No.1 Supreme Warrior by Moneto

Chapter 601

“Who dares lay a hand upon our young master? Does he have a death wish?”

It was another middle-aged man who spoke. His body was jacked with muscles, and he looked very

sturdy from a glance.

“I know. He’s got a death wish! F*ck. There’s no need to be afraid of some so-called powerhouse from

Eastfield!”

Another elder also spoke up, extremely furious, “We need to investigate the issue and find the culprit

behind our young master’s death. We must kill him!”

Drag shook his head. “I think we should all just leave under the cover of the night. It’s not safe for us

here any longer!”

“Why? Master, we’ve got plenty of villas and factories here, and our company’s here, too. Are you saying

that you don’t want them any longer?”

One of the men wore a perplexed expression, unable to comprehend why his master would make such a

decision.

“Quil was likely to have been with Marshal Zain. If Quil’s dead, and so are his bodyguards, Marshal Zain

would’ve called me!”

Drag released a sigh. “But the Marshal hasn’t called, which means that he’s probably dead, too. We’ve

provoked someone who shouldn’t have been provoked now. Eastfield is small, but don’t forget that plenty

of war veterans have returned to the city, and there are plenty of Majors and Kings of War there. They

even have a Goddess of War among them!”

“So, what you’re trying to say is that we’ve probably provoked a powerful veteran, sir? And it’s highly

likely that they’re a King or God of War?”

One of the elders surmised after he thought about the matter in silence.

Drag nodded his head. “Quil had said that jackie was the one who leaked the secret to the Gods of War,

and they had only killed my brother, Magnus, in a fit of rage. I suspect that they caused some trouble for

jackie which then happened to attract the attention of the Gods of War. If that were the case, it’d been

extremely unfortunate!”

At this moment, a frightening explosion resounded from outside. The terrifying cacophony of a fight

immediately followed.

A bodyguard of the Xenos family immediately rushed in. “Bad news, sir. Someone’s ambushing our

place. He’s in the mood for slaughter—and he’s very strong. I think he’s the famous King of War, Skylar

Celestino!”

Drag instantly plopped onto his seat when he heard that, fearful. “We’re screwed. We’re completely,

absolutely, screwed. Skylar is an eight-star King of War, an experienced fighter. No one in Sky City can

hope to match his fighting prowess—what more someone from the Xenos family!”

“Ah. We’re too late. We probably would’ve survived if we’d left just a little earlier!”

An elder sighed.

It was too late now. The King of War was already there, ready for blood.

Three resounding crashes echoed consecutively, and three of the Xenos family’s fighters were thrown

into the room. They lay on the ground, breathless.

“My apologies for the intrusion, but your young master offended someone who even I dare not offend. All

the Xenos family can do now is to blame their unlucky stars!”

Skylar’s eyes were icy cold. He stood there, an immovable mountain of pure strength.

Chapter 602

It did not even take an hour for a single man to obliterate the powerful Xenos family of Sky City.

The powerhouses in Sky City were all extremely shocked when they learned about what had happened.

This was the strength of a King of War—the terror of an eight-star King of War. Such power was far

beyond the likes of normal powerhouses.

As to how the Xenos family provoked such a King of War, no one had the answer. They only knew that

the young master of the Xenos family had stirred some trouble in Eastfield, thus, provoking this

frightening enemy.

…

“Dad, Mom, we haven’t gone for a picnic in such a long time. Why don’t we take jackie, Selena, and Kylie

to the countryside for a picnic tomorrow? How about that?”

Over the dining table, Xena suggested after she thought about it.

“Sure. I happen to be free tomorrow, and it’s been a long time since I’ve gone out with Kylie. Since

tomorrow’s a Saturday, let’s go!” Selena said, smiling when she heard about the idea.

“Alright. Now that we’re rich, we can just drive away whenever we want to relax, and buy some stuff for a

riverside barbecue!”

Ben chuckled. He could not help himself from shooting a glance at Xena beside him. “Who knew you’d

learn to enjoy life more and more!”

“Why not? I was thinking we should all go out and have fun together!” Xena smiled.

When Xena and Selena had returned earlier, they did not catch sight of the ten beautiful bodyguards.

Who knew that at this moment, all ten bodyguards were wearing white sneakers and denim shorts,

revealing their long, sexy legs. They wore loose-fitting T-shirts, giving off a seductive yet relaxed aura.

“Master, take a look. How are the working clothes we chose?”

The ten beauties filed into a single line after they came in. Elaine stepped forward and posed the

question to jackie, grinning.

The beauties were all garbed in such uniformed dressing—it had to be said that it looked very easy on

the eyes. Besides, each of them was full of life and vibrancy from a glance.

“You–you look great!”

Ben frowned after he observing them. “These are the bodyguards of the Taylor family? These are our

bodyguards? Why didn’t I see them in the afternoon?”

One of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward. “Are you Young Master Ben? We rested for a while

in the afternoon before we went to get some clothes,” she explained. “We’ve just arrived home, so we

decided to try on our clothes for everyone to see. Are you satisfied with this?”

“Young Master Ben?”

Elation sparked in Ben’s heart when he heard that. That was right. He was a Taylor as well, and he was

a young master of the family. He should have been living the life of an affluent young master from the

start.

Unfortunately, five years ago, he had been kicked out of the Taylor family when he was still young

because of the affair between his sister and jackie. It made him a laughingstock—trash of society who

everyone sneered and looked down upon—a useless scum who only knew how to play video games.

When he was younger, the children of other affluent families who had been his playmates had all

abandoned him eventually.

Being addressed so respectfully again caused a swirl of emotions to stir within his heart.

That was right. He was Young Master Ben from the very start. Finally, he was getting the respect he

deserved!

“What’s wrong, Young Master Ben? What happened?” The bodyguard asked, puzzled.

Chapter 603

“It’s nothing!” Ben smiled awkwardly and continued eating.

“You look good!” jackie also smiled. “But those words on your chests, ‘the Bodyguards of the Taylor

Family’, that’s too attention-grabbing. It’s like you’re trying to tell everyone that the Taylor family has

bodyguards!”

“Does it matter? We’re rich now. Isn’t it normal to hire bodyguards?”

Fiona grinned. “We’ll be going to the countryside for a picnic tomorrow, but since jackie is coming with

us, you all won’t have to come along. You’ll only have to follow us if Xena and I go out shopping in the

afternoon! Just two of you will do. It’ll be too striking if too many of you were to come!”

