Durrell Landon was in a bit of a bad mood; he'd been spacing out until now, but as Oliver Gale spoke, he finally gathered his thoughts and slowly said:
"That's not really strange."
Oliver Gale showed some interest: "Durrell, what do you think Alexander Skylane is doing here in the country?"
Durrell Landon's tone remained unchanged: "I heard from my older brother that Winston's parent company, the Aisha Group, is planning to open a branch here in the country. Since Alexander Skylane is Winston's chief designer, there are some tasks he naturally needs to handle personally."
Oliver Gale nodded; he was still looking at the photo from years ago when Alexander Skylane became famous.
The photo showed a woman by the seaside, her face unseen, only showing the ring on her hand, with the letter "S" engraved on it.
Previously, he didn't know Quiana Sutton, so the photo didn't stir any feelings in him; after meeting Quiana Sutton, he suddenly felt that the woman in the photo must be her.
Quiana Sutton's name starts with the letter "S," and Alexander Skylane's name starts with "S" too.
Thinking about this possibility, he suddenly felt a little unsettled.
He and Alexander Skylane were schoolmates back then. Alexander was quite the figure at school, with female admirers who could circle the field three times; yet he moved through the flowers but remained untouched—a model of propriety.
At that time, many even believed Alexander Skylane preferred men.
Now it seems it might not be that simple.
He coughed lightly, concealing the strange feeling, and said, "Durrell, I heard from Knight Tamworth that Judd Auction House will have a batch of new items up for auction today, want to go check it out?"
"Let's go."
Oliver Gale: "..."
He was honestly just casually mentioning it.
*
Judd Auction House is part of the Foote Estate; Charles Foote saved the best seats for Durrell Landon.
He looked at Durrell Landon with some surprise: "I thought you weren't interested in these kinds of events."
Durrell Landon had a kind of inexplicable restlessness within him: "Just getting out for some relief."
Julian Haworth looked at Durrell Landon puzzled: "Durrell, who could possibly be giving you grief...?"
Oliver Gale spoke softly:
"Julian, aside from me, who else resides at the Imperial View Manor?"
Julian Haworth understood, feeling somewhat displeased, but he had been cautioned by Charles Foote before, advising him to keep quiet regarding any matters involving Quiana Sutton.
Durrell Landon looked at Oliver Gale indifferently, and said in a cool, gentle tone: "Oliver, Mr. Windsor came yesterday asking when I'd let you back home to work."
Oliver Gale immediately expressed his plea.
"Durrell, I'll shut up. Just don't let the old man take me back."
The Windsor Family's influence is somewhat connected to the borders, which he never liked since he was young, having semi-cut ties with his family. Living at Imperial View Manor is fine, at least no one's urging him to return.
Right then, the corner of his eye caught sight of two people nearby, making his mouth twitch slightly.
"Durrell, are those two Quiana Sutton and Alexander Skylane?"
Everyone followed Oliver Gale's gaze, displaying diverse expressions.
Alexander Skylane was not only Winston's chief designer but also the eldest son of the Skylane Estate.
The Skylane Estate practically monopolized the global jade and jewelry market; their wealth is enough to purchase a small country.
Previously, there was even a rumor of a woman offering herself and secretly climbing into Alexander Skylane's bed, only to be mercilessly thrown out.
Such a proud man now trailing behind Quiana Sutton, seemingly trying to please her.
They wondered if they were witnessing an illusion.
Alexander Skylane followed closely behind Quiana Sutton, with a smiling face:
"Cece, I heard there's a gemstone at the auction today called the Star of Mihai. I broke your jade, so I'll definitely find a one-of-a-kind gemstone for you."
Alexander Skylane's incessant chatter was a bit noisy to Quiana Sutton; she suddenly felt intense gazes bearing down on her, abruptly lifting her head.
Several layers of bead curtains adorned the top room, obscuring the figures inside, yet she instantly recognized the person in the main seat as Durrell Landon.
She only thought to herself, damn, who would've thought she and Durrell Landon were so fateful, bumping into each other everywhere.
Alexander Skylane followed her gaze, saw nothing, and asked curiously:
"Cece, what are you looking at?"
She withdrew her gaze, replied indifferently:
"Nothing, let's find a room to sit in."
Once the two disappeared from sight, Julian Haworth was the first to speak: "Durrell, did I see wrong just now?"
Durrell Landon's face turned cold and slightly frightening: "You didn't see wrong, those two are indeed Quiana Sutton and Alexander Skylane."
Tense lips, tightened muscles, sharp eyes—all indicated that Durrell Landon was indeed angry.
In this originally somewhat warm compartment, the temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees.
At this moment, Julian Haworth didn't dare to say a word.
Your wife going into a private room with another man right before your eyes, witnessing a betrayal—anyone would be angry.
Neatly kept, long and slender fingers tapped a few times on the table; Durrell Landon wiped away all obscure emotions from his eyes and suddenly spoke coldly: "Doesn't each room in the auction house have monitors, right?"
Charles Foote uttered "Ah," seemingly not understanding at first, but then quickly grabbed the computer upon realizing what Durrell Landon meant.
As soon as the monitor connected to the camera in Quiana Sutton's room, they saw Alexander Skylane cutting fruit for her, Oliver Gale couldn't help but clicking his tongue:
"What if Alexander Skylane's fans saw his noble hands used for art, actually cutting fruit for Quiana Sutton? Wouldn't Cece be cursed terribly?"
Charles Foote observed the footage: "I'm actually more surprised Quiana knows Alexander Skylane."
Oliver Gale lightly pinched his finger; it seemed he was keen to watch the drama unfold: "You guys never investigated Quiana Sutton's background, did you?"
Charles Foote paused a moment before replying: "No."
At the time Durrell Landon and Quiana Sutton were just in a hidden marriage, they thought it was merely casual, so they didn't run a background check.
Now they think differently.
From beginning to end, Durrell Landon hadn't uttered a word; he was just intensely watching the monitor.
Closest to Durrell Landon, Julian Haworth shivered unexpectedly; he seriously considered whether to increase the air conditioning temperature a bit.
Meanwhile.
Alexander Skylane set the cut fruit before Quiana Sutton, who casually ate a few pieces and then asked:
"How long are you staying in the country this time?"
Alexander Skylane glanced at her: "I'm not leaving for now."
Quiana Sutton: "Why?"
Alexander Skylane: "Aisha Group plans to open a branch here; I volunteered to act as its head."
Quiana Sutton frowned slightly, looked at him puzzled: "Aren't you only interested in designing jewelry and dislike handling company affairs? What changed this time?"
Alexander Skylane heard her words, turned his head, looking at her.
She remained casual as usual, her eyes carrying a coolness, a distance he knew he'd never close, but like a moth drawn to a flame, he wanted to try anyway.
He replied: "Everything of Skylane Estate will eventually need me to take over; running the domestic branch could serve as early training."
She raised an eyebrow, said nothing.