CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 194: WANT TO KILL ME? HERE’S YOUR CHANCE—USE BOTH HANDS!

The person Damien Lancaster sent to investigate returned and reported that it was indeed Nina Summers who arranged for it to happen, without Rachel Shaw’s involvement.

Rachel Shaw listened to these words, nodding desperately to the side.

Damien Lancaster looked into the woman’s innocent and pitiful eyes, fully aware of her malicious nature, he only felt disgust.

Although the investigation showed no involvement from Rachel Shaw, can she really be absolved?

Damien Lancaster’s deep eyes looked at her, suppressing a trace of emotion, he reached out and grabbed Rachel Shaw’s chin, "I’ll believe you for now, after all, we still have the engagement banquet, don’t we?"

The engagement banquet was the most important thing.

Rachel Shaw nodded vigorously, with a gleam of fearful tears in her eyes. Clearly terrified of this man, yet every time she saw him, she would fall in love with his face again and again, deeply entranced, recklessly so.

Damien Lancaster released her, and Rachel Shaw collapsed, gasping for air.

Ivy Summers looked down at Nina Summers, thinking Nina was an absolute fool, "Are you envious of me, jealous of me, do you hate me? Do you think that just because we both have the last name Summers, I’ve received more than you?"

Nina Summers gritted her teeth, "Isn’t it true? Haven’t you received more than I have? Why can you, and I can’t?"

Ivy Summers slowly said, "More? What do you mean?"

Nina Summers didn’t speak.

Ivy Summers continued, "When I was young, I really envied you. Your parents loved you, your grandparents spoiled you. No one looked at you with eyes of hatred, and you didn’t have to fear being thrown out of the family one day, living carefree and unrestrained, but I’m different."

Grandparents disliked her, and the family looked at her as if she were stolen goods; apart from her parents, no one in the family liked her.

Her father was good to her, but he loved her mother more and spent most of his time with her mother.

Her mother loved her, but her favorite activities were reading books and looking at the freedom she spoke of. Ivy Summers’ childhood was oppressive, especially after her father’s death, she and her mother were dubbed as a jinx and thrown out of the family.

Ivy Summers squatted down to look at Nina Summers, "Stop being reckless. What you used to have easily, I’ve longed for but could not get."

Nina Summers pressed her lips tightly, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes, unsure if there was remorse.

Ivy Summers stood up, took a deep breath, and turned to look at Noah Scott.

Noah Scott raised an eyebrow, "Let her go?"

Ivy Summers chuckled bitterly. They couldn’t drown Nina Summers in a water tank in public for this matter, "Yes."

Nina Summers was thrown out of the auction and expelled from the auction house. She disregarded the reputation of the auction house, causing a scene out of the auction, and from then on, no one dared to hire Nina Summers again.

On the way back, Ivy Summers leaned against the car window, thinking about what she had said, she hadn’t lied, she really envied Nina Summers when they were young.

People might just be like this, always envying what they can’t have.

Nina Summers too. If she had to trade her father’s life for the position of Mrs. Lancaster, would she still envy her?

Ivy Summers lifted her head to look at the stars outside and thought of her parents, layers of sadness fell into her eyes.

The evening breeze blew; it was a bit cold, making Ivy Summers’ eyes sting, and she shivered slightly.

At this moment, the window was slowly closed, and a large hand grasped hers.

Ivy Summers’ hand was icy cold.

Damien Lancaster’s gaze fell on her reddened eyes, frowning slightly, "What are you thinking about?"

Ivy Summers took a deep breath, "Thinking... it would have been better if I hadn’t married you back then."

Damien Lancaster’s brow furrowed even tighter, Ivy Summers knew Damien had a bad temper, and the sinking air around him told her he was angry.

But Ivy Summers didn’t care, let him be angry, the angrier, the better.

But Damien Lancaster didn’t say anything, just turned up the temperature of the air conditioning in the car a bit.

Tonight, Ivy Summers just wanted to feel a bit of the cold wind to sober up. She opened the window, leaning against it, looking at the bright lights outside, never quite understanding what her mother meant by "freedom."

With some distance to go before arriving home, Ivy Summers leaned against the window, thinking and falling asleep. A hand reached over quietly, gently embracing her and letting her head rest on his chest.

Damien Lancaster lowered his head, his cheek pressing against her wind-chilled forehead, quietly saying, "You regret marrying me, but I’ve never regretted marrying you."

The wind blew coldly. Instinctively, Ivy Summers moved toward the warmth. When a pair of small hands embraced him, Damien Lancaster’s whole body tensed, his eyes narrowing, a surge of emotion surging in his chest. Finally, he held her tighter.

Ivy Summers slept well, all night until morning.

She hadn’t slept well for a long time, not even after Sophie came back. She was still on medication, and she fell asleep this time without taking sleeping pills.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a handsome man’s face. His head leaned back, with a slight frown. Ivy Summers was disheveled for a moment, only to realize she was still in Damien Lancaster’s arms.

Last night, they had slept in the car, with the window opened slightly, maybe it was a bit cold, her hand had snuck into his shirt, feeling his solid abs!

Ivy Summers’ eyes widened, quickly retracting her hand, covered by a blanket that Damien Lancaster had placed over her, while he wore only a thin shirt.

Ivy Summers wouldn’t be moved by this bit of sparse kindness, she would never forget this scoundrel’s previous evil deeds. Watching his exposed neck, Ivy Summers tentatively reached her hand over; it was a great opportunity to strangle him.

Ivy Summers measured his neck with her hands; one hand wouldn’t be enough, she needed to use both. A man’s neck wasn’t like a woman’s; it was much thicker...

"It takes a few minutes at least, up to ten minutes to strangle someone. I suggest you not do it unless you’re fully confident."

