Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
Matthew’s newly ignited enthusiasm was extinguished at once, and he awkwardly rubbed his nose.
“I’m just kidding, and you’re the one who’s supposed to steal the bride anyway.””Why should I?”Matthew looked at him with a frustrated expression.
“You obviously like Elspeth, so why don’t you just stay with her? Although I don’t know why you want to be with Emma, anyone with decent eyes can see that you don’t have any feelings for her at all.”Was it that obvious? Callum touched his face, his expression shifting.”My mom was kidnapped by Michael. He told me to break up with Elspeth and let her get engaged back home.”Matthew’s eyes widened at his words.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier something this important?””Telling you won’t change anything.””Even if you didn’t tell me, you should’ve told Elspeth. Callum, did you really think that she wouldn’t understand?”Callum’s eyes darkened. For the first time, he actually had the slightest idea of backing out.
“If I can be threatened once because of my family, then there will be many more times. A relationship like this would be nothing but endless agony for Elspeth.”Upon thinking of Jordan, he curled his lips.
“Jordan is not bad either.”Matthew held back the urge to slap him across the face and said,
“You’re Callum Winthrop, not just anyone else. If you can’t even get the girl you like, why are you still alive? Might as well just give up on life.”Callum looked at him, suddenly at a loss for words.”So, you have to make everything clear. You have no time for regrets. Elspeth isn’t like other girls. She definitely can solve any problems with you.”Callum’s heart drummed at his words. He was suddenly at a loss. Breaking up with Elspeth, was that what he really wanted?”Besides, you don’t even know what kind of person Jordan is. If Elspeth gets picked on in the future, you…””I got it.”Matthew was taken aback.
“What did you get?””Let’s steal the bride.”Immediately, Matthew choked on his own saliva.
“Do you understand what you’re saying? I was merely making a joke. I wasn’t telling you to actually do it.”However, Callum only looked at him indifferently.
“Okay, you can go back if you have no more business here.”Upon seeing his sudden change in mood, Matthew felt confused. However, Callum had already chased him out, so he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and leave.The preparation work for Elspeth’s engagement party was complete, and the ceremony would be held the next day. That night, Elspeth was taking a walk in the garden outside the Joneson Residence for some fresh air while calling Yelena to report on the schedule.Just as she was about to return to bed, she suddenly saw a figure tumbling in from outside the fence. Alarmed, she quietly hid behind the rockery and watched the figure when she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.Just then, she saw the man’s watch reflecting a light blue glow in the dim light and instantly knew who it was. Instead of shouting for help, she sneaked up to his side.Elspeth immediately stepped forward and pressed a hand over the person’s mouth with a sneer.
“Callum, what are you doing here?”Although he had been easily discovered by Elspeth, Callum didn’t say anything. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and brought her into his arms. As he was extremely strong, she couldn’t even move a muscle, but she could feel that he was holding her very tightly as if he wanted to take her into his own body.
“Don’t get engaged.”Elspeth took a deep breath.
“Why?””Because I love you.””Your words seem really flimsy right now, Callum. I really don’t know how to keep talking to you.”Callum’s eyes were filled with affection and pain as he said,
“There’s a reason why I treated you like that. I…””Because Mrs. Winthrop was kidnapped, so you had to keep quiet and force me to break up. Later, you really ended up doing it, right?”Elspeth’s words greatly astonished him.
“How did you know that?””Of course, I do. Grandfather told me everything the first day I came back.”
Elspeth laughed lightly before she sighed.
“But honestly, I didn’t think you would keep everything to yourself. Grandfather was right. You don’t even dare to stay with me, so who are you to make me your own?””I just don’t want you to keep living this volatile life with me.”
A crack appeared on Callum’s normally calm expression.
“If Old Mr. Joneson can stand in the way of this once, there will be a next time, and countless times more. I can’t predict what else he will use to threaten me in the future. Instead of having to face that, I’d rather let you be happy.”Elspeth smiled bitterly.
