Chapter 716

Harold stood before the gate of the Smith family's old courtyard, tilting his small face upward to glare at the entrance, his clear black-and-white eyes brimming with anger. Just as he was about to press the doorbell, Rosalia happened to step out. Spotting him, her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Brother Harold, what brings you here?" After asking, she peeked behind him curiously. "Did you come alone? Are Jane and Sister Mina not with you?" "No, just me," Harold replied, his expression softening slightly. Rosalia visibly relaxed, patting her tiny chest in relief. She recalled Huan's instructions to keep his return a secret from Mina but did that include Harold too? Before she could ponder further, Harold cut straight to the point. "Is Huan staying here? I need to talk to him." Rosalia blinked in astonishment. *Brother Harold knows about Brother Huan's return too?* Jane knew. She knew. So everyone was in on it except Mina? Though she didn’t fully grasp the situation, a strange unease settled in her heart. *Was it really okay for Brother Huan to surprise Sister Mina like this, keeping her the only one in the dark?* Still puzzled, she nodded obediently. "Brother Huan is here. Come on, I'll take you to him." As Harold followed Rosalia into the courtyard, they nearly collided with Maia Philip, who was just leaving. Logically, Harold knew Maia Philip had nothing to do with the matter yet he couldn’t help but frown and shoot her a sidelong glare. Something about her rubbed him the wrong way, no matter how he looked at her. Upstairs, the door to Huan’s study stood ajar. Harold halted outside and called sharply, "Huan. Come out." Huan had been feeding his pet rabbit, Congee, a carrot. At the sound of Harold’s voice, his face remained impassive, but he set the carrot aside and stepped out without hesitation. The moment he stepped outside, Harold's fist slammed straight into his gut. Harold had actually aimed for his face, but his height just wasn't enough. Huan let out a muffled grunt, staggering back a couple of steps. He frowned at Harold but said nothing. Rosalia, standing nearby, gasped in shock and immediately grabbed Harold's arm. "Brother Harold, what are you doing? My brother didn’t do anything to you! Why are you hitting him?" "Rosalia, go play outside. Stay out of this, and don’t tell Mom and Dad," Huan said coolly, his voice sharp. Rosalia glanced worriedly at her brother, then turned her pleading eyes to Harold. "Brother Harold, can’t you just talk to him properly? Fighting isn’t good you’re supposed to be friends!" "Rosalia, go. Now!" Huan barked, his gaze fixed on Harold, who stood there with clenched fists, trembling with rage. Reluctantly, Rosalia backed away, casting anxious glances over her shoulder as she headed downstairs. Harold swung again, his punch landing hard. "Huan, you bastard! You’re out there dating overseas, so what the hell was that 'promise' you made with Mina?" Huan made no move to fight back, but a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "She’s just an eight-year-old kid. What kind of 'promise' could I possibly make with her? If you and your sister were dumb enough to take a joke seriously, that’s not my problem." "If you came here just for this, then consider us even I got two punches for teasing a little girl. Now get lost." Harold had a storm of accusations ready, but Huan’s dismissive tone cut him off, leaving him seething, his chest heaving with fury. That idiot Mina kept counting down the years sometimes even the months and days until she turned eighteen, clinging to that childish hope with all her heart. And all Huan had to say was that it was just a joke. Harold shot Huan an icy glare, his voice dripping with venom. "Huan, well done. Just brilliant!" "It's Mina who's the blind little fool and me for not seeing it sooner!" With that, he stormed off, leaving a trail of fury in his wake. Huan drew a deep breath, his dark, fathomless eyes unreadable. His expression was cold as he returned to his desk and picked up Congee again. "Congee," he murmured, stroking the rabbit's fur, "if she ever finds out... do you think she’ll forgive me?" Congee continued munching on his carrot, whiskers twitching and ears flicking in silence. Huan let out a bitter chuckle. "Why am I even talking to you, you dumb bunny?" Congee responded with an unmistakable eye-roll before kicking off Huan’s lap with his hind legs and hopping away. --- Meanwhile, after Jane left the Fuller residence, Frederick had taken the imperial green jade pendant she’d given him straight to Wallace Corporation. He strode into John’s office without preamble and placed the exquisitely carved pendant on the desk. John’s expression chilled the moment he saw it. "Jane gave this to you? Here to rub it in my face?" Though Frederick did feel a flicker of smug satisfaction, he’d never admit it. Instead, he leveled John with a look of pure disdain. "Unlike you, big brother, I’m not that petty." "I came to ask you something. Jane said the raw imperial jade she used for this pendant came from a stone auction you took her to. For her to pick out a top-tier rough stone like that that wasn’t just luck, was it?" John’s heart lurched. Back then, Jane had stared at the raw stone and told him outright It’s so beautiful inside. He’d realized then that she could see through the stone’s surface. He’d immediately warned her never to reveal that ability to anyone not even Samuel, Lucas, or Jordan. And to protect her, he’d never taken her near a gem auction or casino again. His voice was deceptively calm, but a thread of tension ran beneath it. "Jane told you that?" "I figured it out," Frederick said, his voice steady. "And I'm sure others who attended that jade auction could too especially since you used both the event and that imperial green jade to take down the Werner family." He leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto John. "Are you really so certain no one noticed Jane back then? Think about it. When she rushed to Sea City to save you, she went up against Christie's son in that high-stakes gamble. The only reason she won and forced them to detonate those explosives was because of her ability to see through things, wasn't it?" A sardonic smile tugged at Frederick's lips. "You used to be infamous for picking worthless stones and losing every bet you placed. Yet, the two times you had Jane with you, you walked away with a priceless imperial green jade and outplayed a gambling dynasty. Do you honestly believe no one would suspect something?" John's brow furrowed as silence settled between them. He had always assumed he'd hidden Jane's abilities well but now, under Frederick's relentless scrutiny, the unsettling truth dawned on him. If someone had been paying attention, they might have already pieced it all together.