He felt so wronged!

"Bradley, you've misunderstood. I'm already with Ella. I can't have feelings for anyone else, and besides, Freya is your woman. A friends' wife is not to be trifled with. You can consider Patrick as a rival, but I absolutely don't exist in that realm and could never be a threat to you! As for Master's actions, it's all because of our master-disciple relationship, and he still has some impression of me. But with you..."

Xavier paused here, looking up and scanning him, his fist pressed against his lips, clearing his throat twice.

"You must have heard about Hayden Barnes's sister, right?"

"Sue."

"Yes, that's Sue. Hayden Barnes has always felt guilty about her, stemming from her unhappy marriage. His memory is currently stuck at the time when Sue was eighteen, so he's been trying to find a suitable man for her."

"But he's not truly foolish. He still remembers the shadow of Sue being abandoned, so he's even more determined to ensure her happiness. And with your... appearance being too serious, always wearing a stern expression, it's easy for people to feel distant from you..."

Xavier dared not continue, because Bradley's face had already turned black as ink, terrifyingly so.

"Please continue."

"No. you will kill me."

"I will kill you right now if you don't."

He narrowed his eyes, a murderous aura emanating from him.

Xavier shuddered fiercely, pretending to be casual. "The person who abandoned Sue is said to be just like you in appearance, always dressed formally and seriously, but secretly a despicable person..."

Hearing this, Bradley's face turned completely black.

A despicable person...

Was he referring to him?

"So, Bradley, as your best friend, I have to remind you, it's not just about guarding against me and Sean. The key lies in you. If you don't make some changes, even if Hayden Barnes doesn't like you, he'll find a way to break you and Freya apart. Then, even without me and Sean, he can still find other men."

After Xavier finished speaking, he wiped away a bead of sweat.

Bradley clenched his fists, and in the silent space, there was a crisp sound.

"I'll take Freya back to the capital tomorrow morning."

"Don't. Freya has put in a lot of effort to persuade Hayden Barnes to help you. If you take her away now, all her previous efforts will be wasted."

"I'd rather die from my illness than be led around by others."

He had never stooped so low to anyone.

Now, he was being led around by an old man, how could he bear it?

"Don't do this. If Freya knew you were thinking like this, she would be devastated. Anyway, once Hayden Barnes comes up with the antidote, we'll leave here. How you want to be with Sister-in-law, no one can control you both."

As the two talked, Hayden Barnes approached.

"You two, come over and have a drink with me."

His sudden voice startled Xavier, making him jump.

How could his master move so silently?

"Alright, Master, I'll come over right away."

Xavier turned back and nudged Bradley with his elbow. "This is your chance. Be nice to Hayden Barnes, and you can do whatever you want. But Bradley, I have to tell you, this won't work. What are you doing dressed up like this in the mountains? Aren't you uncomfortable?"

"What kind of men girls like?"

Suddenly, the words came out of Bradley's mouth.

"Gentle and affectionate, handsome and tall. Your outer appearance is flawless, but you lack a bit of warmth."

"Women, you know, they love romance and charm. If you occasionally surprise them, they'll practically throw themselves into your arms."

Xavier spoke incessantly, feeling a bit guilty.

When it came to pursuing Ella, this cold and aloof goddess, he had learned quite a few seduction techniques from Patrick.

These words, they were all told to him by Patrick,

Now, he's returning every single word to Bradley.

Of course, every time he sees Ella, he gets so nervous that he can't even string a sentence of words of affection together.

Bradley listens carefully, every word sinking in.

No wonder Freya couldn't rely on him. Was it because he lacked charm?

He may have billions in assets, but Freya has her own Lawson Group; she doesn't need his money.

If she doesn't spend his money, then what's the point of him earning so much?

Wouldn't it be better to be consistently romantic, to whisk her away on charming dates every day? That way, she'll eagerly melt into his embrace.

"What are you two grown men gossiping about? Come over and have a drink with me."

Hayden Barnes had waited for quite a while, but they hadn't come over. Impatiently, he grumbled again.

The two of them ended their conversation and went over to accompany Hayden Barnes for a drink.

Hayden Barnes was already tipsy, looking at the two of them and muttering, "I know you both like Sue, but let me tell you, my sister Sue is the apple of our Barnes family's eye. If you want to marry her, you'll have to pass through me."

He went back inside and fetched two more glasses of wine, filling them up and pushing them in front of the two men. They needed to prove their tolerance for alcohol.

Bradley felt a bit irritated and downed his glass in one gulp.

"You can't stop me from having her."

"You little brat, you're so full of yourself. Whether I can stop you or not, you'll have to try."

Hayden Barnes was displeased. He slammed the bottle down heavily and launched an attack at him.

Bradley narrowed his eyes and calmly intercepted his punches and kicks.

The two exchanged blows, with Hayden Barnes's agility belying his age, matching that of a much younger man.

But Bradley had the advantage of youth and years of training, giving him remarkable speed.

The skirmish showed no signs of abating.

Just then, Freya, unable to sleep, tossed and turned in bed, opening the window for some fresh air, only to stumble upon this scene.

"What are you two doing?" Bradley immediately stopped.

The other party was an eighty-year-old man, and moreover, Freya's great uncle by marriage. If anything serious happened, it would be unforgivable.

But to his surprise, Hayden Barnes took advantage of the opportunity and landed a heavy blow on him.

Bradley's handsome face was knocked askew, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Despicable!" Bradley spat out disdainfully.

"Hey, seizing victory by surprise attack is a strategy on the battlefield. You were too careless, it's not my fault for ambushing you. With your tendency to be easily distracted by women, you'll never achieve great things."

Hayden Barnes was quite satisfied with this punch, grinning smugly as he carried his wine back into the house.

"If you want to marry my sister, your skills are still lacking."

Bradley silently clenched his fists. He hadn't expected Hayden Barnes to be so skilled, even knowing battlefield strategies.

Was he... a soldier?