“Happy? You think being with Jordan is happy? Callum, I’ve been through so much with you, and I haven’t even uttered a single complaint. Yet, you insisted on pushing me away.””Callum, I do not wish to be with you anymore.”Elspeth’s words struck hard at Callum’s heart, and his face turned pale all of a sudden.”I’m sorry. I’m the coward,”
he apologized, slowly letting go of her hand.Elspeth watched him behaving like this, feeling inexplicably frustrated. Before he arrived, she’d sworn to herself that she would never forgive him. However, when he actually arrived, there was an indescribable bitterness in her heart. Frankly, the moment she saw such a prideful man like him wretchedly scaling the wall to come in, her heart instantly softened.”Callum.”That single word was like a gentle tap on Callum’s heart.”What?””The first time I found out that Mrs. Winthrop was kidnapped, I went looking around and found out where she was. I have already taken care of her issue, and I can take her away anytime. Now, I only have one thing to say to you.”Callum’s breaths turned heavy.
“Tell me.””I’ll give you a chance to take me away.”Elspeth gazed into his eyes that were glowing brightly under the moonlight. Suddenly, Callum smiled.”Okay, I will.”The next day was the engagement party, and Elspeth escaped in the middle of the night. Her friendly relationship with Michael in the past few days made him think that she was going to stay obediently in the Joneson Residence and get married, so he lowered his guard. As a result, this turned out to be the perfect time for the two to escape.With Elspeth’s escape, the engagement party could not be held. Michael was furious, and the Joneson Family became the joke of Blaydal and even all of high society. After learning the news of Elspeth’s escape, the male lead of the engagement party, Jordan, turned pale.Seeing that Jordan seemed to be in a bad mood, Michael patted him on the shoulder as if to comfort him.
“Listen, Jordan, you have nothing to worry about. I promise to make it up to you.”Jordan’s lips curled into an eerie smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ll personally bring Elspeth back.”
Elspeth followed Callum to a place that Michael could never have thought about. In FX Club, Kenneth looked at her cheery face and shrank backward.
“So, you decided to come to my place?””Kenneth, we’re buddies, aren’t we? You won’t leave me alone, right?”
Elspeth blinked her eyes pitifully.”The thing is, Grandpa will kill me if he finds out.”Although Kenneth was unwilling to visit home usually, he still feared Michael.”Don’t worry, I won’t sell you out.”At the moment, this club was the safest place for them. As long as they escaped Michael’s search, they would be able to solve this matter when the storm subsided after some time.When Birdy and the others who had played with her previously saw Elspeth, they were elated.
“Elspeth, don’t leave now that you’re here and stay in our team. Trust me, you’ll go viral,”
Birdy suggested with a grin.Carrot nodded and took out his phone.
“Miss Idol, I’ve been livestreaming recently. After you left, I gained a few thousand more followers. I think I’m close to a million followers!”Elspeth chortled.
“Livestreaming? What for?””Well, not only can you interact with your fans through livestreaming, but you can also… earn money!”Susy gave him a playful slap on the arm.
“Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t even earn that much.”The group was just chatting when Elspeth received a call from Harper all of a sudden.”Bad news, Elspeth! The company’s in trouble!”Harper sounded panicked as if he was facing a huge crisis.
“The Joneson Corporation is cracking down on our company, and it’s really causing a considerable impact. We’re now facing a shortage of funds.””Can’t we take out a loan?”Harper hesitated before saying,
“I did try to take out a loan, but they said that Old Mr. Joneson had issued an order not to lend any money to Azure Corporation.”Not to lend any money to Azure Corporation… Elspeth’s brows furrowed. She realized that things had become trickier than she expected.”Take care of things first and appease the staff. As for the money, I’ll come up with a solution.”After hanging up, she looked at Callum and sighed. He planned for her to go under the radar for some time, but his idea was rejected.”Why should I hide? I will show myself to everyone as I like.”Although Callum was taken aback, he could understand. After all, this was Elspeth’s way of dealing with things.”Then, what are you planning to do?”Elspeth didn’t answer immediately but turned her gaze to Carrot instead, her lips curling into a smile.”Start a livestream.”Upon hearing the word livestream, Carrot instantly sprung up from his seat.
“Elspeth, you’re gonna livestream?””Yeah. My company is in debt now, and we can’t take out a loan, so I can only try livestreaming.””That’s great! I’ll teach you!”However, Elspeth shook her head.
