HER SIN, FILTHY LOVERS

Alice opened the locker door, and a clear sapphire bracelet slid out.

Before she could react, a girl exclaimed, "Elizabeth's bracelet, you stole it!"

"..."

In just one morning, rumors of Alice stealing the bracelet quickly spread throughout the entire academy.

This "Tears of the Stars" bracelet was a gift from Elizabeth's father to her for her eighteenth birthday. It was auctioned at Ston's Auction House for thirty-six million, attracting media attention and becoming a hot topic.

With such a precious item stolen, if the accusation stuck, Alice would likely spend the rest of her life behind bars-both this life, the next, and the one after that...

Fortunately, the academy had yet to inform the police, taking Charles's position into consideration.

After all, Alice had grown up with The Thomas family. Though she was a sponsored student, she had been by Charles's side for eight years. Everyone knew how much Charles adored his "sister," despite not being biologically related.

A group of teachers, directors, and board members questioned Alice for the entire morning.

She explained tirelessly, but no one believed her innocence.

The dean, always skilled at smoothing over issues, said, "Alice, the women's changing room has no surveillance. Although we trust your character..."

"But in front of so many people, we all saw the bracelet fall out of your locker. It's hard to explain."

"It's okay. Since the bracelet has been found, I don't want to hold Alice accountable," Elizabeth, the owner of the bracelet, graciously said, "I believe she didn't do it on purpose. It was probably just a moment of carelessness. There's no need to involve the police. She should just apologize, and it'll be over."

Everyone turned to look at Alice in the corner.

She stood alone by the door, dressed in a school uniform just like Elizabeth, with a blazer and a white shirt inside.

Her thick black hair was casually tied up into a small bun, with a playful wave at the tips.

Her face was calm.

If it were anyone else, they would have been trembling with fear at such a situation, but she remained unflustered.

Her mental fortitude was too strong.

......

Actually, it was impossible for Alice not to be anxious inside.

From the beginning, this was a one-sided trial. She explained, but no one believed her.

Without investigation, they immediately pushed her into apologizing.

Alice was very clear that she could not let them sweep this under the rug.

A theft of such a huge amount would draw the police, and with that, media attention. The Thomas family's reputation would be at stake.

Apologizing would be equivalent to admitting the theft, and she might be kicked out of The Thomas family.

Alice didn't want to leave The Thomas family. She didn't want to return to the poor, crime-ridden fishing village, where every night she would be watched by disgusting, lecherous old men. She didn't want to live in constant fear.

She could not back down and admit to something she didn't do.

"I didn't steal anything." She looked around and calmly gazed at them. "I won't apologize for something I didn't do."

At such a moment, she couldn't show weakness, or she'd be bullied to death.

"Still stubborn? The bracelet fell out of your locker. How do you prove you didn't steal it?"

Alice looked at Elizabeth's group of friends, "I have no way to prove it, so we should call the police and let them investigate."

The school leaders exchanged glances. They didn't want to call the police.

If this became a big deal, it would affect the school's reputation and the relationship between The Green family and The Thomas family.

The situation seemed to reach a deadlock.

The dean looked helplessly at the owner of the bracelet, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth didn't want to offend Charles, so she immediately said, "This is just a small issue. There's no need to involve the police. Since Alice insists she didn't steal it, I'll believe her. Maybe she just found it. Anyway, it's been returned, and that's enough. Everyone, please disperse."

Thanks to Elizabeth's graciousness, the matter was finally brushed aside.

Some students still muttered behind her back,

"Doesn't she need to apologize for what she did?" "Mr. Charles spoils her. With all her designer clothes, why would she steal something?" "She's probably too shallow." "She's lucky that Elizabeth is so kind-hearted. If it were anyone else, she'd be in jail by now."

Alice coldly looked at the people around her, fully aware that here, she wouldn't get any fair treatment.

After the crowd dispersed, the counselor informed Alice that the school would discipline her.

Heaton Academy was London's top noble school-a cradle for entrepreneurs, politicians, and world-class artists.

Such a prestigious institution would never allow a "rotten apple" to spoil the whole bunch.

If she couldn't prove her innocence before the punishment was handed down, she would be expelled.

Alice knew it would be hard to prove her innocence, but she had to try.