“Yes, ma’am. Then we’ll take our leave and patrol the area!”

Elaine smiled and brought her bodyguards out.

“Yay! We’re going out tomorrow!” Kylie was extremely elated, her gaze filled with anticipation.

After dinner, Kylie returned to her room to rest.

Meanwhile, jackie and Selena took a shower and laid on their bed.

“We can’t let Kylie know what happened this morning. She’d be worried!” Selena spoke after thinking

about it.

jackie nodded. “Agreed. I never thought Quil would be so bold. Never mind that he lashed out against

me, he even hired people to kidnap you and Xena—and even Mother!”

A frown formed between Selena’s brows. “Now, Quil is dead. I did some digging of my own and found

out that there are two Xenos families in Sky City, and they’re both pretty strong. We don’t know which

family he belongs to, but it doesn’t matter. They’ll probably come to you for revenge once they find out

that you killed Quil!”

After she said that, Selena thought about it for a while before she added, “Dear, did you hire so many

bodyguards because you were worried about this?”

jackie looked at her picture-perfect face before him. “I hired them because I’m worried about you and

your mother’s safety the next time you go out. Besides, we’re rich now. It’s normal to hire bodyguards!”

Here, he paused for a bit before continuing nonchalantly, “As for the Xenos family, don’t worry about that.

It won’t be easy for them to find out the truth since I took no prisoners. Besides, there’s always a solution

to a problem. If we really can’t avoid conflict, I’m pretty good friends with the Goddess of War—we can

go to her for help!”

Selena’s anxiety finally eased after she heard what her husband said. She bobbed her head. “By the

way, Xena’s really weird. She’s never initiated a family outing before, and even if she did, it’d usually just

be her and Ben. Why would she think of including us in her plans this time?”

jackie’s brows furrowed. “You also thought it was strange, dear? I thought so, too. Seems like Xena did a

one-eighty flip. Perhaps she’s in a good mood today because I gave her one million dollars?”

Selena’s expression darkened when she heard that. “She’s definitely seeing a man on the side while

using my brother as a cover,” she said, vexed. “Didn’t we say that we’d find that man and break my

brother’s heart once we had evidence? Why did you go and give her money instead?”

After she said that, she rolled her eyes at jackie. “Don’t tell me that you gave her money because she’s

good-looking?”

“Her?”

jackie did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Not only is she unattractive compared to you, but she’s also

unattractive even compared to Sharon. Why would I give her money because she’s good-looking? It’s

like this…”

Selena’s anger only abated after she listened to jackie’s explanation. “So you’re trying to get her to lower

her guard and reveal her true colors later on!”

jackie nodded. “But I still don’t get why she suddenly asked us all to go out!”

Chapter 604

“I know. I really don’t understand. Is it because you saved her and gave her a million dollars, or has she

really had a change of heart?” Selena speculated for a moment.

“A change of heart?” jackie flashed a frosty smile. “A leopardess like this can never change her spots.

She’s extremely greedy—even greedier than your mother. There’s a possibility that she’s got some

devious scheme in the works for tomorrow!”

“No way. We’re going out and she’s scheming?”

Selena smiled and lay down after turning the lights off. “Let’s go to sleep!”

jackie hugged her from behind. “Dear, we were interrupted by Kylie last night, but she’s asleep in her

room now. Should we…”

“Seriously? Why are you always thinking of such perverted things, you b*stard!”

Panic suddenly gripped Selena’s chest. There was a hint of coyness in her tone.

jackie was delighted when he sensed that coyness. He decided to continue with the game.

He flipped Selena over and pressed his mouth against hers.

“Mmph!”

Selena was extremely nervous, but she wrapped her slim, tapered hands around jackie anyway. The two

became one.

The next morning, Selena stretched her body after she woke up. Her face was slightly flushed, and her

skin looked bright and clear.

“You’re beautiful, dear!”

jackie stared at her, goggle-eyed.

“Hmph. You didn’t even ask for my permission last night and you went ahead and bullied me!” Selena

harrumphed, but warmth emanated from her belly.

To be fair, she had been dead drunk on her wedding night and could not remember anything that had

happened between them.

“your entire face is red, dear. I think I’m falling deeper and deeper in love with you!”

jackie chuckled and hugged Selena who had just gotten off the bed.

“Since when did you learn how to speak such sweet nothings!”

Selena picked her clothes up from the floor and rolled her eyes at him. “Turn around. I’m changing!”

Selena’s cheeks were stained red as she forcibly turned jackie around.

jackie spoke, grinning as his heart was just as full of warmth as before. It seemed that the two were just

about to begin a passionate love story.

“Agh, so annoying. Quiet, you!”

Selena was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. After she finished

changing, she ran over and gave jackie a vicious pinch on the back.

“I never thought you’d have such wild moments too, dear!”

Yet jackie turned around and embraced her, not the least bit irritated. He planted a kiss on her forehead.

“All right. Let’s wash up and head down for breakfast!”

“All right!”

Selena resembled a preening cat in jackie’s embrace, purring with delight. The smile on her face was

small and sweet.

Before, she had hoped to experience this feeling—that she was protected. However, she had no choice

but to be strong for her family when jackie was not around. She had no choice but to be a strong,

independent woman who had to carry the weight of her family on her shoulders.

Chapter 605

Now that jackie was back, she had hope.

“Right. No matter what happens, you have to promise me one thing, dear!” Selena lifted her chin and told

jackie.

“What is it? I’ll promise you anything!” jackie smiled.

“We must find the man Xena’s seeing. She’s extremely clever, so we have to be cautious not to alert

Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt

her!”

Selena thought about it for a while. Then she said, huffing, “Xena has my brother and my parents eating

out of her palm now. They won’t believe whatever you and I say. That’s why we have to catch them in the

act and let my brother see who she really is. Only then will he completely give up on her!”

“All right, I get it. Don’t worry. I’ll be discreet, and I’ll catch the man she’s seeing!” jackie nodded and

promised.

After they washed up, they went into Kylie’s room to wake her up before the three went down for

breakfast.

When breakfast was done, everyone got into their cars and drove to a small river in the countryside.

They set up their barbecue pit, took out the ingredients, and began grilling the food.

There were usually plenty of people barbecuing around the area since it was specially reserved for

barbecues. There were even hired staff to clear the place. However, they would need to pay 20 dollars to

use the facilities.

