Chapter 317

Morning sunlight streamed through the unclosed window, stirring the warm-colored curtains. Odalys slowly opened her eyes and shielded them with her hand. A knock came at the door.

She quickly rose, hurried to the door, and opened it. Evander stood outside, dressed in a gray suit, exuding an air of elegance. His joyful smile wasn't lost on Odalys.

"Good morning, Grandpa," she greeted him.

Evander nodded, pleased by her cheerful demeanor. "Do you want bacon for breakfast? I'll make some for you," he said, smiling. His stern face was softened by a genuine smile.

Odalys leaned against the door, a smile playing on her lips. "Grandpa, is there something to celebrate?" she asked softly.

As she spoke, Dorian approached, carrying something.

"Mrs. Stewart… Mr. Stewart didn't sleep a wink last night! He was up all night thinking about what to make you for breakfast," Dorian announced.

A blush crept onto Evander's usually stern face. He clasped his hands behind his back, straightened, shot Dorian a stern look, and then said to Odalys, "It's not that serious." He continued, "Odalys, Clarence said he wanted coffee. If you have time, can you join us?" He then hurried downstairs, leaving Odalys bewildered.

Unsure of Evander's excitement, she turned to Dorian, who stood at her door with a plate of fresh strawberries.

"What's gotten into Evander?" Odalys whispered.

Since Dorian had taken Odalys's prescribed medicine and passed his kidney stones overnight, his admiration for her had soared, amplified by her success in curing Percival's poisoning. When Odalys cautiously questioned him, Dorian quickly composed himself and leaned closer.

"Ever since Mr. Stewart moved into Stewart Villa, he's been bragging about you to all his old friends. They're all old comrades from the battlefield, many of them bigwigs in the government and business. After hearing about you, they were all eager to visit. Mr. Stewart turned them all down, saying you were busy. Mr. Clarence Lark called and pleaded all night before Mr. Stewart finally agreed to a visit. These strawberries were sent over by…" Dorian trailed off, handing her the plate. The aroma of fresh strawberries filled the air.

"Thank you," Odalys smiled, taking the plate.

Dorian watched her, a hesitant expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Is something the matter, Dorian?" Odalys asked, turning to go back to her room, then pausing.

Dorian's eyes flickered, and he awkwardly looked away. Then, his heart racing, he blurted out, "Dorian, can you tell me if I will start a romantic relationship recently?"

Odalys was surprised. Dorian was approaching sixty. While physically fit, he was past the typical age for romance.

"You're destined for love soon, but the woman you like is a scam. Don't contact her. Online dating is fake. The person on the other end may not be a woman, but a large, sweaty man. You can ask Callum to check it for you," Odalys whispered.

Dorian's mind reeled.

Odalys, noticing his stunned expression, said, "I'll help you."

"How can you help me?" Dorian asked hoarsely.

He stood dumbfounded as she entered the room with a plate of strawberries, beckoning him inside. He quickly followed.

She handed him her phone. "Unlock it and video call him."

Dorian hesitated, then obeyed. The person on the other end tried to hang up, but after Odalys tapped the screen, the call connected.

A large, shirtless man, wearing only underpants, his feet propped on a sofa, was picking food from his teeth.

"What the hell? Why are you video calling me?" the man exclaimed.

He saw the screen go black, shifted, scratched his backside, and then put his finger to his nose. "Could it be that the pictures I sent him last night of me in black stockings didn't tempt him? He still hasn't sent me the money. He promised me 600 thousand dollars!" He stood, pulled at his underpants, and adjusted himself. He paced the messy room, then pulled on a pair of women's panties and began taking pictures.

Seconds later, Dorian's phone vibrated. The man sent several suggestive photos, including a close-up of his buttocks.

Dorian's face flushed crimson. He was furious. He had never imagined his online date was a man. He'd prepared 600,000 dollars in cash, ready to meet her, and he hadn't expected this.

Why hadn't the man replied after seeing the photos? Enraged, the man stared at the screen, pressed the voice button, and said into a voice changer, "Honey, I miss you. Don't you think my panties are sexy? I want to throw them at you when I see you today."

Dorian felt nauseous. For the first time in his life, he felt utterly betrayed.

At that moment, two burly men entered, drinking beer. "Did you make an appointment with him? I'm ready. After you book a hotel room, send him the room number. After that old pervert enters, drug him. Then I'll bring in a woman, and you call the police. Remember to tell him to bring 600,000 dollars in cash. When the time comes, you throw the cash down from upstairs, and I'll catch it downstairs," one man explained his plan.

Chapter 117 (Note: This seems to be a mistake; it should likely be Chapter 318)

After the man finished speaking, there was no response.

This cleaned-up version corrects grammatical errors, improves sentence structure, and eliminates inconsistencies in punctuation and capitalization. The remaining issues (such as the abrupt ending and the incorrect chapter number at the end) suggest there may be missing text in the original.