"Mom, don't speak of her that way." Nigel's eyes flashed with pain."She's just protecting her family.""Her husband's half-sister doesn't count as family," Cordelia sneered dismissively. "People from low origins are so narrow-minded. Do they think that the Winchesters are still as powerful as before?" "If Darren were here, he might have lost his temper with his wife by now. She's just an embarrassment, and she's bound to cause trouble. "If you marry someone like her, I might just die of frustration sooner or later.""She … just needs a bit more guidance. She'll understand." Nigel bit his lip, his eyes filled with sadness. "Besides, she's already married. I can't marry her."He didn't refute Cordelia's accusations.Cordelia became even more self-assured. "You, my dear, are just stubborn. What's there to love about a woman like her besides her looks?"When choosing a wife, you should look for someone like Catherine—someone knowledgeable, sensible, and gentle. You'll unders
As long as Sheila didn't get a chance to get close to Hannah, she won't be able to steal her away.With that in mind, Naomi executed her plan. Coincidentally, Hailee called out in displeasure at the same time. "Hannah, what are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you."Clearly, she had something important to discuss. The Garner siblings didn't want to intrude and discreetly left. "Aunt Hailee, do you need something?" Raising a glass of fruit wine, Hannah took a sip, and her eyes lit up.The cocktail was a special concoction. The sweetness of the oranges blended perfectly with the smell of the alcohol, offering a rich and satisfying aftertaste. It masked the sharpness of the alcohol and maintained a soft, lingering taste, which perfectly matched her palate.Hannah couldn't resist and downed the entire glass, promptly picking up another one.She had an exceptional tolerance for alcohol. So she decided that having a few more glasses of the cocktail wouldn't be a pr
Darren's gaze was fierce. "People can act for a time, but they can't keep it up forever."Seeing that he seemed to have an idea of what to do, Hannah felt more at ease. She propped her forehead on her hand, feeling a bit lazy all over. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. "I want to go and take a look at that foreign trade company. If I remember correctly, your grandfather gave it to Hailee, right?""You knew about it?" Darren was surprised and looked at her."I happened to read about it in some documents." Hannah smiled slyly.Tonight, she had applied bright red lipstick to match her red dress.Her eyes shimmered under the warm room lights. Her every smile and movement exuded an irresistible charm.Unaware of her own allure, she leaned forward, her sweet voice slightly husky. "That company has some sort of connections, doesn't it?"She raised her index finger and pointed upward.Darren was even more surprised upon realizing how perceptive she was. Seeing his expression, she
"That's none of your business."Hannah came close to bursting into laughter. She might have been too kind, which allowed Nigel to think that he had the right to lecture her. "What?" Nigel was stunned by her rude tone. "Who are you to lecture me? Have some juice and sober up," Hannah said casually. Mercilessly, she splashed the juice in her hand onto his face. Nigel jerked, and his heart sank. "Don't appear before me again. I will beat you up," Hannah warned.Then, she set the glass down and sneered. "Get over yourself. I never want to see you again."Nigel was probably the kind of person who would not believe he was despised unless he was beaten until his legs broke. "You—" His heart ached. Before he could react, an arm appeared before him. "Didn't you hear Hannah? She doesn't want to see you. Get lost."Flynn separated Nigel and Hannah and glared at him disdainfully.He had always despised Nigel, who was foolish and considered himself the perfect lover. He had hated
"Can you play the piano too, Jane?" Nina paused and stared at her cousin innocently. "Let's go to the piano room. I only have one piano in my bedroom."Meanwhile, Jane suddenly flinched. Her smile almost disappeared. She didn't know if the unremarkable Nina was being sincere or sarcastic."Who'd want to play the piano with her?" Jane thought. Since they were both debutantes, Jane had learned to play the piano before. However, her skills were subpar, as she had a tendency to lose interest in it quickly.Alas, Jane felt she'd embarrass herself if she played the piano with Nina. After all, Nina was Winnie's student. After a while, she forced a smile and said, "No … I just wanted to hear you play the piano. Since you're Ms. Yakes' student, your piano skills must be excellent. Although Nina disliked Jane, she still blushed after being complimented. As Jane bullied Naomi before, Nina knew that she'd have to distance herself from Jane. Yet, she was used to giving in to others
Nina was timid and useless. She could barely talk and could only cry in a corner.Even if she was lucky enough to become Winnie's student, it was all for naught. Would she dare to tell the truth? Since Nina kept trembling, she must be extremely scared. "Is she going to hide in a corner and cry again?" Jane wondered. In her opinion, Nina should be isolated from others forever to avoid embarrassing her family. She was pitiful. Yet, Nina just happened to be a part of the Winchesters. Naomi and Hannah are her sisters. As such, she deserved to be bullied because of them. Jane was satisfied and excited. Though she seemed to be remorsefully comforting Nina, there was still a hint of malice and smugness in her eyes. "Jane?" Nina was still trembling. Her shoulders were shaking, and she seemed to be sobbing. She raised her head and saw Jane's hypocritical face. She bit her lip. Then, she raised her hand and slapped Jane with no hesitation! "How could you hit me?" Jane was i
When Nina realized that she was being cared for and protected unconditionally, she teared up. Yet, she couldn't cry. After all, she'd already promised Hannah that she wouldn't. From then on, she'd only make others cry instead. There seemed to be an overwhelming wave of emotions in her heart. As such, she couldn't help but put a hand on her chest. She couldn't stop herself from feeling this unfamiliar emotion. Suddenly, Nina felt like acting spoiled. She hesitated before stretching out her hand. Softly, Nina complained, "It hurts. Hannah, my hand hurts.""That's normal." Hannah massaged her hand expertly. "A force goes both ways. You're so silly because you don't even know how to hit someone. In the future, you must learn that properly.""Okay." Nina nodded and smiled brightly. When Hailee and Jane saw this heartwarming scene, they almost had a meltdown. Jane held her hot cheek in pain and wailed. She couldn't help herself from saying, "All of you are too much!" "
"Why did you come here?" Hannah asked coldly. "Are you looking for something?"Misty wore a white cotton dress and had let down her long black hair. Her light makeup and small face made her look as pretty as a fairy. "I heard you were here, so I came to look for you." Misty paused and held her bag tightly. "Can we talk?"The careful way she stood seemed to suggest that the place was too dirty for her. Hannah recalled having little interactions with Misty in her previous life. Since Misty was kind and knew how to play the piano well, everyone adored her. Meanwhile, Hannah seemed to be like lowly dirt. No matter what she did, she always had a bad reputation. As such, Hannah could not be compared to Misty in her previous life. Hannah used to be jealous of her for easily getting whatever she wanted. Though she struggled hard to change her fate, it seemed that Misty was always better than her. After being reborn, Hannah learned to accept the fact. Sometimes, there was no
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