Early in the morning, the rain stopped.
Isabella woke up earlier than Jiang Lin.
She lay on her side at the edge of the bed, a thin quilt draped over her shoulders, her hair spread across the pillow.
The faint scent of red wine from last night had faded, leaving only a warm fragrance on her skin.
Jiang Lin reached out and pulled her into his arms.
She pressed down on his wrist.
"Stop it."
"It is still early."
"That is why you should stop."
Jiang Lin leaned closer.
Isabella turned her face; there was still a trace of sleepiness in the corners of her eyes, but her expression had already regained its usual composure.
Only her voice was hoarser than usual.
"We still have to see Sir Simon today."
"Let him wait."
"He is the trust inspector."
"Then he should learn to wait even more."
Isabella was amused by him and raised her hand to push his face away.
"Was last night not enough?"
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"Madam, you were the one who said, do not stop."
Her face flushed, and her fingertips pinched his shoulder.
"If you mention that sentence again, you can go downstairs by yourself today."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Isabella paused.
Chen Qian's voice came from outside the door, very soft.
"Madam, Mr. Jiang, breakfast has arrived."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Isabella closed her eyes.
Jiang Lin laughed in a low voice.
"She is certainly punctual."
Isabella glared at him, sat up, and pulled her robe over herself.
"You are not allowed to speak."
"Very well."
She walked to the door and opened it a crack.
Chen Qian stood outside, holding a tray.
A white porcelain plate, toast, jam, coffee, and two cups.
Her face was as red as if it had just been roasted by fire.
"Madam."
Isabella took the tray.
"Did you not sleep well last night?"
Chen Qian lowered her head.
"I slept well."
"Your eyes are red."
"Maybe... I am not used to the bed."
Isabella looked at her.
"Chen Qian."
"Yes?"
"Did you hear it last night?"
Chen Qian's fingers tightened around the edge of the tray.
"I, I did not listen on purpose."
Jiang Lin spoke from inside:
"So that means you did hear it."
Chen Qian froze, her head lowering even further.
Isabella looked back at Jiang Lin.
"I told you not to speak."
Jiang Lin leaned against the headboard, his voice lazy.
"That sentence does not count."
Chen Qian's face was red enough to bleed.
"I will leave first."
Isabella called her back.
"Wait."
Chen Qian stopped.
Isabella stepped closer and straightened the shawl that had slipped off her shoulder.
"If you heard it, you heard it. In the future, there will be more of these things."
Chen Qian looked up abruptly.
Isabella's expression was calm.
"If you only know how to hide, you will be very tired."
Chen Qian's lips moved, but she could not speak.
Jiang Lin got up from the bedside, casually put on his shirt, and walked to the door.
Chen Qian quickly looked away.
Jiang Lin took the folder from her hand.
"Leave the documents with me. Go eat."
"Mr. Jiang..."
"With your face this red, if you go to the conference room, you will just be a laughingstock."
Chen Qian whispered a rebuttal:
"I can work."
Isabella looked at her.
"Even if you can work, you must eat first."
Chen Qian nodded and turned to leave as if fleeing.
On the other side of the corridor, Victoria's door was open.
She was standing at the doorway, holding a cup, clearly having heard most of the previous conversation.
When Chen Qian passed by her, she wished she could just disappear into the carpet.
Victoria spoke softly:
"Miss Chen, good morning."
"Good morning, Mrs. Wendell."
"Was it noisy last night?"
Chen Qian almost tripped.
"I do not know."
Victoria smiled.
"It seems you did hear it."
Chen Qian ran off quickly.
Isabella returned to the room with the breakfast, leaving the door open.
Victoria walked over and stopped outside the door.
Her gaze swept over the messy sheets and then landed on the side of Isabella's neck.
There was a faint mark there, covered by the edge of her robe.
"Mrs. Montclair, did you rest well last night?"
Isabella placed the tray on the table.
"Very well."
"I can tell."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin.
"And you, Mr. Jiang?"
Jiang Lin was buttoning his cuffs.
"Also very well."
"That is good. The soundproofing in the castle is not as good as I imagined, and I was worried about disturbing you."
Isabella picked up the coffee.
"Mrs. Wendell, did you hear it very clearly?"
"Intermittently."
Victoria walked into the room, her fingertips lightly brushing over the documents on the table.
"Mrs. Montclair, your voice was very low; you were already very restrained."
The cup in Isabella's hand paused for a moment.
Jiang Lin looked at Victoria.
"Is that why you came today, Madam?"
"It was on the way."
"From your room to here, it is indeed on the way."
Victoria chuckled.
Isabella walked to Jiang Lin's side and raised her hand to button the top button of his shirt.
"There will be many people today."
"Yes."
"Do not let anyone see."
"See what?"
