CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153: BE CAREFUL, IRIS CRAWFORD MIGHT BE TAKEN AWAY!

When he asked this question, Jude Hawthorne felt as though his very soul shuddered.

He didn’t dare to hear the answer Seraphina Colbert would give.

Perhaps Jude had always known what he had done to Seraphina; because he had brought her out of that filthy environment abroad, he considered himself her master, mercilessly controlling her life.

Jude’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he tried to avoid Seraphina’s answer, only to hear her say, word by word, "How could I dare to hate you? I’m not even grateful enough. Without you, how could there be the me of today?"

Though she said this, there was a bloody hatred underneath.

Jude had never faced such hatred from Seraphina directly before.

He thought, there were many people in the world who hated him, so many people who disliked him, yet none could bring him down.

The hatred from Seraphina alone, with just a casual stroke, pierced through all his defenses.

His neck veins seemed to open, and Jude looked at Seraphina, "I feel like I never really knew you..."

Seraphina shook her head, feeling that this meal with Jude was utterly unnecessary.

The entanglement between them was too much to bear, and in the past, she indeed needed to thank Jude for rescuing her from misery, but now, it seemed Jude owed her more.

Emotional debts have never been about equality.

Seraphina put down her chopsticks, planning to stand up, yet this very action startled Jude a little, "Where are you going?"

"I’m going to pay the bill."

She waved to call the waiter over, and Seraphina politely asked the waiter to let her pay first; Silvan Caine left without looking back, determined to humiliate her, and she couldn’t just let him.

Seeing Seraphina’s move, Jude held her hand, "Haven’t eaten yet?"

"Can’t eat." She succinctly told Jude, looking at him seriously, "Are you eating these dishes? If not, I’ll pack them up and share with Iris Crawford and others..."

"I’ll pay."

The waiter had already come over, so Jude could only hold Seraphina’s hand, signaling that he would pay the bill.

How could he let a woman pay on a date?

"This is the bill for this time, may I ask which one of you..." The waiter, holding a POS machine, smiled awkwardly because she saw the man and woman both reach for their bank cards simultaneously.

Whose card to swipe?

Seraphina wanted to hand over her card but was stopped again by Jude, "Swipe mine."

"No, swipe mine."

The waiter was sweating; how could a couple be so polite about paying for a meal?

Seraphina persisted, and Jude forcibly took her card, holding it in his hand while handing his own card to the waiter with the other, "Please go ahead."

Unable to rival Jude, Seraphina sighed inwardly.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she then heard Jude say, "Please pack up the uneaten dishes for me as well."

Having paid and signed, while the waiter packed the food, Jude and Seraphina both fell into silence; the dispute over the bill seemed non-existent now, and they appeared as indifferent as strangers.

Jude couldn’t stand such an atmosphere; when had he ever felt so oppressed?

Every moment with Seraphina now was so hard to endure.

How did it come to this?

In the past, this woman was the canary in his palm — beautiful, yet shameless — and he had sent her to other men to play with, but in the end, she always returned to him.

Only the appearance of Silvan Caine broke everything.

It took Jude a long time to regulate his breathing from rapid to calm, finally speaking, "I’ll take you to The Royal Palace."

Seraphina was stunned, "You know I live at The Royal Palace?"

I know everything.

But Jude didn’t say it out loud, he stood up, taking the packed food in his hand.

This was the first time Jude behaved with "courtesy" towards Seraphina.

Seraphina didn’t protest, following Jude to the parking lot below, where she saw his car, "You have a foreign driver’s license?"

"Yes."

Jude replied nonchalantly, "I once picked you up to go back; have you forgotten?"

Indeed, she almost forgot that Jude had money, and lacked neither houses nor cars abroad.

Seraphina turned her face away and opened the back door.

Yet Jude stubbornly said, "Sit in front."

She didn’t really want to sit in Jude’s passenger seat.

Seraphina tidied her hair, "I’m fine sitting at the back."

"Sit beside me."

Jude’s voice was uncharacteristically soft, as if he had shed all his past dominance, "If you’re sitting at the back, I’m afraid you might open the door and jump out when I’m not looking, and I won’t be able to stop you."

Seraphina looked at Jude, tears of laughter in her eyes.

******

When Jude brought Seraphina back to The Royal Palace, Iris Crawford was sleeping soundly, but Peach and others were startled, especially James Chesterton, who immediately pulled Seraphina behind him, "How come you’re with Jude?"

Weren’t you supposed to go out with Silvan Caine?

Jude handed the packed food to Peach, who said, "I’ll ask Raymond to heat it up later, we didn’t have any midnight snacks anyway."

"You two had dinner together?"

James Chesterton was stunned, "Sweetheart, you and Jude Hawthorne..."

"Jude picked up the tab," Seraphina Colbert didn’t hold back, "You’ll have to thank him for me."

