Matthew pulled Christina firmly into his embrace as he finally pulled back from the kiss. “I don’t want to leave today!”Her cheeks blushed within seconds as she tapped him on the head playfully. “Don’t you dare treat me like all your other women!”“Listen to me!” He grabbed her hands as he stared into her eyes. “I don’t want to be away from you anymore, do you understand? Christina, let’s get married!”“Married?”“Yes! Let’s get married right away! Then you can move in with me and I can finally do the things I want to do to you!” He laughed evilly.“Naughty!” She glared at the man. Marriage was not a simple love affair and Matthew was not the only person who had a say in this. “I’ll think about it.”She was also giving him some time to consider this properly.He pressed a finger on her red lips. “Silly!” A strange feeling materialized in his heart, knowing that she still did not fully believe him. How could he make her trust him wholeheartedly?Reluctantly, Matthew left Christ
“Father, you can be mad at me but Matthew’s your grandson, you can’t just let him be!” The flustered man tried convincing again.“You, as his father, abandoned him back then to be with that lowly woman. When did you care about Matthew? Don’t return to the Henderson family since you’ve decided to leave. It’s none of your business who he wants to be with! Out now!”“Father!”“I say out!” Old Man Henderson ordered with a long face.He threw the walking stick on the ground angrily when the man remained standing there. “Butler, what are you waiting for? Chase him out of my house!”The butler had no choice but to step in. “Master, please leave. We don’t want to infuriate Old Master more.”The man was reluctant but he was left with no alternative at this moment.Old Man Henderson was still in a rage after the unwelcome guest left. “How could that b*stard criticize Matthew after the disgraceful thing he had done back then? Matthew wouldn’t turn out like this if he hadn’t abandoned his f
Henry coughed softly to ease the embarrassment. “Matthew, I just came back from your grandpa’s. He has something to tell you.”“You must be kidding?” Matthew scoffed. “Grandpa’s most probably shaking with fury upon seeing his disgraceful, unfilial son. Would he really ask you to speak on his behalf? Ridiculous!”Henry ignored his mocking and spoke seriously. “Matthew, your grandpa wants me to tell you he doesn’t care if you’re just messing with that woman. But a divorced woman with a child is never going to be accepted to the Henderson family.”A flurry of emotions moved across Matthew’s features like a storm. “So what if I like a divorced woman? It’s nothing compared to you messing with a married woman.”“Matthew!” Henry could no longer retain his feelings. “There’s no love between your mother and I. There’s just something that you don’t know of…”“So that justifies your love for someone else’s wife?” Matthew could not care less. “Henry Henderson, you can divorce Mom if you don’t
No one really had any idea what actually went behind the closed doors of rich and powerful families. For reasons unknown to herself, Christina felt sorry for Matthew.He had been feeling down after Henry showed up thus she dared not disturb him. After work, Fred walked into her office carrying a delicate bag.“President Henderson bought this for you. Try it on.”“Why spend lavishly for no reason?”“President Henderson naturally has his reasons to do so. Meet him after putting this on.” Fred left after that, leaving the woman baffled.She opened the delicate bag and found an evening gown inside. It seemed like Matthew was going to attend another ball again tonight. There was a restroom in her office. She locked the door and got changed into the gown.Christina went to meet Matthew in his office after putting on the gown. He was not looking as gloomy as he was earlier today. Instead, he was smiling and joking with Fred. The two of them turned toward the door upon hearing the nois
Matthew greeted everyone before heading toward the venue with Christina. The place was already crowded with people, most of them the city’s rich and powerful faces.Undoubtedly, both Matthew and Michael’s partners attracted the most attention. The two perfectly well-matched couples astonished numerous people.Upon realizing many eyes focusing on Christina, Matthew held her closer by the waist and whispered into her ear, “Darling, you’re like a flower that stands out in the garden.”She blushed in embarrassment. “Stop it.”“Why?” The gloominess on his face earlier today had completely dissipated. “I really regret now because all eyes are on you!”She smiled. “Should I go get changed?”“No! I want to fill them with envy and jealousy. I want the world to know my woman is the most beautiful!”Michael’s face fell upon seeing the two of them whispering and the shyness on Christina’s face.Tonight was a treat from Matthew as he reserved the entire venue. Beautifully-dressed men and wo
A shadow veiled Michael’s features. Suzy rose to her feet. “I’ll fix you a plate.”She returned with a plate full of his favorite food. Christina glanced before averting her gaze. A sardonic expression flashed across her face. It appeared his lover had a good understanding of his preferences!There were plenty of empty seats around the dining hall yet Michael chose to sit closest to them. Matthew knew he probably did not approach with a good intention. Was he still irritated about the drinking incident last time? Suzy had a few bites of the food before smiling at Christina. “Miss Williams, I’ve met your son, and isn’t he a handsome boy!”“Thanks!” Christina returned the smile before continuing eating.Matthew interrupted. “If you like children, you better try harder with President Larson!”Christina’s gaze revealed sarcasm. “That’s right, a woman without children holds no position and becomes the target of bullies. Bearing a child as soon as possible could save you the worry of
