Chapter 69

Chapter 69

James's POV

I sat on the bed, my eyes fixed on Ella as she fled in a hurry.

The pendant he gave her had the most advanced tracking chip in the world, with an accuracy of less than twenty inches.

Ella, you'd better listen to me and stop going against me, or else I can't promise what crazy things I might do.

When Brian arrived at the Smith Manor, I had already taken care of the wound myself.

Brian furrowed his brow, looking confused: "Mr. Smith, your injury?"

While putting on my clothes and buttoning my cuffs, I said flatly: "If I waited for you to handle it, I'd probably be dead already."

Brian stood there with the medical kit on his back, not daring to respond.

"I brought some common wound care supplies. I'll just leave them here at Mr. Smith's place for backup," Brian said, taking out the medications from the kit. After arranging them, he put the kit back on his shoulder.

"Mr. Smith," he asked carefully, "should I... leave now?"

I didn't respond, so Brian left wisely.

I saw Ella and Alexander crouching together in front of the flower bed, completely focused on watching a cricket.

Ella was even explaining cricket facts to Alexander professionally.

Watching from behind, I couldn't help but frown.

Ella, you're really so carefree. You tore open my wound and don't even care to check on me. Now you're in the mood to watch bugs?

In your eyes, am I not even worth as much as a bug?

Just then, my phone rang. I answered, and Kai said on the other end, "Mr. Smith, Daniel Rodriguez just called me. He wants to meet with you about a business deal."

I was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly and asked: "Where does he want to meet?"

Kai answered: "Valoria."

I tapped the back of my phone with my fingertips, making crisp sounds, and said: "Tell him I'll personally go to Esmere City, and he'd better show real sincerity."

After hanging up, I walked toward the flower bed.

"Ella," I called her.

Hearing her name, Ella reflexively looked up, her confused gaze suddenly meeting my dangerous stare.

She immediately stood up, hands behind her back, looking exactly like a child who'd done something wrong and was afraid of being scolded by a parent.

"Uncle James," Alexander also stood up and called out to me.

I glanced at him, my tone not great: "Go inside first."

Alexander had no choice but to tilt his head and leave the courtyard with an innocent look.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Ella's first reaction was to run.

But before she could take a step, I grabbed her back like picking up a puppy.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ella honestly confessed: "Nowhere, I'm just a bit tired and wanted to go back to my room."

Could she get tired playing here?

I stared at her and ordered in a low voice: "You're not allowed to stay in the school dorm. You'll stay here obediently, or else..."

I threatened her, "I'll have someone get you expelled."

Ella could only obediently respond: "Okay."

I let go of her hand, reached up to ruffle her hair, and said, "Go pack up. You're coming abroad with me tomorrow."

Ella immediately shook her head: "No, I have classes tomorrow."

"Have Sophia ask for leave for you."

Ella insisted: "Taking leave on the first day of school doesn't seem right, does it?"

I said, "I'll have someone tutor you privately for the missed classes later."

"Where are we going? If we're going abroad," Ella clearly didn't want to go and kept making excuses, "I don't have a visa."

I glanced at her and smiled: "Ella, do you think you need a visa to go abroad with me?"

Ella stood there in silence. She obviously understood that since I'd decided, her resistance was useless.

Finally, she asked with her head down: "Where are we going?"

I didn't say directly, only: "Taking you out to have fun."

She was probably thinking silently: I really don't want to go at all.

Before leaving Lumaria, I assigned George and Raymond to the Smith Manor to protect Alexander's safety.

The next day, dusk.

Valoria, Esmere City.

The wind howled on the landing pad. As Ella got off the plane, her hair was instantly blown everywhere.

The evening sun's glow fell on her delicate profile, creating a hazy beauty, like a sketch carefully painted by nature itself, so beautiful you couldn't look away.

Ella's hair got caught in the zipper on the back of her clothes. She turned her head and reached back to pull at her hair. After struggling for a while without success, she frowned in pain.

Watching her clumsy and helpless movements, I found it both funny and exasperating.

I walked over, helped free her hair from the zipper, and sighed: "Ella, with hair this long, don't you know to tie it up?"

Only then did Ella smooth her hair with her hands and use the hair tie on her wrist to put it up.

Daniel stood not far away, witnessing this scene before quickening his pace toward us.

Daniel looked at me and said, "Welcome to Esmere City."

I ignored him.

Daniel continued: "I've been waiting a long time to get you, the great 'Mr finally. Smith,' here."

Then his eyes fell on Ella's face, looking her up and down lecherously.

"This beauty, is she your woman?"

I pulled Ella behind me, stepped forward half a step, and looked up at Daniel with sharp eyes.

"If you don't want me to gouge your eyes out, then don't fucking stare around!"

Hearing this, Daniel quickly looked away, nodding without understanding why.

"So protective of her."

He handed his suit jacket to his assistant beside him and looked at me: "Should I take you to dinner first?"

"Kai," I looked at Kai, "take her to the hotel first."

"Mr. Smith, what about you..." Kai was a bit worried about me.

I looked at him coldly: "Follow orders."

Kai took Ella's luggage and said, "Ms. Thorne, let's go."

Just as Ella was about to step away, I shouted loudly over the wind: "Don't run around. Stay at the hotel and wait for me. The security here isn't as good as Lumaria's, understand?"

Ella hummed in acknowledgement.

I looked at Kai: "You know what I'm going to say."

Kai nodded: "I understand."

He knew me well, knew I was warning him: absolutely nothing could happen to Ella.

I followed Daniel to his billiards club. I held the cue chalk, gently rubbing it on the tip of the cue stick.

The blue powder scattered casually, creating a unique stain on the black carpet.