Her fingertips stopped below his collarbone.
"Last night."
Victoria watched her movements.
"Mrs. Montclair, you can hide the marks, but you cannot hide the glow."
Isabella turned her head.
"Mrs. Wendell, you are very knowledgeable?"
"I hear much, and I see much."
"What about personal experience?"
The room went silent for a second.
Victoria was not annoyed.
Instead, she stepped closer, her gaze falling on Jiang Lin's face.
"Mr. Jiang can confirm this question personally in the future."
Isabella's fingers tightened, and Jiang Lin's collar was wrinkled by her pull.
Jiang Lin looked down.
"Madam, my clothes."
Isabella let go.
"If it is wrinkled, it is also your fault."
Victoria laughed out loud.
When breakfast ended, Eileen came to notify them.
Sir Simon had arrived early.
The review of the old collection continued.
They went downstairs.
The hall was already full of people.
Sir Simon, two lawyers, Harold, the agent sent by Grant, and the gloomy-faced Edward.
Chen Qian was sitting on the side, having returned to her work state, but when she saw Jiang Lin and Isabella come downstairs together, the tips of her ears turned red again.
Sir Simon opened the file.
"Today we will verify three items: the loss path of the old collection, the intermediary fees for Grant, and the accounts related to Count Edward."
Edward looked at Jiang Lin coldly.
"Mr. Jiang, did you rest well last night?"
Isabella sat down.
"The review starts with the documents, not from the bed."
The hall went silent.
Harold lowered his head to drink water and almost choked.
Victoria leaned back in her chair, her smile evident.
Jiang Lin sat down and opened the file directly.
"First item."
Sir Simon coughed.
"The confirmation of the old collection shows that three years ago, 'the lady in the grey dress by the window' left the castle under the pretext of restoration, was then transferred through Lord Grant's art consultancy firm into private channels, and finally flowed into a small French auction."
Chen Qian handed up the organized timeline.
"Here is the complete path."
Sir Simon finished reading.
"Very clear."
Edward suddenly spoke:
"Miss Chen, where did you deliver the documents last night?"
Chen Qian's hand stiffened.
Isabella's face turned cold.
Victoria gently put down her cup.
Jiang Lin did not look up.
"Continue with the documents."
Edward sneered.
"I am just curious, does the assistant from Montlais Winery also handle night service?"
Bang.
Isabella placed her cup directly on the table.
Victoria's eyes also turned cold.
Chen Qian's face turned pale.
Jiang Lin looked up.
"Edward."
The hall was quiet.
"The reason you can still sit here now is because Mrs. Wendell has left you a final shred of decency."
Edward stared at him.
"Are you threatening me?"
"A reminder."
Jiang Lin threw an account document into the center of the table.
"Last night, Grant's agent sent the second batch of materials. After the old collection was transferred, you received 200,000 pounds. Harold received 60,000. Grant's company received 120,000 in intermediary fees."
Edward's expression changed.
Jiang Lin continued:
"If you continue to use women as a topic, I will have Sir Simon investigate this 200,000 first, and then invite the London police to ask you about the old collection fraud."
Sir Simon picked up the document and looked at it for a moment.
"This sum of money does indeed require an explanation."
Edward shut up.
Chen Qian lowered her head, her fingers trembling.
Isabella stood up and walked to her side.
"Miss Chen, continue."
Chen Qian looked up.
"Madam..."
"The kind of words just now should not be borne by you."
Victoria added:
"They should be borne by the person who said them."
Chen Qian took a deep breath and reopened the document.
"The funds from the loss of the old collection entered the relevant accounts in three installments. The first installment of 200,000 pounds was received by a private management account under Count Edward's name. The second installment of 60,000 pounds was received by a legal consultancy firm associated with Harold. The third installment of 120,000 pounds was received by Grant Art Consultancy Firm."
Her voice was still a bit shaky, but she finished speaking.
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"Very good."
Chen Qian's eyes were red, but she held back her tears.
Isabella patted her shoulder gently.
Victoria looked at Sir Simon.
"Is it enough to initiate an account freeze?"
Sir Simon nodded.
"Enough."
Edward stood up abruptly.
"Simon!"
"Count, you need a lawyer."
Harold's expression was ugly.
"I request to suspend the review."
Sir Simon looked at him.
"You also need a lawyer."
The hall went silent again.
Victoria picked up her cup and took a light sip.
"Very good."
As these two words fell, the situation at Wendell Castle finally turned completely.
At noon, the review was suspended.
Edward and Harold were taken away by lawyers for separate questioning.
Grant's agent looked ashen and offered to submit the remaining intermediary records in the afternoon.
Victoria took Jiang Lin, Isabella, and Chen Qian to the Greenhouse.
Lunch was set on a small round table.
This time, no one mentioned black tea or coffee.
