If that were the case, Julian just had to set up more nuisances for Luna. That way, Luna would be too busy with her own affairs to cause any trouble for Aralyn.…Julian was jerked out of his scheming when he heard someone knocking on the door. He schooled his face into an expressionless look before saying, "Enter."Alice pushed the office door open and skipped toward the cubicle. When she saw that Aralyn was absent, she asked with confusion, "Where's Aralyn?""She went to the printing factory to sign her books," Julian replied without any intention of hiding the truth.Alice huffed, somewhat dissatisfied. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"Julian countered with a question of his own, asking, "Would you have believed me if I told you earlier?"Alice shook her head without a second thought. "Of course not."Julian questioned blandly, "Then, why should I bother?"Alice thought over his question and eventually conceded that he had a point. Nonetheless, she pouted at him to express
"This isn't my style," Julian said, slowing his speech and speaking in a calm, measured tone. "Since we're going to invest, there must be a more important part in their plan."Mark looked at Julian, bewildered, not understanding what he meant. He voiced his confusion. "What?"Julian replied with a faint smile. "What I mean is, we must ensure that we have absolute control over this project."Otherwise, if we hand over the money and they casually produce some garbage movie, claiming it was done based on our requirements, they'll just pocket our investment. And if the box office doesn't do well, wouldn't we take a massive hit?"Hearing this, Mark suddenly realized the significant risk involved. His face immediately turned pale. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hughes. I didn't consider all this initially.""It's fine," Julian said nonchalantly. "We can invest because we don't lack money. But the key is… We can't be taken advantage of.""So, if we invest, we are entitled to oversee the movie's conten
Shayne rubbed his temples, speaking slowly, "Just get to the point."A sudden headache crept in.He couldn't explain why, but ever since his divorce and starting his relationship with Luna, all sorts of chaotic situations seemed to crop up.His mother, who used to avoid drama, now seemed to have an endless supply of complaints.Every few days, she would call to rant, saying this person wasn't good or that person was terrible, as if it never occurred to her that the problem might be her own behavior.Shayne forced himself to suppress his irritation.He found himself reminiscing about the days he spent with Aralyn.It was peaceful and easy.More importantly, he had only recently realized that he truly loved Aralyn.He couldn't even understand how he could have been so foolish at that time, allowing Luna, with her guise of being his first love, to blind him and cause him to abandon Aralyn.Charlotte, reassured by Shayne's response, finally spoke up. "You have no idea how outrage
It seemed like Charlotte had completely forgotten that she had just been caught red-handed by Shayne.Her anger glared even more. "Shayne, I'm your mother! How can a son stand by and watch his own mother be bullied without doing anything?"She was stunned by Shayne's cold-heartedness.Shayne's tone remained steady, with no trace of emotion. "This is all just a guess. So, I guessed it right, didn't I?"Charlotte was at a loss for words.He continued, "Mom, I'm really busy right now. Next time, don't bother me with trivial matters like this."Charlotte wanted to say more, but the call was already disconnected.Staring at the screen, she was seething with anger, but in the end, she had no idea how to release it.…A man hid in the corner, watching Aralyn sit alone in a room, signing some documents. He quietly pulled out his phone and called Luna. "Aralyn's alone!"Luna couldn't contain her excitement. She had been waiting for an opportunity to capture Aralyn and record videos th
Just a few days ago, her tone with him was unbearably harsh, as if she couldn't wait to cut ties completely.Luna hesitated before asking, "Did you go to Hughes Group today?"Rowan didn't answer directly but asked in return, "How did you know?""You don't need to worry about that," Luna replied, her heart sinking as she observed his attitude.He probably did go. Avery wasn't lying.Without thinking, she said, "I have my ways."Rowan didn't respond right away.Suddenly, he recalled how, after he told Julian about Luna's plan to release a video suggesting he and Aralyn were involved, Julian had instructed him to visit Hughes Group.Even though nothing had actually happened between him and Aralyn, it seemed…At Luna's words, Rowan immediately realized that Julian likely intended for him to distract Luna.However, Rowan also understood that Julian had plenty of ways to protect Aralyn.If Julian had chosen to involve him, it would have probably been because he also wanted to give
Julian chuckled lightly and said, "No need. Aralyn, having you running back and forth is too exhausting. It makes my heart ache."It was strange. Every time I heard him say such considerate words in a serious tone, I felt a warmth in my heart. "Alright, then we'll meet at the kindergarten entrance?"Julian agreed, "Okay."The driver drove me to the kindergarten entrance. I opened the car door, stepped aside, and waited for Willow to appear."Aralyn."Hearing someone call my name, I turned around. I saw Shayen walking toward me.The smile on my face disappeared instantly. My first instinct was to turn and retreat into the car.Shayne blocked my path. "I need to talk to you.""Sorry!" I coldly declined. "I don't want to listen."He didn't give me the chance to refuse. He started speaking right away. "I went to see a therapist a few days ago…"I glanced at him.He continued, "He asked me a lot of questions, and after reflecting on them one by one, I realized that after we got m
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
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
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