Not expecting Julian to trust him this much, Eric felt gratified. "Alright."When he left the study, he thoughtfully closed the door behind him.Julian sat at his desk and picked up his phone. "Continue.""The staff for the comic company has been fully recruited. The company has also been established successfully," Mark reported seriously.Now, Julian could proceed with signing Aralyn to his comic company.He crossed his legs gracefully, a hint of warmth flickering in his usually icy eyes. "Got it.""Is there anything else?" Mark inquired."I asked Lyn to design props for the gaming company. Make sure to give her a bonus," said Julian.If it were for a regular employee, Mark would have come up with a reasonable bonus amount in no time. But Julian clearly treated Aralyn differently. Everyone knew Julian was a workaholic whose mind revolved solely around the company. Yet, the typically professional and business-like Julian had insisted on bringing Aralyn into the company. Des
When Willow finished resting, the whole family gathered in the dining room to enjoy dinner together.Looking at the table full of delicious dishes, Eric couldn't help but swallow hard.Julian noticed this and was worried Eric might feel too shy to eat. Hence, he served Eric some food with his utensils.Eric quickly waved his hands. "No need. I can do it myself.""Don't hold back," Julian uttered calmly.I glanced at Julian unintentionally. It was strange how his demeanor and interactions often made him seem distant and aloof. Yet, in everyday life, he came across as genuinely thoughtful.Willow had taken a few bites of her food. Once her hunger subsided a bit, she regained her usual energy as she asked, "Mommy, if I keep this up and train every day, can I become a martial arts master?"Though she hadn't even started practicing martial arts or boxing yet, her earlier dream of being a boxer had already been replaced by new ambitions.I wasn't sure what she meant by 'martial arts
It was clear what she was trying to say—Mason needed to have that lucky charm.However, Shayne didn't plan to give in to her. "I've given you plenty of money recently. If you really want to give Mason one, then take him out and buy him one yourself."As he spoke, he nudged Zach gently. "Want to open it and see if you like it?""Yes!" Zach realized that although Shayne always sided with Luna and Mason, when it came to major issues like this, Shayne would always back him up.Setting the paper bag aside, Zach opened the jewelry box and saw the bright golden item inside."Dad, I love it!" he exclaimed."Then go keep it in a safe place," Shayne replied, patting him on the back.Zach sprinted back to his room and closed the door. He opened his custom-made table. There was a hidden drawer there, and he slid it open, revealing several passbooks.The money there had been saved by Aralyn. There were also several property deeds, most of which were for commercial spaces. These were also th
"I just feel that you'll go back to Zach and be his mom again." Willow sobbed."Why would you think that?" I asked in surprise.She stifled her tears and replied, "Because you gave birth to him."Upon hearing this, I realized that Willow still felt insecure.Even though she usually played happily with me, any small stir from Zach would make her tense and worried that I would abandon her.I carefully considered how to reassure her."I know what it's like not to have a mom. It's not easy. But I also feel selfish… It's as if I stole someone else's mom. But I love you so much, Mommy. I don't want to give you back to him." Her voice trembled.I held her small hand gently and said, "Actually, I think being a little selfish is okay. You don't need to sacrifice your own happiness just to make someone else's life better."Willow looked at me, confused.I smiled. "I let go of Zach because he hurt me. No matter how much he changes afterward, it has nothing to do with me anymore. I chose
"I'm planning to sign you under my comic company. That way, you won't need to worry about promotion or publicity anymore. In the future, all you need to focus on is drawing your work," Julian uttered.These past few days, I had indeed been incredibly busy. Besides sketching, I had to color the completed line art. After finishing all that, I barely had any time left. Whatever time I did have, I spent brainstorming ways to get my work seen by a larger audience. My original plan was to set aside a few hours daily to learn promotional techniques. But now, Julian had saved me from that time-consuming effort."Thank you," I uttered, thrilled.Julian looked into my eyes. "Lyn, you don't have to be so formal with me."…Luna sat in her bedroom, growing increasingly frustrated. She still wanted to reclaim the golden lucky charm that had been gifted to Zach.Her initial plan had been to bring it up in passing when Shayne came to find her. But it was already 10:30 pm, and he still hadn't
It wouldn't be long before Shayne grew tired of her and found an excuse to kick her out.There was absolutely no way that Luna was going to let that happen.She made up her mind. She needed to find more opportunities to strengthen her bond with Shayne. Only by doing so could she stay by his side a little longer.…To help Willow improve her health, I made a point of waking her up ten minutes earlier than usual.Willow was still sleepy, but she still got out of bed.First, I had her walk a few hundred meters. Once she was fully awake, we started jogging together. When she got tired, we took breaks.After repeating this a few times, Willow was so exhausted she could barely breathe, let alone walk.She flopped down onto the grass, completely motionless.Knowing she was worn out, I carried her back to her room. Once she had washed up, I helped her take a bath.After putting on her clothes, Willow said solemnly, "It seems like getting healthier isn't something that can be achieved