Only wine.
Victoria personally opened a bottle of champagne.
"To Miss Chen."
Chen Qian was stunned.
"To me?"
Victoria raised her glass.
"You spoke very well just now."
Isabella also raised her glass.
"For standing firm."
Jiang Lin looked at her.
"Drink a little."
Chen Qian took the glass, her hand still trembling slightly.
"Thank you."
She took a small sip and coughed lightly as it went down the wrong way.
Jiang Lin handed her a napkin.
When Chen Qian took it, her fingertips touched his.
She immediately pulled back.
Isabella saw it.
Victoria also saw it.
Chen Qian knew she had been seen, and her face turned completely red.
Victoria smiled and said:
"Miss Chen suffered a grievance today; would you like Mr. Jiang to compensate you?"
Chen Qian almost tipped her glass over.
"Mrs. Wendell..."
Isabella was slowly cutting the fish on her plate.
"Mrs. Wendell likes putting people on the spot."
"I am just concerned."
"Your concern is usually dangerous."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin.
"What do you think, Mr. Jiang?"
Jiang Lin took the wine glass away from in front of Chen Qian.
"She cannot drink."
Chen Qian whispered:
"I can."
"You are blushing like this after half a cup; if you drink any more, you will be sleeping on the table."
Victoria chuckled.
"Mr. Jiang knows how to manage people now too."
Isabella said calmly:
"He learned it from me."
Chen Qian looked down at her plate, but the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up slightly.
In the afternoon, the review was not continued.
Sir Simon needed time to organize the documents.
Victoria went to meet with the lawyers.
Chen Qian was forced back to her room by Isabella to rest.
Jiang Lin returned to the East Wing study to review the Hall Capital materials.
Not long after, the door was knocked.
Isabella walked in.
"Still reading?"
"Just a few pages."
She closed the file.
"You are not allowed to read today."
Jiang Lin leaned back in his chair and looked at her.
"Madam, was last night not enough?"
Isabella's face flushed, and she casually hit him with the file.
"Do not say such things during the day."
"Can I say it at night?"
She pursed her lips and looked at him.
"You are becoming more and more insolent now."
"Who spoiled me?"
Isabella walked in front of him and looked down at him.
"I shouldn't have entered your room last night."
"Regret it?"
"No."
As she finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Victoria did not knock; she stood directly at the doorway.
"Did I come at a bad time?"
Isabella did not step back.
"Indeed."
Victoria smiled and walked in.
"Then I must come in even more."
She was holding a small box.
She placed it on the table.
Jiang Lin opened it.
Inside was an old silver key.
Victoria looked at him.
"The key to the East Wing study of Wendell Castle. From now on, you can come and go freely."
Isabella looked at her.
"Mrs. Wendell, you give it away very quickly."
"He helped me regain the initiative in the old collection review."
"So you give him the key?"
"I could also give something else."
Victoria looked at Jiang Lin.
"Let's see if he dares to take it."
The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.
Isabella walked to the table and picked up the key to look at it.
"The key can be accepted."
She placed the key back into Jiang Lin's palm.
"Anything else is not allowed for now."
Victoria's eyes crinkled with a smile.
"In what capacity does Mrs. Montclair manage this?"
"The capacity from last night."
Victoria was silent for a moment, then laughed out loud.
"I concede this round."
Jiang Lin held the key.
"Are you two finished talking?"
Isabella and Victoria looked at him simultaneously.
"No."
"No."
Jiang Lin put the key away.
"Then continue."
Victoria slowly walked behind him, resting her hands on either side of the chair back, and leaned down close to his ear.
"Mr. Jiang, tonight I also want to hear you say continue."
Isabella's eyes went cold instantly.
"Mrs. Wendell."
Victoria straightened up.
"Just joking."
Isabella walked to Jiang Lin's side and placed her palm on his shoulder.
"This joke is very dangerous."
"I know."
"You still say it knowing that?"
"Because it is interesting only when it is dangerous."
Chen Qian happened to be standing outside the door holding an account book.
Hearing the last few sentences, she didn't know whether to enter or retreat.
Jiang Lin saw her.
"Come in."
Chen Qian bit the bullet and entered the room.
"I... I have rested well."
Isabella frowned.
"Who told you to take the account book again?"
"I cannot sleep."
Victoria laughed:
"Miss Chen, you have a lot of courage to come in at this time."
Chen Qian whispered:
"I will knock first next time."
Isabella took the account book from her hand.
"No need for next time. In the future, do not come at this time."
Chen Qian's face was very red.
"I understand."
Jiang Lin laughed.
The three women looked over simultaneously.
He stopped laughing.
"Talk about the accounts."
Chen Qian quickly opened the account book.
"I have found the complete version of the development plan for Hall Capital."