Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker (Chapters 321, 322, 323, 324, and 325)

Chapter 321

Everyone was criticizing Jessica and no one was paying attention to Melody. Melody took advantage of that instant to quickly remove the silver needle from the back of Leo’s neck

As soon as Melody removed the needle, Jessica looked toward them.

Jessica said, “Leo, say something! I wasn’t involved in this at all. You were the one who came up with the idea and executed it yourself, right? Tell everyone the truth, or I won’t let you off!

Previously, Leo could not speak or move. Now that the silver needle was removed, he could finally move at will. He could not care less about Jessica’s mess. He reached out and grabbed Melody’s collar.

He shouted, “Bitch! What did you do to me?”

Wilmot immediately stepped forward and warned, “Get your hands off Melody.”

Leo glared at Melody and turned to look at Wilmot. Leo said, ‘Do you know what this bitch did to me? I couldn’t speak or move just now. I thought I was going to die!”

Seeing Leo refusing to let go of Melody’s collar, Wilmot pulled Leo away and reprimanded him coldly, “I think you’re crazy. She obviously did nothing to you. There are so many cameras around. Could she have tied you up with an invisible rope?”

I…” Leo stuttered. He was so anxious that his cheeks turned red.

He thought, ‘There was indeed no rope binding me or tape around my mouth just now. Why would I suddenly have no control over my movement and speech?’

However, he was certain that Melody had done something to him. After all, she even said she would hush him if he didn’t shut up.

He could not think of another person other than Melody who would have done something to him.

After pondering for a moment, Leo could only come up with one possibility.

Leo stomped his foot and declared, “Melody poisoned me!”

The crowd was in an uproar again.

Someone reiterated, “Poisoned?”

Another person chimed in, “Melody wouldn’t dare to poison him in front of so many people, would she? Did Leo make a mistake?”

Yet another person said, “But I did notice Mr. Sherman stopped moving since the test results came out. It was as though he had fallen asleep.”

The crowd engaged in a lively discussion. Leo insisted that Melody had poisoned him.

He said, “Call the police! I need justice!”

“Call the police?” Melody smiled and calmly said, “There’s no need to go through so much trouble. There are police officers and medical staff here. They can examine you to see if you’re poisoned. But let me be clear: once it’s found that you aren’t poisoned at all, you would be slandering me.” Leo retorted, “Are you fucking threatening me? You must have poisoned me! Where’s the doctor? Where’s the police? Come and examine me!”

Leo was exasperated. He felt uncomfortable whenever he recalled the terror of being unable to move just now. He was afraid that he would suffer repercussions from the poison.

Soon, the doctor arrived.

The bet between the two companies today was all over the news, so there were already ambulances at the scene in case of any emergencies.

The equipment in the ambulance was extensive. After a round of blood collection and examination, the doctor let go of Leo and looked at the camera, announcing, “The result is out.”

“Tell me quickly!” Leo urged worriedly, “Am I poisoned?”

As soon as the doctor said that he was indeed poisoned, Melody would definitely be going to jail.

If Melody was being charged for assault, today’s bet would be called off.

Thinking of this, Leo’s expression became even more anxious.

To the side, Jessica’s expression changed from one of defeat to one of excitement.

She thought, ‘Melody actually poisoned Leo in public. She dug her own grave. Melody’s practically doing me a favor!’ Jessica chimed in and asked, “Doctor, what’s the result of the examination? Is he poisoned?”

The doctor looked at the two of them and showed the result to the camera. He stated, “According to the lab result, he is not poisoned. On the contrary, his body is very healthy.”

When Leo heard this, he stood rooted to the ground and questioned in disbelief, “How is this possible? Is the result reliable?”

The doctor frowned unhappily.

The doctor argued, “What do you mean? Are you doubting my medical skills? Or are you doubting the equipment? The blood test could detect abnormalities in your blood regardless of the type of poison. Read the report yourself and see if there are any abnormal readings.”

The doctor stuffed the test report into Leo’s hand and could not be bothered arguing with him.

Leo picked up the report and looked at it carefully. He realized that all his readings were normal.

He wondered how that was possible.

“No. Something’s off…” Leo shook his head in disbelief.” Melody must have bribed you. You tampered with the instruments! I can’t be fine!”

Melody said impatiently, “Leo, to escape the law, you actually fabricated such a lie to slander me. Do you know slander is also a grave offense?”

