Chapter 164
164 Tangled Mess
“Word is, Mr. Gary designed these invitations himself and delivered each one by hand. No reselling
allowed.”
“Even Byron, with all his influence, only got one invitation, and he brought a plus one.”
“That’s right. Each invitation only allows a plus one. Bodyguards and assistants have separate access.”
*So… Alice didn’t come as family or stall?”
“Don’t forget–she’s Eric’s wife. That makes her Mr. Eric’s plus one.”
“But t
“But the invitation gets collected at the door. That means Alice must’ve had her own.”
The host looked visibly uncomfortable.
“Mr. Reese, this concerns Mrs. Nolan’s reputation. Please clarify things. And Mrs. Nolan, if you’re here, could you step forward and speak for yourself?”
Alice and Eric appeared at the back of the hall, walking calmly toward the stage.
From the calm look on their faces, it was obvious they were ready to come on stage after the footage was broadcast
They didn’t look tense at all. No signs of a spat, no lingering resentment–nothing to suggest there had just been a confrontation with Mr. Reese.
“They’re probably just putting on a calm front in public. The drama will come later.”
The livestream chat buzzed with speculation, expecting a dramatic showdown between the Nolans and the
Reeses.
But to everyone’s surprise, Alice gracefully walked onstage with Eric and even shook hands with Byron.
and Kate.
The audience was puzzled. “What?”
What is happening? Are they all just doing their own thing? Not even pretending to care about the public opinion?
Kate looked genuinely apologetic. I’m so sorry, Mrs. Nolan, for dragging you into this.”
Alice gave a half–smile. “It’s alright. Everyone has been schemed against now and then
The audience fell silent.
No words. Honestly, no one knew how to react.
Kate was stunned by how composed Alice remained.
But then again, this girl had been on her own since she was young–made sense she’d develop a thick skin.
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You just couldn’t judge the book by its cover.
Alice glanced at the crowd and asked, “So, you all think I’m involved with Mr. Reese?”
The room fell dead silent. Her bluntness made it impossible to answer .
“Is that a yes?” she asked, her smile turning icy.
Daniel, clearly agitated, stepped forward with a flash drive in hand. He was ready to clear her name.
“Sis!” A voice cut through the tension.
Everyone had all but forgotten Venom was still there. He hadn’t left. He was still staring at the video replay like it was the most important thing in the world.
When Alice stepped into the light, his eyes welled with tears.
Alice blinked. “What?”
She was already in a bad mood. Now it was v
worse .
Venom slowly walked up to her, stopping just in front of her. “Sis, you really don’t remember me?”
“Thanks for asking, but nope. Don’t know you.”
And then Venom bowed before her.
The crowd froze with the twist of events.
Even those who’d claimed earlier this was all staged couldn’t find the words to respond.
This once untouchable chess prodigy was now bowed at Alice–quietly, reverently–pressing his forehead to the back of her hand.
“Sis, I’ve missed you. So so much.”
His gesture cracked something open.
Like a dam bursting, memories came flooding in.
Alice closed her eyes..
She had always been a rebellious child. Luckily, her mentor took her in. But her adoptive pare sell her. She escaped a human trafficking ring one night, bolting from a van in the middle of n
On the run, she met a scrawny boy who had also been kidnapped,
Honestly, she didn’t want the extra burden.
But the kid wouldn’t stop crying: he even gave her a diamond.
She didn’t care about the gem–she just had a soft heart.
Still, the kid was driving her nuts with all the crying.
ried to
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164 Tangled Mess
So she tried the same trick her mentor used to calm her, she taught him chess.
They didn’t even have a proper board. Just pebbles for pieces.
But that boy had a spark. He fell in love with the game. Studied it. Obsessed over it.
It gave her some peace and quiet.
Eventually, they made it out of the wilderness. She dropped him off at a police station and went off to find her mentor.
The boy, though, never forgot the debt he owed her.
Before she left, the boy bowed and pressed his forehead to the back of her hand.
He said it was the highest honor in his culture, and he swore one day he’d repay her.
Alice now stood motionless on stage, lost in thought.
Back then, the people who hurt her mentor were tied to an organization–Ouroboros.
And now she realized this man in front of her, the man she once rescued, was part of it
What kind of twisted fate was this?
Her thoughts were spinning .
Venom’s voice pulled her back. “You do remember me, don’t you?”
Alice was speechless. Right now, she didn’t feel like talking and was tempted to ignore him.
The host stepped up, voice full of disbelief.
“Venom… Are you saying Mrs. Nolan is the one who introduced you to chess? That she’s the reason for your success?”
Venom straightened his back and nodded, still tearful, as he locked his gaze on Alice,
“Yes. She taught me how to play chess. Everything I am today is because of her.”
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