This incident happened while Charles was abroad. The school knew her relationship with Charles but still didn't want to investigate the truth thoroughly. They were just going along with the flow and preparing to "discipline" her.

There was undoubtedly someone behind the scenes, scheming to frame her and drive her away.

She wasn't one to be easily manipulated.

......

Alice caught up with Elizabeth in the Duke's Hall and smiled.

"Elizabeth, thank you earlier. If it weren't for your generosity, I might have been sent to the police."

Her friends seemed to admire how she stood firm earlier in the dean's office, adamantly denying the theft and insisting on proving her innocence. But now, she suddenly switched to thanking Elizabeth as if she were a life-saver.

Elizabeth had always been good at accepting gratitude.

"It's fine," she patted Alice on the shoulder, smiling. "It's all over. Let's pretend it never happened."

"Hmm, I want to ask, how did you realize the bracelet was missing?"

"Don't ask if you already know," one of Elizabeth's friends mocked. "You stole Elizabeth's bracelet and now you're asking how it disappeared? Are you still trying to argue?"

Alice ignored the side remarks, earnestly looking at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, please, I need to know."

Elizabeth thought for a moment before replying, "It was during dance class. I took off the bracelet and put it in my pocket. When I returned to the classroom, it was gone."

"Is it possible... it fell out and someone else picked it up?"

"I've already explained to the teachers. Even if you picked it up and didn't want to return it, it's fine. I won't pursue the matter," Elizabeth said with a pitying look. "But, you know, Alice, sometimes one should know when to stop, right?"

Picking something up and not returning it was indeed different from stealing, but Alice didn't understand what "knowing when to stop" meant.

If she hadn't done it, she wouldn't admit to it.

"Elizabeth, after you put the bracelet in your pocket and before you noticed it was gone, where did you go?"

Seeing that Alice was still stubbornly "pretending ignorance," Elizabeth's face turned colder. "The dance studio and the beautiful drink shop."

"Got it. Thanks."

After Alice left, some girls around Elizabeth commented, "Elizabeth, she stole your jewelry, and you're still talking to her like this?"

Elizabeth gently touched the fine blue bracelet on her wrist. "One mistake can lead to a lifetime of regret. It's sad she's so stubborn and unwilling to repent."

"Society will teach her a lesson," one of her friends sneered. "I still don't understand how someone like Charles can keep her by his side."

......

In Washington, USA.

After the meeting, Charles took out his phone and saw the photo sent by his friend Joyce.

The girl in the photo stood alone in the corner of the dean's office, pale and thin, with flawless skin and sharp, delicate features. There was a small, seductive red mark on her neck.

A rare beauty.

Over the years, Charles had truly "raised" her like a flower.

Joyce's voice message carried a hint of teasing, "Brother Charles, your little follower is in trouble. Shouldn't you come back?"

"I've known for a while." Charles replied calmly.

"Are you really going to sit this out? Every time she's been in trouble, haven't you always rushed to be her protector?"

"Why don't you rush down and show me how it's done?" Charles looked out at the Pentagon, its shape barely visible through the haze of sunset, and said in a calm voice, "If she can't solve this little issue on her own, she doesn't deserve to stay by my side."

......

In the dimming evening, rain fell softly, the streets dark, and raindrops scattered in the air, blown by the wind.

The weather reminded Alice of the time when she first came to London with Charles.

A poor girl from a fishing island, who had been taken in and raised by the wealthy Thomas family.

All because of Charles's mercy.

At her most helpless moment, she had encountered the kindest of saviors.

Now, she didn't have much time. If she didn't clear her name, she might be sent back to that poor, miserable island, with no future ahead.

Alice arrived at the entrance of the "Beautiful Drink Shop."

She suspected that the people who framed her didn't have the courage to directly search Elizabeth's pocket.

Most likely, the bracelet fell out, was picked up by someone, and then framed her.

It wasn't a particularly clever scheme.

Everything seemed to have happened by chance.

Previously, Alice had already tried to access the surveillance footage from the classroom but was denied.

No one would risk offending the other wealthy students at Heaton Academy just to clear a poor sponsored student like her.

The footage from the drink shop might hold a clue.

She entered the shop, saying she had left important exam materials behind and asked to check the surveillance footage.

The shop staff refused.

