Chapter 13
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Twenty minutes later, Natasha was sitting at the dining table, eating pasta and swinging her legs while sneakily glancing at the guys bandaging Alexei’s wounds in the living room.
Unlike his previous clingy behavior when he followed her home, Alexei now seemed more distant and sharp in front of Shawn and Dylan.
To avoid overhearing anything she shouldn’t, Natasha put on her headphones early. Now, she could only judge from the atmosphere that their conversation was quite serious.
As expected, Alexei asked Shawn, “Did you catch the insider?”
Shawn nodded. “It’s Charles who colluded with Melvin.”
The Turner family had a large and complex internal structure.
Alexei’s grandpa, Edgar, had three sons and one daughter with his wife: Byron, Dereck, Avery, and Vivian.
Besides, he took in several illegitimate children: Gabriel, Melvin, Royce, and his youngest daughter, Lucia.
Other than that, there were countless others not recognized by the family.
The eldest son, Byron, died in an early family struggle, leaving behind a widow, Cora, and a son, Quinn.
The second son, Dereck, Alexei’s father, became paralyzed four years ago and stepped down from power. The cause of his injury remained a mystery within the family.
As for Avery, it was said he betrayed the family for a woman long ago; now he was marginalized.
Vivian married into another old family, the Westwood family, and the couple often argued over trivial matters.
The legitimate descendants didn’t seem to be doing well either.
The illegitimate ones were even worse off, of course.
Maybe because this generation fought so fiercely that no one gained ultimate power.
Instead, it was Alexei who rose above them all with lightning speed to secure his position as future head of the family,
Though being called the future head due to Edgar still being alive, Alexei had already taken control officially within the family.
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Chapter 13
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But Alexei wasn’t just about controlling the Turner Group; Charles was his enemy from overseas.
It seemed like the grabbing of resources was too brutal last time–too many losses led Charles to hate him enough to risk exposure to kill him in Esmiland.
This time around, though, it was his uncle Melvin who exposed Alexei’s whereabouts.
Melvin’s mother once won Edgar’s favor and was brought back into the family, but perhaps that very favor made him greedy for power within the family.
He thought he’d make waves but ended up being surpassed by a younger member–how bitter.
“Should we take care of him?” Shawn asked.
“Not yet,” replied Alexei coldly. “Let’s wait until we can pull out those nails together.” Alexei’s eyes flashed a dangerous glint as he added quietly, “Keep an eye on Nathan. I’ll give Uncle Melvin a big present.”
Nathan was Melvin’s only son–a knife should go where it hurt most.
Shawn immediately got what Alexei meant.
He couldn’t help but feel sorry for Melvin. ‘After all these years, couldn’t they see? This care about anyone or anything; he’ll crush whoever crosses him. Why provoke him?‘
Melvin’s nightmare would soon begin.
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After the conversation, Alexei’s wounds were almost all treated.
Those sleepy eyes opened a bit as he said, “Pretty good. This batch of assassins ain’t as sharp as the last. Didn’t hit any vital spots.”
Of course, for regular folks, these big and small injuries would be enough to make them suffer.
But for someone like Alexei, as long as it didn’t threaten his life, it was all minor stuff.
“But…” Dylan glanced at the woman calmly eating over there. “Ahem, Mr. Turner, even though you won’t die, some rest is still needed. Take it easy.”
Hearing this, Shawn nearly choked to death on his breath.
Alexei’s cold face stiffened for a moment, his knife–like gaze shooting at Dylan, who was trying to
look calm.
Dylan straightened up. “Man, I’m just looking out for your future fun–between the sheets, y’know? Plus, playing the field when you’re all beat up? Not as fun, right?”
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“Get lost.” Alexei spat out coldly.
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“Sure.” As the conversation was about to veer off track and Dylan was showing no signs of stopping, Shawn quickly covered his mouth.
“Mr. Turner, we’ll head out first. Take care.” With that, Shawn even gave a flattering smile to Natasha, who was looking over.
‘Honestly, Mr. Turner could’ve picked any five–star resort to recover. Why’s he squatting in this shoebox? No clue. Not asking. A+ assistants keep their mouths shut,‘ he thought.
And then, Shawn left, as abruptly as he came.
But what Alexei didn’t know was that he had already been labeled as a schemer by Shawn.
When Shawn realized Natasha was the same girl Alexei rescued the other day, he barely choked back a fangirl screech.
‘Holy hell, the iceberg’s got it bad. Look at this! Dude’s even pulling the sympathy card now,’ he said inwardly.
Actually, Alexei was really wronged this time; what happened tonight was indeed an accident.
After shaking off the pursuers, he followed his gut and headed towards the mountains. Later, after taking out two more guys, he ditched the car and walked on foot.
He originally thought that little courtyard was empty and planned to rest there temporarily. But who knew he’d run into that girl again in such an out–of–the–way place?
Back then, though she was fierce, she always seemed broken and pitiful. Tonight, despite her calm demeanor, Alexei could see the raging fire within her.
Sure enough, he witnessed another great show.
The beauty under the firelight–crazy and beautiful.
Following her was just a spur–of–the–moment thing.
“Where do I sleep?” Seeing Natasha, who was utterly disappointed by Shawn’s departure, Alexei walked up to her and took off her headphones.
“Burying your head in the sand. I’ve already come back with you. You think my enemies would believe you’re innocent just because you claim to know nothing?” He was almost amused by her naivety.
Deadpan, Natasha jabbed a finger against his chest. “Personal space. Thanks.”
‘As if I didn’t know who the root of the trouble was,‘ she thought to herself.
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Alexei laughed again.
He glanced around. “Only one room.”
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The apartment was bought with Natasha’s own money, and with a tight budget, it was indeed just her personal space–no guest room, study, or anything like that.
“What are you thinking?” She pointed to the sofa in the living room. “That’s your destiny.”
“So harsh? Not afraid I’ll spill the beans about you setting the fire?”
“Go ahead. The victim can’t even touch me. What’s the point of you playing the hero?”
Alexei wasn’t actually threatening her, but her shameless confidence still made him laugh.
‘A little wolf with bite–not just reckless after all,‘ he thought.
As the two bickered like kids over who got the bed, a phone ringtone cut in abruptly.
Natasha picked up her phone, her triumphant grin fading as sarcasm crept into her voice. “Well, here comes the real victim with the right to hold me accountable.”
Unnoticed, dawn had already broken.
Back at the Clark family, they’d finally gotten the news–their little courtyard had burned down.
