What Luna said was somewhat reasonable.Though still frustrated, he said to Luna, "I misunderstood you. I'm sorry."Luna acted as if she were strong. "It's okay. As long as you understand my feelings, I'm satisfied," she responded, smiling.She looked as though she was hurt by Shayne's misunderstanding but was trying hard to hold it in.Although Shayne still didn't like her, seeing her silently give so much for him moved him.He looked at Luna and said seriously, "After your child is born, I will not only pay for the child's support, but I'll also cover part of your expenses."Luna looked at Shayne in surprise. He was willing to support her child and take care of her as well?It seemed her acting wasn't in vain.Luna was very pleased with today's outcome.After finishing the conversation with Luna, Shayne found a seat and sat down, watching Aralyn from a distance.Julian was sitting next to her, and it was clear that Julian's love for Aralyn was deep.In business, he was alw
"About four to five hundred thousand, I think?" Julian answered without hesitation.I frowned. "That's expensive. Don't you think it's wasteful to wear it just once?"Julian lifted his head to look into my eyes. "My girlfriend wore this dress on our first day together while attending a banquet with me. It's worth keeping this dress for the sentimental value."I stared at him for a long time before replying, "You've got a sense of humor."Julian stood up and walked to me. "I know when you were with Shayne, you were probably afraid to spend too much because he was starting his business and under financial pressure. You worried it might affect his company's operations, so you were always frugal.""But my company is much larger now, Lyn. Even if you spend more, I can afford to take care of you. You don't have to save money for me."As he spoke, he held my hand."But we're not actually a couple."Julian maintained his composure. "If we want others to believe we're dating, then our i
Willow nodded firmly. "Okay."…Zach stood off to the side, watching Aralyn's departing figure from a distance longingly.But this time, he held back the impulse to follow her.There were more important matters for Shayne to attend to. Zach got into the car and instructed Noah, "Take me to my dad's villa."Noah was a bit puzzled. "You're not going to follow your mom today?"Could it be that he was tired of her? If that were the case, then good for Zach."Because if Dad wants to control me, he definitely won't let me take my belongings with me. So, we have to act on it before he does. We'll move everything out. That way, by the time he tries to stop us, it'll already be too late."Zach reluctantly looked away. "Once we're done today, I can be with Mom again tomorrow.""But after breaking ties with your dad, what will you do if you run out of money?" Noah asked."My mom bought me some commercial properties. The annual rent is more than enough to support me and you guys, so you
I looked at her in surprise.Kids these days typically didn't like studying. But Willow was willing to learn."I want to study ahead of time so that when I start elementary school, I won't have to worry about falling behind," she stated calmly."Alright." Since she loved learning, I, of course, fully supported her. "I'll go to the bookstore tomorrow and see if they have the textbooks you need."Willow agreed cheerfully.Julian, who had been listening on the side, was also surprised. Something seemed to occur to him as he stood up and said to Willow, "Come with me."Though confused, Willow still followed him.Julian stopped on the third floor and opened a door.Willow's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the room filled with toys piled all over the floor."I bought these for you a few days ago but forgot to tell you," Julian said, unusually gentle.Crouching down, he added, "Take the time to enjoy them now.""All of these are for me?" Willow was still in shock. "Y
He knew lying wasn't right, but if he told Shayne the truth, he wouldn't be able to move everything out.If that happened, the shops and savings Aralyn left him would all slip through his fingers."I need to stay on an IV drip today," he added calmly.Shayne quickly asked, "Do you need me to come take care of you?"Zach refused, "No need. Noah and Mr. Sanderson are looking after me. You don't have to worry."After chatting briefly with Shayne, Zach found an excuse to end the call.Noah and Lewis helped load everything into the car.Zach's desk was placed in his bedroom. Once they finished packing up everything, Zach went into his bedroom and closed the door.He opened a hidden compartment, revealing a stash of gold bars.Beneath the gold bars were property deeds, including two or three residential properties and more than ten commercial properties.The rental income from these properties was deposited into a bank account every year.There was also a bank card with a signific
In my view, such an interaction was already intimate enough. "It should be convincing enough, right?"Julian didn't refute me but said thoughtfully, "Lyn, the cost of lying is that he'll keep pestering you."Suddenly, he felt Shayne's presence wasn't all too bad. After all, it gave him an excuse to take things further.I bit my lip.To be honest, I really didn't want to have any more contact with Shayne.I could only rely on Julian. "Then what should we do to make him believe us completely?"As soon as the words left my mouth, Julian pulled me toward him with force.I lost control of my balance and ended up sitting on his lap. Instinctively, I tried to get up, but Julian held me firmly in place."Lyn, I'm just demonstrating for you," he uttered in a captivating tone."Alright." My face heated uncontrollably as I tried to get up. "I get it now."However, Julian wouldn't let me go. "Why is your face so red? Didn't you do this with Shayne?"I shook my head. "You already know Sh
