"If it's something the Winchesters have done wrong, we will take full responsibility." Hannah walked toward the fallen orchid and bent down to pick up the flower. She continued gently, "I've learned how to take care of orchids. I'm willing to try and save it." Orchids were hard to maintain and even harder to keep alive. The effort the breeders put in just to get a Winterfall orchid to live was abysmal. Even a slightly different temperature could cause the orchid to perish. To think that Hannah was saying that she could save it! How ridiculous!Regardless, it was still a ray of hope. Jeffrey wasn't willing to let the orchid stay on the floor for so long either."Nonsense! Do you think I'll believe someone like you?" Jeffrey mocked.Though he admired her, he realized now that she was just as mindless as everyone else. He couldn't help but feel disappointed."Since I've said it, I'll definitely try my best," Hannah replied. She wasn't the slightest bit upset at being underest
Hannah didn't notice the determined look the Winchester sisters shot each other. She led the crowd to the security room alongside Sheila.A few of the debutantes paled and tried to escape, but under the scrying eyes of the crowd, they couldn't leave. As such, they had no choice but to follow.With Sheila's help, the security footage was played. Everyone saw on the bright screen that a woman in a blue dress shoved Naomi while she studied the orchid.Naomi clearly hadn't been expecting that. She lost her footing almost immediately. From the video, it was also clear that Naomi had tried to avoid crashing into the orchid. In the end, she crashed into the orchid's shelf.Naomi's eyes reddened immediately. She turned to face the woman who was currently hiding amongst the crowd. "Rowena, do you have nothing to say to me?"Rowena Whitworth's face paled. She took two steps back as she tried to explain herself. "Naomi … Naomi, please hear me out … I didn't mean it. I lost my balance …
Nina's mental health wasn't in the best condition. It took almost all her courage just to attend the banquet.Hannah made sure to keep an eye on her. When she heard her voice trembling in fear, she immediately approached her in concern. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to step out?""I'm fine." Nina lowered her head. Her face was pale. She looked frail and pitiful, yet she forced out a determined expression. She bit her bottom lip while saying, "I'm fine. Can I lean against you for a moment?""I'll take you to the lounge," Hannah decided. She turned to the other socialites. "Sorry, Nina isn't feeling very well. Let's continue the conversation another day."The cunning wench!How could Hannah not notice that Nina was so cunning?The socialites were frustrated. But they showed nothing but polite smiles on the surface and nodded. "Sure, Mrs. Winchester. Let's talk another day."Naomi resented the attention on Nina, but she was glad that the socialites were g
The first day Nina returned to the Winchesters, Winnie's performances played on the TV. She remembered how elegant and calm Winnie was. Her sight was fixed on her. Nina also noticed the huge, intimidating instrument. It could play the most emotional sounds. She longed for it.Winnie was her first idol.Hannah jolted when she felt Nina move. She grabbed her hand and was just about to say something when laughter broke the silence. "I heard Ms. Nina likes playing piano too," one of the socialites said loudly. She smiled maliciously at them. They'd never even spoken to her before. "This is a rare opportunity. Aren't you going to go up and play for us? It would be an honor to be heard by Ms. Yates!" The women around her snickered."Karen Lawson!" Naomi's face was flushed in anger as she glared at Karen. "Are you trying to cause trouble for us?"The Lawsons had just moved their business back from abroad. They were eyeing the market in Hopeldon hungrily.Karen's clique did not
"I think I would know better since I'm her family," Hannah said coldly. "Ms. Lawson, you'd better watch your words. Where I came from, snitches get stitches. That goes for nasty shit-stirrers, too."Shit-stirrer? How dare she call her that!As expected of an uncultured woman!Karen was furious. "You have a sharp mouth, Mrs. Winchester. So what if you're protecting her? Nina still can't play a complete piece, and her music sounds no better than nails on a chalkboard! Let her go onstage, and we'll see who's right!""Karen Lawson! You've gone too far!" Naomi was also angry. "You know Nina is traumatized, and yet you keep pushing her!"Karen scoffed, clearly thinking that she was winning. "She can't, right? Hannah was the one who said she was good. If she's not, then don't brag about it!"Hannah was not bothered by this at all. She turned to Nina and said gently, "Nina, can you go up there and play me a song?"Nina was stunned. She looked into Hannah's eyes."I'll go with you." Han
Winnie did not seem at all bothered by the entire fiasco. She said to Nina encouragingly, "It's okay. Just do your best."Nina closed her eyes and calmed herself.Then, she nodded to herself and opened her eyes again. The usual uneasiness in her eyes was now replaced with determination. She moved her fingers, playing a smooth melody.It was a familiar piece—"The Swan."In her music, the beautiful swan danced and played on the surface of the lake. As the sun rose, it spread its wings under the light of the graceful dawn.There was no sign of her loneliness anymore. Her music differed from Hannah's determination to fight against her destiny. It was like she'd thrown off the darkness hounding her and embraced the light.Hannah couldn't help the amusement in her eyes as she played a couple of notes every now and then. With her additions, the wind became the swan's partner in dance. The water beneath them sang in the darkness before dawn. As the sun rose, the grass waved cheerily fr
This was one of the rare times when the entire Winchester family gathered for breakfast.After the meal, Kaden and Andrew went back to their studies. Meanwhile, Anthony stayed at home with seemingly nothing to do.Naomi was on vacation, so she stayed at home as well.Nina looked at her siblings and gripped her spoon tightly. For the first time, she voiced out a request. "Hannah, I promised Ms. Winnie I would attend a class today. Will you come with me?"Before Hannah could reply, Darren frowned at her. "I'll get the driver to send you."She was old enough to be independent."I …" Nina looked at Darren timidly, then turned to Hannah with reddened eyes. "It's my first class, and I'll be alone with Ms. Winnie. I'm a little nervous, Hannah."She looked like she was about to burst into tears.Children who grew up in the slums were tough. Even when she beat them up, they would get over it almost immediately. They would laugh and continue annoying her. No one there was a crybaby.