Alice even offered a sum of fifty thousand London pounds, but the staff remained unmoved, almost as if they had a personal grudge against money.

It was strange.

If money couldn't buy this favor, it must have been offered at a higher price by someone else.

Alice didn't have much money. Everything she had was earned through hard work, little by little.

Charles bought her designer clothes and bags, but her allowance was not substantial.

If she had more money, it might make her think of other things, but in terms of living expenses, she was far behind the other rich kids.

So, she couldn't outbid those who were framing her.

She walked out of the drink shop without leaving immediately, instead glancing around cautiously.

The rain fell lightly, pedestrians walked in small groups, umbrellas in hand.

Every now and then, someone would glance at her oddly. She didn't carry an umbrella, and the rain dampened her bangs.

Maybe it was because she had been bullied since childhood, but she gave off a vulnerable, harmless vibe, one that easily triggered a sense of protection in men.

A few boys even came over and asked if she needed an umbrella.

Alice declined.

What she needed wasn't an umbrella.

She suspected that the people who framed her were following her. Seeing her come out of the drink shop, they would likely go back in to confirm the loyalty of the shop staff.

All she needed to do was wait for the right moment.

Alice stood in the rain, walked across the street to the park, and stepped into the lush bushes, looking for a good spot to observe.

Just as she crouched down, she saw, two meters away, a girl holding a knife, the thin blade pressed against her wrist.

The girl was trembling, fearfully.

Choosing to commit suicide here? Not a bad choice of location.

The two of them made eye contact.

The girl expected Alice to stop her, but Alice simply blinked, then turned her head away.

"..."

A little awkward.

Alice ignored her and crouched down, not caring about the rain soaking her skirt or the mud staining her little shoes.

Two minutes later, she looked at the girl again, as though urging her to hurry up and not delay her own business.

The girl bit her lip. She clearly couldn't bring herself to cut her wrist. Instead, she pulled out her phone and sent a video message.

"Stuart, if you don't delete those videos, I'll die right in front of you!"

In the video, almost no one could be seen.

Only the cold white light of the lab was blinding.

Then, a voice, indifferent and dismissive, came from the video. "I'm watching."

As the girl sobbed and pleaded, Alice saw a familiar figure.

A petite figure, with natural curly shoulder-length hair, wearing a rose-red Hermes beret, sneaking into the beautiful beverage shop.

Georgia-Charles's half-sister.

It had to be her.

It could only be her. From the moment Alice entered the Thomas family home, Georgia had hated her.

Stupid, easily angered, jealous... all these emotions had been inherently mixed into her tiny life.

Her cute and charming appearance had turned into a sharp-tongued, mean look because of these emotions.

Alice swore she had never provoked her.

She was very clear that everything she had was a gift from the Thomas family, and she could never be so tactless as to provoke the eldest daughter of the Thomas family.

But Georgia hated her. Hated her for taking away her brother's love, hated Charles for always protecting her, and hated her growing beauty, nurtured by the rich resources of the Thomas family.

In any case, at Heaton Academy, the person who most wanted her gone was none other than Georgia.

Alice took a photo of Georgia talking to the store clerk at the beautiful beverage shop.

But it was useless.

These couldn't be used as evidence to prove Georgia's false accusations against her.

The girl beside Alice, who had finally been hung up on by the other party during a video call, noticed Alice crouching in the shrubbery, staring intently at the beverage shop.

Following Alice's gaze, the girl saw Georgia.

"I know you, you were criticized by the whole school for stealing the necklace," she said, gasping for breath, "You're Alice, Charles's sister."

At Heaton Academy, Alice wasn't exactly anonymous.

After all, she was one of the few commoners in the whole academy.

But what made her stand out... was the fact that she sat on Charles's shoulders, and her living conditions surpassed that of 80% of the rich girls in the academy.

The "gold digger" label was nailed to her.

"It wasn't a necklace, it was a bracelet," Alice corrected her indifferently, "And I didn't steal it."

"I know you didn't steal it. Georgia picked up her necklace," the girl said, then handed Alice her phone with a well-lit selfie.

In her selfie, it just so happened to capture a photo of a random person, Georgia, picking up the "Starlight Tear" bracelet and looking confused.

The evidence couldn't be clearer!