Julian supported Aralyn's slender waist, forcing her to continue kissing him.Aralyn's arms hung limply around Julian's neck.Even from a distance, Shayne could see how irresistibly alluring Aralyn looked at that moment.He had always believed that Julian and Aralyn's claim of being in a relationship was just a ploy to make him back off. But as he watched them talk and Aralyn sat on Julian's lap, which eventually led to them kissing passionately, a voice in his mind kept telling him that this was real. It wasn't an act at all.Shayne's eyes turned bloodshot, and his heart ached unbearably.He really had lost Aralyn. She would never forgive him again. She had a new life and a new lover.Shayne pulled out his phone and called a friend. "Have you found out what I asked you to investigate?"The other party sounded exasperated. "It hasn't even been a day, man! How could I have results so fast? Give me a little more time."Shayne could sense the frustration in the response but stil
"Julian, give the phone to Aralyn!" Shayne's anger was nearly impossible to conceal in his voice.Julian didn't do as he said, "She's right next to me. If you have something to say, just say it.""Aralyn, if you really have been physically intimate with him, then there's no going back between us!" Shayne shouted hastily."Is that so?" I said, lifting my head and kissing Julian.Julian looked at me in surprise.Smiling playfully, I said, "That's a good thing to me."Shayne felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he found it hard to breathe."Don't be impulsive! Aralyn, you're an adult. Just consider it my plea. Don't accept a man so casually."Julian raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Pearce, don't ruin my good time."With that, he hung up.I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "He's really strange."He didn't love me, but he acted as if he truly cared about me.Julian stood up, maintaining distance from me. "He's the type who doesn't appreciate something wh
It only made him realize that Luna was very clearly after his money."Very fulfilling," he replied perfunctorily.He was so busy every day that his mind was filled with work; he had no time to spare to think about Luna. He felt happy that way."Do you have money to spend now? Do you need me to give you some?" Luna asked with concern."I do. And no, thank you for your concern." Rowan didn't want to talk to her now, but for Julian's sake, he forced himself to endure it.Luna suddenly felt a bit wronged. The man who used to dote on her now didn't care about her at all."You've become so cold. You said you forgave me, but you actually still resent me, right? I apologized to you, though. And I truly want to reconcile with you."After sending it, she stared at the screen.Rowan looked at it, unsure how to reply. He hesitated for a moment, deciding to use work as an excuse. "I know, but I've been really busy lately.""Then when you're free, can we have a good talk?""Mm."Rowan tos
"Alright," Luna agreed."I don't want to take risks, and I think neither do you."Emilia sighed. "The publishing industry is tough these days."Luna just smiled. "With me here, you can rest assured.""Then I'll have our company's staff create a book cover for you first, and you can put it up to see how it goes.""Alright."…As Luna had solved a problem that had troubled her for a long time, her mood naturally improved. She was even looking forward to tomorrow.Once the other party sent her the finished cover, she put it on her homepage.After that, she hired people to help hype it up, hoping for good sales. Even if it didn't sell well, she had to at least surpass Aralyn.She could then show off in front of Shayne and Julian, proving that she was better than Aralyn. Then, she could make them admire her and willingly abandon Aralyn to live a good life with her.Her career was her top priority. Only when her comic was recognized could she gain the admiration of others.A smil
His voice was low and affectionate. In the quiet of the night, it sounded even more pleasant.I leaned into his embrace and asked softly, "Does this feel better?""Yes," he replied without hesitation.…The marketing department acted swiftly. As soon as they received Mark's instructions, they immediately began executing the plan.In less than an hour, news of Aralyn's comic book release and strong sales emerged out of nowhere, dominating multiple charts. Photos of Aralyn signing copies of the book also appeared online.Luna had just been feeling relieved that the sales of her merchandise had already far surpassed Aralyn's.Even though the products hadn't been manufactured yet, plenty of people had already purchased them.Most importantly, she didn't have to share the profits with anyone.That meant she was making more money than Aralyn.Luna had thought that aside from men, she had already surpassed Aralyn in every other way.But when she saw that Aralyn's comic had somehow
