Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Leaving Directly Is No Longer an Option
He attacked with fierce determination, as if he could only fill the ever-expanding void and desolation in his heart this way, like a wild beast, extraordinarily fierce.
Ann Vaughn didn’t catch his soft murmuring just now, only regretting not bringing the Golden Needle, otherwise, she would make this man pay!
But it was just a thought.
Until dawn, when the light of dawn gently shone into the room.
Ann Vaughn still couldn’t figure out what went wrong with the incense, although it had aphrodisiac components, it was at most an aid.
It shouldn’t have driven Cyrus Hawthorne to such a frenzy!
She forced her aching body to move, her slender long legs trembling, and finally cleaned up the traces in the room. Just as she was about to leave, she saw the photo frame on the table.
The person in the photo... how could it be her?!
Ann Vaughn was only surprised for a moment, and then a cold smile slowly spread across her eyes. She had to admit, Cyrus Hawthorne had gone to great lengths to silence the rumors.
First, he replaced Cynthia Vaughn with news of her death, and now even the photo of Cynthia Vaughn on the table has been changed.
Isn’t it just to create the illusion of a harmonious marriage to deceive the public?
Such hypocrisy.
Ann Vaughn walked up to the table, resisting the urge to throw the photo frame into the trash can, but accidentally knocked off the pendant on the side of the table.
The pendant’s shell was made of black crystal, and it seemed to hold some powdery substance inside, which was hard to see clearly.
Hanging with the pendant was also a nameplate with Ann Vaughn’s photo stuck on it.
Ann Vaughn: "..."
To put on a show and maintain the image of the Hawthorne Corp in front of the public, it really must be hard for him.
But she hated all these hypocritical displays, if it weren’t for him back then, how could she have almost lost her life, and now he’s pretending everything’s okay, what’s the point?
Ann Vaughn let out a cold laugh, grabbed the chain, walked to the window, and tossed it out!
After finishing everything, she left the master bedroom.
Ann Vaughn originally planned to go downstairs and leave directly, but she ran into a cleaning servant coming upstairs. If she was seen coming down, she could give herself away...
Thinking of this, Ann Vaughn quickly decided to hide in the room at the end of the hall.
Ann Vaughn didn’t even carefully check the room’s furnishings and lazily leaned on a small bed, tidying up her makeup and clothes, planning to leave after the people finished cleaning.
Who would have thought that with this thought, Ann Vaughn lay on the small bed and fell asleep.
In a daze between sleep and wakefulness, Ann Vaughn heard someone calling her.
Her eyelids and whole body felt as if they were filled with lead, so heavy that she couldn’t get up. After a great effort, she finally opened her eyes to see the person in front of her.
Early in the morning, who was disturbing her rest?
"Wake up, how dare you sleep here? If Mr. Hawthorne finds out, you’re dead!" The servant patted Ann Vaughn’s shoulder, trying to wake her up.
Ann Vaughn’s mind was still muddled, but when she heard the words "Mr. Hawthorne," she snapped awake and sat up.
"What’s going on? I’m not feeling well. I didn’t mean to fall asleep here."
Seeing she indeed didn’t look well, the servant didn’t say much more, "I’ll keep your secret and won’t tell Mr. Hawthorne. You have family to support, so be careful in the future."
"Thank you." Ann Vaughn looked gratefully at the servant in front of her, yawning internally, feeling very sleepy.
"By the way, Mr. Hawthorne wants everyone in the villa to gather in the living room. Everyone has already gone there, we’d better hurry too."
Gathering?
Ann Vaughn paused her eye-rubbing, finally realizing she had fallen asleep here!
Earlier she couldn’t leave, now she simply couldn’t.
Thinking of this, the worry in Ann Vaughn’s heart almost overflowed from her eyes.
Downstairs in the living room.
Because Cyrus Hawthorne privately preferred quiet, there weren’t many servants and security guards in the villa, just enough servants to cover every position and as for security.
He could take on ten people by himself, naturally, he didn’t need many security guards.
Ann Vaughn hadn’t clearly asked what required a full assembly when the servant shoved her into the living room.
She raised her eyes and saw Cyrus Hawthorne sitting in the center of the sofa, his expression cold and severe, his narrow eyes seeming to exude animosity, sweeping towards them.
Ann Vaughn’s heart tightened, she lowered her head and walked over, standing at the end of the line.
She was impersonating a gardener responsible for the villa garden, a plump middle-aged woman, whom no one would ever recognize.
Sure enough, Cyrus Hawthorne’s cold gaze lingered on her for just a second before moving away.
Ann Vaughn quietly let out a sigh of relief, only to hear Cyrus Hawthorne’s cold voice asking, "From last night until now, who went in and out of the master bedroom?"
The people standing in the living room looked at each other, somewhat bewildered.
The master bedroom was the only place they couldn’t enter or leave, so normally they wouldn’t go near it to avoid mistakes.
Standing at the back, Ann Vaughn’s heart skipped a beat, her slender fingers instinctively clutching the apron, lowering her head to minimize her presence.
Could it be that incense had no effect on Cyrus Hawthorne?
If he had been conscious from the beginning—
Cold sweat began to break out on Ann Vaughn’s back, but fortunately, her makeup hid her paleness, otherwise her face might have given her away.
"Whoever entered the master bedroom and took something from inside, step forward, and I may show leniency." Cyrus Hawthorne’s eyes were like turbulent seas, hidden tides surging, "If I find out, you will bear the consequences."
His presence was too overwhelming, and everyone standing there couldn’t help but wipe sweat, all explaining they hadn’t done it.
But as each person shook their head and said no, Cyrus Hawthorne’s expression grew colder.
Ann Vaughn saw this and knew he was about to erupt. If it wasn’t related to her, she would mind her own business.
But this was her mistake, she couldn’t let these innocent people suffer on her behalf.
"Sir, have you lost something? Why don’t you describe the item, and we’ll all look around; perhaps it was misplaced somewhere?" Ann Vaughn stood up just before Cyrus Hawthorne was about to get angry, "If we can’t find it, you can punish us as you see fit."
Cyrus Hawthorne glanced in Ann Vaughn’s direction but said nothing.
Ann Vaughn wasn’t sure if he would agree, and if he directly rounded them all up for severe interrogation, what then?
Luckily, Ann Vaughn gambled right.
"I’ll give you only two hours." Cyrus Hawthorne withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, quickly sketching the general shape of the pendant on paper before pushing the paper forward, "If you don’t find it, you will all be punished together."
Tyrant!
Ann Vaughn secretly cursed in her heart, but outwardly she was exceptionally respectful and cautiously picked up the paper to take a look.