Alice couldn't help but suppress the urge to kiss the girl on the cheek, trying to stay composed as she asked, "What's your name?"

"Sunny," she replied. "Don't expect me to help you. I can't mess with Georgia, and I don't want to get involved."

With that, she turned to leave.

Alice quickly caught up with her, nonchalantly saying, "My brother is Charles, you know that, right?"

"Who doesn't know that?" Sunny said. "So what?"

"Charles is good friends with Stuart, and I know Stuart."

Sunny suddenly froze in her tracks, a mixture of emotions flashing across her face-doubt, hesitation, confusion...

"You're... familiar with Stuart? How come I've never seen you two talking at school?"

"He's in graduate school, and there's rarely an opportunity to meet at school, but he often comes to my house." Alice spoke quickly, fabricating the story.

It was true that Charles knew Stuart, but Charles had never introduced Alice to him.

In fact, Alice knew no more about Stuart than she knew about any random classmate.

She had heard he was a child prodigy who entered Heaton Academy at the age of fourteen with the highest scores in all of London and was now a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences.

High intelligence, top-tier looks, the only heir to the William family, one of London's wealthiest families, with political and business backgrounds-he had it all.

But he was a complete bad seed.

Rumor had it that all the girls around him had been tortured by him... He seemed to have a pathological obsession with "pain."

He was also into biological anatomy, spending his days studying "human fragments."

No girl could last a week around him.

Even so, the girls chasing after him were endless, from aristocratic ladies to ordinary girls.

With his perfect appearance and extraordinary background, few girls could resist such temptation.

These were all rumors.

But Alice knew nothing else about what kind of person Stuart actually was.

"Do you really know Stuart?" Sunny asked, with uncertainty in her voice.

Alice calmly replied, "Mm."

Sunny hesitated for a long while before saying, "I can give you the photo, but only after it's been pixelated..."

Alice raised an eyebrow.

Sunny immediately added, "You go talk to Stuart and get him to delete my video."

"What video?"

Sunny's face suddenly darkened, her facial muscles twitching slightly... "You don't need to worry about that, just get him to promise to delete it."

"If he agrees on the surface but keeps a backup, I won't know," Alice said with her usual meticulousness. "Unless I see him delete everything related to it, you must tell me the content of the video."

"It won't happen," Sunny said, "Stuart, once he promises something, won't go back on his word. But first, you need him to agree."

It was difficult, really difficult...

Although she didn't believe Alice could persuade Stuart to delete the video, there was no other choice.

They were both out of options.

...

Alice and Sunny made a "deal"-Sunny would give Alice the only photo that could prove her innocence, and Alice would help her deal with the video.

The whole school knew Alice was Charles's "sister," and since Charles knew Stuart, if she used this connection to ask Stuart for help, there was a glimmer of hope.

Alice went to the southeast district of Heaton University, which was where postgraduate students worked.

She had no idea where to find him.

By chance, she ran into a few familiar male faces walking out of the library-Charles's old friends.

The prestigious family genes were clearly visible.

They were accompanied by several girls, handsome and beautiful, chatting and laughing, a picturesque scene that caught the attention of everyone around.

"Yo, Alice." One of the boys saw Alice first and called out, "Long time no see, you're even more beautiful now."

Alice had planned to pretend not to see them and quickly leave, but since she had been noticed, she had no choice but to smile and approach. "Kavin."

Kavin, wearing a baseball cap and full of trendy brands, smiled and said, "Your brother's gone abroad, who are you looking for here?"

A girl beside him murmured, "Wasn't she the one who stole something? Why hasn't she been expelled?"

Before the words even left her mouth, Kavin shot her an irritated look and impatiently said, "I'm talking to Alice, who told you to speak?"

The girl was scolded but didn't dare retort to Kavin, so she sulked and kept quiet.

These rich boys were all nice to Alice, thanks to Charles, treating her like their little sister.

But Alice knew well what they were really like behind the scenes.

She never truly trusted them.

The only person she could trust wholeheartedly in this world was Charles.

"Alice, don't worry too much, Kavin believes you didn't steal anything." Kavin patted her shoulder, giving a meaningless comfort, and was about to leave.

Alice suddenly asked him, "Kavin, do you know where Stuart is now?"