I stroked her hair. "I love you too."With all the preparations made, Willow burrowed into the covers.As always, I read her a story. She always had all sorts of strange and curious questions, and I answered them every time.…Julian sat in the study, thinking.Luna had been keeping a close eye on Aralyn lately, and he was worried that she might do something outrageous—either hurting Aralyn or making her feel troubled.Hence, his solution was to keep Luna busy.Luna was jealous whenever she saw Aralyn living well, she was trying to outshine Aralyn desperately.All he had to do was make sure she had no time to focus on anything else.Julian took out his phone and dialed Mark.Mark had already finished his work for the day and was idly passing the time, so he was a bit surprised to receive the call. "Mr. Hughes, do you need something?""Yes. Have the marketing department send out some press releases saying that Aralyn's comic has been published and is selling well," Julian ans
As I looked at her, I felt that my marriage with Shayne was probably quite similar to her previous job.Before the divorce—before I had met normal men—I also thought Shayne treated me well.I even kept thinking that since he was rich and handsome, he was already much better than most people.If I hadn't gotten divorced and met Julian, I probably would have never realized that my standards were too low, not that Shayne was a great partner.At this moment, Ximena also realized just how much she had missed out on. "After joining Julian's company, I finally realized that it wasn't supposed to be like this. Sure, making money is important, but so is life."We earn money to enjoy life, not to throw ourselves entirely into work and abandon life itself."Watching as emotions filled her face, I couldn't help but feel happy for her. "Exactly. If we ignore our children and don't get to be there as they grow up, no matter how much money we make, what's the point?"When you look back one day
"Could it be Avery who told him?" Alice asked hesitantly.Mark shrugged. "I'm not sure either.""Since you saw them, it's a possibility. I'll ask her about it tomorrow."Mark didn't stop her. "Alright.""You really live up to your reputation as the most gossipy man in the company. You catch every key piece of information," Alice remarked."It's not talent; it's just hard work," Mark responded, looking embarrassed.Alice burst into laughter. "You're too modest!"The topic ended, and as she sipped her juice, her eyes were filled with sarcasm.Mark noticed the shift in her emotions and immediately asked, "What are you thinking about?""I just think Joseph is utterly shameless! We're not even a couple, yet he has the nerve to ask me for money. And when I give him some, he complains that it's too little and wants more."So what if I make a lot of money? That doesn't mean I should give it to him. I don't owe him anything. It's ridiculous!"Mark was just as indignant. "Exactly! Eve
Before Alice spoke, she also looked around carefully. After confirming that no familiar faces were nearby, she whispered back, "I suspect there's a mole in our company.""A mole?" Mark asked, his expression full of wariness. "Why do you say that?"Alice analyzed the situation. "Look, I never told anyone which project team I'm in, right?"Mark nodded. "You do keep a low profile.""But somehow, Joseph knows I'm making a lot of money. He's been pestering me every day lately." Alice frowned."I've been very careful to avoid him, but somehow, he always manages to track me down precisely and then acts pitiful in front of me. He says he's starving and asks me for money to buy food."The more Alice thought about it, the more frustrated she became. "I'm a kind person, so of course, I wouldn't just stand by and watch someone starve to death in front of me.""Right," Mark agreed.Alice became even angrier as she spoke. "So, I took ten dollars from my wallet and gave it to him so he could
Furious and humiliated, Shayne slapped Zach hard across the face.Zach's face turned red. He covered his cheek, staring at Shayne in disbelief."When did you become so cold that you don't even want your mother anymore?" Shayne asked in shock.Zach glared at Shayne, his voice dripping with disdain and mockery. "You're not qualified to say that to me. I got tricked into doing something bad because I didn't know how cruel the world could be. But I'm willing to take responsibility for my choices. And you? You chose to abandon your wife and child, and now you regret it."Zach sneered in contempt, "Rather than showing up in front of Mom, saying you love her and regret everything—which makes her hate you more—she'd much rather you just stay away from her."His words were like poison. "Shayne, honestly, you're really selfish. When you were married, you never gave Mom the love she wanted. You ignored her every day. After the divorce, you're still constantly bothering her instead of givin
Julian stood in front of me and said, "Mr. Pearce, this is my girlfriend. Please show some respect."Shayne locked eyes with Julian. "But Mr. Hughes, don't you think you're being despicable? You pursued her when she was still vulnerable, having just gotten divorced from me. You took advantage of the situation. A gentleman wouldn't do that!"Julian chuckled. "As far as I remember, I never said I wanted to be a gentleman, did I?"Shayne was at a loss for words."You and I have different mindsets. You value being a gentleman, while I think winning the heart of the one I love is more important. Aralyn is exceptional. While you're concerned about appearances and hesitate to take action, someone already swept her off her feet."Rather than being a gentleman praised by everyone but losing the one I love, I'd rather be a scoundrel. At least the one I love is by my side when I feel lonely."Julian's tone grew even calmer. "Besides, you said so much just now because you regret divorcing Ar