Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Exercising Mrs. Shaw’s Rights

Yvonne Sutton nudged Wyatt Shaw with her elbow, but he ignored her and continued to meticulously cut her steak, though he couldn’t hide the smile playing on his lips.

’He’s doing this on purpose!’

Yvonne Sutton cleared her throat. "Uh, since it won’t affect the project, then... sure, that’s fine."

Jean Bell raised her wine glass to toast Yvonne Sutton. "Thank you."

Yvonne Sutton raised her glass in response and took a sip.

Jean Bell continued, explaining a bit more about the film crew. She said their team was actually quite small and promised to enforce strict rules to ensure they wouldn’t cause any major damage to the island. Of course, the crew couldn’t just borrow the island for free—they would pay a location fee.

"Just pay my wife directly," Wyatt Shaw added after Jean Bell finished speaking.

Yvonne Sutton was in the middle of eating her steak and nearly choked when she heard him.

It was obvious Jean Bell’s offer to pay a location fee was just a polite formality, especially since she kept using the word ’borrow.’ But she hadn’t expected Wyatt Shaw to take her up on it so bluntly.

Jean Bell looked at Yvonne Sutton, her smile fading slightly. "Mrs. Shaw, why don’t we draw up a contract later?"

"That works," Yvonne Sutton said.

’If Wyatt Shaw wasn’t going to be polite with Jean Bell, then there was even less reason for her to be.’

The atmosphere grew a little chilly, and Silas Rhodes quickly tried to liven things up.

"Jean, why don’t you find a role for me? Let me scratch my acting itch."

Jean Bell raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Of course! Preferably a dashing, handsome guy—I could play myself. I’d be surrounded by beautiful women, and we’d all go swimming in the ocean. Swimming, swimming... and then suddenly, a giant shark appears! We have to escape to a deserted island and begin a life of... sensual, no, *harsh* survival with one man and N women."

"I have a handsome guy, but I’m short one corpse."

"You want me to play the corpse?"

"No acting required."

"So I just die for real?"

"Drowned. Your body isn’t found for seven or eight days. Ugh, it’d be all bloated... swollen, white, rotting flesh..."

"BLEGH, stop talking!" Silas Rhodes quickly cut Jean Bell off. "Forget the corpse. I can’t let this handsome face go to waste."

After that, the group made small talk, and the atmosphere was pleasant enough.

Halfway through the meal, Jean Bell went to the restroom, and Silas Rhodes stepped out onto the balcony to smoke.

Yvonne Sutton seized the opportunity to pinch Wyatt Shaw’s arm. "Why did you put me on the spot, making me decide whether or not to lend her the island?"

A smile played on Wyatt Shaw’s lips. He pulled Yvonne Sutton into his arms, rested his forehead against hers, and peppered her with little kisses.

"So you can exercise your rights as Mrs. Shaw, of course."

Yvonne Sutton froze for a second. "What rights does Mrs. Shaw have?"

"Mrs. Shaw has dominion over everything that belongs to Mr. Shaw. His power, his wealth, and, of course, his handsome face."

Yvonne Sutton’s heart felt like it was bubbling with sweetness, and she couldn’t hold back a smile.

’Okay, fine. She liked his sweet talk.’

"I’m not interested in the power or the wealth. But as for the handsome face," Yvonne Sutton leaned in and gently bit his lower lip, "that belongs exclusively to me."

The two of them were lovey-dovey for a little while longer. When Wyatt Shaw saw that Silas Rhodes hadn’t returned yet, he said he was also going to step outside for a smoke.

Not long after Wyatt Shaw went out, Silas Rhodes came back.

"Oh? Wyatt Shaw went to find you," Yvonne Sutton said.

Silas Rhodes hesitated for a moment. "He went to the balcony?"

"Yep."

Silas Rhodes gave an awkward little laugh. "I just went to the restroom. We must have missed each other."

Yvonne Sutton thought nothing of it and went back to her food.

"Auntie..."

"Hm?" Yvonne Sutton looked up at Silas Rhodes.

Silas Rhodes rubbed his nose. "Jean Bell and my uncle..."

He trailed off, looking like he wanted to say more but was hesitating.

"What about them?" Yvonne Sutton asked.

"Jean Bell... she used to have a crush on my uncle," Silas Rhodes said, looking up.