At her words, Kavin immediately frowned and turned to ask, "Why do you want to find him... for what?"

"A bit of personal business."

"Personal business?" Kavin became interested, "Alice, let me warn you, you'd better not get involved with that guy... or you'll regret it."

If campus rumors could be a bit off, hearing such a warning from someone who knew Stuart personally was definitely not without reason.

"What, is he some kind of monster?" Alice joked.

"He's not a monster," Kavin sneered coldly, "He's a... demon."

His lips uttered those two words, and Alice's heart chilled.

"How, he's going to eat me?"

"He won't eat you, he'll just play with you, and when he's done, he'll throw you away." Kavin lifted his chin, "Alice, don't get interested in him. If you do, even Charles can't save you."

"I'm just going to ask him something, that's all," Alice said. "A favor from a friend."

Kavin had already given his warning, whether she listened or not was her choice.

"At this time, he should be in the Biological Sciences lab, on the third floor, in the dissection room. You can find him there."

"Thanks, Kavin."

Alice thanked him and quickly headed towards the Biological Sciences lab.

Kavin watched her leave, wondering if he should tell Charles about it.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally put his phone down.

Forget it. He didn't know what kind of relationship Alice and Stuart had, so he decided not to meddle.

If Stuart got angry...

Just thinking about it made him shudder.

The Life Science Building had been renovated in the past two years.

The old European-style building, which used to have an eerie atmosphere, was transformed into a modern glass structure filled with cutting-edge technology, thanks to sponsorship from The William family's empire biotech company.

Alice walked into the Life Science Building and headed straight to the third floor.

The hallway in a circular pattern was almost empty, the classroom lights turned off, with only the green exit signs casting a faint glow.

Turning the corner, Alice saw a strong white light coming from the faraway glass window.

She walked closer and saw the words "Dissection Room" on the door.

The curtains weren't closed, and through the glass, Alice saw a tall young man holding a sharp, small scalpel.

His fingers were slender and pale, the veins visible as his hand moved the scalpel, with nails neatly trimmed.

He was wearing a mask, but his sharp profile, with a pronounced bone structure, was visible. His eyes were hidden beneath well-defined brows, long and dark.

The scalpel smoothly cut through pale skin, his movements graceful and skilled, calm and unhurried.

Alice asked a male student, wearing a white lab coat and about to enter the dissection room, to relay a message to Stuart that she was looking for him.

The student initially ignored her, as many girls sought out Stuart every day.

However, when he saw her face, he couldn't help but notice.

Who could refuse such a beautiful woman?

He nodded and entered the dissection room, quietly speaking to Stuart.

Stuart didn't lift his head and continued his cutting calmly.

The student, not receiving any response, stood by the door, next to the intercom, and said to Alice,

"Stuart isn't done with his work yet and won't talk to anyone. You can wait or leave."

"Okay, thank you. I'll wait," Alice replied.

The student thought for a moment, then couldn't resist adding, "There was a girl who waited for him for six hours before, but she didn't see him."

Alice nodded and leaned against the wall, waiting for about two hours.

Finally, she saw him separate the brain from the body and place it in formalin solution.

The sudden sight of the bloody dissection made her stomach churn, and she rushed to the bathroom.

She stayed there for a while, regaining her composure.

When she returned to the dissection room window, she saw several medical students in white coats preparing the dissection body.

Stuart was nowhere to be found.

Alice panicked and searched everywhere, walking a full circle through the hallway but couldn't find him.

Unable to stop herself, she called out his name a few times, "Stuart!"

No answer.

Just as the student had said, even if she waited, he didn't meet with just anyone.

Disappointed, Alice turned the corner, but at the end of the hallway, she finally saw the person she had been searching for.

The twilight sky was a deep blue, signaling the approaching night.

He didn't look like a monster with three heads and six arms or some demon crawling out of hell.

He was just an ordinary tall young man.

With an extraordinarily perfect appearance, so handsome that it made one... hesitate to breathe.

Suddenly, a flock of crows flew up behind her, cawing loudly, creating a dark and gloomy backdrop.

He approached and gently handed Alice a tissue.

"Don't be disrespectful to the donor."

"Donor?"

"The term of respect for body donors in the medical field."

Alice hesitated for a few seconds and apologized.