Her thoughtful yet polite demeanor made Jude Hawthorne feel as if his heart was bleeding.

Seraphina, when did we become so distant?

James Chesterton looked his sister up and down, indeed after she came back with Jude peacefully, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, "I don’t know what happened tonight, but since you don’t mind, why not let Jude stay for dinner?"

Jude Hawthorne stiffened his neck, "I’d better head back."

"Coming to The Kingdom of L without telling us."

Martin Hawthorne, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "When did you arrive?"

"It’s none of your business."

Jude Hawthorne wasn’t in the mood to be civil to his brother, so he said impatiently, "Anyway, I’ve brought Seraphina safely back, I’m leaving."

Did he make this trip just to safely escort Seraphina Colbert back?

Watching Jude Hawthorne’s retreating figure, James Chesterton suddenly felt confused.

When did Jude become like a protector willing to drive Seraphina back late at night, has this jerk had a change of heart!

His heart skipped a beat, James immediately grabbed Seraphina, "Sis, let me tell you, good men are rare in this world, even your brother isn’t one, I even had an online relationship before! Don’t think Jude’s behaving himself now, it’s actually an illusion, he’s just been hit hard in the dignity area from losing you briefly, don’t soften your heart, I understand men the best, his mindset is even worse than Lachlan Wyatt’s. You have to see what he does. Even Lachlan knows to protect Iris Crawford day in and day out, but Jude has never protected you, don’t let your heart soften!"

James Chesterton was really anxious this time, afraid his sister would soften again and follow Jude Hawthorne.

Seraphina Colbert’s eyes welled with tears, she squeezed out a smile to her brother and said, "I know, don’t worry, let’s go warm up the food, just right for a midnight snack."

Iris Crawford was awakened by the unmistakable aroma coming from outside.

She opened her eyes, found Dante lying beside her, and Iris’s face changed immediately, decisively kicking him down!

Dante hit the ground painfully awake, clutching his waist, "You damned woman! You dare kick your fiancé off the bed?"

"Who gave you the nerve to sleep next to me without my permission!"

Iris’s upper body was injured, but her lower body wasn’t, her legs were still nimble, so she told Dante, "I’ll kick you off every time you try."

"Can’t even fulfill marital duties?" Dante grumbled as he got up, turned on all the lights, "You’ll be mine sooner or later."

"Didn’t you think I’m dirty?" Iris sneered, "Why climb into my bed now."

"I did." Dante followed with a sarcastic smile, "What, my brother can touch you, but not me?"

Searing pain hit Iris’s heart, a curse reached the tip of her tongue, but she held it back, arguing with Dante was pointless, she moved to get off the bed, "I smell food."

Home flavors, it’s Chinese food.

Iris Crawford was homesick.

She grabbed her phone, glanced at the time, and then walked out where Peach and the others were pulling Raymond to join in on the midnight snack, the foreign steward who rarely ate Chinese food looked astonished at the new flavors, amusing Seraphina Colbert who was laughing nearby.

"Ah Iris, did we wake you?"

Seraphina Colbert was the first to spot Iris, waved her hand, "I bought a computer, Raymond set up a study for me, so I can freely come and go in the Royal Palace to accompany you for the next month."

Free access to the Royal Palace, such a high privilege!

Ignoring her physical pain from the scent, Iris said, "Give me a bite too, fill my mouth with it, fill my mouth!"

James Chesterton was delighted, shoved a spoon into Iris’s mouth, and the next moment saw a handsome man with a dark face approach from behind Iris, speaking in particularly low tones, "How dare you personally feed my fiancée."

James Chesterton pulled the spoon from Iris’s mouth with a pop, "Just a habit, just a habit..."

"A habit?"

Dante was even more unhappy, Iris’s close relationship with this group contrasted sharply with her resistance towards him. Why?

James Chesterton turned his face, grinned toothily at the bureau’s members, how did they have one Lachlan Wyatt gone, and another Dante here!

Controlling everything, even the closeness between Iris and them!

Wasn’t this the past Lachlan Wyatt!

Peach smiled, took out her phone, and opened a private chat with Lachlan Wyatt’s avatar.

[Peach] Why aren’t you staying in the Royal Palace?

[Lachlan] Why?

[Peach] Have you ever thought, your brother, being related by blood, behaves just like you.

Lachlan Wyatt in the hotel looked at Peach’s line, his pupils slightly constricted.

[Lachlan] Like, and so what?

[Peach] So unless you proactively confess to Iris, be careful or Dante will steal her away! He’s too much like you.

Con... fess?

Lachlan Wyatt looked at his phone and sneered coldly without thinking, could he like her?

Could he like her?!

He...

Could no longer laugh.

Lachlan’s phone slipped from his hand to the ground.

He likes her.