CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 19: OFF-THE-CHARTS BATTLE POWER (FIRST UPDATE)

Kenneth Osborne had seen this girl before.

Every year on the second day of the New Year, she would come with Lawrence Winters’ second aunt and little aunt’s families to have a meal at his place.

The big family reunion felt warm enough.

Though, except for the New Year, they rarely visited Lawrence Winters’ home.

Kenneth Osborne had always been Lawrence Winters’ neighbor, and thus knew a bit about her family situation.

He glanced at Sarah Newman indifferently, then looked into the distance, contemplating whether to send Lawrence a WeChat message.

Sarah Newman steadied herself, put on the most appropriate smile, and said loudly, "... Kenneth, is that you? You’re here on a blind date with our Sarah, why bring so many people along? Are you shy, Kenneth?"

She finished with a copper bell-like laugh.

Kenneth Osborne eyebrow tweaked slightly.

The rose-tinted sunset reflected from the west side of the grand hall, enveloping Kenneth Osborne in its brilliant glow.

His exquisite phoenix eyes glimmered, the left corner of his mouth lifted slightly in a dashing yet slightly mocking smile.

The combination was just right, making it hard to look away.

Sarah Newman was stunned, her laughter caught in her throat awkwardly.

Sarah Newman was both annoyed that Kenneth Osborne had brought so many along and vexed by Sarah Newman’s loud remarks, seemingly afraid others wouldn’t know why she was here.

The girl, just eighteen, had only dreams of being adored, unused to ’blind dating,’ a term suitable for older young women.

She yearned for a beautiful encounter, for the moment of sudden realization when that person stands amidst the dim lights, for the coincidental "Oh, you’re here too" moments.

Not like Sarah Newman, who brazenly used ’blind date’ to spoil all the beauty.

But she knew, that’s just how Sarah Newman was, not intentionally ruining things.

Sarah Newman couldn’t help but sigh, thinking she should’ve known and not brought Sarah along...

She walked up from behind Sarah Newman, her face made up in the barely detectable style most guys find hard to notice.

Her coat was a classic Burberry wool toggle coat, in Morandi pink with gray-green stripes.

She was quite tall, wearing knee-high boots with an eight-centimeter heel.

Taller than Sarah Newman by a head, but only up to Kenneth Osborne’s shoulder.

He really is tall...

As she approached Kenneth Osborne, the thought crossed her mind.

She bowed slightly, unsure about facing Kenneth Osborne directly.

Whether it was the vibrant sunset or Kenneth Osborne’s captivating features, she could only observe him with the corner of her eye.

"...Kenneth...Kenneth," Sarah Newman blushed, her voice much softer than Sarah’s, and smoother.

The classmates around Kenneth immediately teased.

"Huh?! Kenneth Osborne, you’re amazing!"

"Isn’t that the daughter of River City’s wealthiest? She’s on a blind date with you?!"

"Kenneth Osborne, do you really need a blind date?! — Are your college female classmates blind? Why hasn’t anyone enraptured you?!"

"I can’t live like this! He’s handsomer, better than me, and even the blind date is the wealthiest’s daughter! — What’s the point of living?!"

His classmates humorously demonstrated what it means to "envy, jealousy, and hate."

Kenneth Osborne knew they were joking, didn’t stop them, merely nodded at Sarah Newman and Sarah, then lifted his wrist to check the time.

It was already six o’clock; the movie inside the marquee should be starting soon?

Why hasn’t Nora shown up yet?

Sarah caught Kenneth Osborne’s action, mistakenly thinking he was reminding her about the movie’s start, and bashfully said, "...Kenneth, shall we go in?"

Kenneth Osborne gave a faint smile, gracefully stepped aside, and said, "You go ahead, I’m waiting for someone."

The person he was waiting for, at that moment, was riding her impressive blue BMW electric scooter, passing by a secluded green area near Temple Court Residential Area.

The road wasn’t meant for electric scooters, but she was in a hurry to the grand hall, so she took a shortcut.

By now, it was dark, cold, and lonely, with no one around, so she took the shortcut without a second thought.

As she rounded a corner, ready to bypass the nearby octagonal pavilion and head to the main road, she glimpsed two familiar figures under the gleaming streetlights.

It was a man and woman wearing coats.

The man was tall and thin, facing the small path.

The woman was also quite tall, back turned to her, her figure graceful despite the coat.

The man had his hands in his coat pockets, while the woman bowed her head like a child who did wrong, helplessly listening to an adult’s scolding.

Lawrence Winters’ mouth twitched.

Wasn’t that Brooke Osborne and her woeful ’husband’ Gregory Quinn?

In broad daylight, pulling and pushing in public, how could Sister Brooke, being such a stable person, do something so senseless?

Besides, it’s not like they don’t have a marital home?

