Chapter 462 - CHANCES: PART I

Cris took every chance he could get to find out more information about the girl. However, the girl was too smart for him to break. She would avoid answering the question truthfully which made things fun for the man. He couldn't explain why, but he could easily distinguish if the girl was lying or telling the truth. But, he couldn't tell how he knew about it. No matter how much she observes the girl's manner, there was no sign of how he knew that she was lying. 

Long appeared from the direction of the kitchen and said, "Young Miss, your meal is ready." 

Since Elizabeth was amongst her guards, she didn't act like a master and servant towards them. Some of the guards were present as they all seated down to join her for her meal. 

Cris, who was invited seated next to the girl as he thought it was the safest seat in the table. 

The look on the man's face made everyone curious as to whether the man was indeed from a prestigious family. The way he stares at the food as if he hasn't eaten for years. 

"Please, don't be shy. There is no need to hold back on manners when it comes to food." Elizabeth started seeing how hungry the man looked. 

"Then, if you excuse me." 

Cris was the first to start digging in. It surprised all of them that he didn't even bother to question about the food at all. What if they put poison on the food to kill him. Yet, the man was beaming with joy and eating the food as if he knew already they wouldn't do something bad to him. 

Elizabeth looked at the man who had started eating without them. She looked at him with curiosity and asked, "You seem to trust me so much?"

"Huh?" Cris looked confused as if he didn't hear what she just said. 

"How sure are you that there is no poison in the food?" 

"Ah- I don't mind. I guess I'll still survive maybe…" 

With those words Elizabeth seems to understand what the man meant. He must have taken in poison before in which his immune system is so strong enough to fight it. Without even further explanation, the man's words were good enough to prove that he must be from the other side of society. 

"You do know such words could easily prove who you are?" 

The girl acted cunning as she questioned the man. She sensed that the situation was not in her favor at all. If the man is truly from the other side of society. It means she and her men are in trouble. Numbers are nothing for those who have been trained. And if the man in front of him is one. Then, her journey is about to come to an end. 

Cris chewed the food in his mouth first and swallowed it before answering the girl. "Miss Knightley, whom I may be, does not really matter to me. What's important is, that you can accept me for who I am not for whom I am?" 

Elizabeth looked shocked at the man from hearing those familiar words. She too has said those same exact words before to Feng Xiaotong. Yet, how come the man in front of him also knows those words. 

"Enough said, everyone, let's eat." 

Everyone was still anxious about the situation and some didn't have the stomach to eat at all. They were so worried that a battle was to happen seeing how serious their young miss was. 

The girl started eating her meal, but continued to keep an eye on the man. It made her wonder who he could be?

After that dinner, Cris bid everyone good night.

"Miss Knightley, once again, I liked to thank you for the wonderful meal. It's been a while since I had a decent meal."

"Let me ask you this…"

"Sure, as long as it's not that big of a deal I promise to answer it truthfully." 

Elizabeth looked at the man and pondered on her question for a moment. She thought it was a good chance to ask him a more personal and hard question. But, in the end she asked.

"Did you run away without your family knowing. Which means your finan…"

"Ha-ha."

Everyone looked confused as to why the man was laughing and interrupted the girl from saying anything further. 

"Miss Knightley is indeed a smart girl. Well, like you said earlier. Once we make our own choice in life in which it goes against our family surely they take all rights we have. Maybe it be power, wealth and connection…"

"But-" Elizabeth wishes to ask as to why he could afford to stay in such expensive private estate when he does not have the money to. 

"Ha-ha, I stole from my cousin. Hey, don't look at me like that." Cris was stunned to see how serious the girl looked at him. He has almost forgotten that the girl is from a military family and stealing is a crime. "Let me explain first. Gosh, I ain't in the mood to go to prison you know." 

"Fine, explain…" Elizabeth answered with a serious expression. 

"My cousin knew I stole from him. But, I didn't get his permission when I did it. Well, he noticed right away it was me since he was the only one helping him. I needed the money and the budget he's giving me is not enough to speed up the search." 

Everyone was tuned in to the man's explanation. They were all ears as they listened to his every word. 

"I hacked into his account is your wonder how I did it. My cousin isn't a very smart guy when it comes to his private passwords. Plus, anything is possible once you know a simple code." 

Simple code

Those words mean a lot to Elizabeth. Since Yun Shen was a man with great talent when it comes to that. In her dream, Yun Shen has created an empire because of his knowledge in that field. Yet, she could not find a single spec of it since she woke up. 

"Make sure to not go overboard. Know that what you've done is against the law." Elizabeth declared as she is a member of a powerful military family in the country. 

"Yes, yes, I know Miss Knightley. Please, don't worry. I already promise my cousin, I pay him every single cent I took from him. Plus, it's with interest." 

"If you say so. Then, good night Mr. Cris." 

"Ha-ha, can you just call me Cris. We are friends aren't we." 

Elizabeth briefly smiled at him, then her expression turned cold. "Don't push your luck Mr. Cris." 

"Worth a try." The man looked earnestly at the girl and smiled as he headed to the beach along with some guard to escort him back to his estate. 

"Young Miss, your mother called." Long came out of the house after the housekeeper informed him that the girl's mother called. 

"I'll call her right now. Also, I'll be heading to sleep. Good night everyone." 

Elizabeth went inside the house and straight to her room. She grabbed her phone which she left in her room and called her mother. 

"Mother, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just. I called and you didn't answer my call." 

"I'm sorry, I left my phone in my room and I was outside watching the sunset then I had dinner with everyone." 

"Oh, I see…" 

Elizabeth noticed the strange change in her mother's tone of voice. 

"Mother, please don't worry. I'm alright… As promised, I've always had the tracker on me and I'm sure dad is checking on me as well." 

Lady Zhao sighs on the other end as she took a deep breath before responding. "Darling, I know I can trust you, but I can't trust the world. Somehow I had this strange dream when I took my nap that you'll soon meet someone that will bring you harm." 

It made Elizabeth wonder if the person her mother could be speaking of is Cris. She didn't say anything and only listened to what her mother had to say. 

"I don't know Lizzy, maybe I am just over worried and exhausted that I'm having all sorts of dreams. Anyways, enjoy your vacation."

"Thank you mother, good night then. I love you all."

"We love you too dear." 

Elizabeth ended the call with her mother with lingering thought about what she said. She already expects Cris to be a member of the dark underground society, but the man was showing no interest towards her at all which means she is not part of his mission. She has always thought that the act he puts about finding the person he loves was all an act. Such old school stories do not work on her. But, deep down, she somehow felt that the man could not be lying as well. For she too was in search of the person she loved.