Chapter 33 See Which One You Like

Navigating through the narrow alley, Alice ditched her blood-stained coat, gloves, mask, and baseball cap into a trash can, then tossed in a lit lighter for good measure.

By the time she rounded the corner, flames were already licking up from the trash can.

She ducked into a cold drink shop, washed her hands, and grabbed a milk tea. She plopped down by the floor-to-ceiling window, her eyes fixed on the Golden Shadow Bar across the street.

She figured it wouldn't be long before Julia got rescued and sent to the hospital.

Just then, three cars pulled up in front of the bar.

Alice squinted, nibbling on her straw as she watched the guy step out of the lead Maybach.

'Henry? What is he doing here?'

As if sensing something, Henry suddenly turned and looked in Alice's direction.

Alice quickly turned away, letting her seaweed-like hair fall over her face.

She brushed her hair aside, sneaking a peek out of the corner of her eye, only to see Henry heading her way.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she gripped her milk tea cup tighter.

Across the street, after a bus slowly rolled by, Henry looked again at the spot by the window of the cold drink shop, but Alice was already gone.

He checked his watch. It was already 10 PM.

How could Alice possibly be here?

He frowned, thinking he must've been mistaken.

Alice's words echoed in his mind. "Uncle Henry, I won't say anything inexplicable or do things that trouble you anymore."

He closed his eyes tightly, feeling a wave of irritation, and tried to calm himself down.

Ethan approached. "Mr. Howard, Julia's inside, but she's hurt. She's in Vincent's lounge, waiting for an ambulance."

'Julia is hurt?'

Henry was a bit puzzled and walked into the bar.

From the lounge came Julia's painful groans, "It hurts so much! Who the hell dared to hit me? I'm so pissed off!"

At that moment, the lounge door was kicked open, and Henry walked in.

Julia, lying on the bed, saw a glimmer of hope. She got up, whimpering, "Henry, I was beaten so badly!"

Vincent was holding a blood-stained towel, slowly standing up from his crouched position. He had been wiping Julia's blood.

Henry gave Julia a cold look. "You hired someone to hurt Alice."

It was a statement, not a question.

Julia's heart skipped a beat, and she even forgot to cry.

A few seconds later, she pretended to be calm. "Henry, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

Henry glanced at Vincent and began to explain, "You hired him to find a hacker, then had the hacker find Clara's fan John. He incited John's emotions to make him hate Alice and harm her."

Julia, caught red-handed, felt her vision go black. She raised her hand to her forehead. "I don't understand what you're saying."

Seeing her stubbornness, Henry glanced at Ethan.

Ethan gestured, and two bodyguards stepped forward to press the pale-faced Vincent to his knees.

Ethan looked at Vincent. "You have one chance. If you don't tell the truth, you'll bear the consequences."

Hearing Ethan's words, Vincent turned to Henry. "Mr. Howard, please spare me. Julia made me do it. I have no grudge against Alice. How would I know Alice was your person? I wouldn't have dared otherwise!"

Seeing Vincent shift all the blame onto her, Julia shouted angrily, "Vincent, you're lying! You dare say you didn't know Alice and Henry were connected? You even asked me to cover for you in the future!"

Vincent gritted his teeth. "You bitch! I helped you, and you stabbed me in the back!"

Seeing Henry's cold expression, Ethan signaled the bodyguards, and Vincent's painful wails soon filled the room.

Julia knelt before Henry. "Henry, I was wrong. I just didn't want you to be deceived by Alice. Think about why she made herself look so ugly before. She must have wanted to get rid of Oliver and get close to you. Don't be fooled by her innocent act!"

Henry frowned. "That's no excuse to hurt her!"

"Henry, we've known each other for over ten years. How long have you known her? Do you really understand her?"

Henry's face turned stern. "Go back and tell your father, the partnership between the Diaz Group and the Howard Group ends here!"

"No!" Julia tried to grab Henry's pant leg but missed.

Henry turned around, his eyes cold. "Teach her a lesson. Don't hold back."

Julia cried out, her sobs hoarse. "Henry, you can't do this to me. Don't be fooled by that bitch Alice."

Ethan stepped aside and looked at the bodyguards. "Slap her!"

The bodyguard approached and looked at Julia's swollen face. He flexed his wrist and slapped her hard.

Ethan got into the car twenty minutes later. He looked back at Henry, who was smoking. "Mr. Howard, Ms. Diaz has been slapped unconscious. Her father has been notified to pick her up."

"Okay."

"The hacker Shadow's commission has been transferred. This guy is too greedy. His skills aren't as good as Lone Wolf's, yet he charges more. If Lone Wolf were available, it wouldn't have been his turn."

"If you're not as skilled, then just shut up!"

Ethan pouted, "Yes."

"Head back to the manor."

The Howard Manor was brightly lit now.

When Henry walked in, Paloma was massaging Dash's legs.

She looked at Henry, her tone filled with displeasure. "You haven't been home for a few days."

"Yeah, I've been staying at Opulence Haven Villas," Henry said.

Paloma threw a brown paper bag on the table. "Are you staying at Opulence Haven Villas or Bluewater Bay?"

Hearing this, Henry narrowed his eyes as he opened the paper bag and saw lots of photos of him and Alice together.

"You had someone follow me?" Henry said in a deep voice.

Paloma said, "We didn't. Someone sent these to the Howard Manor."

Henry guessed it was Julia.

"What's your relationship with Alice from the Savoy Family? Why is she staying with you?" Dash asked.

Henry casually tossed the photos on the table. "I am his uncle. The Howard Family owes her, so I gave her the house. She's been through a lot lately, and I'm just helping her out."

Mentioning the Howard Family owing Alice, Dash's tone softened. "Although there's nothing intimate in the photos, people will gossip. She was once Oliver's fiancée. If rumors spread about you two, it would be considered incest! The public will be in an uproar! It would be a scandal for you and the Howard Group!"

"I don't care. We did nothing wrong."

Paloma sighed, "Didn't you? After all, there's no blood relation. It's better not to get too close. Besides, you can't take care of her forever! You're twenty-eight and it's time to think about marriage." As she said, she took out an album. "Henry, these are all the debutantes from Loshanda. See if you like any of them?"