Lawrence Winters knows that Brooke Osborne and Gregory Quinn’s marital home is in Temple Court Residential Area.

In such cold weather, if you’re going to argue, find a room to do it...

Ever since witnessing Brooke Osborne and Gregory Quinn’s situation near the high-speed rail station last night, she decided not to meddle.

After all, she’s not some selfless do-gooder.

Her uncle always taught her from a young age that her time is extremely valuable, every minute worth a lot.

She absolutely shouldn’t waste it on people who don’t appreciate or respect her.

As for outsiders, she’s even more uninterested.

Lawrence Winters planned to step on the gas and swiftly zoom past them.

Unluckily, Gregory Quinn raised his voice at that moment and was loudly saying, "Brooke Osborne, have you made up your mind to leave me?!"

Lawrence Winters’ ears perked up instantly.

She silently stopped her electric bike, walked over to the bushes near the octagonal pavilion, and then quietly took out her phone to film in Gregory Quinn’s direction.

Gregory Quinn was facing in Lawrence Winters’ direction.

At this time, he didn’t think anyone would come to such a secluded spot.

Seeing Brooke Osborne looking so easy to bully, he became both excited and agitated.

He spat insults furiously.

"Have you even looked in a mirror? Do you think you’re in a position to make a fuss with me?!"

"Since you became a civil servant, the toughest and most exhausting jobs have been done by you. You spent seven years just barely making it to department head!"

"It was because I put in a good word for you that you’re even on this year’s promotion list!"

"Without me, you’re just a pile of trash!"

"Don’t you recognize your own position?!"

"Dreaming of leaving me, are you?!"

"You lack looks, lack a figure, you’re getting old, you’re not smart, and your work skills are as useless as mud!"

"Without me, you’re worse than garbage! Even the women out there selling themselves are better than you!"

"If you dare to leave me, I’ll spill everything about you!"

"Including your ’artistic photos’..."

Brooke Osborne was trembling all over, tears streaming down as she heard Gregory Quinn bring up their private matters, scaring her so much she stumbled backward and fell to the ground.

A look of contempt was even more apparent on Gregory Quinn’s face.

He stepped forward, crouched in front of Brooke Osborne, extended a finger in an obscene gesture, lifted her chin, and said with extreme malice, "Remember this, after the New Year we’ll get a divorce certificate. You give up everything and leave with nothing. But after the divorce, you are not allowed to associate with others, you will continue to be mine. Understand?"

"If you dare disobey, everyone in the city—not just the city, but the whole country—will be able to see your ’artistic photos’!"

Gregory Quinn didn’t bother to hide his wickedness one bit, "No one else will want you in this life, you can only follow me. In the future, when it’s just the two of us, call me ’Master’, otherwise, you’ll get the whip!"

At hearing this, Lawrence Winters was absolutely furious.

She swiftly took off her imported, hard helmet, took a step with a flying leap over the roadside bushes, ran up the steps in a few hops, and whacked the hard-as-steel helmet down onto Gregory Quinn’s back ferociously, cursing, "Screw you! Gregory Quinn, you shameless bastard, do you really want to die?!"

Gregory Quinn, caught off guard, felt a sharp pain in his back, his unstable crouch sending him sprawling to the ground from Lawrence’s blow.

Yet Lawrence hadn’t finished with him, stepping up to kick him again, "Master my ass!"

"Sister Brooke’s work competency is plain for all to see. If it wasn’t for you, dragging her down, she would have been promoted eight hundred years ago!"

"How do you even have the gall to stick someone else’s accomplishments on your own face?!"

"You’re ugly, incompetent, the whole of River City knows you’re a professional freeloader, an utterly malevolent and unscrupulous person, with this life but no afterlife!"

"What are you looking at? Even if your eyes pop out, I’m going to tell the truth!"

"You think you’re so right, brainwashing people, is that it?"

"Did you learn your pitiful tricks by paying for some online classes or group chats, with bits and pieces worth nothing?"

Lawrence Winters said as she gently yet firmly pulled the trembling Brooke Osborne over, pointing at Gregory Quinn’s face contorted in pain and said resolutely, "I don’t care what you think! I care about what I think!"

"Sister Brooke, you should listen to me!—Gregory Quinn is the good-for-nothing, freeloading scumbag!"

"Gregory Quinn, your father was planting a loquat tree yesterday, weren’t you helping him out, and you’re here making people sick?!"

"Are you an orphan with no parents? Why do you say things that make you cut off your descendants?"

"I wish you infertility yet a house full of children, just don’t drag Sister Brooke into being your ancestor!"

"Do you believe I’ll upload your disgusting act to TikTok, Weibo, Douban, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, spinning it three hundred times around the world—River City is nothing, I’ll make you famous globally!"