“No need for that. I have an account.”Just as Carrot was looking at her in confusion, Elspeth logged into an account with a single word in its name-Mist. However, after he saw the number of followers, Carrot’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.”Eight million?!”He had a slight recollection of this streamer. She never showed her face, but her voice was exceptionally pleasing to the ear. Her streaming activities included chatting with her audience, playing games, and posting vlogs. Either way, she was engaged in various fields. However, just by relying on the variety of genres she offered, she managed to gain eight million followers in one fell swoop, becoming the most popular internet celebrity at the time, and just her account alone fetched a price of 100 million.
“You’re Mist?”
Carrot’s eyes gleamed as he said,
“You can make up for your company’s losses just by selling your account, much less livestreaming. You can definitely do this, Miss Idol!”However, Kenneth became conflicted.
“If you start a livestream, won’t you easily expose that you’re at my place?”Elspeth curled her lips into a smile.
“Don’t worry, I don’t show my face in my livestreams, so they won’t be able to find me. Besides, not many people know it’s me.”A corner of Callum’s lips twitched.
“Yes, even I had no idea when I spend day and night with you.”When she turned around and saw Callum’s conflicted gaze, Elspeth laughed dryly.
“I just didn’t have time to tell you. You know how many identities I have.”After everything he’d been through, Callum had long since gotten used to her multiple identities.”Okay, since it’s a livestream, let’s make it nine o’clock tonight. Hm… what should we do for the livestream?”Before Elspeth could come up with an idea, Carrot immediately shot to his feet.
“Video games!”He had a point. Streaming games was a good idea while they were in the club.Elspeth smiled.
“Sure. In that case, I have a plan.”As soon as she said that, she turned her attention to Kenneth and smiled eerily at him.”Why are you looking at me?””The theme of our livestream tonight is to challenge all the members of FX Club.”Kenneth’s eyes widened.
“Are you seriously going to fight all the members of FX Club?”Elspeth was picking her ears.
“What’s wrong? Is that bad? Right, Kenneth, you’ll be the last one, or I’m afraid that they won’t fight me.”Kenneth was rendered speechless. However, now that things had come to this, he had no other choice but to helplessly agree to her plan.He posted it in the club’s public group chat, and as soon as he was done, the club members were abuzz with excitement. The live challenge sounded thrilling just from the thought of it. In particular, those who were curious about Elspeth’s real skills were rubbing their fists together, wanting to compete with her.Once the clock struck nine, the livestream started. As Elspeth looked at the rapidly rising number of viewers, she slowly curled her lips into a smile. Within minutes, there were already a hundred thousand viewers.Once a sizable crowd had gathered, Elspeth’s sweet voice sounded from the livestream.”Hello, everyone! So nice to meet all of you here! Today, I’m starting this livestream just to host a small little challenge. Enjoy the show and give some gifts if you can.”The moment she finished speaking, the viewers immediately began buying her gifts.’Mist, will you give me your number if I give you thirty Universes?’Elspeth laughed sultrily.
“Sir, if you give me a hundred, I’ll tell you whether I’ll give it to you.”‘Hahahaha!’The chat was filled with laughter at her words.”Okay, let’s cut to the chase and start the challenge.”Elspeth looked at the first person who challenged her and quietly judged them for being an unranked player.’Miss Elspeth, I’m a huge fan of yours. You’re so good at playing Daphne. Can I play a round against you?’Elspeth laughed.
“Of course, you can.”After decisively selecting Daphne and joining the game, Elspeth was surprised to see that the person had also picked the same character. All of a sudden, the game turned interesting as the two same characters fought against each other.Soon, the number of concurrent viewers reached three hundred thousand.