This was still a new area, and the buildings nearby had yet to be made public. As such, people already living in the building were people of a certain status.For instance, only people such as Winnie, who were world-renowned, could get early access to the building.The two old people studied Hannah meticulously, and Hannah did the same to them.The both of them had kind faces and an amiable sense to them. The tranquil presence enveloping them, a quality discernible only to those well-versed in life's trials, stirred memories of Molly within Hannah.Besides, the manner in which they addressed Winnie made it clear that they were much more senior than Winnie.Hannah felt an odd sense of familiarity with them. Her gaze softened before she shook her head. "My name is Hannah Emerson, and I'm Nina's sister-in-law. I'm here to escort her to class.""Hannah Emerson," the short-haired old man mumbled thoughtfully as he cleaned his glasses. Suddenly, he broke into a smile and exclaimed, "
Darren didn't let her off easily in the end. Darren, being in his prime years, had maintained his purity and had never been involved with other women. This was a great feat considering that Darren had managed to maintain his purity after being with her all this time. Having just celebrated their marriage, he had finally enjoyed some moments of satisfaction, only to face the complication with Erica. Lately, Hannah had been in low spirits. Darren wouldn't be so brutish as to insist on intimate matters with her when she was in such an emotional state. He had to suppress his desires.However, now she took the initiative to seduce him. For a man who had finally given in to his desires, it wasn't so easy to let go. Demonstrating his unyielding nature, Darren showed Hannah that he was not to be trifled with. Carefully timing his actions, he eventually released her. Hannah, now lying on the bed, had a gentle gaze with a faint blush on her face. Her cheeks rested on the pillo
Even with their current financial difficulties, the atmosphere between them remained harmonious and warm.The smile in Hannah's eyes deepened a bit.Finding her uncle was undoubtedly a joyous event for her. After all, they hadn't been in contact for so many years, and confirming that Elvis' family members were reasonable and good people made her even happier."Grandma has never given up looking for you all these years, Uncle Elvis."Hannah briefly shared her thoughts. "I thought of taking you and Lilian to see Grandma directly to prevent her from overthinking.""Of course! Of course!"Jennifer laughed and agreed. She said, "If it weren't for my poor health and being hospitalized, I would have gone to see her too."Things were settled.Jennifer still had one more dialysis session in the coming days. Thus, their meeting was scheduled three days later.Hannah and Darren didn't stay much longer. After arranging for Jennifer to move to a single room, they left.Before they took
Jennifee hadn't looked before, but as soon as she did, she was almost startled.Under the shock, she even failed to contain her voice and exclaimed in surprise, "Elvis?" Her husband, who rarely got involved in affairs and was always practical, was now standing up excitedly. His eyes were fixed tightly on the two entering the room. He seemed as though he was about to pounce on those people. Lilian was also stunned. She couldn't help but reach out and grab Elvis' hand, her face carrying a hint of embarrassment. She lowered her voice desperately and said, "Dad, what are you doing?" She sensed that the eyes of the entire ward had turned their way under Jennifer's exclamation. The extraordinarily good-looking couple also looked over. Her cheeks turned red. She felt both nervous and embarrassed. She forcefully tugged on Elvis' hand and whispered urgently, "Dad, hurry up and sit down." However, Elvis not only didn't sit down, but he took a step forward and called out
At Hopeldon's top hospital, Elvis sat by the bedside as he watched the summer breeze rustle through the leaves outside the window. A look of realization crossed his face. "Mom, I bought your favorite food."Just then, a clear and lively voice rang out. A girl with twin tails briskly entered the ward while carrying a meal with a smile on her face. "I was lucky to find discounted meat. I bought some. Mom, you have to eat more." The pale woman on the bed smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay, I'll eat more." After that, Jennifer noticed that Elvis, sitting on the side, was still staring blankly out of the window while lost in thought. Jennifer frowned. She said softly, "Elvis, set up the table. It's time for lunch. Elvis. Elvis?" "Huh?"Elvis suddenly snapped out of his reverie. Noticing both his wife and daughter looking at him, he forced a smile. He rubbed his hands and stood up. "Lilian, did you bring the food back already? Let's have lunch then!" "Dad, what ha