On one side, there was a public toilet, as well as a few pavilions for everyone to rest and play.

Not too far away was a fairly large supermarket. Business was pretty good in a place like this.

“Mmph! It’s so good!” Kylie relished her chicken skewer.

“It’s a little hot today. You and Ben are drenched in sweat, jackie!”

Xena smiled. She had been calling out jackie’s name in an endearing tone since they left the house that

morning. It was evident that she was a lot closer to him now.

“Oh, right. Thanks for yesterday, jackie. I would’ve been dead if it weren’t for you. You’re my savior!”

Xena smiled and added, “I’ll go to the supermarket and buy some water for all of you!”

“Don’t sweat it. We’re family. I couldn’t just leave you to die. Consider your debt paid as long as you

continue your loving relationship with Ben!” jackie chuckled as he replied.

“Don’t worry. It’ll happen!”

Xena stood up and wheeled around, heading toward the supermarket.

She arrived at the supermarket and bought quite a few bottles of mineral water.

She looked at jackie from a distance. Once she was sure that no one was around, she opened one of the

bottles and popped the medicine into it.

Of course, the pill was amazing. It completely dissolved and no one could tell that it was poisoned.

Once the poison was completely invisible to the naked eye, Xena heaved an internal sigh of relief. She

capped the bottle and placed it on top of the bag, walking towards jackie and the others.

She was well aware that jackie was intelligent. If she gave him the bottle that had an opened cap, he

would definitely be suspicious.

However, she was not an idiot either. She placed the bag on the ground when she arrived at jackie’s side

and immediately took the bottle, wrenching its cap off. She thrust it to him. “Here, jackie. Drink some

water. Look at you. You’re bathing in sweat!”

“Oh!”

jackie frowned. Xena was being a little too nice to him.

Still, it was just a bottle of water. He was probably reading too much into it. He took the bottle from her.

“Thanks!”

Chapter 606

From the side, Ben’s brows furrowed as he was grilling the meat. He could not comprehend the scene

before him.

He was Xena’s boyfriend, not jackie. Why was she never this considerate with him?

Furthermore, jackie was his brother-in-law. Xena’s actions twisted his guts.

Xena’s heart leaped in excitement when jackie took the bottle. She immediately whipped out another

bottle and opened it for Ben. “Here you go, Ben. You’re drenched in sweat, too!”

“Okay!”

Ben was delighted. He instantly snatched the bottle and took a big gulp out of it.

“We’ll grab it ourselves!”

Selena forced a polite smile but was not very happy. jackie was her husband. Since when was Xena

responsible for caring for him?

Besides, she even opened the cap for him. This was being a little too friendly. Even if she did that, she

should have given the bottle to Ben first. Why did she let jackie take it first?

Here, Selena could not help but suspect that she was beginning to like jackie just because he saved her

yesterday, and because he had given her a million dollars. Even if she did not like him, it was possible

that she was trying to seduce him now that she knew that he was rich, so that she could siphon some

money from him.

At this moment, jackie took the bottle and was about to take a sip, but he stopped.

Xena frowned. Was jackie able to detect even a colorless, tasteless poison?

Anxiety clutched at her heart when she considered the possibility. jackie was someone who could kill

without blinking. He would probably give her a single punch and send her into oblivion if he found out she

tried to poison him.

Her expression darkened. She stared at jackie, trepidation pounding in her chest. She felt as though she

could hear her own pulse.

“What’s wrong, jackie? Aren’t you thirsty?” Xena gulped and posed the question tentatively.

jackie craned his head to look at her and flashed a wan smile. “Of course, I’m thirsty!”

After saying that, he tilted his head back and gulped the water down, drinking more than half of it in one

go. In the end, only a little bit was left. He carelessly flung it into the trash can beside him.

He was well aware that there was something in the water—and he was even more aware of what exactly

was in it.

For a brief moment, a murderous intent surged within jackie. He wanted to shred that dmn btch apart.

However, he quickly toned down on his anger.

He remembered what Selena had told him that morning, and he remembered his promise to her—that he

would not alert Xena to his actions. They needed to weed out the man she was seeing, and they needed

to show Ben that Xena was seeing someone else behind his back.

Besides, Ben was here now, and so were Fiona and the others. He would have no way to explain himself

if he killed Xena.

Would they even believe him if he told them the water was poisoned? The poison would probably take

about a month to manifest, so he would be fine for now, almost as if he had never drunk any poison.

Would they believe him? A poison like this was truly dangerous.

More importantly, even if they did believe him, Xena would never admit to it. They would not be able to

do anything if she insisted that she did not know anything, and she would probably shift the blame to the

bottled water company.

Xena heaved an internal sigh of relief when she saw jackie drinking the water—and plenty of it to boot.

He probably did not know anything. Otherwise, he would not have drank nearly the entire bottle in one

go. There would be absolutely no evidence then.

“Come on, let’s eat! The wings are ready!”

Chapter 607

jackie distributed the freshly barbecued wings to everyone. After a while, he stood up. “Take your time

eating it. I’m going to the toilet.”

After he ducked into a cubicle, he whipped out a silver needle and pricked his skin on several

acupuncture points.

At that moment, he vomited all the poison in his stomach.

jackie flashed a cold smile after he kept the silver needle away. “This poison isn’t a bad idea at all, but it’s

shallow of her to try to kill me with this!”

He walked out nonchalantly.

At around one in the afternoon, everyone packed up and drove home.

Xena retreated to her room to rest once they arrived home. Meanwhile, jackie took Selena out for a stroll

through the small patch of forest outside their villa.

“What on earth happened to Xena? She hated your guts before, and now she’s treating you like a god.

Never mind her buying water for you—she even opened the cap for you!”

Selena was still unhappy when she thought about what had happened earlier.

“Selena, she’s not being nice to me. She poisoned that bottle of water!”

Yet, jackie gave her a frosty smile. “If I hadn’t promised you that I’d remain discreet just so we can weed

out the man she’s seeing, I would’ve killed her on the spot!”

“What?!” Selena was shocked. “That–that bottle was poisoned? No way. Didn’t she just buy it?”

jackie smiled again. “She did, but she dropped the poison in before giving it to me. She even pretended

to open the cap for me because she was afraid I’d realize the cap had been opened before!”

