At the moment Serena Sterling appeared, Jude Crawford knew what was going on and snorted coldly, "So you’re saying you ordered someone to beat Chase Sullivan up?" Under Jude Crawford’s imposing and cold aura, Serena nodded calmly, "Yes, it was me." "It’s one thing to beat him up, but you deliberately framed me?" Jude continued to ask. Serena still nodded, "That’s right." Jude glanced coldly in the direction where Jenny had just left, "My mother inexplicably placed this person by my side, was that your idea too?" Butler Thorne, who was nearby, felt a cold sweat for their young mistress. Child, why are you being so honest? Jude Crawford’s gaze was icy and sharp as he looked at Serena, "Speak, what do you want to do?" Serena came beside Jude Crawford, her two small hands behind her back, standing with her hands clasped, "Uncle Jude, have you heard the story of the Princess and the knight?" "Are you sure you want to discuss fairy tales with me?" Jude frowned and was about to leave, not wanting to hear Serena speak. Serena smiled casually, "Uncle Jude, have you never realized that Aunt Yara is like the fine sand in your palm? The tighter you grasp it, the faster it slips away." Jude paused in his steps and looked at Serena. Serena’s lips curled, her bright eyes shimmering with clever flickers, "Uncle Jude, do you know how to hold the sand in your hand?" As she spoke, Serena extended one of her small hands, slowly opening her soft white palm, "It’s actually quite simple, just open your hand." In Serena’s hand, there was a handful of sand, and now as she opened her palm, the sand rested in it without slipping away at all. Jude was taken aback, something flashed quickly in his deep, narrow eyes, and after a full minute, he turned and left. Butler Thorne finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed. In the extended luxury business car, Jude Crawford leaned lazily against the back seat. This time he wasn’t reading documents but had taken out his phone, browsing a fairy tale about the Princess and the knight. The Princess and the knight are destined never to be together; the knight’s mission is to protect the Princess and her happiness, while the Prince’s mission is to be happily with the Princess. Jude Crawford put away his phone and turned his head to look at the scenery flying by outside the window, roughly understanding what Serena meant. For all these years, he had been Isabelle Willow’s knight, but not the Prince. Jude Crawford thought again about the sand in Serena’s palm earlier. The tighter you hold the sand, the faster it slips away. The only solution is to open your hand. In the front, Butler Thorne cautiously observed his master’s expression, "Sir, please don’t blame the young mistress. The young mistress is extraordinarily intelligent and has her reasons for doing things. I can see that she is working to resolve the knot between you and the madam." Jude gave Butler Thorne a look, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "Young mistress, young mistress, is that all you can say now, Butler Thorne? Who exactly do you answer to now?" Butler Thorne was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat, "I... I am, of course, loyal to you unto death!" "Never mind." Jude broke into a slight smile, "Not just you, now even the old lady has joined Serena in plotting against me. This Crawford family will eventually end up in her hands, and you haven’t done anything wrong." Butler Thorne looked at Jude Crawford in awe, it seemed... the master had also acknowledged the young mistress as the head lady of the family. Jude was silent for a few seconds, then picked up his phone again and dialed a number. This call wasn’t for Isabelle Willow, but for Jenny. Serena returned officially, and Cherie was anxious, "Princess, you’ve finally come back. Tomorrow is Caroline Sloan’s 20th birthday. I was worried you’d miss it." "Have that little white lotus and her parents stirred up anything while I was gone?" Serena asked. Cherie was furious, "Didn’t Mr. Crawford plan a birthday party for Caroline Sloan? The location has been set at the most luxurious seven-star hotel in Westria, Port Sterling. I heard Caroline Sloan’s bizarre parents are ecstatic, extremely arrogant these days, boasting to everyone that Mr. Crawford is their prospective son-in-law. Tomorrow they’re bringing every relative from far and wide to show off. They’re very pleased with themselves, making a splash everywhere." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net Compared to Cherie’s anger, Serena was very calm and said with a smile, "Oh, I see." "Princess, aren’t you even a little angry? What’s Mr. Crawford trying to do, lifting Caroline Sloan’s whole family to the skies? It’s simply too much!" "We’ll know what Hayden Crawford is up to tomorrow, Cherie, let’s go." Serena got up. Cherie was puzzled, "Princess, where are we going?" Cherie really felt more anxious than the emperor himself. Hayden Crawford’s baffling actions were really aggravating. The unbecoming demeanor of Caroline Sloan’s bizarre parents had caused a storm of gossip outside, making her furious, but her Princess wasn’t angry at all, which was strange. Serena wasn’t angry because, in her view, Caroline Sloan was Hayden Crawford’s business, not hers. He would handle it. Now she had her own matters to attend to. "We’re going to Iris Crawford’s apartment," Serena said. What, going to Iris Crawford’s apartment? "Princess, why are we going there?" Serena thought for a moment, "Uncle Jude and I have investigated those people in the Crawford family from back in the day. They’re all clean, without any problems. I can’t figure out how members of the Merfolk Clan managed to infiltrate the Crawford family unless... they were brought in by someone from the Crawford family themselves." Cherie’s mouth dropped open in shock. Serena continued to speculate, "Old Mrs. Crawford and Uncle Jude have no issues. They’ve stood in the Crawford family for so many years, deeply insightful, with no problems around them. Aunt Yara was trapped in Jill’s room, so she wouldn’t have problems either. The issue is likely with... Aunt Iris, and back then, the Merfolk Clan also used Aunt Iris as an entry point." "Now Aunt Iris is in a coma, and we can’t ask her anything, so I need to check out the apartment where Aunt Iris had her accident. I have a feeling... I’ve overlooked something, and I also feel... I’m just one step away from the truth!" Serena took Cherie to the apartment where Iris Crawford had her accident and entered Iris’s room. The room was very clean, without any traces. Serena looked carefully bit by bit, and soon she found a word on the sofa; embedded in the sofa, she discovered the word "Lotus"!