His tone remained calm, his voice low. "Did you need something?"

"Stuart, Sunny asked me to find you. She hopes you can delete her video," Alice got straight to the point.

"I asked, what do you need?"

Lying often backfires, especially when it's the first encounter...

"She has evidence that can prove my innocence. If I can't prove that I didn't steal, I might be expelled."

"Then why should I help you?" His voice remained steady, not a hint of change.

"You know Charles. He's my brother."

"Brother?" His tone suddenly spiked, with a sharp emphasis on the word "brother." "I've heard many rumors about you two."

He put extra weight on the word "brother."

There were often jokes about her and Charles, some even sexual, but in reality, Charles had never touched her.

Alice, not backing down, replied, "I've heard plenty of rumors about you, too."

Stuart smiled.

His smile was cold and sinister, like a gust of wind from an abyss.

He slowly moved closer to Alice, leaned in beside her ear, and whispered, "How do you know those are rumors?"

A faint scent of ebony wood lingered in the air before dissipating.

He walked away from her.

Alice didn't want to give up just yet and chased after him, persistently asking, "What do I have to do for you to delete the video?"

Stuart turned his head to glance at her.

Her white shirt collar was slightly messy, and she had a cool, ethereal aura about her. Her strikingly beautiful features gave off a very alluring vibe.

It wasn't a calculated attempt to seduce him.

She just stood there, effortlessly drawing attention, making men feel a desire to defile her.

No one could doubt Charles's taste.

"If you make me happy, I'll consider it," Stuart said.

Alice thought of the rumors about him, a cold sweat running down her back. She whispered, "What do I have to do?"

Stuart raised his chin and looked at her pure, tempting face.

"Eight o'clock tonight, at the villa in the capital city."

"Be on time. I won't wait."

Alice went to the cafeteria for dinner, always hearing some murmurs behind her.

Highly sensitive people can always sense the strange atmosphere in the crowd.

She turned around and made direct eye contact with those people. They immediately averted their gazes, as if they were the ones who had done something wrong.

The cafeteria mostly served Western dishes-mushroom and egg rolls, baked baguettes with apple cheese, baked rice with pasta, tomahawk lamb chops...

Alice didn't like these, but she disliked the rancid salty fish rice from Little Fish Island even more...

Compared to that, baked rice was better.

So... tonight, she had no choice but to go.

Alice had thought of other ways, like telling Sunny that the matter was resolved and tricking her into sending the photos.

If Sunny's IQ was on par with Georgia's, she would probably believe her, but if she kept her guard up and contacted Stuart to confirm, Alice would never regain her trust.

No, she couldn't take that risk.

When Alice stepped out of the cafeteria, Georgia called her, smugly announcing,

"Don't bother coming back tonight. I told my dad, and he's really mad. You'll never set foot in The Thomas family's door again!"

Alice hung up the phone and stood in the cold wind for a while.

She opened the pinned conversation on Facebook and her fingers hovered over Charles's name.

After hesitating for a long time, she still didn't press it.

Charles hadn't contacted her voluntarily, which was clear-this was something she had to resolve herself.

After thinking it over, Alice sent a long message to her uncle Henry from The Thomas family.

After finishing, she didn't send it. Instead, she deleted it word by word.

In the end, she only sent a few words,

"Uncle Thomas, I didn't steal anything. I will prove my innocence."

After a while, Henry replied,

"Don't tarnish the reputation of the Group's charity foundation."

Years ago, Charles persuaded his father Henry to bring her from the small fishing island.

She became a sponsored student of The Thomas family group and was fostered by them. She also became the first poor student funded by the Group's charity foundation and was established as a model for the foundation.

Henry's attitude solidified Alice's resolve.

She didn't want to let all her hard work over the years go to waste. She was determined to stay with The Thomas family, no matter what, and stay by Charles's side.

...

At the foot of Yunling Mountain in the city center, there were many villas belonging to celebrities to the west.

To the south, the houses were fewer, and the area had a panoramic view of the sea bay. It was the residence of London's elite aristocrats.

The Imperial Villa was located here.

As the Bentley shuttle carrying Alice drove along the inner mountain road, the misty mountain rain seeped in through the car window, pressing against her eyelashes.

The temperature in the mountains was lower than at the base.