“My god. No way. I really thought she had turned over a new leaf just because you saved her and that

she wanted to establish a good relationship with you. Who knew the witch would dare to poison you!”

Selena was extremely angry. “God. You’re such an idiot, dear,” she quickly added, frightened. “Why did

you drink that water, then? And you drank almost all of it!”

“Don’t worry. Your husband is a miracle doctor. I’ve solved this little problem a long time ago!”

jackie chuckled and spoke, “The poison will probably take about a month to manifest if you don’t treat it,

but since I’ve treated it, it won’t be a problem.”

“I’m so mad! I’m going to kill that b*tch!”

The more Selena thought about it, the angrier she became. Xena was really rotten to the core.

Fortunately, jackie was a doctor and sensed that something was off soon enough to cure himself of the

poison. What would happen if it happened to a regular joe? Was she really going to resign herself to the

fate of a widow?

However, she only took two steps before jackie dragged her back. “What are you doing? You’re going to

alert her if you do this. Besides, what proof do you have now? If you go, she might just turn the tables on

us and knock you down senseless instead, and she’ll frame us both. Your brother and your mother won’t

believe you. They’ll definitely think you’re still against her!”

“But I just get so frustrated when I think about it!”

Selena was so angry that she stomped her foot against the ground.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to use her own trick against her. She thinks that I drank that poison so naturally,

she’d want to report the entire situation to her man. I believe someone is manipulating her actions from

behind the scenes because no ordinary person can procure that poison so easily!”

jackie smiled. He was well aware that the poison Xena had fed him was probably the same poison Ken

and Neil had intended to give Fiona, which would have been fed to him eventually.

That was why he surmised that the man behind Xena’s back was probably Ken Clark or Neil Hugo. They

knew that she was someone who would do anything for money, and that was probably why they had

instructed her to administer the poison on him.

Chapter 608

“You’re right. It’s frustrating, but we have to hold our anger back for now. I believe our enemy doesn’t

have any precautions set in place. He’ll definitely reveal himself soon!”

Selena finally calmed down after a while. How could she not control herself when jackie was able to

control himself and drink the poison even after knowing that the water had been poisoned?

The only thing she could do was to hold it all in—for the sake of her brother and her parents so that they

would not be blinded any further by this woman.

“Do we have any countermeasures? Or do we just wait like this?”

Selena could not help but say after thinking about it, “I really think we should hurry up and catch that

b*tch while she’s with the man.”

jackie flashed a bitter smile. “I’m just worried that this man isn’t in an intimate relationship with her. It’ll be

impossible for us to catch them on the same bed. What if the man just wanted to use Xena to give the

poison to me? What if he had already given Xena some down payment earlier? She would have the

money to buy all those clothes and our judgment would’ve been wrong!”

Selena also nodded. “You’re right. If that were the case, my brother will have zero trust in you!”

jackie also frowned. Dealing with this entire scenario was harder than slaughtering enemies on the

battlefield. He noticed that Xena had been buying new clothes and bags quite frequently. She dressed

more seductively, as well. Both he and Selena had assumed that she was seeing a man on the side and

that she had traded her body for money. They thought she was seeing two men at the same time.

However, Xena poisoning him today caused jackie some uncertainty about his initial judgment. If the

man had only given her money to administer poison, how was he going to explain it to Ben?

“I really think we need to be super cautious about everything we do!”

The crease between Selena’s brows deepened. She did not want to waste a single moment because

having a woman like Xena right beside her was like being with a viper in a pit.

Today, she had given jackie the poison. In the future, she might give it to Ben, or her parents. For a

woman as venomous as her, they needed to reveal her true colors as soon as possible.

“Dear, do you have such little faith in your husband?”

jackie flashed her a bitter smile. “I’ve told the bodyguards at the gate a long time ago to keep tabs on her.

If they see Xena walking out alone, without a bodyguard or Ben, they’ll report it to me in secret,” he said.

“I’ve also secretly installed a bug and tracking device on her today.”

“Seriously? You’re amazing, dear!”

Selena was suddenly delighted when she heard that. She impulsively flung her arms around jackie’s

neck, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Now I know you’ve had a plan all along, dear.”

“Of course. Xena’s very cunning. It’ll be difficult to unravel her schemes if we don’t do some scheming of

our own.”

When jackie pressed a button on his side, he could hear everything she was doing.

“All right, Ben. It’s getting late. Rest nicely at home and wait for me. My friends have asked me out for

karaoke.”

Xena’s voice drifted.

jackie and Selena shared a glance when they heard this. Their hearts leaped in delight. Was Xena really

going to head out alone? This was too much of a coincidence. They actually heard what they wanted to

hear the moment they decided to eavesdrop on her.

Ben’s voice rang out as well. “Bring me along, Xena. I’m a pretty good singer, too. I’m so bored at home.

You never bring me out when you see your friends!”

Xena replied, “Why would you come along? They won’t be happy if you’re with me. We’ve already said

that we wouldn’t bring others to our meetings, and we wouldn’t bring men along. Us girls are only able to

completely relax when we’re singing on our own!”

Chapter 609

Xena paused for a while before resuming, “Right. Don’t call me at night either, okay? We always play a

game during our gatherings where we’d put all of our phones on the table, and the owner of the phone

that’s the first to ring will be the one to pick up the bill. We always end up spending over ten thousand

dollars, so I definitely don’t want to pay. We have to save up a bit. Understand?”

“Then, when will you be back?”

Ben’s voice rang from the listening device again.

“Seriously, Ben? Why do I feel like you’ve been nagging at me more and more lately? My friends and I

always hang out, drinking until late in the night. What do you mean ‘when am I coming back’? Of course,

we’re going to go to a hotel to sleep. I’ll come back in the morning!”

Xena was getting a little impatient. “All right, I’m off. See you tomorrow!”

Soon after, they heard the thud of a closing door. It seemed that Xena had gone out.

jackie and Selena heard the clicking of heels from outside, growing softer as the sound faded into the

distance and followed its master down the stairs.

“Dear, it seems like Xena’s going to see that man. This is a golden opportunity for us!” Selena spoke.

jackie nodded. “She definitely thinks that I’ve been poisoned. Now, she either can’t wait to ask for her

reward or she’s going to report the incident to him. As to whether she’s in an intimate relationship with

that man, I don’t dare to ascertain just yet.”

“I do think they’re in a physical relationship!”