For the first time, Zach despised his own foolishness. Why did he have to wait until now to realize how amazing Aralyn was?"Can you forgive me?" he pleaded.…Watching his heart-wrenching sobs, I was surprised to find my own heart completely calm. "Does it matter if I forgive you or not?"Zach's crying came to an abrupt halt, and he stared at me in shock."No matter who it is, before doing anything, they should think carefully about the consequences because some mistakes can never be undone." "But I'm just a kid…" Zach wiped his tears, panicking."Kids also need to take responsibility for their choices," I replied calmly.Zach tried hard to stifle his sobs, but he couldn't stop himself."Hopefully, after experiencing all this, you'll think more carefully before making decisions in the future," I uttered slowly."Okay." Zach nodded, still gasping for breath between his tears.I glanced over at Julian, who stood nearby. "Let's go."Julian nodded. "Alright."…Shayne leane
Shayne waited for Luna to respond, but when she didn't, his expression darkened slightly. He pressed further, "Did you hear me?""Yes," Luna replied half-heartedly, brushing him off.She had no interest in discussing anything related to Aralyn with Shayne, so she quickly changed the subject. "By the way, you have a gathering tonight. Don't forget to attend."The event was being hosted by one of his friends.Shayne hadn't been in the best of moods over the past few days. Thinking it might be a chance to relax and unwind with his friends, he smiled faintly."Are you coming?" he asked lightly.Luna shook her head and placed her hand over her stomach gently. "No. Going out and having too much fun might not be good for the baby, so you go by yourself."Shayne, considerate as always, said, "Make sure to take care of yourself."Luna shook her head and chuckled. "It's just for a little while. You don't need to worry about me that much."Even though she was only with Shayne for his mon
I said unhurriedly, "Think about what a doll looks like, and then think about the person you want to talk to. If you were to custom-make a doll like them, what would it look like?"Willow thought about it seriously and asked, "Then what?"I smiled and replied, "Wouldn't you be able to talk to them normally once you have the image of their doll in your mind?""That's true!" Willow exclaimed in amazement. She clearly didn't think there would be such a good solution. "However…" she added, her eyes sparkling. She seemed like she was thinking of something mischievous."What is it?" I asked quickly.She chuckled happily and replied, "Doesn't that mean everyone in the world would become dolls in my eyes?"Seeing her expectant expression, I played along and said, "That's right, a world of dolls just for you."Willow grew even more excited....Julian sat in the living room, quietly awaiting Aralyn. She would chat with him for a while every day in the past."She's accompanying Willo
This question left me confused. I asked back, puzzled, "Why would I mind?"Julian knew full well that if a woman genuinely liked a man, she would inevitably feel possessive of him. The fact that I didn't mind now meant that I didn't love him yet.Julian felt rather dejected but knew that some things could not be rushed. So, he smiled and said, "That's true."…After sending Ximena back to her home and confirming that her ex-husband and Pamela weren't nearby, Julian and I finally left feeling at ease.Once I returned home, Willow immediately flung herself into my arms upon seeing me. "Mommy!"I bent down to pick her up."Yes?" I asked.She put her little cheek on my shoulder and asked, "Do you remember the goal I set for you? Back then, I said that I would definitely be able to talk with people other than you and Daddy normally within a month! It hasn't even been a month, and I've already reached my goal!"Willow then raised her head and looked at me expectantly. "I did so well
When we got home, Willow dragged the whole family along to exercise with her.After finishing, Willow took Pamela and her grandparents upstairs.Only Julian, Ximena, and I remained in the living room.Ximena glanced upstairs and said, "I thought Pamela would need to help her, but who would've guessed she'd recover on her own?""Yes," I agreed, sighing. "Children recover much faster than I ever imagined."Ximena couldn't help but chuckle. "Exactly. Look at Pamela. When she lived with her dad, she'd come home acting like a quail—so timid and cautious. But after just a few days with me, she's slowly returning to how she used to be."It was evident that Ximena loved Pamela. "If I had known that switching to a less stressful job would make life easier for my daughter, I definitely would've left my old company a long time ago."As a mother myself, I understood Ximena's guilt. Patting her shoulder reassuringly, I uttered, "It's not too late to change now."Ximena nodded. "Yeah."Juli
