She was well aware that Riley was just doing all this in her attempt to dissuade Mr. Snyder from continuing to go after her. With the inclusion of a powerful and influential ‘rival’, they had hoped that Mr. Snyder would retreat after realizing that his competitor was much stronger than he was.
However, Cundrie hadn’t expected her sister to actually exaggerate the facts this much! To think that she had even gotten Mr. Crawford from Mayberry involved!
Meanwhile, Xyon and those from his family were all silent, not daring to say a word as their legs quivered in their stupefied state.
After all, the family knew that Mr. Crawford’s subordinates were all very proficient in martial arts. Since—as Abner had said—Gerald was so strong, that meant that there was a high chance that he truly was Mr. Crawford’s subordinate!
‘Does… does that mean that we’ve offended Mr. Crawford…? Are we going to perpetually be doomed then? Never to succeed again?!’
These were the thoughts of those from Xyon’s family, who had all gone pale by this point.
As for Mrs. Smith, while she had initially been against her daughter’s decision of allowing Gerald in, the moment she heard Riley’s explanation, she felt like she had arrived at the pinnacle of her life.
‘What?!’
No wonder her two daughters had been acting so mysteriously all morning! As it turned out, Mr. Crawford apparently had interest in Cundrie! He had even specifically sent someone over to invite her eldest daughter to some occasion!
‘This… Compared to Mr. Crawford, Mr. Snyder is nothing but dirt! D*mn it all! How dare you even wish to gain my daughter’s affection when you’re inferior to Mr. Crawford in all aspects!’ Mrs. Smith thought to herself in excitement.
The Snyder father and son themselves—who were still on stage—were now exchanging glances with each other rather agitatedly.
Mr. Snyder in particular looked like he was just struck by lightning, immense feelings of jealousy and helplessness swirling within him. After all, not only had his hopes and plans been ruined, but everything he owned could potentially be taken away from him now!
However, he simultaneously appreciated that electrifying feeling. With it, he was frightened enough not to show any signs of resistance, and he knew that it was for the best—at least for now—so that he wouldn’t end up digging a deeper grave for himself.
Regardless, they weren’t the only ones flabbergasted by the revelation. Gerald himself was wide-eyed in shock as he thought to himself, ‘…The hell? So the master of the invitation card is supposed to be me?!’
Attempting to calm himself down, Noel then asked, “…M-miss Smith, did that person over there truly come over to send the invitation card on behalf of Mr. Crawford…?”
“…H-huh? Are you actually doubting Mr. Crawford’s subordinate, Mr. Snyder? Aren’t you afraid that you’ll offend Mr. Crawford?” asked Riley as she instantly began blushing. After all, even she wasn’t aware of how many rooms there were in the villa.
Cundrie herself began clenching her fists tightly, feeling extremely nervous. If they managed to see through Riley’s lie, then Cundrie would definitely be the most embarrassed person that day!
Brimming with anxiety, sweat began falling down Cundrie’s forehead as she thought, ‘I’ve already told you how smart and slick Noel was! He’s not someone who gets cheated easily!’
“…There are a total of thirty-six rooms that are divided into upper, middle, and lower floors. Since Mr. Crawford was born in a family that appreciates literature and art, the middle floor is used to display masterpieces that include ancient paintings, famous western oil paintings, and many other works of art from all over the world. Behind the mountain top is a large hot spring pool built high above the clouds that can accommodate over two hundred people!”
“The villa is even equipped with workspaces for staff from the medical, catering, entertainment, and several other relevant fields. There’s even a helipad for helicopters to land and take off from!”
Despite Cundrie’s worries just seconds ago, Gerald didn’t even hesitate to explain everything there was to know about the villa. In fact, he did so in a way that suggested that he was quite familiar with it.
After Gerald was done explaining, both Riley and Cundrie could only look at Gerald in utter disbelief.
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