Chapter 249: People Have Changed

Having been rejected, Halston’s expression grew icy cold. “No girl has ever dared to reject me!”

Struggling with inner discontent, he immediately turned around and followed her, fawning over her like a devoted puppy. “I get it, girls all like to be treated gently. That’s fine; I’ll indulge you. After all, you are so charming—”

Suddenly, Halston found himself at a loss for words as he saw Raylee approach a globally limited-edition luxury car. It was one of the Maybach EO series, of which only three existed worldwide. It took a decade to go from research and development to production. That car was nothing short of a masterpiece in the realm of automobiles. On top of that, it was his favorite luxury car, one he desired so much but couldn’t acquire, even if he was willing to splurge on it.

As Raylee was about to step into the car, Halston quickly grabbed her arm and asked, “Which family are you from? Anyone who can afford this car must either be from the Lorimer family or the Sutherland family, right? At the very least, you’d have to be from the Goodridge family, right? Why haven’t I seen you before? Have you been living abroad and only recently returned?”

Raylee frowned, her lips curved in a half-smile as she asked, “Do you truly not remember me?”

Back in elementary school, she was often bullied by Halston. Being a fiercely protective brother, Samuel had given him a series of beatings, which later deterred him from approaching her. Things remained the same, but the people have changed. By now, they had all grown up. Although Halston was still the notorious prodigal son of the Mulligan family, she was no longer the cherished daughter of the Goodridge family.

Halston was deep in thought, but he genuinely couldn’t remember who she was. This is vexing… How could I not remember such a beautiful and prominent young lady? None of the potential suitors my family’s elders had arranged for me were as attractive as her! Just who is this eligible prominent young lady who had managed to slip through my watch?

“So, we did know each other before, didn’t we? Ah, no wonder I thought you were like an apple. Why is that? Well, it’s because you’re the apple of my eye!”

Halston gazed at her with deep affection as he continued, “I’m sorry for forgetting you. Do you know what else I forgot? It’s your beauty.”

Listening to him uttering cheesy pick-up lines without a shred of shame, Raylee almost puked up her dinner from the night before. She couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath on him.

Just as she had opened the car door, he closed it again. Halston then flashed his WhatsApp QR code with a smile, saying, “Your smile doesn’t contain alcohol, yet it has me intoxicated as if I’ve had one too many. Let’s add each other before parting ways.”

At the same time, Casimir and Samuel had also come to pick up Waverly. “What’s the matter? Waverly’s classes have started for a while now, and this is the first time you’re picking her up, so why are you sulking? Are you that unwilling to pick her up?” Samuel grumbled, rattling on incessantly in the car.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling. The company is genuinely swamped right now. Besides, can’t we just have the driver handle tasks like this?” Casimir responded impatiently.

“How could the driver ever replace us? It’s Wavy’s first time studying in Jexburgh. What if someone bullies her? We have to make our stance known and ensure that everyone understands she has people backing her up!” Samuel retorted.

Casimir shot him a glance, falling silent as he turned his attention back to his phone, responding to messages. Just a minute ago, his assistant had sent him a text claiming to have found out where Raylee was. The assistant also sent over a picture of Raylee that was captured from the airport surveillance cameras.

Casimir tapped on the picture and examined it. Despite its blurriness, he could still unmistakably identify that it was indeed Raylee. For a moment, he was visibly excited, his hands trembling with nervousness. It has been five months, huh… For five long months, she had completely vanished without a trace. Everyone in the Goodridge family believed that she had died in some obscure place. He was the only one who persisted in searching for her.

“Why are you so worked up? Dealing with company matters? I don’t buy it. That’s not the face of someone handling business?” Samuel said.

“Ray–Ray…” Casimir was so overwhelmed with emotion he could barely speak.

“I knew it! You simply can’t let go of Raylee. You’re so reluctant to come pick up Wavy. If Raylee were to enroll here, I bet you’d wish to pick her up every day!”

Samuel let out a deep grunt as he continued, “I’m warning you; you’ve already announced your engagement to Wavy to the entire world, so you’re supposed to marry Wavy. If you dare to be fickle, I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget! This time, I’ll definitely follow through and make you pay dearly!”

After issuing his warning, Samuel stepped out of the car.