make an appearance tonight.

Relief flooded Iris Crawford, and Steven Rhodes, pulling the luggage, followed her as they walked towards the waiting person who opened the car door for them to get inside.

Looking at the unfamiliar streets outside the window, Iris Crawford felt a mix of nerves and a tinge of excitement. She gazed outside and asked, "Our hotel is..."

"If there are only the two of you, the prince will arrange for you to stay at The Palace of L."

Iris Crawford was startled, living in the palace just like that?

Isn’t that way too extravagant?

However, the prince’s steward didn’t find this surprising, as resolving the royal scandal was of utmost importance. With a slight smile, he reassured, "Don’t be nervous; our prince is very approachable."

"..." Really?

Dinner was at a Michelin restaurant not far from the palace, with a great location and nice scenery. While settling them in, the steward also observed Iris Crawford’s demeanor.

The steward noticed that Iris Crawford’s every movement was elegant, not the least bit petty, her every gesture carrying a touch of empress-like grace. With a smile, he said to her, "The dishes have been ordered, please wait a moment."

Less than five minutes later, someone walked in just as Iris Crawford was curious about the dishes, leaving her astonished.

The man who walked in had a straight posture, broad shoulders, dressed in a meticulously pressed suit without a single wrinkle. His dark brown, layered hair was slicked back, and his sharply defined features commanded a rebellious yet captivating presence. Their gaze met, his icy blue eyes contained a hint of caution and testing.

Iris Crawford furrowed her brow, sensing an intangible pressure.

Yet within this pressure, she detected a strange familiarity.

What is this feeling?

No words were spoken; Iris Crawford found herself in a silent standoff with the newcomer, as if engaged in a wordless duel.

After a long pause, the man spoke first, "Miss Crawford, it’s a pleasure to meet you."

Surprisingly ... he wasn’t speaking English?

"Hello." Iris Crawford reached out first, "Nice to meet you, I’m Iris Crawford."

"I know you." The prince walked over to the seat opposite Iris Crawford, the steward pulling out the chair for him, while outside, dishes were being served one after the other.

"Why are you here?"

"Finished business ahead of time and came to check things out." The prince lowered his voice, speaking with the steward, his British accent as intoxicating as fine wine, then turned his head to Iris Crawford and quickly switched languages, "Are the dishes here to your liking?"

Iris Crawford smirked slightly, "I haven’t had the chance to try it yet since you arrived, haven’t even taken a bite."

With the overwhelming presence and the staff standing by for instructions, isn’t it exhausting just to have a meal...

The steward habitually said, "It’s customary to wait for our prince to begin eating, Miss Crawford, could you please wait for our prince’s command..."

Before he could finish, Iris Crawford had already picked up her knife and fork, cutting a small piece of the starter and putting it into her mouth.

The steward’s face changed dramatically, "Miss Crawford! The prince hasn’t started eating yet! A man hasn’t opened his mouth, and you’ve already started eating as a woman!"

Seeing the steward’s growing anger, Steven Rhodes slapped his face with a hand and helplessly took a sip of soda water.

Indeed, wherever Iris Crawford goes, she remains true to her nature...

"You invited me, so I’m the guest of honor, yet I have to wait for you to start?" Iris Crawford chewed, swallowed, then said to Steven Rhodes, "What are you staring at, let’s eat!"