Selena mulled over it for a while, then she spoke in a solemn tone, “I have a strong feeling that they are

since she’s so secretive about it. She wouldn’t do this if they weren’t in a physical relationship. Secondly,

never mind that she’s been dressing more provocatively lately, she’s also been spraying on some heavy

perfume. The possibility of them being lovers is very large.”

“All right. I trust your judgment. We can call your brother now and find our proof!”

jackie gave her a small smile and together, they left their room. They also temporarily disabled the

eavesdropping function on the device, only leaving the tracking function on.

“Mr. jackie…”

They did not expect the bodyguard at the entrance to approach them as soon as they exited. “Mr. jackie,

Xena…”

It was evident he had come over to report the situation.

“Never mind,” jackie interrupted him. “I know what’s going on. Go down now!”

The bodyguard nodded and went down.

jackie and Selena stood in front of Ben’s room, their insides stirring with uneasiness. In the end, Selena

sighed heavily before knocking on the door.

“Sis? jackie? What’s going on?”

Ben stared at the two of them suspiciously when he opened the door.

“Let’s go. Don’t forget that promise you and jackie made. If you find her with another man, you’ll kill her

yourself. Right?”

Selena’s expression darkened as she looked at her brother, utterly solemn.

Chapter 610

“Sis, what are you talking about? Hasn’t she gone for a karaoke session with her girlfriends?”

Ben frowned. His features twisted into a slight grimace. Now that his sister and jackie came over looking

for him, they probably had some measure of certainty in themselves.

He never wanted to believe what they said, but he himself felt that Xena had changed a lot lately. She

would frequently go out with her so-called girlfriends, and she would never bring him along.

Still, he harbored hopes that everything was a fluke and that he was reading too much into her actions.

He hoped that jackie would never find his evidence, and he definitely hoped that Xena would wed him

and that they would have the wedding soon.

Yet this day had come, and it had arrived so soon, too. jackie and Selena were both standing at his door.

“How can you be so idiotic, brother? Both of you are about to get married. She’s your fiancée. Why

wouldn’t she bring you along if she’s going to see her girlfriends for karaoke? Besides, this isn’t just a

one-time thing, right?”

Selena was speechless for a while before she spoke with a tinge of disappointment.

“But Sis, she herself said that her girlfriends don’t bring outsiders along and that they can only loosen up

when they’re alone among themselves. That’s why she doesn’t bring me along…”

Ben insisted on believing in Xena.

“So…are you coming along? She’s definitely going to see a man. Don’t tell me you’re chickening out

now? Why are you so scared if you trust her so much?” Selena spoke with irritation in her voice, her

arms folded across her chest.

“Let’s go, then. I refuse to believe she’ll do something like that to me after all I’ve done for her!”

Ben clenched his palm into a fist and stomped out of the door, trudging down the stairs.

Selena shot jackie a glance and the two immediately trailed after him. The three quickly got into a car

and drove out.

“But Sis, Xena has been out for a few good minutes now. Can we even find her? Don’t tell me you know

where she is.”

Ben’s heart palpitated as he sat at the back.

He knew that jackie was clever and that he would always have a plan in wait. Since he and his sister had

brought him out so confidently, they probably had pretty good proof already.

Selena, who sat beside jackie, took his phone out. She turned it on and showed it to Ben.

“You two planted a tracking device on her?”

Ben watched the flashing dot on the screen moving forward. His expression darkened.

“We had no choice. Xena’s extremely sneaky. We’d be found out long ago if we didn’t do this. That’s why

the best method is to let her go first before following her.”

Selena’s lips curled into a bitter smile. Although she felt that this method was a little underhanded, she

had no choice but to go along with it for the sake of her little brother, so that he would finally open his

eyes to the truth.

“She stops! It’s the Grand Star Hotel!” Selena yelled abruptly as she quickly realized that the red dot

stopped moving as soon as it arrived at the Grand Star Hotel.

Chapter 611

After she spoke her last word, she wheeled around to look at Ben. His face went white, as though an

artist had forgotten to put any color on his face.

A few seconds of silence filled the car before Ben blurted awkwardly, “There are several restaurants on

the first floor. Perhaps she made an appointment with her girlfriends to have dinner first, or perhaps they

agreed to meet at the hotel before they head out for karaoke? Isn’t it normal?”

Ben paused for a moment and then his face lit up as if some idea popped up in his mind. “Look! Aren’t

there a few bars next to the Grand Star Hotel? They could’ve just parked their cars in the hotel’s parking

lot and plan to walk over to these bars, right? That’s possible, too! So, Sis, don’t simply make

assumptions. I believe in Xena—she’s not a slutty person!”

Selena was stunned. She could not believe that up until this moment, her dear brother still had so much

trust in Xena, siding her without hesitation. A cold smile crossed her face as she snorted, “My dear

brother, how could you still believe in her? Can’t you tell how cunning and vicious she is? Didn’t you feel

she was acting strange when we went for the barbeque this morning?”

“Acting strangely? Which part of her behavior was strange? I didn’t see it!”

Ben frowned. The folds between his brows grew deeper as he tried to recall any strange act from Xena.

Suddenly, he shouted out of nowhere, “Oh! Sis, are you referring to when Xena handed jackie a bottle of

water? Are you jealous because of that? If that’s the case, Sis, you’re being oversensitive! It’s just a

bottle of water, what’s the matter?”

A frosty smile returned to Selena’s face. “Just a bottle of water? Do you know what was in that bottle of

water…”

Selena briefly recounted the episode to Ben.

“Impossible! Xena’s no such person! How could she do such a thing? Somebody must have threatened

her to do so! Yes! This must be the case, somebody had threatened her!”

The truth could not reach Ben’s ears. He refused to believe it. In his heart, Xena was almost a symbol of

an angel—pure and innocent. She had never allowed Ben to touch her even after being together for so

long. She told him to wait until the day of their wedding night. Only then, would she allow him to touch

her.

A pure-hearted angelic girl like Xena would be hard to find in this world. He truly believed that he was so

fortunate to meet such a perfect girl.

As for the fact that Xena always wore sexy and provocative clothing and loved dressing up, that was

because Xena was a fan of fashion! There was nothing wrong with her pursuit of fashion. Not to mention,

the love for beauty is a woman’s nature.

jackie drove the car and parked outside the Grand Star Hotel as they spoke.