They were married for five years yet Michael had no idea that Christina knew how to play the piano!Ballade pour Adeline was a song that was enjoyed by a great number of people through different times. There was a beautiful legend in Greek mythology. A long time ago, there was a lonely king named Pygmalion in the Kingdom of Cyprus. He created a sculpture of a charming young lady and admired her allure every day and inevitably fell in love with the sculpture eventually. He prayed to the gods for a miracle of love. His sincerity and perseverance moved the god of love Aphrodite thus giving life to the sculpture. Since then, the lucky king and the elegant young lady lived happily ever after. Naturally, Christina played this song to express her love for Matthew. Michael’s eyes darkened instantly!Matthew was not astonished by the fact that Christina knew how to play the piano as she was once John’s beloved daughter. What caught him by surprise was her playing this song for him as a birt
John flew off the handle upon learning about the news. Without any hesitation, he instructed the subordinate to handle the situation appropriately to the official rules. This matter was taken seriously according to John’s orders. Not only was Michael fined and his driver’s license suspended, but he was also detained in custody for fifteen days. His behavior was also heavily criticized all over the city’s official media outlet. The fine and suspended license was not too big of a deal but he being detained for half a month greatly impacted the Larson Corporation’s stock market. Over one billion dollars were lost on the day itself, declining to its limit down.Heather was so overwhelmed by rage that she passed out and was sent to the hospital. Michael on the other hand reacted calmly. He instructed the company to publish a public apology then went to the detention house alone.This grave news was soon spread to Christina’s ears. Matthew sighed as he read the papers. “Any other perso
In fact, Matthew was the one who planned this entire thing. He had been keeping a close eye on Rachel since she returned.He could let bygones be bygones if she was willing to settle down. However, the woman did not learn from past mistakes and once again partnered up with Serena to plot against Christina.Matthew went along with their plan. He even found someone to set this up to lure them into the trap.Christina’s due date was approaching after Rachel and Serena were taken care of. Michael began making preparations for Travis’ transplant operation.He hired the best hematologist and gynecologist before arranging for both Christina and Travis’ operation to take place in the same hospital.The delivery went smoothly. Christina gave birth to a baby girl, and Heather was over the moon.Everything had gone well, and it was about time to start on Travis’ operation. Christina was accompanied by Matthew and Rachel whereas Heather stayed close by the baby’s side. Michael comforted Chri
Besides, even if the plan failed, intentionally causing a pregnant woman to miscarry was not considered homicide by the country’s criminal law. The punishment was less serious as the behavior would be categorized as an assault occasioning bodily harm.Assault and criminal homicide were two completely different crimes.Rachel agreed to the suggestion. Scarface was indeed a ruthless man. He came up with this vicious revenge that would put Christina in pain forever.Upon agreeing on the details of the plan, Scarface and his friends from the streets proceeded to kidnap Christina. Rachel and Serena were told to sit tight and wait for the good news.Scarface had a well-thought-out plan and got his hands on Christina before long. Her head was covered with a black cloth as they forcefully pushed her into the van.Serena and Rachel were already at the agreed-upon location when Scarface instructed Christina to step out of the vehicle. The latter’s belly was round, and both of her hands were
Serena lost everything. She had no choice but to work as a bargirl to survive.Scarface was the person in charge of the bar she worked at. The ruthless man had pretty much slept with every woman who worked at his place. Naturally, Serena could not escape from that fate either.Serena was different from other bargirls. She came from a prestigious family and was highly educated. Even in dire straits, she still maintained a certain grace that made her stand out from the crowd.Scarface spotted her on her first day at the bar. He ordered his men to drag her into the private room and tortured her the entire night.She resisted in the beginning. However, without anyone to depend on, she had no choice but to give into Scarface’s tyrannical abuse.Several times later, he found himself attracted to her. Every night, he would ask for her instead of other women.Serena, who could not escape from him, gave in eventually. She even ended up becoming his lover.By doing so, she found someone t
