Thousands of Brilliant Stars: You Deserve the Best!-Chapter 74: For Everyone, the Past Is a Living Hell
Seraphina Colbert had drifted for decades, always under Jude Hawthorne’s control, never had anyone been willing to stand by her, let alone do something so absurd for her.
Yet Iris Crawford did, and she shielded Seraphina behind her. "Since you’ve all decided like this, why don’t I take Seraphina out, she shouldn’t have to entertain your boss today, right?"
Jude squinted at Seraphina’s face, seemingly assessing her feelings, and finally, his gaze returned to Orion Crawford. He said, "If Young Master Crawford can provide enough, then this wench naturally doesn’t need to entertain others."
"I guess dismantling one dojo wasn’t enough—" Iris cursed and stood up, but Lachlan Wyatt held her back. She furiously dragged Seraphina along, saying, "Calling her a wench with every breath, you really have no class."
Lachlan pulled Iris outside. "That’s just how Jude talks, get used to it. What he means is he’s willing to let her go. You stay and let your brother discuss business with him, we’ll leave first."
"Talk?!"
Iris cursed loudly, pointing at Jude, as Lachlan dragged her out the door, her curses still echoing constantly—"He talks like he’s spitting!"
"...You’re talking like you’re spitting too now."
"Why should I have class against someone so classless?!"
Iris cursed as Lachlan dragged her away. The dojo suddenly grew quiet as Jude listened to Iris’s distant curses, both amused and annoyed, "Why doesn’t your sister have a bit of feminine demeanor?"
She fights like a man and curses like a market lady.
Orion glanced in the direction Iris had left, then sighed deeply. He said, "My sister went through a kidnapping, and she changed completely after coming back."
If possible, Orion would have wanted Iris to remain pure and kind for a lifetime, but the unpredictability of life forced her into a version even she found unfamiliar.
"Turning into this kind of personality isn’t a good thing."
Jude sat cross-legged with Orion in the center of the dojo. He recalled Lachlan’s protective stance in front of Iris, finding them quite unfathomable. They seemed unrelated, yet there’s an invisible bond. Their eyes never meet, yet they constantly protect each other in return.
There weren’t many women for whom Lachlan would be distracted enough to shout a warning during a fight.
Jude succinctly said, "Lachlan is bound to take a fall because of your sister sooner or later."
Orion didn’t express any opinion on this, "As long as my sister is happy, I’d pluck stars from the sky for her."
Jude scoffed, "You don’t have just one sister, why spoil only this one?"
Currently, The Crawford Family has three siblings, apart from Iris, Orion should have another sister.
"Precisely because I can’t spoil the other, so I spoil the younger one." Orion’s eyelashes quivered, a hint of sadness on his handsome face.
Sadness? The elegant, charming Young Master Crawford, never short of companionship, how could he feel sad?
"My childhood wasn’t great, so family is very important to me." Orion clenched his fingers. "I have a sister who seldom comes home, so I’m left with only Iris as my companion, and I will do my utmost to protect her."
No wonder, no wonder Orion is an ultimate sister doting brother.
Come to think of it, Jude looked up at the ceiling, as if recalling the grudges between the past generation of Orion’s parents, it’s no wonder Orion values family so much.
Yet the current Iris seems not to need protection from others.
She alone is like a thousand troops and horses.
Even Lachlan has become her sidekick.
How could such a woman need protection from anyone?
Jude slowly withdrew his gaze and said to Orion, "You can take Seraphina, but only for today. I promise she won’t have to entertain clients tonight."
"What about after?"
Orion frowned, "She’s still a girl after all..."
"Guess how I met her?" Jude smiled wickedly, pointing to himself, "She drugged me and got caught. This woman is a repeat offender. Your sister is protecting her so much, watch out she doesn’t turn on you one day."
Orion’s expression changed, his gaze gradually deepened.
Meanwhile, in the car, Iris brought Seraphina in and told her she was taking her to the office. Seraphina was grateful, "Why are you being so kind to me?"
Iris stared at her for a long time, suddenly reaching out to tug at her sleeve, "I’ve always wondered why, when the weather isn’t even cold, you’re wearing long sleeves..."
As the sleeve was pulled up, the scars mottled across Seraphina’s arm fell into Iris’s sight.
The woman’s pupils contracted, "What happened...?"
Seraphina pulled her hand back. Her voice was a hoarse, smoker’s tone, although she sang beautifully, now it seemed very dry, "Whenever I’m disobedient, Jude beats me."
"Beating women!"
Iris’s temper flared up again, she was furious, and told Lachlan, who was driving up front, "Turn around, I can’t get over this, let’s go back to The Hawthorne Dojo."
Lachlan was amused by Iris. Once she saw someone as one of her own, she would pour her heart and soul into them, "What are you going back for?"