He grabbed his phone from Selena and said in a firm and solemn tone, “Ben, this button will turn on the

eavesdropping function of the device that I’ve secretly planted under her bag. This small device not only

helps to track but also to listen to the sound around it. The only flaw is that this device can’t record their

voices. However, I believe that the eavesdropping function is sufficient for us to know whether or not

Xena’s meeting her girlfriends as she said. Once I turn on this button, we’ll know the truth!”

jackie stopped for a moment before he resumed, “The red dot has stopped in this area. This indicates

that Xena has arrived at her destination. Now, do you dare turn on the function to listen in on her?”

Ben gritted his teeth, stretched out his finger, and finally tapped on the button on the screen.

A man’s voice came from the phone.

“Baby, finally you’re here! You’ve made me wait for so long!”

A coy woman’s voice emerged in the next second. It belonged to Xena.

“Jeez. I have to sneak out every time I want to see you. I even have to look at the rearview mirror when I

drive to make sure nobody follows me. You’ve made me into a thief now. Ivan, I don’t want to live a

fearful life like this anymore!”

“Ivan Taylor!” jackie and Selena exchanged glances in unison. Their eyes widened at the fact. They had

their guesses and made a lot of speculations, but Ivan Taylor had never crossed their minds. How could

they have guessed that the b*stard Xena was seeing was Ivan Taylor!

Moreover, judging from the conversation itself, it was obvious that this was not the first time they were

together—they must have been together for a very long time.

Selena switched her gaze over to Ben. This time, Ben was no longer calm. He clenched his fists and

gritted his teeth, staring straight at the phone. Rage was consuming him alive. The veins on his neck

were popping out, and at the same time, his eyes reddened.

Chapter 612

“How could it be him?”

Selena’s forehead puckered. She was at a loss for words. If Xena was with the others, it would not cause

this much emotional damage. How could it be Ivan Taylor?

Even jackie’s face turned gloomy at this fact.

After all, Ivan was Selena’s cousin. If it was Ken Clark or the others, jackie could have just ended their

lives without thinking twice.

Ken and the others were always targeting jackie and his family. They even wanted to slit jackie’s throat. If

the poison was given by Ken, jackie would have no worries about killing him.

However, if the person behind it was Ivan Taylor, the situation became more complicated. Ivan is a Taylor

and Selena’s cousin, after all. If he sent him to the grave, it would be too much. Besides, Ivan had never

inflicted grave harm on jackie before, other than hatred, mockeries and contempts.

Furthermore, if Old Master Taylor knew that jackie had killed his only grandson—Ivan Taylor—he would

spew blood to death. Not to mention, Xena was the one who initiated the dirty deed and had offered

herself to Ivan. Hence, Ivan could not be blamed completely.

Besides, the Taylor family’s anger would spike if jackie killed Ivan just because of their secret affair.

After all, one hand cannot clap alone. It was not as if Ivan had forced Xena into this.

“Dear, what do you say? I’ll follow you!”

Feeling uneasy to decide after considering all the possibilities, jackie threw the ball to Selena, letting her

decide.

“Xena, this woman, I’ll let my brother end her. As for Ivan Taylor, hmmm, it wouldn’t be a good idea to kill

him. He’s responsible for the South Hill Real Estate projects and he’s my cousin, too. If we kill over this

matter, Grandpa Taylor won’t be satisfied.”

After giving some thought to the situation, Selena opened her mouth, “However, it doesn’t matter if Xena

was the one who offered herself to him or he went to Xena first. We can’t let this slide. Beat him up, hard!

Make him bedridden for at least half a month!”

“By the way, I’ve some great news to tell you!” Xena’s voice rang from the phone again.

“Oh, what’s making you so giggly?” Ivan returned, smilingly.

“The good-for-nothing b*stard jackie drank the poisoned water yesterday! And he’s completely unaware

of it!”

Xena beamed and her mouth curved into a wicked smile. “As long as this b*stard dies, you can

announce our relationship in front of everyone in the Taylor family. I’ll officially be your girlfriend then I

won’t have to be with Ben the hopeless waste any longer!”

“Did you really give jackie the poison? Are you sure?”

Ivan’s surprised voice contained a hint of disbelief. He had been looking forward to this day for a very

long time!

“Of course, I’m sure! Yesterday, I purposely suggested going on a barbeque picnic. He was responsible

for the grilling, which made him sweat like a pig. So, I volunteered to buy them some drinks and seized

the opportunity to put the poison pill into his bottle of water. I pretended to help him open the bottle

before handing it to him. I seriously didn’t expect that he’d drink the whole bottle of water in one go

without questioning anything…”

As she narrated the incident, brazenness and arrogance could be heard in Xena’s tone as though she

had accomplished a glorious deed.

“Well done, Xena, well done! Also, it’s just one month away from Selena’s birthday, and that day will also

be jackie’s memorial day. His body will become weaker and weaker as the days pass, and in his last two

days, his body will fester. Hmph! Everyone will celebrate when he dies!”

Ivan laughed aloud, and then added, “Babe, come here. Let me undress you. You deserve a good

reward from me!”

“Aww. You’re so cute when you’re impatient to get me!”

Xena’s voice was full of coquetry.

“You little imp. You don’t say what you think, do you?”

Ivan let out a laugh.

In the car, Ben was burning with so much anger he was about to explode.

It turned out that what jackie and his sister had been saying was true, that Xena, this slutty woman, had

long been in private affairs with other men.

Moreover, jackie’s statement about Xena poisoning him was proved to be true, too.

Never did he expect that Xena was such a woman—a rotten and dirty woman. What she said about him

—a hopeless trash—was completely beyond his imagination as well. She was nasty!

“Oh, right. Don’t forget to buy me a villa, too!” Xena’s voice appeared again.

Chapter 613 Ben gnashed his teeth as the anger thrummed through his veins. He stretched out his hand

Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm

and tapped the button on the screen, turning off the listening device. In the next second, he got out of the

car and strode towards the hotel.

“Let’s go!”

jackie and Selena exchanged quick glances before getting out of the car to follow behind Ben.

The three appeared at the front desk of the hotel in a flash.

“Please check which room Ivan Taylor is staying in!” jackie commanded with a frosty expression.

“Mr., our customer’s information is confidential. I’m sorry but I can’t tell you…” The female receptionist

replied politely.

Without further ado, jackie pulled out a stack of bills from his wallet and slapped them on the desk. “You

have two choices here. First, find out the room and the money belongs to you. Second, I’ll kill you right

away!”

jackie’s words had successfully frightened the female receptionist. She knew that there were many

people in this world that she could not afford to offend.

