Chapter 305
Lisette Cavendish pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, “Staring at words all day just makes me dizzy. Watching you? I’d be scared I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow. I am not in the mood to test an old man’s… stamina p>
Tobias Hastings chuckled low in his throat, a sound full of amusement. “Old man’s stamina p>
“Yep!” Lisette nodded with mock seriousness. “Especially someone like you—older, repressed, and probably terrifying when you get… excited.” Honestly, it was like tempting fate!
Tobias propped one hand on the couch and, in a smooth move, vaulted to land directly in front of her.
“What… what are you doing?” she stammered, instinctively leaning back, suddenly aware of the tension in the air.
He locked eyes with her, his gaze penetrating and unwavering. “Lissy, why don’t you take a closer look and tell me—do I look excited right now p>
Lisette swallowed hard, momentarily at a loss for words. p>
Excitement? No need to look; it was written all over the place. She could practically feel the energy radiating off him, heavy in the air, enough to make anyone’s breath hitch.
Besides p>
After their first time, she was still feeling sore here and there. Anytime she caught a hint of that glint in his eye, she had been using that as an excuse to fend him off.Tobias Hastings had been nagging about applying medicine for her, and after countless refusals, he’d resorted to sulking. Every night, holding her in his arms, he couldn’t help but let his greedy gaze linger. After two days without ’meat,’ if he wasn’t fired up right now, she’d eat her own words.
“Why so quiet?” he teased.
Not missing a beat, Tobias leaned closer, seizing the moment. “Let me get a bit closer. So, can you see clearly now p>
Lisette Cavendish gave him a shove.
Her cool fingers brushed against his chest. The heat radiating from his skin startled her, making her reflexively pull away.
“Don’t move,” he ordered.
One arm braced beside her, the other pinning her hand, Tobias shifted her touch from his right chest to the left. He leaned forward, their faces so close that his breath barely parted from hers. The space between them tightened until every word could almost graze her lips.
“Look carefully. Am I excited or not?” His tone carried a playful challenge.
Lisette was speechless. What kind of loaded question was that? Answering “excited” or “not excited” would both land her squarely into his trap.
When she stayed silent, he moved even closer.
His lips brushed against hers as he murmured, “Since you’re not answering, I’ll settle it my way. Lissy, why don’t you feel for yourself how a grown man gets excited p>
“Don’t p>
Before she could finish rejecting him, Tobias had already taken his chance, stealing her breath in an instant.
And soon enough, every inch of her defenses was stripped away.Lying limp on the couch, she barely managed to open her eyes and glance at him.
He was like some kind of enchanting devil, an expert in the art of seduction. He knew exactly when her defenses were weakest, precisely where her sensitivities lay. Every time he made his move, Lisette Cavendish found herself completely undone.
It was impossible to resist.
Once again, she drowned in the pull of his presence.
Another sleepless night.
At exactly eight in the morning, Lisette’s phone rang.
Still groggy, she couldn’t even muster the strength to open her eyes fully, her brows knitting in irritation. Before she could reach for it, Tobias Hastings leaned over, grabbed the phone from her nightstand, and answered it.
“Miss p>
Wade’s voice filtered through the speaker.
Tobias casually switched on the speakerphone, not even attempting to hide his interest.
“It’s done,” Wade reported. “Three hours ago, Grace Coleman was wheeled into the orthopedic surgery ward p>
Lisette shot up, visibly annoyed at being woken up, her usual bad morning temper written all over her face. Yet, at those words, her eyes snapped wide open. “Details. Now p>
Wade didn’t mince words. “Vernon Turner’s been guarding her like a hawk, mobilizing every resource at his disposal to keep her safe. We spent two days putting together a solid plan, and at five this morning, as soon as she wrapped up a night shoot, we struck. She’s out of commission for at least two or three months p>
“Oh, and I broke her nose,” he added casually, “consider that a little interest collected p>
“Bravo!” Lisette exclaimed, her lips curving into a sharp, satisfied smirk. Lisette Cavendish gave him a thumbs-up.
“If they dare mess with Gabriel, then don’t blame me for targeting Grace p>
She turned and asked, “Wade, could I trouble you with something p>
Wade’s expression softened immediately. “Of course, Miss Lisette. What do you need p>
“These days have been chaos. Could you send some people to the ’Battle Hymn’ crew? I don’t want any more ’accidents’ happening p>
“Don’t worry, Miss Lisette. I’ll take care of it p>
“Thank you, Wade p>
There was a pause on the other end before Wade spoke again, his voice unusually gentle, “Miss Lisette, there’s no need for thanks. Helping you is an honor. Honestly, it’s the least I could do. Even if it cost me my life, I’d still do it without hesitation p>
It wasn’t long before news of Grace Coleman’s injury spread like wildfire online.
The ’Shadow Fox’ production team released a formal statement, vowing to get to the bottom of it!
But the one in the biggest uproar? That was Grace’s manager, Sophia Craig.
Word around said that Maverick Ramsey ended up in a psychiatric hospital, thanks to Lisette’s handiwork. Now, even Grace—the one Sophia had pinned all her hopes on—was hurt. Losing not one, but two key players, and both tragedies tied to the same person? She was furious beyond words. Flying directly from Veridia to Fenworth, Sophia Craig rushed into Vernon Turner’s office.
“Mr. Turner p>
Vernon’s expression was as dark as thunder, but Sophia wasted no time beating around the bush. She got straight to the point. “This has to be Lisette Cavendish’s doing p>
Her tone was sharp with indignation. “You have to stand up for Grace on this one p>
“I will p>
Vernon’s voice was cold, almost menacing.
His feud with Lisette Cavendish was beyond reconciliation—one of them had to fall. And with his years of power and influence in the entertainment world, he was certain it wouldn’t be him.
Seeing his resolve, Sophia exhaled slightly, relieved. “Good, because honestly, we can’t keep letting her run wild. Last time, it was Grace she hurt. Now it’s the same petty trick; how could someone be this shameless p>
Vernon didn’t respond, his expression unreadable as he lit a cigarette.
Realizing he wasn’t in the mood to talk further, Sophia paused, then nodded tactfully and started toward the door. Halfway there, though, something clicked in her mind, and she turned back.
“Mr. Turner, do you know about Lisette’s background? Should we be concerned p>
“Hmm p>
Vernon, who had been gazing out at the endless stream of cars below, cigarette balanced between two fingers, turned his head. “What background p>
Sophia hesitated but decided to lay it all out. “Maverick Ramsey is the adopted son of Veridia’s wealthiest man, Mr. Cavendish. Did you know about this?” “Yeah p>
Maverick Ramsey’s connections weren’t a secret; they were practically an open secret in the industry. Word travels fast, and plenty of people knew who backed him up.
Most just gave him face because of the Cavendish Group. Honestly, if it weren’t for that, there’s no way he could’ve climbed this high on his own.
Sophia Craig frowned. “He got engaged to Mr. Cavendish’s niece. Apparently, this girl used to be one of his hardcore fans, like legit a big deal in his fandom. She even invited a bunch of Maverick’s superfan club leaders to the ceremony p>
“Then, what do you know, right after the engagement party, Maverick had a massive meltdown and landed up in a psych ward. I poked around and had a chat with those who attended, and guess what—they said Lisette Cavendish was there, too p>
“To top it all off, she was completely behind this. She planned everything just to have Maverick sent to a mental institution p>
Vernon Turner raised an eyebrow, his face shadowed with disbelief. “So, Lisette showed up at Maverick’s engagement, stirred things up, and still managed to walk away unscathed p>
Her game—her true face—it’s all starting to make sense now.