Chapter 783 In What Capacity

Vickie thought that she should be able to do the same thing on behalf of her companions for those who had stood by her without any shred of doubt yet had fallen one after another. She must do it! The night was cold. Vickie gazed at the flames which were burning more and more powerfully, and her vision became clearer and clearer. Suddenly, she seemed to see that handsome, vivacious girl standing before her again, dressed in a black outfit and grinning widely. “Vick! What fun is there in a man? Join us. We will be together forever!” Those proud yet kind voices still reverberated in her ears. An indescribable wave of bitterness arose in Vickie’s heart. Forever? How far away was forever?! Something sliced across the weakest part of her heart like a sharp blade, forming a large gaping hole. The blood ran dry. All that was left was a hollow numbness and loneliness. Vickie closed her eyes. The wind blew loose strands of hair across her cheeks, giving her a slight itch. The revolting smell of burnt corpses wafted from the flames and filled her nostrils like a sledgehammer hitting her consciousness. “Fire Phoenix.” A silent murmur rose from the bottom of her heart, filled with endless solitude and emptiness. She stared as the flames turned into ashes, then spoke softly, “Goodbye.” “Hello! Who’s there?” With a squeak, the iron door opened suddenly. A middle-aged man wearing a blue uniform walked in with flushed cheeks as if he had been drinking. His footsteps were a little unstable, but he spotted her instantly. He pointed at her and stammered loudly, “Who...who are you?” She immediately captured all her wayward thoughts like a fishing net around her mind. Vickie turned around and glanced at the drunken man. As a mischievous smile curled at the corner of her lips, she planted her back foot on the ground and leaped into the air. With a graceful jump, she climbed up the wall and landed lithely on the other side, leaving without leaving a trace. Her form was as shadowy as a ghost whereas her movements were so fast that people could only sense a dark shadow drift by. The next moment, she had completely disappeared. The middle-aged man stood there, stunned. A few moments later, the bottle of alcohol in his hand slipped onto the ground with a crash. He dashed out the door while shouting, “Argh! Ghost! I just saw a ghost!” The roosting birds were startled into a flurry by his cry of terror. The culprit, who was responsible for the commotion, stopped running halfway. She turned back to take a long, hard look at the faint red glow in a distance. Then, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, in the chateau, Gregory had been sitting inside the study for two full hours. At dinner time, a servant had gone to call him but was sent away. According to his master, he had no appetite and did not want to eat. However, his expression was obviously gloomy, showing warning signs of an impending storm. The servant did not dare disobey Gregory, so he quickly went back downstairs. Since Gregory was in a bad mood, all of them became nervous and did their work extra carefully in fear of provoking him and becoming the scapegoat. The entire chateau was filled with a tense atmosphere though everyone in the chateau, including Mr. Osborne, did not know what was the reason. Yuliana only came over after dinner. She learned that Gregory was in a bad mood and had not eaten, so she purposely brought over a bowl of soup that she had made herself. Having learned her lesson from before, she knew that even though he kept her by his side, he disliked her getting too close to him and dictating his choice of food. Therefore, this time, she stopped downstairs and asked Mr. Osborne to relay a message on her behalf that she wanted to see him. Mr. Osborne did as she requested. Initially, he thought that Gregory would not come out, but surprisingly, he had nodded. Yuliana waited in the living room of the main building. Not long after that, she saw the man descend from the stairs. “Gregory!” A sweet and demure smile instantly lit up across her face. She walked over to him and said, “I heard that you’ve been shutting yourself in your room since you came back and haven’t eaten. Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?” Gregory glanced at her coldly, his face emotionless. “Is there anything?” Seeing that he did not answer her questions, Yuliana felt a little embarrassed. She could not even hold up her dignity before the servants. Nevertheless, she knew that this was how Gregory was. If she wanted to stay by his side, she would have to be more patient and determined. Thus, she broke into a smile and took a step forward. “Not really. I was feeling idle at home today, so I boiled some soup. I’ve tasted a little at dinner, and it tastes pretty good. I heard that you don’t have much of an appetite, so I brought some over for you to try.” She paused. Worried that he would get angry, she quickly added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to drink it. It’s not a big deal. I’m just showing concern for you.” Gregory looked at her with an inscrutable expression. He then sauntered down casually. Folding up his sleeves, he said, “Since this is out of your genuine concern, wouldn’t it be despicable of me not to drink it?” Yuliana’s eyes lit up at his reply. There was a faint blossom of hope in her heart, yet because of the recent failures, she dared not reveal too much excitement. She lowered her head and said softly, “That’s not true. I’m already eternally grateful for the fact that you are willing to take me in. It’s just that if I can somehow be of some use to you, it would ease my heart. If you actually don’t want to drink it but simply feel guilted into it by my concern, then I’d be imposing a burden on you.” Her statement was spoken with extreme eloquence. Even Gregory could not help but squint at her after hearing it. He studied her carefully. He had to admit that after this afternoon, the woman before him seemed to have completely transformed. Besides her way of dressing, even her mannerisms and words were completely different from the person at the golf course. He raised his eyebrows, a little surprised and also a little amused. Did she consult some other experts and come up with a new strategy? Regardless of what her strategy was, one thing was sure. Gregory was not interested in her at all. Therefore, he said coldly, “If that’s the case, take it back! I’m not interested.” With that, he brushed past her and walked outside. Although Yuliana had already predicted such an outcome, it would be a lie to say that hearing him say those words in person did not hurt her feelings. Obviously, earlier today, he had been willing to defend her and had even argued with his ex-girlfriend for her sake. Why was he acting so distant again all of a sudden? Nonetheless, she knew that at this time, she should not ask too much. She forced herself to put on a smile and followed after him. “Okay, I’ll take it back. Are you going out now?” Gregory’s footsteps stalled. Turning around, he regarded her with a cool gaze. “Miss Lynch, in what capacity are you staying here?” Yuliana was taken aback. She stood there, staring at his cold and distant gaze in a state of confusion.