Chapter 742: Discovering the Conspiracy 3

Chapter 742: Chapter 742: Discovering the Conspiracy 3

Leona Grant didn’t even know how he’d answered the phone. Once the call connected, Xylas Shepherd’s voice came through.

He stared blankly into space, not knowing what to do or what to say.

"Leona, are you listening?"

After a long moment, just as Xylas Shepherd thought he wasn’t going to say anything and was about to hang up, Leona Grant suddenly spoke. "Here."

After another long silence, he spoke again. "Where are you drinking?"

"The usual spot, of course. We’re at—"

The call was disconnected before Xylas Shepherd could finish.

He frowned and grumbled, "What the hell..."

"Xylas, thank you."

Vivian Yates handed him a drink and said gratefully, "Thank you for helping me clear my head. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even known where to stay. Now you’ve brought me out to cheer me up... You’re honestly the kindest person I’ve ever met. Thank you so much."

A flicker of an unreadable emotion crossed Xylas Shepherd’s eyes. He gave a bashful smile and said warmly, "We’re all friends here. Besides, Leona’s on his way. Once he arrives, we can call Annabelle over, and you can properly explain why you left. Annabelle and Leona are both good people; they won’t hold it against you. Haha, a buddy of mine owns this place, so make yourself at home."

With that, he took the drink she offered and downed it in one go.

"Okay, I’ll think about it."

As Vivian Yates watched him finish the drink, a smile slowly crept into her eyes...

Out of her line of sight, Xylas Shepherd’s gaze was ice-cold.

——

「The Bar.」

The lighting was sultry. In the dim environment, shifting beams of light cast a hazy, disorienting glow over everything.

The multicolored lights danced across Leona Grant, a dazzling sight.

He was sprawled languidly on the sofa, phone in one hand, while the other relentlessly poured and drank.

"Leona, seriously, you should slow down. What’s the point of this? Your girl doesn’t like it when you drink. If you keep going like this, she’ll get upset," Xylas Shepherd said, reaching for the drink in Leona’s hand.

Leona Grant pushed him away, scoffing at his words.

’My girl?’

’She doesn’t like it when I drink?’

’Hah. She probably doesn’t like it when *Aaron Wyatt* drinks, right?’

’When Annabelle Linton told me she didn’t like me drinking, I thought she was worried about my health, so I stopped completely. Only now do I realize it was all a lie.’

’Everything was a lie.’

’This whole time, Annabelle Linton was just playing a part.’

’She left without a second thought, and here I am, still pathetically hoping.’

Hah...

Leona Grant’s thoughts trailed off as he glanced at his phone again. Staring at the blank screen, the bitter irony in his gaze intensified.

He tossed his phone onto the coffee table and threw back several more glasses.

Seeing it was impossible to stop him, Xylas Shepherd no longer tried.

A little while later, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he simply drifted off to sleep.

Leona Grant noticed him fall asleep mid-drink. With a helpless twitch of his lips, he headed downstairs.

Downstairs, the crowd was wild and the music was deafening. The atmosphere was absolutely electric.

But instead of lifting his spirits, the vibrant atmosphere only made Leona Grant more agitated.

He downed glass after glass as if his life depended on it. An hour later, his body finally gave out, and he slumped over the bar.

"Annabelle Linton..."

"You heartless woman... What does he have that I don’t? Why would you hurt me like this for him...?"

"Wasn’t I good to you...?"

"Please come back... okay?

Leona Grant muttered unconsciously. Hidden in a corner, Annabelle Linton watched his every move and couldn’t stop the tears from falling.