Zach would never hear it again.…The lights were still on in the living room. Luna watched as Mason happily played with the toy. Her mood was pretty good. She glanced toward Zach's bedroom.Feigning concern, she asked, "I noticed Zach doesn't seem in a good mood. Shayne, shouldn't you check on him?"Without hesitation, Shayne replied, "There's no need to do so."Luna raised a brow. She then propped her chin on one hand as she studied Shayne.In the past, she had been openly unkind to Zach, often showing him her displeasure. It seemed that she was indeed wrong. Luna's smile deepened. Like today, the toy was meant for Zach, but once they got home, Mason had expressed interest in it. Zach then had to hand over the toy to Mason. If he didn't, Shayne would have to scold Zach in the name of maintaining family harmony."Dad," said Mason. He sounded sleepy, but he still stared longingly at the toy. "I want to sleep, but I still want to play with the toy..."Shayne replied patien
"Hurry up and send me to school!"I did my best to hold back my laughter. I glanced at Julian. His mood seemed pretty good. His usually cold face now had a smile.…When we reached the entrance of the kindergarten, we happened to run into Shayne dropping off Zach.Willow held her head high like a proud little peacock as she strutted past Zach.I noticed her clenched little fists and felt a sense of satisfaction.Zach paused briefly when he walked up beside me.I didn't look at him, and for once, he didn't try to speak to me either. Instead, he headed straight into the school.Willow's figure disappeared into the school building.I turned to look for Julian, but Shayne blocked my way. "Luna and I are doing very well together now."I had to stop and look up at him. "So?"Shayne looked down at me condescendingly. "So, even if you regret divorcing me and want to get back together..."I interrupted him. "I'm very happy with my life now. So, rest assured, Shayne, I won't come fin
Before Shayne finished speaking, Luna firmly pulled him into her embrace. Her beautiful eyes were full of disdain, yet she remained patient. "It's probably because you were married to her for six years. Even after the divorce, you still see her as family subconsciously. But now, Aralyn is treating you like a stranger, so you feel like she has betrayed you."Luna gently patted his back, soothing him. "That's why you're feeling uncomfortable."After Shayne heard her analysis, he asked blankly, "Is that so?"Luna offered him her conclusion. "Of course."Shayne's unease disappeared. Luna gently stroked her stomach once she was done soothing him. It seemed that despite him constantly claiming he didn't love Aralyn, he had unknowingly developed feelings for her during their six years together. He just hadn't realized it yet.However, Shayne wasn't a fool. Even if she repeatedly emphasized to him that his feelings for Aralyn weren't love but something else, it wouldn't be long befor
Alice opened the door with a cheerful voice and entered the office.Julian casually tossed the document he was reading aside. His usually expressionless face appeared even more indifferent. "Ms. York...""Why are you so formal?" Alice pouted in dissatisfaction. "Julian, when we first met, it was with the intention of dating."Julian didn't have any time to spare her. "Do you want to leave on your own or should I have security escort you out?"Alice stepped closer, planting her hands on his desk. She tilted her head and asked, "Do you have to be so heartless?"Julian ignored her. Instead, he took out his phone and was about to call security when Alice immediately tried to hold his hand in place."I've thought about what you said yesterday!"Julian reacted swiftly, avoiding her touch with disgust.Alice was disappointed she hadn't managed to grab his hand. "If you're willing to date me, I can allow Willow to live with us."Everyone knew Julian was a workaholic. His focus was on
I thought of the day when Willow might stop calling me "Mommy" and start calling me "Aralyn". It made me feel sad.I returned to my cubicle in low spirits and stared at my computer screen.…Julian's gaze lingered on Aralyn's retreating figure for a long time before he finally looked away. In truth, there was a way for him to get married and still have Willow continue calling Aralyn "Mommy".She would have to marry him and become his wife.Unfortunately, he had proposed to Aralyn before, but she had rejected him.Julian picked up the documents on his desk but couldn't focus on them no matter how hard he tried.…Shayne stepped out of his car. He was about to head to the office, but Luna blocked his path. She grabbed his wrist. "You lost your composure in front of me just now because of Aralyn," she said. "It made me very uncomfortable."Shayne leaned down, intending to kiss her and offer some comforting words. But just as he was about to do so, Aralyn's face appeared in his
Luna's smile disappeared in an instant. She had already considered Shayne's money as her own. Hence, to her, buying things for Zach was like cutting into her own flesh.Though immensely dissatisfied, she dared not let Shayne notice how she actually felt, so she looked down while pretending to pick out items.After a long time, she suddenly thought of a solution. "Shayne, we've already spent so much today. I know you're working hard alone, and making money isn't easy."Luna walked up to Shayne. "Why don't we just give Zach the things we bought for Mason?"Shayne stared at Luna, not saying anything. He suddenly felt Luna was being hypocritical.When she picked out the biggest diamond in the mall and bought the heaviest gold lucky charm for Mason, she didn't think about his struggles to make money.In the half-month they had been together, she didn't think about how hard he worked when she swiped his card and lived a fancy life.But when it came to buying something for Zach, she su
She only took a very small suitcase. After receiving the divorce certificate, she left. Shayne sat on the bed in a daze.If not for Luna's extravagant spending habits, he probably still wouldn't have realized just how much he had wronged Aralyn in the past.A sudden pang of guilt struck him. He took out his phone, intending to call Aralyn. But no matter how many times he tried, the calls wouldn't go through.Shayne then opened WhatsApp, wanting to send Aralyn a message. But he didn't know what to say, so he only sent a sticker in the end.However, his message only had one check mark. Only then did he realize he had been blocked.…"This is the result of our project team's hard work over an entire year."Aaron Mitchell, the leader of the project, handed the phone to Julian.Julian took it. The primary business of Hughes Group had been developing smoothly in the past two years. To expand it further, they decided to venture into other industries.However, Julian had no intention
"Focus on meeting the needs of the female players," I quickly answered.Julian looked at me intently, and I met his gaze. "What? Am I wrong?""Not at all," Julian replied with a faint smile. Then, he raised his hand and stroked my hair gently.I stared at him in surprise."It just so happens that this project is short of illustrators. Would you mind helping out?" I had been quite busy lately. Julian knew I didn't have that much free time, so he quickly added, "You just need to draw small items in the game, like gifts and flowers."Those things weren't challenging to draw, so I didn't refuse. "Sure.""I'll give you a bonus once you're done." Julian sounded unusually gentle."Thanks," I said, smiling.After that, I focused on coloring the third chapter of my comic.For me, aside from taking care of Willow, my most important work was creating comics. Once I got tired of drawing, I took a break and started sketching roses.The vibrant bouquet of flowers turned out beautifully
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