Chapter 497: Chapter 497

"Oh, Taylor, I haven’t introduced you yet," Mr. Bernardo said with a smile, gesturing toward Harrison beside him.

"President Harrison," Taylor smoothly interjected, his lips curving slightly as he regarded Harrison.

"We had the pleasure of meeting yesterday."

A closer look would reveal that his deep, dark eyes held no trace of warmth—only an inscrutable, shadowed glint.

Sinclair’s stance on Harrison family was clear.

This man wouldn’t be making waves for much longer.

"Exactly," Harrison replied, narrowing his eyes with a practiced smile.

"Mr. Taylor and I are already acquainted.

No need for the introduction, Uncle Bernardo."

Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo gazed at their two outstanding sons-in-law, their satisfaction growing by the second.

Juliet, adopting the gentle tone of an elder sister, smiled softly at Taylor.

"Mr. Taylor, did you come here to pick up my sister?"

"Fetching Queen is one reason," Taylor replied, glancing briefly at Juliet before shifting his gaze to her parents.

"The other is to pay my respects to Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo."

Juliet’s smile softened further, her tone laced with gentle amusement.

"You only met yesterday, yet things are moving so quickly.

It’s quite surprising."

Though her words could easily be misconstrued, the sweetness in her voice made them seem entirely innocent—deceptively so.

Still refusing to back down, huh?

Queen clenched her fingers slightly before turning to meet her sister’s gaze.

Then, with deliberate grace, she curved her lips into a shy, honeyed smile.

"Too fast? I learned from the best—my dear sister."

Two could play at this game of hidden barbs.

Juliet’s smile faltered for a split second, confusion flickering in her eyes as she studied Queen.

"Learned what from me?"

"Of course," Queen’s smile grew even sweeter.

"When you meet a good man, you’ve got to hold on tight."

Everyone present was sharp enough to sense something off, even if nothing seemed amiss on the surface of their exchange.

"Alright, alright," Mr. Bernardo interjected with a chuckle, "We have guests here, and you two sisters are already deep in conversation."

As he spoke, he glanced at Harrison and Taylor with a smile.

"My daughters have always been close since childhood—once they start talking, they just can’t stop.

Hope you don’t mind."

Taylor’s lips curved into a deeper smile, though he remained silent.

Unwilling to let her parents see any discord between her and Juliet—lest it upset them—Queen ignored her sister and reached to refill Taylor’s tea.

"The aroma is exquisite."

Taylor held the teacup to his nose, inhaling its delicate aroma before his gaze settled on the person across from him.

"Truly excellent tea."

Queen didn’t mistake his words as a compliment toward Juliet, yet the remark still pleased her.

She shot a sidelong glance at Juliet’s two-faced hypocrisy and scoffed inwardly. *Indeed, quite the "tea."*

After a few more moments of casual conversation, Harrison checked his watch.

"Uncle Bernardo, Aunt Bernardo, it’s getting late.

I’ll accompany Juliet to try on her gown now."

The Bernardo parents nodded eagerly.

"If time runs short, I’ll take Juliet straight to the charity gala."

This, of course, meant announcing to E Country’s entire high society that Juliet was the future Mrs. Harrison.

A faint flush of triumph flickered in Juliet’s eyes as she pressed her lips together, feigning demure silence.

The Bernardo couple exchanged satisfied smiles.

"Very well, off you go."

Harrison gave a slight nod, his gaze shifting from the Bernardo parents to Taylor.

"President Taylor, I’ll be waiting for you and President Luther at the gala."

The seemingly casual remark carried subtle undertones that only the sharpest ear could detect.

"Certainly," Taylor replied with a practiced smile, nodding in acknowledgment.

Their brief exchange passed in an instant, leaving the Bernardo family none the wiser to the tension beneath the surface.

Beneath the surface, undercurrents raged.

Only Taylor and Harrison understood the veiled meanings hidden in their exchange.

Without another word, Harrison took Juliet and left.

The attention of the Bernardo parents now rested entirely on Taylor and their younger daughter, Queen.

"You young people must have your own plans," Mrs. Bernardo said with a warm smile.

"No need to keep us company."

"Queen, since Taylor rarely visits E Country, why don’t you show him around?"

"Exactly," Mr. Bernardo chimed in, nodding approvingly.

"Be a good host for us."

Queen glanced at Taylor, who stood beside her with an enigmatic smile, then reluctantly nodded under her parents’ expectant gazes.

"Don’t worry, I will."

Satisfied, the Bernardo parents exchanged a few more pleasantries with Taylor before eagerly ushering the two toward the door, practically nudging them into their "date."

Queen trailed half a step behind Taylor, hyperaware of her parents’ eyes boring into her back.

Now she truly understood what it meant to be forced into doing something against one’s will.

Taylor, ever the gentleman, held the car door open for Queen and stood aside politely.

With a slight nod in his direction, Queen stepped inside.

After closing the door, Taylor gave a respectful nod to her parents before settling into the car himself.

As the vehicle slowly pulled away, Queen’s father watched with a fading smile, his expression growing pensive.

"Something feels off," he murmured, his brow furrowing slightly.

"The tension between Harrison and Taylor... it’s almost palpable."

Her mother glanced at the departing car, unconvinced.

"They both seemed perfectly fine to me.

You might be overthinking it."

Initially, she had worried that Taylor’s health issues might make Queen’s situation difficult.

But now, it seemed their concerns had been unnecessary.

Queen’s father said nothing more, though the crease between his brows remained.

As a seasoned figure in business dealings, he had a sharp instinct for unspoken dynamics—and he trusted his gut.

This wasn’t just his imagination. In the car. The faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air as Queen hesitated, about to say something.

Beside her, the man sat with his long legs crossed, his tall frame exuding an innate elegance and warmth.

"Where would you like to go, Miss Bernardo?

His tone was gentle, yet the words were polite and distant. Of course.

This was all just an act—she couldn’t possibly impose on him.

Queen’s lashes fluttered slightly as an inexplicable pang of disappointment flickered in her chest, one she couldn’t quite name.

"I—" Before she could speak, the sharp ring of a phone cut her off.

"My apologies," Taylor said, glancing at the screen but not answering immediately.

Taylor turned to her.

"I need to take this call."

"Of course," Queen replied, relieved for the interruption.

She turned her gaze to the window.

Taylor tried to distract himself by focusing on the scenery outside the car window.

Taylor pressed the answer button and raised the phone to his ear.

"Sir," came the butler’s voice from the other end of the line.

"Our people have uncovered quite a bit based on the leads Miss Violet provided..."

His tone was measured as he relayed the newly obtained information in detail.

"I see," Taylor replied, his voice steady, though his clear, composed eyes gradually darkened with intensity.

"Just keep them under surveillance.

We’ll handle everything once I return."

After waiting all these years, a little longer wouldn’t make a difference.

Patience was key to reeling in the big fish.

So, Mr. Taylor didn’t want to alert the enemy prematurely.

The butler immediately grasped Taylor’s intention.

A heavy silence lingered for over ten seconds before Taylor spoke again. "How are things at the hospital?"

"The surgery went fairly well.

The child has passed the critical stage, but..."

The butler hesitated before continuing.

"Miss Violet seems to have fallen ill from exhaustion."

Nora hadn’t disclosed the full truth about Voilet’s condition to the butler, so he remained unaware.

The butler simply relayed what he knew to Taylor.