Iris said quietly, "To drive and run him over."
"..." Such murderous intent, Birdie!
Seraphina shook her head. When around others, she’s usually lively and outgoing, but once she’s near Jude, she becomes repressed and introverted. Thankfully, Iris has brought her out today, giving her a breather, "Actually, I blame myself. It’s me who’s degrading myself."
"Don’t say that!" Iris pressed Seraphina’s shoulders, "What are you thinking! It’s just that he’s too cruel!"
"I’ve terminated several pregnancies already." Seraphina looked up, her eyes red from smiling, "Sometimes I don’t even know who the father is. Jude calls me to accompany others and I go. He regularly takes me for check-ups. If I’m pregnant, he makes me terminate it."
So, Iris, I’m actually very filthy. Do you think I’m some decent person? I don’t deserve your kindness.
I don’t even know how many people I’ve accompanied to bed. I’m just a whore, a stray chicken.
Don’t just blame Jude for being cruel; perhaps I’m more disgusting.
Listening to the bloody reality, Iris couldn’t help but gasp.
She hasn’t had children either, so she naturally understands the severity of such damage, "You stay at my place tonight and rest well. Tell that entertainment company boss to scram! I’ll ask Peach to help check your health later."
Covering her face, Seraphina laughed and cried at the same time, while Iris silently listened by her side, and in the end, she closed her eyes empathetically.
******
Seraphina had just been led by Iris to the office when it was already dark outside. With all the commotion, it was naturally late. But the office was brightly lit, full of a smoky atmosphere. Iris walked in and sniffed, "Wow! You’re having a family hotpot without me!"
She almost stormed in, kicking and rushing inside. Opening the door, she saw James and Dane fighting over beef balls in the pot, Patrick drinking soda on the side, Sarah skillfully cooking the vegetables, and Peach slicing fatty beef with a scalpel.
At the sound, James turned his head, chewing on the tip of his chopsticks, "You’re back? We just started boiling, we were about to call you!"
"Why is Dane here?"
Iris walked in, accepted the chopsticks handed by Sarah, muttering, "He’s not one of our office members."
"He came to see you, just in time, so we invited him to join," Peach winked at Iris, "I heard he’s a college student. Is he your little puppy?"
On the side, Lachlan fiercely clenched the car keys, making a clattering sound.
The group looked at him, finding Lachlan giving a forced smile, "Dane, how did you get in?"
Dane held a bowl of condiments, "I came to see Iris! I’ve been busy with my thesis recently and haven’t seen her, I’ve been missing her."
Lachlan said to James, "Remember, no dogs and no Dane are allowed inside."
Dane wished he could pour the condiments on Lachlan’s handsome face.
"By the way, who is this beauty?"
Peach pointed at Seraphina, her eyes sparkling, "Have you bought insurance? Do you donate organs after death? You have a great figure, cutting it must feel amazing!"
Seraphina shivered, "I’m not dead yet!"
Peach clasped his hands, "I would let you go without pain..."
James mercilessly knocked on Peach’s forehead and then addressed the rest of the office members, "This is Seraphina, we met by chance while out having fun before, since she’s here, let’s eat together, lots of people in the office make it lively."
Yes, somehow, it feels like home.
Seraphina smiled graciously, having sorted out her previous emotional collapse in the car, smiling with pursed lips, "Just right, I’m hungry too. I won’t be polite to this dinner."
Since she was brought by Birdie, Sarah and the others naturally didn’t mind. They trusted each other unconditionally, so Sarah handed Seraphina a pair of chopsticks as well. When it was Lachlan’s turn, the man gritted his teeth, "Not eating."
"Why wouldn’t you eat when it smells so good?"
"Can’t eat, already full of anger." Lachlan coldly snorted, "Seeing Dane irritates me."
He can openly hold hands with Iris, but Lachlan can’t.
Hector can openly confess to Iris, but Lachlan can’t either.
Why can’t he do what others around him can do openly?
Because he has secrets in his heart?
Lachlan looked at Iris’s profile, he used to think her face really resembled that other person’s, but now looking again, there’s no resemblance at all.
That person was noble and unattainable, seemingly never giving a direct gaze, floating like she’s not a real human. But Iris is different; she’s naked and ambitious, daring to face any hardships, so vibrant and dazzling.
Lachlan thought, although they looked alike, they were not contenders.
Iris, however, didn’t notice Lachlan’s gaze. She introduced Seraphina to her friends one by one, then pulled her to sit on the sofa, fished out a piece of meat from the hotpot, and Seraphina pretended to be shy, "Thank you, rich lady."
"Haha!" Iris laughed delightedly, "Tonight, you’ve been chosen by the emperor!"
"..."