Soon, the shuttle stopped in front of a grand villa.

Although Alice had seen many wealthy homes in London, she was still stunned by this European-style castle-like mansion.

This was London, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, in the expensive celebrity district of Yunling Mountain...

This estate was incredibly large.

After getting out of the car, the rain had lessened.

The well-dressed, handsome butler seemed to have been waiting for her. He held a solemn black umbrella and respectfully led Alice into the estate, guiding her to the back garden, which resembled a green maze.

In the distance, Alice saw Stuart.

He looked completely different from the elite, professional figure she had seen this afternoon in a white lab coat.

He was dressed in a warm white home shirt, sitting lazily under the eaves, casually swirling a tulip crystal glass filled with crimson liquid.

When Alice was led inside by the butler, he slowly looked up.

Alice noticed the cage beside him, where three short-haired black guard dogs were kept. Their bodies were small but exceptionally fierce, with clearly defined muscle lines.

She wasn't very familiar with dogs and didn't know their names, but the sturdy iron cage told her that they were definitely not the docile Golden Retrievers or Huskies.

Sure enough, as she approached, the three beasts began pacing restlessly around the cage.

Probably fearing their owner, they didn't dare to bark but let out low growls of warning.

Alice walked up the steps when suddenly, one of the black dogs lunged at the cage, causing it to rattle loudly.

Alice was startled, almost stumbling and falling at the edge of the stairs.

"Be careful," Stuart said, raising the corner of his mouth, kindly warning her. "They're very hungry."

Alice noticed the empty food bowls.

The butler, holding fresh beef, placed it in the dogs' bowls. The three dogs immediately began to fight over the meat, tearing at it.

At this moment, Stuart suddenly commanded, "Stop."

The three dogs immediately stopped tearing, sitting obediently without even looking at the meat.

"Well-trained," Alice thought.

The Thomas family also had a Labrador in their backyard, which Alice liked quite a bit. She had tried food refusal training, but it had failed miserably because the dog was just too greedy.

At that moment, the butler walked over with a tray full of more beef, and the three black dogs suddenly turned toward him, their moist noses twitching.

"This is Wagyu beef, airlifted this morning," Stuart casually pointed at the armrest.

The butler placed the Wagyu beef in the labyrinth garden's shrubbery and opened the dogs' cage. The dogs remained obedient, sitting still until Stuart gave the command.

"Hunt."

The three dogs, like shadows in the dark, shot off into the woods.

Soon, they found their food and began tearing into it frantically.

Alice instinctively turned away, feeling physically sick at the scene, clutching her chest and fighting the urge to gag.

Stuart, however, remained still, watching her.

His narrow, black eyes had a metallic sharpness.

The dogs finished their meal quickly, and the butler led them back. Clearly, the Wagyu beef hadn't satisfied them, and they gazed up at Stuart with hungry eyes.

Stuart turned to Alice and asked, "Are you afraid of dogs?"

Alice looked at the three eager dogs and nodded.

"Let's play a game," Stuart snapped his fingers, and the butler handed her the tray with fresh Wagyu beef. "I'll give you ten minutes to hide this meat in the garden. If my dogs can't find it, you win."

Alice quickly asked, "If I win, you'll delete the video, right?"

"Yes."

Without hesitation, Alice grabbed the tray from the butler and walked toward the maze-like garden.

The black dogs in their cage... were already restless.

She entered the maze garden, surrounded by carefully trimmed green bushes and tree stumps, some about half her height, making it easy to get lost inside.

Alice noticed a shovel nearby, so she decided to dig a hole in the grass to bury the fresh Wagyu beef.

After about five minutes, she was sweating and out of breath, but a deep hole had appeared before her.

Stuart watched her, his eyes full of mockery. "I forgot to mention-if you lose..."

Alice turned to look at the man calmly sitting in the chair.

He spoke slowly, his words deliberate, "I'll... have you feed the dogs."

Alice felt a shiver run down her spine from his gaze.

Without questioning the seriousness of his words, she turned her head, focusing on the deep hole before her.

She was unsure.

She remembered a legal program she had watched where well-trained police dogs could sniff out the smell of a body from deep underground.

No, they'd find it.

They would!

The butler kindly reminded her, "Miss Alice, two minutes left."

She couldn't lose.