I…”

Before Leo could say anything else, the police stepped forward with shackles and cuffed him.

A policeman declared, “Mr. Sherman, you’re suspected of defamation, attempted murder, and unlawful detention. You’re under arrest.”

Leo shouted, “No! You’re mistaken! I didn’t do anything. I’m the victim!”

Melody said indifferently, “Leo, stop pretending. You know very well why Wilmot had a fever and was unconscious. You’d better explain these things clearly at the police station. Let me give you a piece of advice: cop a plea.” “Bullshit! I’m innocent!” Leo denied it shamelessly.

However, no matter how much he denied his wrongdoings, the police still took him away forcefully.

At the same time, Jessica was forcibly handcuffed.

Melody took the contract and walked to Jessica expressionlessly.

Melody told Jessica, “Miss Summers, please sign this contract before heading to the police station. Of course, you can choose not to sign it now. I can get Mr. Lawson to sign it for you.”

“You!” Jessica’s eyes widened in rage.

When the experts saw this, they all urged, “Jessica, hurry up and sign the contract!”

One of them said, “We have evidence of you bribing us.

Another expert said, “That’s right. We’re waiting for Mrs. Morgan to expose you before providing the evidence to the police. If you sign the contract now, we can save you some face and not show the evidence to the reporters.”

Jessica shouted in exasperation, “You bastards! How dare you burn the bridge after crossing it!”

Melody pursed her lips and coldly said, “Justice will always prevail. When you bribed others, didn’t you consider the possibility of them betraying you?”

Jessica screamed, “Melody! You bitch! Don’t think that you can snatch my company away just like that. Let me tell you, I won’t sign the contract even if I die! The company is the fruit of my hard labor over the years. No one can snatch it away from me!”

Melody dug her ear impatiently and said, “Thanks for reminding me of something. There’s something else I forgot to mention.”

Melody turned her head and looked at Kristian.

Kristian immediately understood and took out a stack of documents from his briefcase.

He told Jessica, “Miss Summers, according to the test report today, the formula of All-Purpose Water, developed by your company, is 90% similar to that of Golden Water, developed by Icy Clear Cosmetics. Moreover, a portion of your formula was patented by Golden Water. Therefore, I represent Icy Clear Cosmetics to officially sue your company for stealing the formula of Golden Water.”

Chapter 322

Jessica’s face was ashen, and she revealed an obvious look of panic.

She subconsciously denied the allegation. “You’re talking nonsense! The All-Purpose Water was developed by the company’s R&D department. We didn’t steal any formula from Icy Clear Cosmetics. You’re slandering us! This is defamation!”

Kristian narrowed his eyes and asked, “Does that mean you won’t admit to the allegation?”

Jessica argued, “Why should I admit to something I didn’t do?”

Suddenly, two bodyguards pushed a man forward.

Jessica’s eyes widened when she saw the man.

It was Henry!

He was once a core employee of the R&D department of Icy Clear Cosmetics.

He gave Jessica the formula for Icy Clear Cosmetics Golden Water.

Melody asked, “Why are you here?”

Melody was also astonished by Henry’s sudden appearance.

However, she noticed that the bodyguards looked very familiar. She instantly realized that Ken had orchestrated this.

Melody looked around, but she could not find him.

At the same time, the bodyguards glanced at Henry coldly and ordered, “Tell everyone the truth.”

Henry trembled and confessed with a pale face, “I used to be an employee of Icy Clear Cosmetics R&D department. Later, I jumped ship to Silk Beauty Cosmetics. I was the one who stole Golden Water’s formula and gave it to Miss Summers.”

“You’re talking nonsense! You’re lying!” Jessica denied like a madman. “Henry, if you still want to stay in this industry, be careful of your words.”

Melody questioned coldly, “Miss Summers, are you openly threatening a witness in front of the police and lawyers?”

Jessica was stunned. She stammered, “I wasn’t… I just wanted him to tell the truth.”

“This is the truth.” Henry gritted his teeth and continued speaking, “When I gave the formula to Miss Summers, she placed the formula in the safe in her office. The note should still be there now. Her fingerprints and mine are on it. The police can verify it.”

“Henry! Shut up!” Jessica attempted to stop Henry from speaking with a flying kick.

However, the police stopped her in time. Jessica’s kick did not connect.

The police forcefully restrained Jessica and said to Melody and Kristian, “We’ll bring her to the police station for

interrogation. Please ask your lawyer to handle the rest according to the procedure.”