“Just a little while ago.” Sean came closer. “Christina, we need to talk.”She nodded and followed him to the garden. He helped her to get comfortable on the bench. “Do you believe in fate?”She shook her head, unsure where this was leading. “I didn’t either as I’m a firm believer that hard work always pays off. But now I do.”He looked her in the eye. “I’ve been lost and struggled a lot since that incident, unsure how to face you. After considering this seriously for the past few days, I’ve finally mustered enough courage to meet you again.”A sigh escaped her lips. “Sorry, Sean. It’s all my fault.”“No! It has nothing to do with you, Christina. It’s my fault that my love is not strong enough. I discovered that Suzy is really great after spending the past few months with her. She’s just like you. She’s gentle, kind, pure, and adorable. I realized I’ve fallen in love with her.”This was not what he really thought.He loved Christina since the beginning of time and believed he
“That’s old history. We think Michael is actually pretty good.”“We? Who do you mean?” Christina teased.Ariel and Matthew had been spending a lot of time together lately. Christina went through that herself and understood the passion in her friend’s eyes. This silly girl was actually in love. She could not be happier for her.“Who else? Matthew, of course!” Ariel glared at Christina.“I say whatever’s on my mind, unlike you, who always keep everything to yourself and get stuck in dilemmas. Every good opportunity slips past you because of your indecisiveness!” “How can I not be? I promised to marry him but I’m now trying to convince him to marry someone else. Is this really the best thing for him? Will he be happy?”Ariel questioned after a brief silence, “Christina, let me ask you this. Who do you care for more? Michael or Sean?”Christina asked herself the same question too. She naturally cared more about Michael in the past, but she also started to develop a strong feeling f
The following morning, Serena hurried to the police station to file a report.The police treated this with high importance and warned her to be careful of Darren Cain as he was a vicious gang member who had served over a decade in prison.She became more frightened after hearing that. Immediately, she moved out of that house and rented a place somewhere quiet. As she was terrified, she stayed indoors for the next few days.Much of Christina’s stress was relieved without having to deal with Serena’s pestering.“Christina, John was at the last stage of cancer. It was lucky enough that he lasted until he did. This is his fate, so try not to get too upset.” Francis comforted the dispirited woman. It did not make any difference even though he was not the real Francis. He had long adapted to the identity after assuming it for so many years. Most importantly, Christina was still willing to treat him like a real uncle even after finding out the truth.“Don’t worry, Uncle, I’m fine.”
The harassment continued after the funeral. Serena went around spreading accusations and threatened Christina to give her money. Otherwise, she would report John to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for private corruption.If reported, the antique art collection would be seized and no one could get it!Christina became more frustrated after hearing that.She never expected John’s leniency toward Serena would cause her such a big problem. Matthew was infuriated by Serena’s unreasonable behavior. He suggested they could shut the woman up by teaching her a lesson. Sean shook his head. “That’s not going to solve the problem. Serena must’ve come prepared if she dares to stir up trouble. This is a lawful society. We can’t do as we wish.”“Are we actually going to pay her off then?” Ariel asked, “I think giving her money isn’t going to put an end to this. She’s certainly going to keep threatening for more!”Michael scoffed. “Why should we give her money? She can go
“I will, Dad, don’t worry. I’ll listen to Sister,” Suzy replied.“Christina.” John grabbed Christina’s hand in his own. “My greatest regret in this life is failing to take good care of you and your mother. I’m going to meet your mother soon. I hope she’ll forgive me!”Tears rolled down Christina’s cheeks. Men would speak kindly in the presence of death. She was unsure if Molly would forgive him, but she had long forgiven her father.He strained to pull Suzy and Christina’s hands closer together as he looked at them with pleading eyes. “The both of you must live peacefully together. Suzy, listen to your sister, and Christina, you must take good care of her on my behalf.”Christina looked at Suzy before nodding quietly. Then, John shifted his glance to Michael.“I’ve done many wrongs in this life. I betrayed my wife and disappointed my daughter. I hope you’ll do better than me. I’ll hand over Christina to you now. I’ll come back to haunt you as a stubborn ghost if you dare to wr
Suzy felt guilt-ridden and knew she was not in the position to demand anything from Christina. However, her mother had gone mad. She did not wish to see Christina continuing the fight with her mother.At a loss for what to do, she cried her heart out while in Christina’s arms.Sean felt a heavy feeling in his chest. He knew Christina too well after all the years they spent together. She was a soft-hearted person behind her stubborn facade. Seeing others in sorrow was her greatest weakness.There was no doubt she would choose to forgive Suzy and accept her as her sister.If that was the case, then the marriage between them was destined to fail. Christina would reject him for the sake of the child in her sister’s belly.At this moment, he was thinking of how everything was falling apart at this moment even after he had consistently pursued her all these years. He stood there in a daze for a long time before finally heaving a sigh.Perhaps this was their destiny. Suzy cried for a