Even their boss would not provoke such a person.

Clearly, jackie fit into the definition of ‘such a person’.

The female receptionist frantically typed on the keyboard and searched through the system. “Room five-

oh-two!” she yelled.

jackie let out an icy laugh. “I’m glad you brought your brain with you today!”

The stack of bills was left on the receptionist’s desk. The three of them strode towards the elevator and

took it to the fifth floor. Soon, they arrived outside of Room 502.

“Oh no! It’s a keycard door! We can’t open it!”

The skin between Selena’s brows crinkled when she noticed the hotel room door was inaccessible.

However, the top-notch quality door was kicked wide open with just a single kick from jackie.

After the three entered the room abruptly, Xena—who was lying in the bed—emitted a piercing scream.

She was so frightened that she hid under the blanket, using it to cover her body and face in hopes that

her face was not exposed to the intruders.

When the door burst open, Xena reacted almost instantly. She knew that something was wrong so she

hid under the blanket right away.

Ivan’s expression morphed into one of horrified surprise as well. The only clothing left on his body was a

pair of boxers. He quickly put on his shirt and a pair of pants.

“ jackie, Ben, Selena, why are you here? Are you guys insane? How dare you break into my room!”

Ivan got out of bed, a frosty expression covering his face. He reprimanded them aggressively.

“You son of a b*tch!”

Ben could no longer hold back his anger. He leaped toward Ivan with a firmly balled fist, slamming a

punch on the bridge of Ivan’s nose.

The punch sent Ivan backward, causing him to fall onto the ground, hard. When he got up on his feet, a

stream of scarlet blood flowed from his nostrils and down his face.

“Motherf*cker! Ben, are you nuts? Why did you hit me? What right do you have to hit me!”

Ivan stabilized himself on his feet and shot Ben a deadly stare. “The woman in bed right now is from a

nightclub! I found her in a nightclub! Why the f*ck did you hit me?”

“Stop pretending, f*cker! Stop lying! Do you think I don’t know who’s under the blanket? That’s my

fiancée!”

A fresh swell of rage rose in Ben again as he charged forward, swinging his fist at Ivan.

Chapter 614 Xena hid under the blanket. She did not dare make a sound because she believed that

when Ben and the others barged into the room, they did not manage to see her. Therefore, they could

have just been throwing some guesses to lure her out. As long as Ivan kept denying it, there would still

be hope for her to stay hidden.

Ivan saw the fist that was coming right at his face but this time, he was well prepared. He swayed slightly

to the left, just enough to avoid the blow, and then he shot his right knee upwards, striking Ben’s

abdomen.

Ben’s abdomen was struck by Ivan’s powerful kick. He plopped onto the ground.

“Ridiculous! How would you know if it was Xena? Don’t simply make assumptions!”

Ivan swallowed down his nervousness and kept it in check, making sure the three did not pick up

anything strange from him. “I got this woman from a nightclub! What fiancée? Stop spewing nonsense!”

He retorted in a pretentious yet calm tone.

“Ah! I’ll fight you to death!”

Ben shot up from the ground and charged toward Ivan, again.

Nonetheless, Ben was sent flying backward with another kick. He plummeted to the ground, again. Ben

was not on par with Ivan.

“You’re indeed useless trash! Do you think I’m as weak as you? I’ve had bodyguards since I was young.

Of course, I’ve learned and practiced a few moves! And you? Your pathetic brain is only filled with

games! Yet, you still dream about beating me?”

Ivan emitted a wicked chuckle, brazenness and arrogance covered his face as if he was the ruler of the

earth.

“Hmmm. Ivan Taylor, did you just forget my existence?”

jackie put on a cold smile. Ivan gave the poison to Xena, and if he could not kill Ivan, at least he would

give him a good and unforgettable lesson!

“ jackie, you, stop right there! I didn’t even sleep with your woman, why are you being nosy? Besides, the

things between men and women are out of their own will. I didn’t force her to sleep with me!”

When Ivan saw that jackie was about to approach him, he unconsciously stumbled back to the corner of

the room, gulping fearfully. Even though he knew a bit of fighting, he could only, at best, beat someone

like Ben Taylor. Fighting with jackie? It would be like an ant trying to pick on an elephant—no chance.

“Can’t do. He’s my beloved wife’s brother, after all. You beat my dear brother-in-law, it would only be fair

if I beat you up to avenge him, right?”

The corners of jackie’s mouth curled upwards, showing a disdainful smile. He walked slowly towards

Ivan, painfully slow.

At this time, Ben had got up on his feet as well. He wiped off the blood near his nose and shot Ivan a

hateful stare.

jackie glanced over to Ben and said, “Ben, didn’t you promise us before? If the woman under the blanket

was Xena, you’d end her life yourself, right? You said that as long as I found evidence for you, you’d

send her to hell. Don’t you forget our deal!” jackie paused for a moment and continued, “So, I won’t do

anything to Xena. You should be the one to do it!”

Ben’s teeth were gritted firmly as he looked at the shivering figure hiding under the blanket. He strode

belligerently to the bed and pulled the blanket sheet away forcefully.

“Ah!”

Xena, who was hiding under the blanket sheet, trembled at the thought of knowing jackie was here as

well. Her hope to stay hidden and alive was ripped away completely when she knew that jackie was here

and that Ben was going to kill her. Her heart hammered in her chest and her body shook with fear.

She could not figure out how jackie and the others discovered where she was and that she was secretly

seeing Ivan. She deliberately took extra precautions when she went out today! She even kept an eye on

the surroundings when she got out of her car in the hotel’s parking lot. No one and no car was following

her, not to mention jackie and the others!

“Ben Taylor, what are you doing! F*cking pervert! I haven’t put on my clothes yet!”

Xena stretched out her arms immediately to grab her clothes.

As for jackie, he did not even bother to look at them. Instead, he walked up to Ivan and threw him a

powerful kick, a kick that sent Ivan flying backward.

Chapter 615 Ivan was kicked back against the wall before falling heavily onto the ground. The pain

crushed him inside out. Every jostle sent ripples of pain through his shoulder, back, and neck, causing

him to curl like a cooked prawn.

A few more merciless kicks were thrown at Ivan as jackie approached him.