“Thank you.” Melody nodded and watched as Jessica, who was on the verge of going crazy, was forcibly taken away.

Before Jessica was brought into the police car, she shouted angrily, “Melody! I’ve lost everything because of you. I’m going to kill you!”

Her ultimatum was cut short by a stern warning from the police.

The police car sped away.

After Wilmot thanked Kristian, he looked at Melody with a complicated expression and said, “Melody, I owe you big time. Thanking you doesn’t seem to be enough. If you ever need my help, just let me know.”

Melody’s expression was calm. She had no intention of benefiting from this incident.

She said calmly, “Wilmot, we’re friends. There’s no need for formality. I did help you, but I was the one who suggested the bet. This is what I should do. Moreover, Jessica deserves this. She used Henry to steal your formula and even started a nasty price war. Even if there were no bet, the truth would have been revealed sooner or later. I only accelerated the process.”

Wilmot gaped. He had lots to say, but no words came out of him.

Finally, he changed the topic and suggested, “It’s time for lunch. After settling stuff here, let me treat you to a meal with Mrs. Morgan and Mr. Lawson.”

“Sure,” Melody replied. She suddenly thought of Ken and said, “We might need to include another person in our lunch plan.”

Wilmot asked, “Who?”

“You’ll know at lunch. But there’s a chance that he won’t join us.”

“Alright. I’ll deal with the aftermath first.”

Melody agreed and said, “Go ahead.”

Melody waved him goodbye. After arranging for Zoe and Kristian to rest in a nearby cafe, she dialed a number.

A few seconds later, the call connected successfully.

Before Melody could speak, a deep voice sounded from the other end. “Is everything settled?”

“Thanks to you, things went smoothly. We have sufficient evidence, and I’ve revealed the truth in front of the media. Be it legally or in public opinion, Jessica and Leo will never have a chance to make a comeback.”

“Hmm…” The man on the other end of the phone sounded impatient. After a moment of silence, Ken asked, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“Yes…” Melody pursed her lips and said, “Thank you.”

Ken’s tone turned cold as he replied, “Don’t thank me over another man’s problem. Stay away from Wilmot in the future. He gets himself entangled in various messes.”

Melody frowned. “Are you prejudiced against Wilmot? He’s a good guy. You’ll know if you interact with him a few more times.”

Ken said, “Alright. Save your praises for him. I’m hungry. Come over.”

“Where are you?”

“Look across the street.”

Melody quickly looked across the street and saw a black MPV quietly parked there.

The moment she looked toward the MPV, the backseat window rolled down, revealing Ken’s well-defined side profile.

Ken was indeed right across from where Melody was. Melody took a deep breath and walked over.

She opened the car door and sat in the back seat. She got straight to the point. “You’re hungry, right? Wilmot said that he would be treating us to a meal. Shall we go over together after he’s done here?”

Ken was looking at a complicated report on his tablet. Without even looking up, he said, “I want to eat your cooking.”

Before Melody could reply, Ken added, “As repayment for helping you today.”

Melody could not refuse Ken’s suggestion given his excuse. She hesitated and said, “Then, shall we ask Wilmot and the others…”

Before Melody could finish, Ken rejected her idea, saying, ” No.”

“You…” Melody wanted to say something but did not dare to continue challenging Ken’s patience.

She took a deep breath and said, “Let me inform Wilmot and the others that I’ll not be joining them for lunch.”

“No need.” Ken looked up at the driver.

The driver sensed Ken’s gaze and immediately understood the assignment. He left the car and headed straight toward Wilmot after searching around for a moment.

Ken put down the tablet and went to the driver’s seat. He drove straight toward Serenity Villa.

Melody felt a little puzzled.

She thought, ‘Is he that hungry to the point that he couldn’t even spare me a moment to tell Wilmot I was leaving?”

However, Melody quickly came up with a speculation. She figured Ken was reluctant to wait for her since he was always in charge.

The car sped off toward the villa and was about to pass by a market when Melody hurriedly said, “Stop the car.” Ken quickly stopped the car by the roadside.

Melody explained her intention before Ken even asked. There’s a market nearby. The vegetables and seafood here are very fresh. Let’s buy some ingredients for lunch here. You can also see what you want to eat.”

Melody then remembered that Ken was a clean freak.

She figured he definitely did not want to go to a smelly place like the market.

