CHAPTER 896: CHAPTER 896: I LIKE BEAUTIFUL BAD WOMEN!

Leah Thorne’s alluring eyes lazily landed on Davina Rowe’s face, "I don’t know if I’ll win, but I do know you’ll be the one to lose most miserably. Believe me, what just happened was the greatest mercy Justin Xavier could show you."

After speaking, Leah Thorne directly closed the door.

...

Leah Thorne stepped into the shower and took a warm bath. Just as she came out, her phone rang. It was a call from Old Master Xavier.

This call was expected.

Leah Thorne pressed the answer button, and Old Master Xavier’s voice quickly came through, "Leah, wash up and go to bed early tonight. Justin won’t be coming to your room anymore."

Leah casually dried her wet long hair with a towel, "Alright."

Hearing her so readily agree, Old Master Xavier gave a light chuckle, "Leah, aren’t you the least bit curious about what I talked to Justin about just now?"

"Is there even a need to ask? It’s nothing more than a choice between power and beauty."

"Exactly, I told Justin that if he wants to be with you, he must step down from his position as CEO of Xavier Corp immediately. Justin is a business prodigy, bringing Xavier Corp to its peak in recent years. However, those who are too powerful are hard to control. Therefore, I have an ace up my sleeve. The board of directors at Xavier Corp are all under my influence. If he chooses to be with you, the board will vote him out at the shareholders’ meeting."

Leah listened quietly, then lifted the corners of her lips into a smile, "That’s good. Even if Justin comes to me tonight, I wouldn’t open the door for him anyway. He holds no value to me without everything he has now. If we were together, we would definitely face your counterattack."

Leah glanced at herself in the dressing table mirror, her expression dripping with languid amusement. "Old Master Xavier, I’m not some naive girl blinded by love. Likewise, Justin is not some fool who would throw away everything for love. So don’t play these love games with us; we’re both realistic."

The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds. Over the years, Old Master Xavier had watched Leah grow up, but she kept changing from the age of eighteen, causing him a sense of unease and crisis.

Now, Leah should pose no threat to him. She’s a superstar in the entertainment industry, but even the slightest negative rumor could ruin her.

She’s lost everything, but she still has herself.

"Leah Thorne, given that, what chance do you have? Justin was raised by my own hands, cold at heart and unfeeling. His most valuable asset is his clarity."

Leah put the towel down and looked at her charming yet alluring face, speaking calmly, "In this bustling world, everyone’s after profit. This game between you and me is a bet on Justin Xavier. You raised him, taught him clarity. You think that between power and beauty, he will clearly choose power. But what I believe is that between power and beauty, he will clearly choose... both."

"Justin Xavier is a wolf. As for who can tame him, let’s leave that to our respective skills."

After speaking, Leah hung up the call.

The room became very quiet. Leah showed no waves of emotion as she dried her hair and began her skincare routine. Even the most beautiful woman must diligently care for her skin, or she will waste Heaven’s gifts.

After a while, a melodious ringtone suddenly sounded again; another call was coming through.

Leah glanced at her phone to see the words "Justin Xavier" flashing on the screen.

Justin Xavier was calling.

Leah nonchalantly looked away, not answering.

"Ding" — a WeChat message arrived. It was from Justin Xavier: "Why aren’t you answering the phone?"

Leah didn’t reply.

The melodious ringtone sounded again; another call was coming through.

He was still calling.

This time, Leah picked up the phone, but instead of answering, she simply powered it off with a swipe.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, Justin Xavier stood in the dim hallway with the phone against his ear, listening to the mechanical voice saying, "Sorry, the number you dialed is switched off."

She actually turned off her phone.

In his other hand, Justin held a cigarette between his long fingers. Bringing it to his lips, he took a puff. He was amused by his own anger, letting out a laugh that resonated from his chest. In his refined demeanor, "degenerate" seemed fitting.

With the cigarette clenched in his thin lips, he lowered his handsome eyelids, typing a WeChat message: "Better not let you fall into my hands, or I’ll ruin you."

Just then, there was a knock at the door of the hallway. The groom, Hayden Crawford, arrived.

Standing by the door, Hayden Crawford saw Justin Xavier in his elegant and refined manner, smoking. His long fingers hovered over his phone keyboard, typing, deleting, then typing something else. His narrowed eyes were slightly upturned, exuding an idle, yet charming allure. If there were a few girls standing near, they would blush for sure.

Hayden Crawford said, "Alright, stop flirting."

Justin Xavier looked back, glancing at Hayden from within the swirling smoke, "Flirting? Am I that obvious?"

Hayden glanced at the ashtray piled with cigarette butts, shrugging, "You’ve been chain-smoking, clearly feeling restless, unsatisfied. I think you’re not only trying to flirt but also looking for someone to vent a little."

Justin slipped his phone into his trouser pocket, took out his cigarette, and flicked away the scarlet ash, a smile playing on his lips as he didn’t deny it.

Everyone knew he desired her.

"What are your plans for Leah Thorne?" Hayden suddenly asked.

"What?"

"You know exactly what I’m asking. Lots of factors, including your mom, your grandpa, yourself... getting tangled up with Leah—have you ever thought that you’re no longer young, hitting thirty already? Have you ever contemplated settling down, finding a good woman to start a family?"

Hayden and Justin had been close friends since childhood. His question was genuine.

Justin tilted his head, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke from his thin lips, smiling wryly, "A good woman? You know me too well. I don’t like good women, just bad ones, beautiful bad ones."

Hayden laughed in exasperation. He stepped forward and gave Justin a light kick, "I think Leah Thorne’s bewitched you."

Beautiful bad woman—who else could it be but Leah Thorne?

A footprint quickly appeared on Justin’s black suit pants, but he didn’t mind. His cold eyes narrowed as he gazed into the distance, "When I was little, I went to the office to find my dad. I saw him on the couch, rolling around with his secretary. From then on, I knew I’d become just like him."