Chapter 157 - Clarine Landon and Donovan Taylor's Meeting

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

‘Donovan Taylor is back, but he left Chicago. Where else would he go? There’s only one place—San Francisco! Since Frida Cameron’s plan was for me to act as my brother, it’s only natural for Donovan to take my place for his own safety.’ Finn Taylor could only hope that he was wrong. Otherwise, the consequences were unimaginable.

He couldn’t even imagine how Donovan Taylor would treat Yvette Larson once he reached San Francisco, given his personality and temperament.



Chicago, the Taylor family.

Wendy Jensen kneeled before Frida Cameron. “Mom, I’m begging you—bring Donovan back. How can you let him go to San Francisco and pretend to be Finn Taylor?”

Wendy Jensen had known nothing about this plan until her second son went missing. She had only found out after asking Frida Cameron about it.

At that time, Wendy Jensen had been fuming. ‘How could such a thing happen?’

“What, you seem upset about me letting him go to San Francisco. Wendy Jensen, although we let that person pretend to be Donovan, you should know that there are many in Chicago who know Donovan well. Do you want Donovan to die by showing up in Chicago now?” Frida Cameron made an excuse for her actions. She thought that she was absolutely right in doing so.

“Mom, there are many other ways we can keep Donovan safe, like keeping him at home or sending him abroad. Why did you have to send him to San Francisco and ask him to pretend to be Finn Taylor?”

“So what if I did? That jinx might be a piece of trash, but he knows a lot of people in San Francisco. They’ll naturally get suspicious if he goes missing for a long time.”

“Mom, given Donovan’s personality… If he goes to San Francisco, will something happen to Finn Taylor’s wife?”

“Humph, that jinx’s wife is just a countryside bumpkin! Do you think Donovan would fall for her? Even if they do anything, Donovan must’ve been forced into that situation to protect his identity. It’d be an honor for that country bumpkin!”

Wendy Jensen didn’t even know how to reason with her mother-in-law anymore. ‘It’d be an honor for her husband’s brother to fall for her? Liking Donovan is one thing, but how can she have such warped world views too?’

San Francisco, the airport.

Donovan Taylor walked out of the airport and casually dumped a stack of papers into the trash can. These were all documents on Finn Taylor’s life in San Francisco; he had finished reading them on the plane.

He was just about to walk out when someone yelled out, “Finn Taylor, you’re back?”

Donovan Taylor was still unused to that name. Hence, he continued walking without stopping.

Clarine Landon was confused. ‘Why is he ignoring me?’

As such, she ran up to Donovan Taylor. “Hey, are you deaf? Why didn’t you hear me calling you?”

Donovan Taylor was stunned. It was only then that he realized that the other had been calling for him. ‘But how dare she call me deaf? How bold!’

Just as Donovan Taylor was about to flare up, Clarine Landon said, “Diane Taylor has been discharged. I’ve helped you clear the misunderstanding between you and Yvette, so shouldn’t you treat me to a meal?”

‘A meal?’ Donovan Taylor laughed slyly. ‘What good luck! After eating, shouldn’t we head to a hotel? I never expected Finn Taylor to know such beautiful women in San Francisco! I thought he’d be living a pathetic life, but it seems like that isn’t the case.’

“Alright. Where to?”

Clarine Landon couldn’t help but feel that something was strange about Finn Taylor today, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Then, she brought Finn Taylor to a place she frequented.

As soon as Clarine Landon finished ordering, she handed the menu to Donovan Taylor.

The latter didn’t even glance at it and simply said, “Let’s have a bottle of red wine.”

“You want to drink wine?” Clarine Landon thought it was strange; she had never seen Finn Taylor drink.

Finn Taylor didn’t like drinking alcohol. After all, he had been in dangerous and precarious situations too many times in his life. Thus, he had to remain sober at all times.

Of course, Donovan Taylor couldn’t care less about that. Besides, he wanted to order wine so that it’d be easier for him to do what he wanted.

Only by getting Clarine Landon drunk would he get his chance.

“I’m just trying to thank you. Let’s celebrate with some wine.”

Clarine Landon didn’t find anything wrong with this explanation. As such, she decided not to pursue the matter.

Very quickly, the dishes and the wine arrived.

Donovan Taylor was an experienced playboy and continuously picked food up for Clarine Landon.

That intrigued Clarine Landon even more. ‘Finn Taylor really feels different today. Is it just me, or is he really acting differently today?’ 

After the pair had drunk some wine, Donovan Taylor suddenly reached out to grab her hand.

Because Clarine Landson had already thought that her best friend’s husband was behaving strangely today, she had kept her guard up.

Now that he was doing something like that, she sobered up immediately. “Finn Taylor, what are you trying to do?”

“What do I want to do? Sleep with you, of course.”

“What did you say?”

“Stop pretending. We’re all adults. Why are you drinking with me if you don’t want to sleep with me?”

Clarine Landon picked up her glass of wine and splashed it on Donovan Taylor. “Finn Taylor, don’t you feel bad for Yvette for saying something like that? I’m her best friend.”

With that, Clarine Landon ran off in a frenzy.

Donovan Taylor looked at his drenched shirt, his blood boiling. ‘F*ck, stop pretending! Best friend? There are tons of people who cheat with their best friends’ partners! I’ll let you go today, but just you wait and see how I’ll deal with you once I catch you!’

Donovan Taylor tidied his shirt up, paid, and headed toward Pacific Heights. ‘If her best friend is already this beautiful, I can’t wait to see just what Finn’s wife looks like.’

Clarine Landon ran all the way home, only letting out a sigh of relief when she finally arrived home.

She had truly been shocked earlier. She couldn’t understand why Finn Taylor had suddenly changed so drastically that she couldn’t even recognize him. ‘I have to tell Yvette about this.’

The moment the call got through, she asked, “Yvette, have you realized that Finn Taylor has been acting strangely recently?”

Yvette Larson paused. “Do you mean that he’s gone to La Feria Club again?”

“No, I’m talking about his personality and attitude. Has anything changed?”

Yvette Larson thought carefully about it. Although she had been suspicious of Finn Taylor, his attitude toward her had never changed. “No.”

“Alright, but I’m reminding you to keep an eye on him. He’s back, but he was really fierce to me just now.”