Yvonne Sutton already knew. Monica Lynch had bragged about it to someone once, and Yvonne had happened to overhear. Besides, even if she hadn’t heard it from Monica Lynch, she could have guessed from all the signs tonight.

"But that’s all in the past now, Auntie. Don’t worry about it."

"There’s nothing to worry about."

’And there really wasn’t anything to worry about, because Wyatt Shaw gave her all the security she needed.’

Hearing her say that, Silas Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that’s a relief. After all, you two will be working together. If you ever started fighting over my uncle, I wouldn’t know whose side to take."

Yvonne Sutton raised an eyebrow. "You like Jean Bell!"

Silas Rhodes’s eyes went wide. "Who told you that?"

Yvonne Sutton shrugged. "I was just fishing."

"You!"

"So it’s true."

Silas Rhodes deflated. "Auntie, when did you get as cunning as my uncle?"

Yvonne Sutton noticed Wyatt Shaw still hadn’t come back. Thinking about how cold it was outside and that he was only wearing a dress shirt, she got up to ask the waiter for his jacket.

"Oh, Miss Bell just took it," the waiter said.

’Jean Bell took it?’

Yvonne Sutton thought for a moment, then turned and walked toward the balcony. Through the glass doors, she saw Wyatt Shaw leaning against the railing, smoking. Jean Bell was walking toward him, holding his jacket open, just about to drape it over his shoulders.

Wyatt Shaw sensed someone behind him. When he turned and saw it was her, he reached out, took the jacket, and draped it over the railing.

Jean Bell looked a bit embarrassed but quickly composed herself. She took out a cigarette of her own and stood beside Wyatt Shaw at the railing.

The two of them didn’t speak. After a moment, Wyatt Shaw tossed his cigarette butt into the trash can and turned to go back inside, but Jean Bell called out to him.

She took a piece of paper from her coat pocket and unfolded it for Wyatt Shaw to see. The moment Wyatt Shaw saw what was on it, his expression turned dark and cold.

Jean Bell said something, her eyes full of concern.

Wyatt Shaw’s expression grew darker and darker. He snatched the paper from her, took out a lighter, and lit it from the bottom. Jean Bell frantically tried to grab it back, but Wyatt Shaw took two steps back and glared at her coldly.

Jean Bell froze as if she’d been turned to ice, not daring to take another step forward.

Wyatt Shaw held the paper until it had burned completely to ash.

Just then, Jean Bell said something else. Wyatt Shaw’s anger instantly flared. He closed the distance in a few quick strides, grabbed Jean Bell’s arm, and slammed her against the railing.

The look on his face was terrifying. The usually haughty Jean Bell was now trembling like a frightened rabbit.

Fearing Wyatt Shaw might do something rash to Jean Bell, Yvonne Sutton quickly pushed open the glass door.

"Honey!" she called out quickly.

Wyatt Shaw’s body went rigid. He took two steps back, composed himself for a moment, and when he turned to look at Yvonne Sutton, his usual gentle expression had returned.

Yvonne Sutton walked over and said she was tired and wanted to go home. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Wyatt Shaw nodded, picked up his jacket, and draped it over her.

"Alright. Let’s go home."

"Miss Bell, we’ll see you tomorrow, then," Yvonne Sutton said, tilting her head at Jean Bell.

Jean Bell forced a smile. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

They took the subway home. Wyatt Shaw, in his expensive suit, should have looked out of place among the other passengers, but he was a great conversationalist. In no time, he was deep in conversation with a migrant worker. After the worker got off, he started chatting with a male college student. By the end of their conversation, he had the student so fired up that the young man declared he was going right back to his dorm to work on his thesis. He was going to graduate with honors and then go out and conquer the world—no, society.

Yvonne Sutton leaned against Wyatt Shaw, laughing the whole way until she was too weak to laugh anymore.

After getting off the subway, they walked home hand in hand.

As they reached an intersection, Yvonne Sutton saw an old woman kneeling on the ground, wailing her heart out.

Yvonne Sutton quickly ran over to ask the old woman what was wrong. The moment the old woman saw her, she started begging.

"Miss Sutton, you’re a good person! Please, save my son!"

The old woman pointed toward the intersection. Yvonne Sutton looked and finally saw him: her son, in his wheelchair, right in the middle of the road. Just then, a large truck came speeding toward them.

She instinctively started to run and help, but Wyatt Shaw yanked her back forcefully. Then, he was the one who charged forward.