351 Always Replaceable

Lily smiled at Samantha before leaving the room without replying. Lily originally came here because she wanted to confirm her suspicions and it seems that she was right!

Yesterday, when Lily witnessed Adrian's chauvinistic treatment of Samantha, his fiancée, she suspected  that he treated her callously and maybe she was even abused but Lily had no  way to confirm it. When Lily saw Samantha arrive with an extravagant strapless ball gown, she had already made up her mind to try to get a closer look of the latter. And as expected, she noticed some discoloration on the latter's neck that was covered by some thick foundation. Of course, Lily did not jump into conclusion directly.

What if... it was just sex? Maybe Adrian has a kink and Samantha loves it when he strangles her? Lily laughed at her own thoughts. She was not being nosy here… all she wanted was to do some research now about these people who could potentially be their enemies in the future.

"How was it?" Lily instantly asked when she got back to the VIP room.

"Second item. He still won. He must be feeling really lucky tonight," he answered, making Lily nod her head. She watched as Zhuo Jingren continued to make a bid against Adrian. Why was Zhuo Jingren playing against Adrian? Lily couldn't help but ask herself.

It was pretty obvious that Zhuo Jingren did not like this Lee Group. However, she couldn't seem to understand the reason why. Is this all related to his true family?

Lily had so many questions… and she could hardly wait anymore. However, right now… she could only sigh. Zhuo Jingren had already promised to tell her everything, anyway. So right now… all she could do was wait and enjoy the show.

…..

"Someone from the Zhou Family is making some inquiries about Jingren."

"I know," the woman wearing a Japanese kimono answered, her gaze was on the millions of lights that was making the streets of Tokyo glitter. "Tokyo is beautiful," she said.

"Aren't you worried about him?" he asked in a mild tone.

"I am. But… he already has everything that he needs. Ida taught him well." The woman smiled gently. "She was a better mother than I ever was." Sorrow and guilt laced the woman's voice.

"It wasn't your fault and we know that," he slowly stroked his beloved's arm, a small smile was visible on his face. "He is a smart one, he will understand."

A loud sigh escaped the woman's mouth. "He has a lovely wife now. Seeing them.. seeing them in person is… is very different than watching him grow up in the photos. It was…" the woman could not continue what she was about to say. "I would like to meet him one day. Maybe I could…"

"You are doing all this to protect him. One day… we will meet him and one day… he will call you what he used to call Ida." His hand intertwined with hers. "… Mother."

….

China

"Are you sure about this?" an old man with a wizened face and croaky voice asked, his brows were furrowed as he looked at his right-hand man.

"I am sure. He… he looks a lot like the young master when he was of the same age," the man in a black suit answered, his head low as he waited for the old man's answer.

"And you say… he changed his last name? The spelling is different now?"

"Yes, Master."

Silence instantly flooded the room as the old man stroked his chin in contemplation. "But… he was supposed to be dead!? How is it that he is still alive? And how could he escape our people's eyes?"

"This man does not appear in front of the media. However, his presence in the spotlight increased when he married another CEO from Europe. Please take a look at the file… I believe they were the reason why the Qin Family in Shanghai fell."

"You mean?"

"His wife is from the Qin Family. She arrived in Hong Kong a few months back and started creating chaos wherever she went. A smart and capable woman but very dangerous, if left alive… I believe we should… eliminate her."

"Her? And not both of them? Why only her?" the old man asked before he let out a series of coughs. Clutching his chest, he added, "Are you afraid of a woman?"

"Master… he is a very prominent man with influences everywhere. So if we attempt to kill him, I'm afraid he would retaliate. Whereas… a woman is always replaceable. It is fairly easy to replace his wife with someone younger, smarter, more influential…"

"You want to kill his wife and plant a new queen beside him?" the old man snorted. "How confident  are you that he won't retaliate after we kill his wife?"

"I don't think she is worth it."

"Really?" His statement instantly made the old man laugh. "What a vicious man." He let out another series of cough before adding, "Go ahead and do a thorough investigation. I want to know everything by Monday. And don't do anything stupid before we ensure that he is indeed the old man's grandson."

"I understand."

"And oh… I want you to send someone younger and more beautiful. Let's see if he indeed treasures his wife," the old man said before he gestured the man to leave him alone.

….

Meanwhile, the man in the center of all these was busy enjoying a cup of tea with his lovely wife.

Zhuo Jingren gave Lily a sly smile. "So did you like it?" The auction was already over but they were still in the VIP room.

"You are truly evil." Lily could only shake her head at the thought of Adrian's pale face when it was announced that everything that he had bought were actually properties of Zhuo Capital. "Why did you do that, though?" she asked.

"That man is Adrian Lee… he is the only son of Thomas Lee, the adoptive son of the current chairman of the Lee Group," Zhuo Jingren started. "Isaac Lee… my grandfather." He shifted his gaze towards Lily.

"This will be a long night," he uttered with an evil smile plastered all over his face, a smile that Lily had never seen before.