Hughes Group had excellent landscaping. The green plants on both sides were lush and flourishing.The tree shade blocked the harsh sunlight, creating a tranquil atmosphere.I turned to look at Julian. "Have you finished all your work?"As he did not like someone to lie, Julian replied honestly, "Not yet."He hadn't forgotten Gabriel and Lilia's advice—to appear vulnerable in front of Aralyn. "I just feel a bit tired.""It's a pity I can't help you much," I said regretfully. "But the account and selling peripheral products could bring me a lot of income."This was an answer I had thought about for a long time. "If your company runs into trouble and can't hold on, you can come to me for help. I can take care of you and Willow."Julian was very confident that his company wouldn't run into any problems, but he hadn't expected that Aralyn would already consider such a scenario.He even thought that if the company really did go bankrupt, wouldn't that also bring him closer to Araly
As soon as he finished speaking, the server brought over a large bowl of broth fondue and placed it on the table. "Enjoy your meal," he said with a smile."Thank you!" I picked up a piece of the beef. The crunchy and tender texture was simply irresistible.I ate several big bites in a row, only to notice that Julian still hadn't started eating. Curious, I asked, "Are you not going to eat?""Of course I am," Julian said, picking up his cutlery.…Shayne returned to his office, thinking about the things Aralyn had said. It dawned on him that he had indeed made far too many mistakes.Ever since he'd married Aralyn, he had taken her for granted because she was too sensible and understanding. He hadn't even noticed how much she had suffered.At this moment, Shayne was desperate to divorce Luna and make amends to Aralyn.Resolute, he called Luna."Yes? Miss me?" Luna's sweet voice came through the phone."I'm sorry." After saying those words, Shayne felt a sense of relief.Why was
"So, you think I should pay for every meal Julian and I have together?" I countered.The people around us started whispering, all saying that Amber was being shameless.Amber was so furious that she nearly lost her composure. "That's not the point! The point is my son refuses to support us because of you!"Standing up, Julian took out the bank transaction statements he had specifically asked Mark to print earlier. "Why don't you tell everyone how much you spend each month?"Amber had always gotten away with this kind of behavior before, so she never expected Julian to fight back this time.She froze on the spot.Julian unfolded the statements. To make sure everyone could see, he even handed out a few copies to the crowd.The onlookers opened the papers. The monthly expenses amounted to over five million. Then, they looked back at Amber, thinking she was being unreasonable.They thought she was being ungrateful by making a scene here when she received that much money; she hadn't
Mark didn't even think before replying, "Well, the company has a rule—if you complete three days' work in one day, the remaining two days are vacation."I found it a bit hard to believe. "Does such a great company really exist?"Mark teased with a smile, "Well, you've seen one now. The average price for these peripheral products is ten dollars, and your royalty margin is still 15%. The company just decided to spend a large sum of money to boost traffic."If all goes as planned, the sales of these peripheral products should break records day by day. We're worried that when the demand surges, production might not keep up."So, we're planning to stock up in advance to avoid running out of inventory when the comic goes viral. You just sit back and wait for the royalty money to roll in."When I heard that, I couldn't help but anticipate it. "Thank you.""You're welcome."With that, he left, not daring to glance at Julian.Julian followed him. "Help me print out the bank transfer rec
"If you had even a shred of sense and thought about everything you did to me, you couldn't possibly think I still have the slightest attachment to you."Shayne slammed the table and stood up. "Is this about me making you sleep with Rowan?"I leaned back on the couch and looked up at him. "Is that the only thing?"Shayne acted as if he couldn't hear me. "But I don't care about it anymore!""Heh." I realized I shouldn't have come to talk to him at all.Seeing me get up, Shayne hurriedly ran in front of me. "Aralyn…"I ignored him and walked straight past. Glancing back at his dejected figure, I calmly said, "I've always been thankful that I chose to leave you."…Back in the office, Julian, who had been focused on work, set his tasks aside and approached me. "Are you okay?"I nodded. "I'm fine. I just don't know what got into him. He suddenly said he regrets the divorce as if it would make any difference had he refused back then."I didn't bother to hide the disdain in my eyes.
"Strictly speaking, she's not an employee of Hughes Group," Mark said in a friendly manner.Shayne frowned. Seeing that this approach wasn't working, he simply stated his reason for coming, "I want to see her."Mark smiled politely. "You can call her and ask if she's willing to meet you."Mr. Pearce, I'm just an employee. Please don't make things difficult for me."Shayne stared at Mark. "She blocked me.""Then I'm sorry. I can't help you," Mark uttered in a professional tone.Shayne tried to bypass Mark to go find Aralyn, but Mark stepped forward to block him.Just then, the office door opened.…I stood at the door, looking at Shayne.Shayne looked at me. "Aralyn.""Don't say my name as if we're close," I said coldly, staring at him in disdain. "We're nothing more than strangers."For once, Shayne's expression showed sadness.But I didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy. Instead, I found him pretentious and turned my gaze away.Mark stepped up to me and whispered, "D