She noticed that Ken seemed to have taken a shower. The ends of his hair were still wet.

Seeing this, Melody quickly changed her mind and said; Don’t worry about it. Wait for me in the car. I’ll go to the market myself. Tell me what you want to eat.”

“How will I know what I want to eat if I don’t go and take a look?” Ken said and turned off the engine. As Melody looked in surprise, he urged, “Why aren’t you getting out of the car?”

Chapter 323

Melody slowly got out of the car. She confirmed with Ken, asking, “Do you actually want to go to the market?”

Ken replied, “What’s the matter? Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

He gave her a puzzled look, making Melody feel as though she had said something wrong.

She said, “Never mind. Let’s go then.”

She walked in front while Ken followed behind. The huge difference in their appearance instantly attracted the attention and discussion of passersby.

Someone commented, “This is strange. It appears to be a trend for ugly girls to be paired with handsome guys nowadays. This handsome guy’s taste is truly peculiar.”

Another person speculated, “Maybe the woman is very rich. It’s a pity. The man has such a handsome face. Won’t he be better off becoming an actor, rather than being a sugar baby?”

Yet another person lamented, “Sigh. If only I were a rich woman too. Wouldn’t it be nice to gaze at such a face every day?”

Melody and Ken clearly heard the people around talking about them.

Ken frowned and turned to approach the people who had spoken.

Melody quickly grabbed Ken’s arm and said with a big smile, “Bro, where are you going? Didn’t you say we’re going to see if there’s any fresh seafood?”

Ken’s expression froze slightly. However, when he noticed her hugging his arm intimately, he played along.

Meanwhile, the passersby who were discussing among themselves instantly changed their attitude when they heard Melody’s words.

“So she is the man’s sister.”

“We’ve misunderstood them. Let’s go.”

Soon, the sound of the crowd discussing them dissipated. Melody looked up at Ken and said, “There are many people here. It’s better to avoid trouble. Play along and we’ll be done shopping soon.”

Ken raised his eyebrows, and his lips suddenly curled into a teasing smile.

“Sis, you are right.”

As he spoke, Ken casually wrapped his right arm around Melody’s waist. He deliberately raised his voice and said, ” Quick, let’s see what we should have for lunch, Sis.”

“Sis” was clearly a very normal form of address. However, for some reason, when Ken uttered the word, it felt off and Melody felt goosebumps all over her.

She subconsciously wanted to push Ken’s hand away from her waist, but Ken stopped her.

“Didn’t you want me to play along?”

Melody was embarrassed. She shook off Ken’s hand and said, “Not like that. Hurry up and decide what you want to eat.”

She quickened her pace as she spoke, creating some distance between her and Ken.

For some reason, whenever Ken approached her, she felt her heart beating erratically.

Melody thought, ‘This feeling is bad, very bad.’

Melody calmed herself down and forced herself not to let her imagination run wild. She focused on choosing vegetables.

Melody said, “This side is the vegetable area, and that side is the seafood and cooked food area. Let’s choose the vegetables first before buying other ingredients.”

Melody turned to look at Ken.

She saw Ken looking in a certain direction with a cold expression. Although it was only for a moment, she still sensed something was wrong.

Puzzled, she approached him and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Ken retracted his gaze and pretended to choose vegetables. He whispered, “Someone is following us.

Melody asked, “Who is it? How many are there?”

Ken reported, “Not many, just one. He is not very eye-catching, probably a detective or someone in that line of work. He does not look like much of a fighter, but he is good at hiding.”

If it were not for Ken’s innate sharp senses, he would not have been able to discover the person.

Melody suggested, “Shall we head back now?”

Ken replied, “Why would we? Didn’t you need to buy groceries?”

“But didn’t you say someone is following us?”

Ken raised his chin and said, “That’s why we should buy groceries normally. Don’t let him notice that we have

noticed him. We’ll wait until fewer people are around to lure him out.”

Melody nodded. “Got it.”

The two of them cooperated well and acted normally.

After quickly buying vegetables, the two of them arrived at the seafood area.

A strong fishy smell assaulted Ken’s nose.

“What do you want to…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ken looked as though he was about to throw up. He covered his nose and ran toward the back door of the market.

“Ken, are you alright?” Melody’s heart tightened. She asked the stall owner for some napkins and a bottle of mineral water and chased after Ken.

By the time Melody ran out of the market, Ken was nowhere to be seen.