The man’s eyes were clearly closed, yet his voice quietly emerged.

Ivy Summers quickly withdrew her hand, startled.

Damien Lancaster opened his eyes, and as Ivy Summers tried to flee, he embraced her shoulder, pulling her back into his arms.

Dead, dead, didn’t strangle him and got caught.

Damien Lancaster observed Ivy Summers in his arms; her eyes were nervously darting around. He inexplicably found it both frustrating and funny, grabbing her hand and pressing it against his neck.

"Want to kill me? Here’s your chance, both hands, go for it."

Ivy Summers tightened her grip. Her hands were small, making it hard to strangle Damien Lancaster, so she pulled her hands back. "Dirty hands, no thank you."

Ivy Summers pushed the car door open and got out. It was only then that she realized she had actually returned to her front door last night.

Leaning against the pillar at the entrance was a man with a lazy expression, his gaze lingering on her. It was unclear how long he had been watching.

Ivy Summers slightly raised her chin. "Master Tristan Sterling, got some free time? Is the result out?"

Tristan Sterling straightened up and walked over. "You two seem quite lively this early in the morning."

Ivy Summers tugged at her lips. "So, is the result out or not?"

"No, it’s not that quick. The old man found three appraisal agencies domestically and three abroad, fearing mistakes. It will take some time."

Six appraisal agencies, fearing mistakes, were enough to prove Old Master Sterling’s attention to this matter.

Ivy Summers was very curious. "Does Old Mr. Sterling wish it is, or isn’t?"

"It’s complicated, hard to say."

If it is, Old Master Sterling would have found his daughter and gained a granddaughter, and three great-grandsons, but it would also mean that the daughter he longed for had died.

If not, there’s still room for hope.

"But I hope it’s not." Tristan Sterling had already reached Ivy Summers. "Last night’s auction was quite interesting, very stunning."

This "I hope it’s not"—Ivy Summers was not foolish enough to ask why.

"Master Tristan Sterling, better hold back a bit. Aren’t you afraid we might really be cousins?"

"That would be interesting too."

Tristan Sterling glanced at the car behind. A man got out, leaning against it, though he didn’t approach. His gaze was profound, like a lurking beast. If he showed any unacceptable behavior towards the woman in front, he would not hesitate to reveal his claws.

"Why exactly did you come looking for me?"

Tristan Sterling casually withdrew his gaze. "To take a photo of your mother. The old man wants to check for any plastic surgery marks."

"My mother didn’t have plastic surgery."

"Were you keeping an eye on your mother before you were born?"

Ivy Summers took a deep breath. "Fine!"

There were very few photos of her mother. In the end, Ivy Summers could only give Tristan Sterling her mother’s black-and-white memorial photo.

Tristan Sterling glanced at it and compared it with Ivy Summers. "Are you really her biological daughter? Aside from the eyes and eyebrows, the other features don’t match."

"You have a really annoying way of speaking," Ivy Summers admitted honestly.

Tristan Sterling smiled. Task assigned by Old Master Sterling completed, he left but not before walking past Damien Lancaster and loudly said to Ivy Summers, "Looking forward to our next meeting."

Ivy Summers, "..."

Giving Damien Lancaster a glance, Ivy Summers returned home. Last night, Nathan, Leo, and Sophie stayed at the Lancaster Family’s place. At home, it was just her.

...

Lancaster Family.

Seraphina Kennedy adored the three little ones dearly. Never one to cook, she personally made breakfast today. Seeing the three little ones eat, Seraphina Kennedy felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Annelise Lancaster sat there dryly. Although she had breakfast in front of her, it just didn’t taste good.

Nathan and Leo didn’t pay much attention to her. Originally, Sophie played with her, but after she pushed Sophie once, Nathan and Leo would not let Sophie play with her anymore.

Annelise Lancaster ended up alone, watching the three siblings’ close relationship and Seraphina Kennedy’s partiality. Unable to hold back any longer, Annelise Lancaster threw down her spoon and started crying loudly.

Nathan, Leo, and Sophie looked at her in confusion. Seraphina Kennedy frowned, "Why are you crying out of nowhere?"

"Grandmother is biased. In her eyes, there’s only them."

Seraphina Kennedy didn’t deny it. However, she felt she had already fulfilled her duty as a guardian by keeping Annelise Lancaster at home, not letting her go hungry or without clothes, even sending her to a private school.

Recalling what was said when Annelise Lancaster was saved, that she had good fortune while Sophie had none, she really couldn’t treat Annelise Lancaster any better.

"Annelise Lancaster, I’ve been quite good to you. Don’t push it."

Annelise Lancaster stood up from her chair and ran out.

Sophie seemed worried and wanted to comfort her, but Seraphina Kennedy stopped Sophie. "Don’t bother with her."

Sophie didn’t understand why everyone was so hostile towards Annelise Lancaster.

Of course, to spare Sophie painful memories, no one talked about it.

Annelise Lancaster ran outside to cry by herself. Damien Lancaster came back, heard the sound of a little girl crying, and thought it was Sophie. Instead, it was Annelise Lancaster.

Annelise Lancaster was squatting on the ground, pulling grass to vent her frustration.

"No one likes me. Everyone hates me. Liars, bad people, all a bunch of deceiving jerks!"

Damien Lancaster frowned slightly, "Annelise Lancaster?"

Annelise Lancaster looked up, "Daddy..."

"I’m not your dad!" Damien Lancaster was quite particular about this; not everyone could call him dad.

Annelise Lancaster felt even more wronged, tears falling like raindrops. "Why doesn’t anyone like me? Even grandma doesn’t care about me anymore. That woman is a liar. She said if I did what she wanted, I would be the only one you cared about."

Damien Lancaster was about to leave, but hearing this, he stopped. "What woman? What liar?"