108. Fiancé

Chapter 108

Fiancé

Donna emphasized the words "engagement" with a heavy tone.

After speaking, she glanced towards Osborne.

Clearly, her remark was deliberately aimed at Osborne, a warning that Clarissa was betrothed, engaged to another man.

Donna also felt that Osborne's proactive actions against Raymond were for Clarissa; indicating he still harbored. romantic feelings for her.

Therefore, she had to make Osborne give up.

By mentioning Clarissa's Fiancé, she was issuing a warning to Osborne.

However, after she spoke, Osborne remained utterly calm, as if he hadn't heard a word.

On the other hand, Clarissa clenched her fists tightly, and her pretty face turned pale.

Unbeknownst to Osborne, Clarissa was engaged to Apollo of the Chevalier family. It was a name he hadn't heard, though he was familiar with the family itself.

The Chevalier family was an ancient clan no less potent than the Radcliffe family.

In fact, the Chevalier family could be considered even more formidable!

Because the Radcliffes were in legitimate business, while the Chevaliers were involved in everything, both legal and illegal

The Chevaliers controlled not only a large part of Skyefall's law enforcement but also a third of the city's underground gangs, who were rumored to be secretly backed by the Chevaliers, paying them annual tributes.

The Chevaliers' influence permeates both the legitimate and criminal worlds of Skyefall, their roots running deep like local

tyrants.

Even the Godfather, in terms of influence in Skyefall alone, cannot compare to the Chevaliers.

Clarissa engaged to Apollo of the Chevalier family!

Osborne admitted that he felt a bit uneasy, not because he had feelings for Clarissa but because he had no fondness for the Chevaliers.

The underground gangs in Mayby City were incredibly rampant, engaging in drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, gambling, and all sorts of illicit activities, making ordinary citizens like Osborne detest them.

Yet, the Mayby City law enforcement never intervened.

It was all because of the Chevalier family.

Naturally, Osborne harbored a deep dislike for them.

"Mom, why bring this up? Clarissa's engagement to Apollo was just something from back then…"

"Shut up!"

Donna interrupted Barlyn. "No matter how the engagement came to be, it's irreversible now, and we must honor it!"

"Clarissa, only by contacting the Chevalier family and having them mobilize law enforcement and the significant gangs can we quickly find Raymond.

"It's for your safety, so you'll have to contact them yourself."

Clarissa took a deep breath and nodded.

Her face was as cold as ice.

"Alright, I'll make the call for the Chevalier family to take action."

Saying this, Clarissa turned and left.

Osborne watched Clarissa's retreating figure with surprise. He could clearly sense her anger and helplessness. Her cold exterior was nothing but a facade.

Her cold demeanor was merely a facade.

Osborne frowned but ultimately remained silent. It was, after all, a private matter for the Radcliffe family, and he was merely the head of security.

As head of security, Osborne's only responsibility was to protect Clarissa. He quickly followed after her.

Donna watched the two leave, her expression shifting constantly. She murmured, "Clarissa, I hope you don't do anything foolish. There are some things you cannot fight against, even as the Radcliffe family's golden child.

"Being a Radcliffe descendant is your fortune, but also your misfortune."

With a sigh, she finished speaking.

"Mom, why did you have to bring up Apollo's name? You know that's the last thing Cousin wants to hear. Can't you just not mention it?!"

Barlyn was somewhat angry at this point.

Donna glanced at him coldly and said indifferently, "What's the use of not mentioning it?

"Apollo is coming back soon!"

She finished speaking, and Barlyn froze.

He clenched his fists, his face darkening.

"Then Clarissa, she…"

Donna sighed, "This is her fate. Even as the Radcliffe family's golden child, she cannot change this. If we must blame someone, we can only blame ourselves for being too weak to protect her."

Barlyn's face darkened, but he couldn't find any words to refute her.

"Barlyn, if you truly consider Osborne a friend…"

"He's like a brother to me!" Barlyn interrupted.

Donna paused for a moment, seeing the sincerity in Barlyn's eyes. She nodded and continued, "If you consider him a brother, then you must warn him not to harbor any unrealistic fantasies about Clarissa!

"You should know what kind of person Apollo is, and you should also see the power of the Chevalier family. If Osborne dares to have any inappropriate thoughts about Clarissa, neither the Chevalier family nor Apollo will let him off easily.

"It'll be a gruesome end for him!

"In Skyefall, even The Aberrants have to resort to covert assassinations and sneak attacks, but if the Chevalier family wants to kill someone, they'll do it openly.

"Few people targeted by the Chevalier family survive.

"Don't let Osborne seek his own death!"

After advising, Donna patted Barlyn on the shoulder. "Since you consider him a brother, don't just watch him walk towards his doom."

With that, Donna turned and left.

Barlyn stood there, stunned, his expression frozen, taking a long time to come back to his senses.

Meanwhile, Osborne followed closely behind Clarissa.

It was his duty as the captain of the bodyguard team.