Melody looked left and right and ran toward an alley on her right.

She had only moved a few steps when she heard a muffled groan not far behind her.

She turned around and saw Ken subduing a man in a white short-sleeved shirt on the ground.

“Let go of me.”

The man struggled strenuously, but he was clearly not as strong as Ken.

Melody walked over and looked at Ken. “So, you weren’t about to throw up.’

She thought, ‘I even got napkins and a bottle of water from the stall owner.’

Ken had an expression that said he was not that useless. As he turned to look at the man on the ground, his gaze instantly turned cold.

“Speak. Who sent you to follow us?”

“No, I’m not following you.” The man quickly explained,” Even if I had balls of steel, I wouldn’t dare to follow you, Mr. Swanson. I’m here to follow Melody Fox.”

Melody’s face darkened and she stepped on the man’s finger.

She asked, “Why? Are you picking on the weak?”

The man immediately screamed as he felt the pain from his finger.

“Ouch!”

Melody did not show him any mercy. She grabbed the man’s collar and asked, “Who ordered you to follow me?”

“I… I’m not following you.” The man instantly denied the allegation, contradicting himself.

Melody narrowed her eyes and was about to step on the man again when she saw a few bodyguards in black emerging from the shadows.

As Ken watched, the bodyguards picked up the man on the ground like the latter was a little chick.

Ken asked expressionlessly, “How long will it take for him to talk?”

A bodyguard answered, “Ten minutes.”

“Ten?” A hint of displeasure flashed past Ken’s eyes.

The bodyguard winced and quickly corrected himself. “Five minutes.”

Ken waved his hand and gestured for the bodyguards to bring the man away.

While Ken and the bodyguard were exchanging words, the man was paralyzed with fear. His face was as pale as a sheet as he shouted, “I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything. Don’t hit me.”

Ken glanced at the bodyguard. The bodyguard immediately let go of the man, kicking him in the process.

Ken ordered, “Talk.”

The man rubbed his calf in pain and swallowed hard. “I’m a private detective. My name is Jonathan Smith.”

The man stuttered. The bodyguard saw the impatience in Ken’s eyes and kicked the man again.

The bodyguard chided, “Speak up. What’s your name? John Smith, was it?”

“It’s Jonathan Smith.”

Melody frowned and asked, “Who hired you to follow me?” “I’ll tell you.” Jonathan glanced at Ken’s gloomy expression, and his entire body instantly stiffened again. He

stammered, “It was a woman called Zara who asked me to follow you. Oh right, she’s also a celebrity. She’s been quite popular recently.”

“Zara?” A look of doubt flashed past Melody’s eyes.

She thought, ‘Why would Zara send someone to follow me?’ Jonathan probably saw the suspicion in Melody’s eyes and hurriedly said, “I swear I am telling the truth. If I am lying, may the heavens strike me and my entire family down!” Melody pursed her lips. After two seconds of silence, she said, “Go back and tell Zara that if she wants to know anything about me, she can ask me directly. There’s no need to go through so much trouble. If I find someone following me again, I won’t show mercy.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jonathan nodded repeatedly.

Melody ordered, “Get lost!”

As soon as Melody finished speaking, Jonathan immediately ran out of the alley.

Melody looked sideways at the bodyguards. “Follow him and see where he goes.”

“Yes,” the bodyguards replied and quietly chased after Jonathan.

Seeing this, Ken asked, “Do you think he’s lying?”

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“Yes.” Melody nodded and said, “I’m acquainted with Zara because of her incident with Pamela. I can tell that Zara’s not the type who would send a private detective to follow me. Moreover, this John… I mean Jonathan might be lying to us. His gaze looked shrewd. He’s not the kind of person who tells the truth casually.”

Ken finally remembered who Zara was.

She was an artist from his company.

Back then, Melody even gave Ken’s contact information to Zara, which made him very unhappy. Fortunately, Zara was sensible and did not dare to contact him.

Ken analyzed, “Speaking of Zara, she became very popular ever since the incident of Pamela bullying her was exposed. She appeared in a drama some time ago and is now an A-list celebrity. Are you sure she didn’t send someone to follow you?”

Melody shrugged and replied, “If my judgment didn’t fail me this time, Zara is innocent. Anyway, your men are following Jonathan. The truth will be revealed soon.”

Ken, on the other hand, keenly caught onto a few words.