She needed to stay, to prove her innocence!

Alice looked at the tray of fresh Wagyu beef and made a decision that surprised everyone.

She grabbed the beef and started eating it, bite by bite...

The butler's eyes widened in disbelief, not expecting the girl to go this far!

Stuart stood up, watching her desperately devour the beef... and his eyes finally showed something other than dead calm.

He smiled, coldly.

The butler, seeing the twisted look on the young master's face, knew his interest in the girl was growing.

Alice nearly threw up several times while eating the raw Wagyu beef!

Finally, in the last second of the timer, she swallowed the last of the beef.

Her stomach was filled with raw meat, and the nauseating sensation kept rising.

Hold it in, hold it in...

At the same time, the cage door opened, and one of the black dogs shot out, sniffing around the maze-like garden.

It came over to Alice and sniffed the empty tray.

Alice moved aside, terrified, as the dog sniffed the tray and then approached her.

There had never been a situation like this, and the butler was also starting to worry.

The dog slowly approached her, its body covered in beef blood.

As the dog got closer, Alice kept backing up, grabbing the shovel...

Suddenly, it lunged at her, and the butler rushed forward to grab the leash. But it was too late; the dog charged forward, throwing the butler into the flower bed.

In a split second, Stuart darted forward, grabbing the hunting dog by the neck and, with all his strength, dragged it back a meter.

When he let go, the once violent dog obediently lay on the ground, not daring to resist.

The pain she had expected never came, and Alice finally opened her eyes.

She found Stuart looking down at her, the dog now docile at his side, wagging its tail.

The butler let out a sigh of relief but was also somewhat incredulous.

It was rare for the young master to show mercy, and he never expected that he would actually go so far as to save her.

But this girl... she was really clever!

Meanwhile, Alice, holding the shovel, angrily walked toward the young man on the steps.

The sharp sound of metal scraping against the ground echoed as the shovel dragged behind her.

Seeing the anger in her eyes, the butler hurried to his feet, trying to stop her.

"Miss Alice!"

Stuart raised a finger to signal him to stop.

Alice, gripping the shovel, walked up to him with an imposing air, her fury almost uncontrollable.

Stuart calmly met her gaze, waiting for her next move...

However, the thought of smashing his head with the shovel only lasted for about ten seconds before she gave it up.

She needed something from him.

After coming so close to the edge of life and death, it wouldn't be wise to throw everything away now.

With a heavy thud, she threw the shovel in front of Stuart, a radiant smile suddenly lighting up her face.

There was blood on her lips, making her smile appear both seductive and captivating.

"Stuart, did I make you happy?"

Her voice was soft and delicate, sending shivers down the spine.

Stuart observed her, watching the sudden shifts in her emotions in just a few seconds, and he couldn't help but feel... intrigued.

"Not bad," he said. "Do you feel happy?"

"I'm very happy to play games with you, Stuart."

The butler stood respectfully, impressed.

Sure enough, you couldn't attract the young master without a little bit of a twisted spirit.

Stuart turned to the butler and asked, "Who left the shovel there?"

"It might have been the gardener. He finished up with the flowerbeds this afternoon and forgot to take the tools back to the garden room." The butler quickly passed the blame. "I'll give him a good talking to!"

"No need." Stuart said indifferently. "Tell him not to come tomorrow."

The butler swallowed nervously.

At that moment, Stuart's phone rang.

He turned to answer it and spoke a few words in a low tone, "Come now."

After hanging up, he turned and went back to his room to change. "Tell the driver."

Alice saw that he was leaving and hurriedly caught up to him.

"Stuart!"

"I have something to do now. Go back first."

"If you don't delete the video, I won't leave!" Alice was determined to stay. She clung to the ornate pillar and said, "Delete it, and then I'll go!"

Stuart stopped in his tracks and glanced at her coldly.

She was soaked through, her slim yet curvy body wrapped in wet clothes, her hair damp, and her lips trembling slightly.

There was a kind of disheveled, broken beauty about her.

The way she clung to the pillar... strangely, it was even a little cute.

"You don't want to leave?"

Stuart raised an eyebrow and turned to the butler, who was standing silently by.

"Take her to the bath."

After giving the order, he ignored her and strode out the door.

His dark silhouette disappeared into the misty night.