Ben did not move an inch. He stood as still as a statue, only staring menacingly at Xena. He was hoping

with all his heart that he would not witness the scene that he hated the most. However, he could not

avoid the truth anymore.

Xena put her clothes on quickly and returned Ben’s stare. “Ben Taylor, you can’t completely blame me for

this. You can only blame yourself and your uselessness. Do you think I’d be with Ivan if you weren’t a

useless piece of trash?”

“Fck!” Finally, Ben exploded. He could not hold back his rage any longer as he gave her a few heavy

slaps across her face. He snarled, “Shameless fcking b*tch! Pretending to be all elegant and pure in front

of me every day! You’re just a nasty, filthy witch who does dirty deeds behind people’s back!”

“You! How dare you hit me!”

Xena clasped both hands over her cheeks, scarcely believing her eyes. With a look of despair, she said,

“Ben Taylor, how could you! I’m fortunate that I decided not to give myself fully to you. You’re a grown

man, yet, you’d hit a woman? Luckily, I’ve yet to marry you. Otherwise, I’d suffer from domestic violence

in the future!”

The heartache tormented Ben and he raised his arm high again. However, his movement stopped midair.

On the other hand, Xena was staring straight into Ben’s eyes with a hateful sneer on her face. “Just hit

me! Stop being a useless gnat and hit me! A grown man who’d beat a woman? How can I be with a

person like that? Besides, I’ve been with you for two to three years now and I’ve never seen a hopeful

future from being with you! Especially back then, have you even bought me a branded bag before? Or

perhaps some decent clothes and lipstick?” she provoked.

Ben’s tongue was tied by a series of questions. He stood frozen. At this moment, he actually began to

believe that he was at fault.

Selena, who stood behind Ben, could not stand the situation anymore. She went forward and served a

few slaps on Xena’s cheeks.

“Fcking btch! What right do you have to hit me!”

Xena was soaked in anger. She knew inside out that Ben loved her very much, so naturally, he would be

reluctant to beat her. For a long time, Ben was even afraid of her.

Nevertheless, she never thought Selena would come forward and slap her!

“Aren’t you a shameless slut? Indeed, my brother was not wealthy before, but every time he had

something good, he’d share it with you! The money he’s been saving up was always for you to go for

your karaoke sessions or to the internet café to enjoy yourself! During the years that you two have been

together, how much have you contributed?

“You’re a gold digger and this is an iron fact! You approached Ivan and slept with him for his wealth! How

dare you shamelessly shove all the blame onto my brother now!”

After Selena finished barking at Xena, she wheeled around and spoke to Ben, “Ben, why are you still

standing here with a puzzled look? End her right now! Trash like her should be eliminated immediately.

Don’t tell me you want to keep this rubbish to celebrate the new year? Have you forgotten the agreement

with jackie? Today, you must act like a man!”

“Kill me if you dare!”

Xena raised her head, staring straight into Ben’s deadly pupils. “I don’t love you and don’t want to marry

you. That’s because I think you’re incapable! You’re a useless piece of trash that only knows how to play

games all day. What’s the use? Moreover, I’m not even married to you, I’m just your girlfriend! I have the

freedom to be with whoever I want to be!”

“Shameless!”

The more Ben thought, the angrier he grew. He slapped Xena hard before pushing her down on the bed.

His hands were around her neck, choking her. “I—I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you today! You f*cking gold digger!”

Anger rose in Ben like a tide. His bloodshot eyes were full of wrath and he looked as though he had

emerged from hell. “I’ll end you! Fcking shameless btch!”

Chapter 616 “Ben Taylor, you son of a btch! It’s a consensual relationship! What right do you have to kill

her? You can’t blame Xena just because you’re a piece of useless sht!” Ivan yelled. He spat out a

mouthful of blood after receiving a few kicks from jackie, yet he could not hold himself back.

After all, Xena had helped him a lot, and there was much affection between the two of them. He truly did

not wish humiliation and death for Xena.

Besides, he was hoping to enjoy the scene of introducing Xena as his girlfriend in front of the Taylor

family. He wanted to see how anger and rage consumed Ben and Selena alive.

Xena was struggling underneath Ben. Her body was getting feebler and feebler, her face turned blue and

it seemed like she was about to die.

However, Ben could not bring himself to kill her in the end.

Warm tears blurred his vision. He let go of Xena and fell to the side, mentally and spiritually destroyed.

Xena clutched her throat and could not stop coughing and gasping for air. She was panting heavily.

“Brother, what are you doing? How can you just…”

Selena was at a loss for words. Xena was about to breathe her last breath, and Ben could have avenged

himself! Yet, her softhearted brother decided to give up at this critical moment.

“Sis!”

Ben lifted his head with reddened eyes. He was fighting back his tears until he could no longer hold them

anymore. Tears ran down his cheeks like a river. “Can someone really kill the one they love with their

whole heart? She betrayed me, and my heart broke, but…but, I can’t bring myself to kill her. I love her

beyond everything. I just can’t do it! And she’s right, I’m useless, I’m not capable at all. I don’t even dare

to take someone’s life!” he managed to breathe out some words with a tone of despair.

Selena suppressed a tremble inside her. She understood Ben’s feelings very well.

Yes, Ben was right. He loved Xena too much. Even though the other party had wronged him, for him to

kill someone he loved the most was a little too cruel and inhumane.

Xena, who had recovered from the previous episode, took the advantage of the timing and got up and

rushed out the door. She was afraid that if she was a second slower, Ben would change his mind.

As Xena ran out of the room, Selena breathed out a sigh of defeat and sat down on the side of the bed,

feeling helpless.

She could fully understand Ben’s feelings. It was already arduous for Ben to let go of this deeply rooted

affection, what more killing the one he loved?

Perhaps, Ben would feel better in a few days.

Ivan, who was lying on the ground, spat out another mouthful of crimson red blood. His face had been

beaten blue and black.

“Enough. Let’s go. You’ll beat him to death if you continue!”

Selena switched her attention over to jackie and Ivan and sighed tiringly. She walked over to jackie and

pulled at his sleeves, asking him to stop the beating.

“Ivan Taylor, listen to me clearly. What happened today is due to what you did in the past. You reap what

you sow. You can find whoever to sleep with and have an affair with, but you went for Xena. What does

that say? I think you did it deliberately!”

jackie also understood that if he killed Ivan merely because of a consensual secret affair, he and Selena

would not be able