He asked, “If your judgment didn’t fail you this time? When has it failed you?”

Melody glanced at Ken and said, “It has failed me many times before. Everyone makes mistakes when they are young.”

Ken said in amusement, “How old are you? You make it sound like you’re 70 years old. Alright. We’ll wait for news from the bodyguards. You should continue shopping for now.”

Melody asked, “What about you?”

Ken’s stomach churned again as he recalled the smell of raw seafood.

Ken replied, “You can go ahead. I’ll wait for you in the car.” He ordered a bodyguard to help Melody with the groceries before he strode off.

Melody found Ken amusing.

He was clearly a bold man, yet he was terrified of the market. In Melody’s opinion, Ken was cute.

Thinking of this, Melody was suddenly shocked by the fact that she found Ken cute!

She widened her eyes in surprise and smacked herself in the head.

She scolded herself internally, ‘Melody Fox! You’ve gone crazy!’

She smacked her head several times in a row, making the bodyguard beside her tremble in fear.

The bodyguard asked, “Miss Fox, did I do something wrong?”

Melody came back to her senses. She quickly shook her head and said, “No. Let’s go.”

“Yes!” The bodyguard immediately perked up.

All the bodyguards knew how much Ken valued Melody. Consequently, they made sure they put on their best front when dealing with her.

About ten minutes later, Melody ordered the bodyguard to put the groceries in the trunk and get into the car.

The moment she entered the car, she heard Janet and Sid’s voices through the car’s stereo.

Sid said, “We walked around and didn’t know what to eat. Ken, if you haven’t eaten, come and eat with us. Also, book a delicious restaurant for us.”

Janet chimed in right after Sid had finished speaking.

“Ken, Sid insisted on having lunch with you. If you haven’t eaten, come and join us.”

Ken glanced at Melody, who was sitting in the car, and said calmly, “I’ll eat at home.”

On the other end of the line, Sid said, “Isn’t it boring to eat at home? I haven’t spent any money on this trip back to the country. Give me a chance to treat you to a meal.”

Ken dismissed the two of them, saying, “Maybe some other time. I’m hanging up.”

He then cut off the call without giving Sid a chance to speak.

Melody observed Ken’s expression and said, “If you want to join them, go ahead. We can put the groceries in the fridge. I can come over to cook for you tonight if I’m free. It’s the same either way.”

Ken glanced sideways at her.

Ken said, “Don’t even think about going back on your word. You owe me this meal. Let’s go.”

After saying this, Ken stepped on the accelerator, and the car left the market.

Melody shrugged. She couldn’t wait to repay this debt as soon as possible. She didn’t say anything else and took out her phone to read her messages.

The moment she turned on her phone, she saw a message from Roy.

[Miss Melody, this is bad! Mr. Fox found out that you lost the bet. He has asked us to pack your stuff. He plans to send you back to the countryside when you return. Hurry up and think of a countermeasure.]

Melody raised her eyebrows playfully.

She did not lose the bet.

Melody figured Yolanda and Russell had only seen the first half of the live broadcast.

If not for the fact that Melody had agreed to cook for Ken, she would have rushed back to the Fox residence now to witness Yolanda’s expression when the latter found out the truth.

Ken noticed the change in Melody’s expression and asked, ” What happened?”

Melody shrugged and told Ken about the message she got from Roy. Then, she smiled and commented, “Yolanda said that she’s smart, but sometimes, she can be quite stupid.”

Ken explained, “Rather than saying that she’s stupid, it’s more befitting to say that her judgment is clouded by her concern. Your arrival made her feel an unprecedented sense of danger, so she lost her composure. However, once she comes back to her senses, she won’t be so easy to deal with.”

Melody fell silent when she heard Ken’s analysis.

Ken was right. Melody had defeated Yolanda several times. Yolanda lost because she was too impatient. Secondly, Yolanda lost because she had underestimated Melody.

If Yolanda calmed down, she would not be easily manipulated by Melody as before.

When Ken saw that Melody fell silent, he paused and asked, “Henry Davidson was the guy who betrayed Icy Clear Cosmetics, right? He was instigated by Yolanda to do that. Are you sure you don’t want to utilize this information?”

“Of course, I will use it.” Melody raised her chin slightly and said, “But Henry has already been captured. I’m afraid I can’t do anything at the moment.”

Ken questioned, “Have you forgotten about me?”