Despite the opponent’s superior skills, Elspeth held the upper hand.The opponent agreed to surrender five minutes later.The first game got off to a strong start, so the viewers gave gifts one after another.In a short period, Elspeth had received gifts nearly worth 700 thousand, but it was not enough.The second individual stated he admired Elspeth but was too weak to make it through the first few minutes.Elspeth’s abilities astounded everyone; some even wanted to be her apprentice. Many teams heard the news and urged her to join their team, offering a high fee of 15 million.However, Elspeth did not answer and calmly ordered,
“Next.”Her voice was clear and melodious, which was enjoyable to listen to.Some netizens became envious when seeing her receiving numerous compliments.’I know many folks with good voices and excellent gaming skills, but they are not attractive. They feel inferior in real life, so they seek to prove their importance online.’These words immediately resonated with many people.’That’s right. People I know are the same way. They have a wonderful voice but are as obese and ugly.”My online dating partner is also the same. Gosh, he’s fugly. I’m fine with it though as long as he doesn’t show his face. I’ll just imagine him as whomever his avatar is.’Some others came up in support of Elspeth. ‘You guys are simply envious of her. This streamer must be pretty. She is not the type with a cute voice. I bet she is a beautiful mature woman.’Carrot had seen Elspeth and didn’t want anyone to speak ill of her. ‘I saw the streamer herself. She is stunning. I adore her!’So, one started to argue. ‘You’re a simp!’Carrot flushed with rage. ‘Rightfully so!’Elspeth was unable to moderate the growing live chat. As the viewers fought, the number of watchers in the stream progressively increased, eventually reaching five million.The number of followers was also growing. It was projected that there would be more than 100 million fans after the stream.Everyone clamored for Elspeth’s face to be revealed. As a result, Elspeth grinned.
“I will do a face reveal if I receive a total of fifty million today.”As a result, the audience became agitated.It was inconceivable for a streamer to receive gifts worth fifty million. As a result, the viewer assumed Elspeth was just bluffing and unwilling to reveal her face.Elspeth grinned and resumed her game.Kenneth was the final opponent. He was extremely popular, with tens of millions of followers. As a result, when they matched, it quickly drew another batch of viewers.The number of viewers eventually surpassed tens of millions.He chose his favorite character. On the other hand, Elspeth chose another character at random whose weakness was Kenneth’s hero.In other words, if Elspeth were at Kenneth’s level, she would lose.He sat beside Elspeth. So, he was taken aback when she chose that hero.
“What do you do if you lose, Elspeth?”Elspeth smiled with her sluggish face.
“I’m not going to lose.”So, they began the game. Elspeth was at a disadvantage in the beginning. However, as she accumulated gold and experience, she gained momentum.”Sorry, not sorry.”As she said, she defeated Kenneth and destroyed his base.Kenneth had always been the ranking’s champion. So, after defeating him, Elspeth became the invincible player.The chatroom was becoming animated. After all, Kenneth was vanquished by an unknown female streamer.Before they could react, they learned another bit of news. The total tip amount in the stream had crossed fifty million!And very soon, it climbed to one hundred and fifty million.The gift count had surged and was still on the increase.Nobody expected the tip to exceed ten million dollars. Elspeth broke the record.Several people contributed significantly to such an achievement.This time, Elspeth’s fans persisted, urging her to reveal her face. She kept her promise and turned on the camera as the stream ended.A beautiful face with delicate makeup appeared in front of the viewers. Everyone was taken aback. E-Elspeth?!Soon, an unusual dialogue happened in the chat.’Isn’t she Nancy Star?'”No, she’s not! She’s the e-sport queen, Elsie!””Shut up. She’s Rarity!””What exactly are you saying? You foolish followers, she’s the president of Azure Corporation!””No, she’s the Jonesons’ missing grandchild! You don’t even watch the news!”Looking at the fight on the chat, Elspeth felt a headache.”Alright, everyone, stop arguing.”The discussion quickly went silent after Elspeth spoke.However, it became berserk again after three seconds of stillness.’Elspeth, you must begin streaming more frequently from now on. Next time, I’ll send you lots of Universe!’Elspeth smiled. The stream was cut off before she could say anything.She could only see a line of words as the screen turned black.’Your stream was reported and discovered to violate our Terms of Service (TOS) or Community Guidelines.’Elspeth received a message on her cell phone the very next second.’I know you’re streaming, Elspeth. ‘Don’t even consider making money through a stream.’It was from Michael.That’s not polite. Elspeth frowned and blocked him. Do you want to drive me up the wall? Fine. I don’t think you should blame me for being rude, then.Then, Elspeth sent a short video.”I sincerely apologize to my followers. For whatever reason, the Joneson family has forced me to marry and tried to shut down my business. So, I have to do livestreaming. Unfortunately, my stream was reported yet again.”She did not say the cause of the report. However, her comments were sufficient to explain everything.Because the stream had been halted, everyone was waiting for Elspeth to make an announcement. As soon as she did, the comment section went wild.At that moment, everyone knew Michael had forced Elspeth to marry. He even tried to shut down her business.Thus, many netizens took to the Joneson Corporation’s official Twitter account to scream and curse.’You’re a jerk for mistreating your grandchild!”I don’t understand. It is not your concern who your granddaughter dates or marries. Why are you forcing her?”I will never buy anything from the Joneson Corporation again!”Elspeth is a genius in various fields. Us Elspeth supporters are normally peaceful, but we won’t hesitate to defend her.’Even though Joneson Corporation was a massive corporation active in various businesses, Elspeth’s fans had managed to boycott Joneson Corporation’s businesses. Their performance across numerous industries began to deteriorate.Michael was becoming increasingly preoccupied.”We are receiving tons of jewelry refunds, Mr. Joneson!””Mr. Joneson, people are withdrawing themselves from the games. The game companies said they are collapsing!””There’s a crowd demonstrating in front of the company, Mr. Joneson!””Mr. Joneson-“”Bring Elspeth here!”
Michael exclaimed aggressively as he pushed a flowerpot to the ground.
Needless to say, Michael could not find Elspeth at all. After he searched through every part of Blaydal and Damoria-and even Frank’s territory-not even her shadow was found. Now that Joneson Corporation was decimated, Michael had no choice but to make an official statement that he would not intervene in Elspeth’s marriage and career, giving her the liberty to maneuver her life. It finally appeased the fans as they let the Jonesons off the hook.Elspeth released a short clip to tell everyone that she had forgiven him. Her cheeky counter made his blood pressure spike to the roof, resulting in his hospitalization.When the news reached her ears, she was relieved that he would not get in her way for a long time.Today was the day Elspeth and Callum returned to Damoria. While Callum was in the middle of an online meeting, Elspeth received a message from Frank.’Elspeth, there’s something I haven’t told you. Could you drop by the coffeehouse?’It was surprising and doubtful, but she prepped up to go to the coffeehouse, nevertheless. A pall of ominous air shrouded the garage. Before she could enter her car, someone brusquely grabbed her wrist.She realized it a little too late because the intruder’s hand had reached over and covered her face first. A strong smell wafted her nose, and drowsiness sat upon her eyelid.Watching Elspeth fall in a swoon, the intruder heaved a sigh and looked at the man standing at the side.
“We got her.”Jordan sneered.
“Good. Bring her to my place.””Yes, sir.”…By the time Elspeth regained her consciousness, she was fettered on a bed. Jordan, who was standing nearby, zeroed in on her like she was a masterpiece.”It’s been a while, Elspeth.”A nervous Elspeth put on a calm face.
“I didn’t know you’re like this, Jordan. Are you angry because I didn’t get engaged with you?””You still have the heart to joke, huh?”
It was the same old smile he had on his face, but a tinge of menace traced his lips.
“I brought you here because I need your help.”At the sight of that deranging eyes, she cursed inwardly but dared not enrage him.
“What kind of help?””You know, it’s about my first love. Frank should’ve told you about her, right?”Her gaze dimmed.
“Isn’t she dead a long time ago?””Yup. She’s supposed to be dead.”
The glint in Jordan’s eyes glazed over.
“Let me tell you a story.”She was not in the mood to listen to it.
“Just kill me or zip it, Jordan.””Hear me out. You might be able to depart this life in peace after that.”In peace? He must be outta his mind.”She’s a wonderful person like you. Confident; pretty; and bright, but she’s not as calculative as you are. Can you believe someone like her was diagnosed with scurvy? Her blood is special, so they can’t find the right donor for her. She needs to undergo many treatments for her dear life.””So what? Are you trying to save her life with mine?”