CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 20: CUTTING TIES AND SIBLING RELATIONSHIP

Upon hearing such words, Iris Crawford just wanted to laugh. She kept it a secret from everyone, including her brother, because she wanted to rely on herself for revenge.

Because a remark by Jordan Jacobs years ago had stung her pride. He said — Would I marry this fat girl if it weren’t for your rich brother?

This sentence was like a blow to the head, directly waking Iris Crawford up. Only then did she realize she had been living under someone else’s protection all along.

But now, she wanted to depend on her own revenge. She didn’t want her brother to worry too much about her, because if Orion Crawford knew she was still alive, he would surely investigate the truth of the matter and go to any lengths to take Jordan Jacobs’ life.

She didn’t want Orion Crawford’s hands to be stained.

But her hands were different.

Iris Crawford lowered her head and looked at her hands. Her nails were painted red, as if stained with blood.

Like how she once held her stomach but couldn’t stop the blood from gushing out from where the knife had been stabbed.

She chuckled softly and surprisingly chose to yield, saying, "I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up Orion Crawford’s name. I won’t mention it again."

Lachlan Wyatt’s gaze suddenly darkened!

The past Iris Crawford lived under Orion Crawford’s protection, and in emergencies, she would say something like, "My brother is Orion Crawford." But now...

She actually personally clarified her "relationship" with Orion Crawford in front of everyone.

This woman... Lachlan Wyatt sneered internally, she really was ruthless to herself. She repeatedly pushed herself to the brink, forcing herself to grow.

Look at this, Iris Crawford still lowered her head, as if she had truly misspoken or done something wrong.

Whether playing the fool to outsmart others or gritting her teeth to yield, a person who can demean themselves so low is quite terrifying.

Because it means she has no bottom line and can risk anything to achieve her goals.

Hearing Iris Crawford say this, the man called Jeremy Carter looked down at her, as if to confirm that she had willingly distanced herself from Orion Crawford, "You women with your little schemes, it’s better not to show off."

Iris Crawford smiled apologetically, "Young Master Carter is right."

Jeremy Carter was stunned. He and Dane Rivers should both be seeing Iris Crawford for the first time. How could she match their faces with their names?

Beside him, Dane Rivers was also curious. The tone in which this woman spoke seemed as if they had met years ago, so much so that when she walked in, she showed neither surprise nor excitement.

After all, women in this place generally look at them as if they see prey, casting various subtle glances to attract their attention. Yet Iris Crawford went straight for a corner to sit down.

What is this, going against the grain?

"I must admit, you’re smarter than those other women." Dane Rivers saw Iris Crawford as someone who likes to stand out by taking the road less traveled, but indeed their attention was drawn to her, which is why he complimented her intelligence — isn’t that success?

Iris Crawford rolled her eyes beautifully at Dane Rivers, saying, "You’re feeling so good about yourself, listening to you makes me want to vomit."

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent!

The only one to laugh aloud was Lachlan Wyatt.

He genuinely laughed, and only Iris Crawford dared to speak to Dane Rivers and this group like that.

After a while, a hostess, filled with resentment, asked, "Who is this sister, speaking so brazenly, as if she doesn’t care about our Young Master Rivers?"

Dane Rivers had the most fiery temperament of them all, Iris Crawford certainly knew. She poked the hornet’s nest, directly lit the fuse, yet sat there with such elegance, as if the flames wouldn’t reach her. She said, "No, Dane Rivers can be so self-absorbed because of every woman who fawns over him, acting like his father and licking his boots. He really thinks every woman in the world must be interested in him."

"What do you mean!" The woman’s voice sharpened; she fawned over Dane Rivers wanting him to notice her, but Iris Crawford exposed her intentions, leaving her only to say furiously, "Say that again if you have the guts!"

James Chesterton became pale, "Birdie, stop talking; Dane Rivers has a bad temper—"

Even before he finished speaking, Dane Rivers reached out, fiercely pinning Iris Crawford to the sofa.

Lachlan Wyatt stood up immediately, startling the woman who was originally holding him, but Lachlan frowned and said nothing, just watching the woman pinned on the sofa by Dane Rivers.

His gaze was indecipherable.

James Chesterton said from the side, "Wait...wait a minute, Rivers, let go!"

Dane Rivers was the youngest, with the worst temper, and was the most pampered young master of the Rivers Family. He had never been spoken to so brazenly.

Dane Rivers gritted his teeth, "James Chesterton, what are you doing?"

James Chesterton tried to pull Dane Rivers’ hand away, "Birdie is a girl, don’t do this!"

James Chesterton was someone within the organization and naturally knew Iris Crawford’s true identity. At this point, he spoke up for Iris Crawford, whom she was quite grateful to.

"Birdie?"

Dane Rivers sounded as if he had heard a joke, "I see it’s a wild chicken!"

In humiliating Iris Crawford like this, neither Hector Sutton nor Jeremy Carter even thought to say a word to help her, as if they were a pack of beasts without humanity, with Iris Crawford being their prey, about to be ripped apart in the next moment.

Lachlan Wyatt stared at Iris Crawford’s face. Her hair was messy and stuck to her face, yet being humiliated like this, she didn’t beg for mercy.

Her eyes, which should have been seductively fixed on men, exuded an incredible beauty amidst vulnerability.

James Chesterton was pulled back by Hector Sutton, "What are you doing?"

"Why are you stopping it?"

Hector Sutton would love nothing more than for Dane Rivers to give Iris Crawford a hard time, "Are you old flames with this woman, speaking up for her like this?"

If it weren’t for the confidentiality agreement, James Chesterton would have grabbed the microphone and shouted that she was his brilliant successor and genius engineer, outshining the predecessors!

But since Lachlan Wyatt didn’t react, James Chesterton could only be anxious, urging, "Why bother with a woman, I don’t think she’s wrong."

I don’t think she’s wrong.

Hector Sutton was furious on the spot, "You’re still pretending, you’ve directly spoken for her!"

He didn’t want to see his good friend James Chesterton fooled by a bad woman!

James Chesterton frantically shook his head, heaven knows he was really helping Dane Rivers, "No, no, I am helping Dane Rivers! Rivers let go, I was saying—"

"Helping me? Would you say such things if you were helping me?" Dane Rivers couldn’t believe it when he heard James Chesterton speak for Iris Crawford, becoming more and more furious. He pressed her with one hand and raised a wine glass with the other, planning to pour it over Iris Crawford’s head and beat her again. As the wine was about to spill out, the next moment the woman caught by Dane Rivers suddenly struck with her elbow, catching him off guard, using force to turn against him instantly, her long leg sweeping, quickly reversing the situation!

Dane Rivers felt a sting in his wrist, the woman’s movement was as fast as lightning, snake-like in agility, astonishingly she broke free from him within moments and controlled him from behind!

Iris Crawford was seen pinning Dane Rivers down and riding atop him, swiftly and neatly twisting his hands behind him before taking the wine glass and fiercely pouring it over his head!

This action caused the room to gasp!

Only James Chesterton stood with his mouth agape, trembling, finishing what he had to say, "I told you, you can’t beat her..."