Ken continued with a displeased expression, “Your backer is sitting beside you. You’re so smart. Don’t you know how to say something nice to ask for my help?”

Melody’s cheeks heated up. She coughed dryly and asked, ” What do you want me to say?”

Ken rolled his eyes at her.

Ken teased, “Why would you ask me upfront? You’re not being sincere. Find the right timing to flatter me.”

They arrived at Serenity Villa as he spoke.

Ken got out of the car first, leaving Melody in confusion. Melody thought, ‘What could I say to make Ken help me?’ In the blink of an eye, Melody thought of a good idea. She smiled and got out of the car. In Ken’s eyes, Melody glowed with joy as she smiled radiantly.

Ken thought, ‘Melody looks good when she smiles.’

He casually lit a cigarette and said, “Go in first. I’ll have a smoke here.”

“You just got rid of your cough. Don’t smoke too much,” Melody reminded him. Then, she carried all the groceries into the house with the help of the bodyguards.

After Melody entered the house, Ken made a call.

Ken told the other party, “Mr. Dunn, I need your help.”

Meanwhile, Susan and Hattie hurriedly came out of the house to welcome Ken home when they heard the sound of a car approaching.

Hattie’s eyes lit up when she saw Melody.

Susan went a step further and immediately snatched the groceries Melody was carrying from her. Susan said, “Miss Fox, let me do it. I can’t let you carry such a heavy bag. Sit down and rest. We’ll settle the rest.”

Melody smiled wryly.

She explained, “Susan, I was only holding some ingredients for pasta. It’s not that heavy.”

Susan did not listen to her at all. She sat Melody on the sofa without saying anything and turned around to go to the kitchen.

As soon as Melody sat down, Ken entered the house.

He actually felt a sense of security seeing Melody on the sofa.

However, when Ken thought of how Melody clarified that they were just friends before this, he quickly suppressed his emotions and said to her expressionlessly, “Are you here as a guest?”

Melody stood up, looking innocent.

She said, “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Hattie frowned when she saw this scene.

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Hattie thought, Didn’t the others say that Mr. Swanson is easy to talk to? He doesn’t look amiable. He’s bullying Miss Melody now.

Although Hattie was displeased, she did not dare to say anything in front of Ken. Ken had saved her life after all, and his status was worlds apart from hers. She quietly followed Melody into the kitchen.

While Susan went out of the kitchen to serve drinks to Ken, Hattie lowered her voice and quickly said, “Miss Melody, should I stop staying here? I have some savings. I can rent a small house for the time being or go back to my hometown first.”

Melody asked in confusion, “Are you not used to living here?” “No…” Hattie stammered,

Under Melody’s repeated questioning, Hattie confessed, “I feel that you are no longer of equal standing with Mr. Swanson because I’m staying here. You have to toil yourself in the kitchen like me. I really feel sorry for you.” “What?” Melody was shocked. “I don’t feel any less than Ken. I’m cooking today because I owe…

Hattie interrupted Melody and said, “Miss Melody, say no more. You can make an excuse, and I’ll leave with you.” Melody explained helplessly, “Hattie, you’re mistaken. I’m friends with Ken. He helped me many times and is not the kind of control freak you’re talking about. He’s actually quite nice.”

Hattie retorted, “To put it bluntly, I’ve never seen you like this. You do not act this inferior in front of Mr. Fox.”

Melody was stunned.

She thought, ‘Inferior? Do I act inferior in front of Ken?’

Hattie insisted, “I’d better leave with you. I really don’t want you to owe Mr. Swanson another favor because of me.”

Melody sighed and said, “You’ve misunderstood. But if you really don’t want to stay here… How about this? Give me a few days. I happen to be buying a house for a friend of mine. I’ll let you stay there after everything’s settled.”

Hattie heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Alright. I’ll wait for you.”

Right when they concluded this topic, Ken walked into the kitchen.

Hattie’s face turned pale. She came up with an excuse and left the kitchen in a panic.

Ken looked at Hattie’s back as she left. He then looked at Melody and asked, “What did you say to her? Why is she so afraid of me?”

Melody shrugged.

She said, “I don’t know why, but Hattie seems to have a deep misunderstanding about you.”

Ken sneered and said leisurely, “It seems that my notoriety has spread far and wide. But don’t worry. She’s very safe here. I don’t need her to do a lot either.”

“Hattie…” Melody hesitated but did not tell Ken that Hattie was planning on moving out.