She gently touched the scars on her face through the veil and then, with a sweet smile, began typing on the keyboard. "It would be great if I could help you. I'll be waiting for you to marry me!"As she replied to the message, her phone vibrated again. Robert asked with concern, "How did you get hold of these documents? Are you in any danger? Your safety is the most important thing!"Seeing his genuine concern, Misty felt even more convinced that her choice was right. The smile on her face seemed impossible to fade. She had done her research lately. Cosmetic surgery here was not particularly advanced, and her facial scars wouldn't be perfectly repaired even with surgery. Meanwhile, Arovia was renowned for its excellent plastic surgery industry. Although dealing with her facial scars would be troublesome, new technology could provide a complete recovery. The only deterrent was the daunting cost. No matter how regretful Matthew might feel, he wouldn't spend such a large s
She was even draped in a thin windbreaker that covered her from head to toe.Despite the light and thin fabric, it was an autumn windbreaker. Wearing it seemed unsuitable for the current season. "The car and the house both have air conditioning. How could I get heatstroke?" Misty's smile widened. Her fingers entwined around the belt of the windbreaker at her waist and gently pulled it twice. She spoke softly, "But since you want to see what's inside, I'll take it off, okay?" Following that, she pulled off her belt before Cedric. The fabric of the windbreaker was silky. After the belt came off, she shuddered, and the windbreaker slipped down from her shoulders. She wore a semi-sheer dress that draped over her skin, gently showcasing the contours of her figure in a subtle and alluring way. Then, she raised her hand and took off her hat. Her long hair was neatly arranged behind her head, revealing her forehead and a pair of seemingly innocent eyes. Below her eye
Just as she wished, Cedric felt an immediate dryness in his mouth. As the male protagonist in the book, he had indeed lived a smooth life without experiencing many setbacks.He was always the object of admiration by others since he was young.When had he ever bowed his head to anyone? Even when he failed in the competition for the heir of Garner Group, he remained the second young master of the company. No one dared to say much in front of him. Only Diana was different.Since that day, Diana had suddenly become completely different. The way she looked at him no longer held admiration, but instead, it was cold, as if she was scrutinizing him. Although she still lived with him and would occasionally show him her gentle side, that sense of discordance grew stronger. The previous Diana used to be completely submissive to him. She would believe and actively solve all his problems. But now?He seemed to have become a plaything in her hands.He was summoned at will a
He was just a poor guy with nothing but debt to his name.He had tried to recover his past memories and find his roots.He had been searching for decades, and even after getting married and having a daughter, he continued searching while struggling for a living.He never expected that just when he was gradually forgetting about this matter, life would suddenly take a new turn.This seemed a bit too dramatic. He wiped his face in silence before saying, "Of course, no problem. Not only did you guys just help me, but finding my family has also been a long-standing wish of mine. I'm willing to cooperate with whatever you need me to do." He hesitated for a moment and then added in a low voice, "I believe your wife's grandmother is really old, am I right? From what you just said, it seems her health is not great. Maybe we shouldn't disturb her before getting the results." He smiled bitterly and said, "I'm in my prime. Even if the outcome disappoints me, it's fine. But old people
Hannah didn't expect him to also have felt a sense of familiarity.Upon hearing that, she felt her heart skip a beat, feeling like the truth was gradually coming to the surface.She actually looked a lot like Eleanor.If the middle-aged man was really her uncle, even if he had been lost since childhood, wouldn't he still have memories of his biological sister's appearance?"May I ask if you are a native of Hopeldon? Were you born here?"She pursed her lips, staring at him before asking in rapid succession, "Who else is in your family? Are your parents still alive?"She asked many questions in one breath, sounding urgent and nervous.For someone she had only met for the second time, asking such questions seemed overly intrusive and might make people uncomfortable.But she couldn't care less now.Finding her uncle had been her grandmother's wish for many years.As she grew older, Hannah didn't want her to have any regrets in this life.The middle-aged man was also a little sur