He could clearly sense the icy chill emanating from Clarissa. She had been like this ever since Donna mentioned Apollo's name.

"Wasn't Apollo her Fiancé?

Why was she like this?"

Osborne was extremely curious. Unable to contain his curiosity, he lowered his voice and asked, "Ms. Radcliffe, you seem to be troubled. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Clarissa's body jolted, and she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She turned to Osborne, lightly biting her lips, and asked with a touch of displeasure, "Could you stop calling me Ms. Radcliffe, Osborne? Ever since you saved me fifteen years ago, I've considered you the dearest person to me.

"Even though you're my chief bodyguard, I've never seen you as just an employee. But you keep addressing me as Ms. Radcliffe, which upsets me."

"Really? You're upset because of this?" Osborne awkwardly touched his nose. He had assumed that Clarissa was upset because of her fiancé, but now he saw he had misunderstood.

Clarissa parted her lips as if to say something but ended up saying nothing. She then took a deep breath as if to calm herself.

She responded, "Yes, I'm upset because of that. So, can you call me something else?"

Osborne smiled awkwardly, "What should I call you? I'm worried Ms. Donna Radcliffe might not be happy if I don't call you Ms. Radcliffe."

"Why should you care about her?" Clarissa raised her voice. "This is between you and me. Aunt Donna has no say in it! From now on, just call me Clarissa."

Osborne hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Alright, Clarissa."

Clarissa's face then instantly lit up with a dazzling smile, making the vibrant flowers in the garden seem faded and dull in her presence.

Osborne found himself staring again. He couldn't deny that he indeed liked her, although his feelings for her were mostly driven by her beauty. She was simply too stunning.

As he gazed at Clarissa's face, he couldn't help but feel his heart racing uncontrollably.

When she sensed Osborne's intense gaze on her, her cheeks turned rosy, but instead of disliking it, she felt a thrill of joy. She didn't shy away from his intense look but met it earnestly.

Clarissa's expression seemed filled with a complex array of emotions.

Soon after, an odd and ambiguous tension began to build between them.

Just then, a light cough sounded, disrupting the tension between them.

Clarissa, like a startled rabbit, quickly averted her gaze, her expression turning cold again as she continued to walk away.

Osborne, on the other hand, touched his nose awkwardly, still unable to calm his wildly beating heart.

"You should go take a break, Osborne," Donna said calmly. "Clarissa isn't leaving the manor anytime soon. Just make sure the bodyguards are well–organized. You don't need to follow her all the time. After all, you're a man. It's enough for her to have me by her side."

Osborne detected a cold edge in her tone.

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Alright. I'll organize the bodyguard team well. If anything comes up, Ms. Donna Radcliffe, you can contact me, and I'll come back right away." With that, he turned and walked away.

After learning that Clarissa was engaged, Osborne finally understood why Donna was wary of him, worried that he might have ulterior motives toward Clarissa.

Since Donna didn't want him to accompany Clarissa, he gladly took the opportunity to rest.

Osborne, having organized the bodyguards, promptly left Radcliffe Manor and headed back to the Institute of Human Research to see how Anastasia was doing.

Upon seeing that Anastasia was doing well under Isa's care, Osborne felt relieved, thinking Isa was as reliable as ever.

If it hadn't been for Isa's help, he wouldn't have easily completed the third successor test. Therefore, he thought, "I should find an opportunity to thank her properly."

When Isa came to mind, Osborne suddenly recalled their last kiss. He then couldn't help but touch his lips, savoring the memory.

He muttered to himself, "Back then, Isa had said that I could buy her for 100 million dollars and have her do anything I wanted. And I actually turned it down? If I had known, I would have taken the offer. Now hiring her for just one job costs 20 million dollars, and that's even at a friend's rate."

Osborne sighed with a rueful smile, regretting his decision. The most frustrating part was that spending 20 million dollars was just for hiring her help. It didn't cover anything else. It indeed was a huge loss.

He then understood why Isa had said back then that he would surely regret it later. Now, even if he wanted to spend 10 billion dollars to buy her, it would be out of the question.

Osborne regretted it because Isa was not only a reliable partner and a powerful ally but also a very attractive woman.

Now that he thought about it, 100 million dollars seemed too low for her worth, and he might even be willing to pay 10 billion dollars.

Osborne quickly shook his head, pushing the idea out of his mind.

"I wonder when my fourth successor's test will begin," he murmured.

The next second, his Draco Star Wristlet started vibrating. His expression shifted, thinking it was the start of his fourth successor's test.

Osborne hurriedly checked, only to find it was a video call. He wondered, "A strange number is video calling me through the Draco Star Wristlet?"

With that in mind, his expression turned serious, and he quickly clicked to accept the call. The next second, an elderly figure appeared on the screen, sitting on a cushy gray sofa and cradling a jet– black cat. The person had his hair slicked back and was donned in a black suit with a black bow tie, looking every bit the gentleman.

The person was none other than the Godfather. Osborne's biological grandfather, the Godfather, had contacted Osborne once again.