She changed the topic and asked, “Why did you come in?” Ken said, “I saw that you bought a lot of fresh ingredients. You don’t have to make a feast. Just something simple will do.”

Melody said in amusement, “Did the capitalist finally know how to be considerate of your subordinates?”

Ken glared at her.

He urged, “Cut the crap. Hurry up and cook. I’m hungry.” Melody shrugged.

She thought, ‘Ken has never said anything nice, which is why Hattie misunderstands him.’

Melody kept quiet and started to get busy.

Seeing how busy she was, Ken asked, “Do you need help?”

“Nope.” Melody waved her hand in dismissal and said, “Get out of the kitchen. The oil might stain your clothes and you’ Il need to shower again.”

Ken pouted and complained, “You don’t appreciate my kindness. Hurry up and cook. If I find out you’re slacking off, you’ll be in trouble.”

As he spoke, he turned around and left the kitchen. He secretly decided it was better to not let Melody cook in the future.

However, Hattie, who was about to enter the kitchen,

happened to overhear Ken’s last statement urging Melody to cook.

Her entire body trembled, and she was even more afraid and unhappy with Ken.

She thought, ‘When I return to the Fox family, I have to tell Maria that even if Melody doesn’t marry Ulric, Maria should never agree to Melody marrying Ken. Ken is too

domineering. Melody will surely suffer if she becomes his wife.’

Ken was about to sit in the living room when he suddenly sneezed.

He wondered if someone was secretly cursing him.

At the same time, the doorbell rang.

Susan hurriedly rushed toward the entrance, but Ken raised his hand to stop her.

He said in a low voice, “Go help Melody. Don’t worry about the door. I’ll answer it.”

“Alright!” Susan’s eyes were full of smiles.

She thought, ‘Mr. Swanson has never answered the door personally before. As expected, Miss Fox is special to him. And yet Hattie doesn’t believe it! Tsk.’

Meanwhile, Ken wondered who would be at the door. He walked to the entrance and opened the door.

Sid and Janet came into view.

Ken subconsciously frowned.

Ken questioned, “Why are you here?”

Sid looked hurt.

Sid complained, “Ken, listen to yourself. Why are you treating me like an outsider? Your home is our home. Isn’t it normal for us to visit you here?”

Beside him, Janet said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Ken. I didn’t want to disturb you, but Sid insisted on coming over to freeload

Ken looked at Sid coldly.

Is there not a single restaurant in the entire Silverlake that will satisfy you?”

Sid pouted. I missed you.”

Ken said, ‘Stop being disgusting. Hurry up and leave.”

For Ken, allowing Melody to cook for Sid yesterday was an exception. Today, Ken did not want to share Melody’s cooking with anyone.

Although he did not know why, he felt uncomfortable with the idea of sharing Melody’s cooking with others.

However, Sid was used to seeing Ken’s gloomy expression and did not sense any difference in the latter’s mood. Sid entered the house directly.

As he walked in, he shouted, “Susan, I’m here! What delicacy are you cooking for lunch?”

Ken took a deep breath and was about to drag Sid out

when he heard Janet say guiltily, “I’m sorry, Ken. Calm down. Sid still hasn’t figured out that you don’t like having guests in Serenity Villa.”

Her eyes were misty, and she looked extremely apologetic.

Ken paused and said with a complicated expression, “Don’t say that. Sid and you are different.”

Janet’s eyes immediately lit up.

Janet asked, “Does that mean we can come over in the future?”

I…'”

Ken was about to say something, but he suddenly recalled what the doctor had told him regarding Janet’s health condition.

When Ken thought about how Janet was sick because of him, he could not help but feel a little guilty.

“Come in.” In the end, he didn’t answer Janet’s question directly.

Janet had mixed feelings. She knew that Ken still did not like them coming over often.

However, she was not in a hurry. She had to take things one step at a time to win Ken’s heart. If she were impatient, she would repeat the same mistake as before.

Hence, she did not insist on an answer. She hummed happily and bent down to change into some indoor slippers.

When Janet looked down, she saw a pair of leather shoes placed at the entrance.

It was a pair of women’s leather shoes.

Janet clenched her fists but quickly regained her composure and entered the villa with a smile.

Janet teased, “Sid, stop shouting. The entire neighborhood will know that you’re here.”

In the kitchen, Melody’s hand holding the knife slipped when she heard Janet’s and Sid’s voices.

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