Rickard never doubted Hesper’s slyness; this was the side that had attracted him at first. She had always been strong, beautiful, and intelligent, and it seemed that there was nothing in this world that frightened her.Just the unmatched courage that she possessed was enough to make her outshine countless others in the world.The two returned to the Savatiers’ estate and saw Juliette coming out with a frown. She was in such a hurry that she did not even notice that the two of them had walked past her.Hesper was a little surprised, and her eyebrows creased subconsciously. "What happened?"Juliette was rarely seen to be in such a hurry. The only exception was when the matter was about Quincey. Hesper had never seen Juliette pay attention to anything or anyone else, so she could vaguely feel that something important had taken place. "Let’s go back and ask Grandpa about this."Rickard nodded and strode into the main mansion with Hesper.Walking into the mansion, they saw Quincey sit
"Don't worry, I'll be by your side."*Early the next morning, Hesper woke up. Perhaps because she had slept early the night before, or maybe because she still had pressing questions in her mind, she quickly freshened up and went alone to the main residence without waiting for Rickard."Grandpa."Quincey responded from inside, and Hesper pushed open the door, entering the room."You really can't wait for a single moment, huh," Quincey said, seemingly unsurprised that Hesper would come at this time. He sighed with a hint of helplessness. "I don't know where your impatience comes from. People with impatient personalities usually don't achieve much. You repeatedly defy my expectations."Hesper did not pay much attention to Quincey's words. She went straight to the point and asked, "What exactly happened?"There was no need to waste time. If something had indeed happened, she wanted to know in advance so she could prepare herself. Hesper disliked being caught off guard by disasters
Observing Pierette, who remained oblivious to her mistake, Sherese shook her head and let out a cold laugh. "You're truly beyond redemption, Pierette. If you had stayed with the Moreaus, you could at least rely on my mother and live out the rest of your days in peace. But if you insist on returning to Leafdelle Island, so be it." With nonchalant ease, Sherese snatched a nearby pillow and forcefully hurled it in Pierette's direction. "Go back and seek your own demise."At this point, even if Sherese wanted to intervene, Pierette's location had already reached the island. It appeared that regardless of the circumstances, Pierette had no choice but to return to the island."I have no objections if you choose to go back and face your own death. However, you must never divulge my identity or existence to anyone." Sherese's countenance turned icy as she fixed a piercing gaze upon Pierette. "If you dare breathe a word about my true self, I will ensure you suffer a fate far worse than death.
Meanwhile, Sherese had heard the commotion outside, so she had already made a smooth escape by jumping over the wall. She stood in the corner, watching as Juliette walked toward Pierette's room with the Moreaus' servants.Sherese was more perceptive than Camille and instantly recognized Juliette's true identity upon seeing her face.'She's Juliette Savatier?' Only after Juliette entered the room did Sherese emerge from the corner, startling the nearby servants. "Ms. Sherrie? What are you doing here?" "Hush." Sherese turned around and warned them with a stern gaze. "Don't tell anyone that I was here." Although the servants were puzzled by Sherese's action, they nodded in agreement. Sherese hurriedly made her way, anxious to avoid being discovered by Juliette. However, fate had other plans in store for her. Just a few steps away, she unexpectedly encountered Camille, whose countenance was filled with seriousness."Sherese?"Seeing Sherese's appearance, Camille guessed that she
Why go to such lengths and give up a partnership with the Savatiers? Shun chuckled helplessly at the thought. Perhaps Hesper simply wanted to gradually change his perspective. Regardless, in the end, he would still stand on the Savatiers' side. Hesper hurriedly left after she received a message from Rickard, informing her that Juliette had brought Pierette back. For both her and Rickard, Pierette played a significant role. After all, Pierette held the secret of the hallucinogenic drugs and was the older sister of Juliette. She might know things that others did not.Returning to the Savatiers' estate, Hesper headed straight for the main residence. As she entered, silence greeted her. She raised her gaze and indeed saw several people seated nearby. Upon hearing her arrival, their gazes shifted towards her."Hessy, you're back." Juliette nodded at Hesper, who returned the gesture and approached them. "Were you all waiting for me?""Yes, we've been waiting for you," Quincey said. Pi
"My apologies for making you witness such a spectacle." Quincey sighed, waving his hand to dismiss Juliette first. Despite Juliette's naive and foolish nature, she could sense that Quincey had something to discuss with the two of them, so she turned and left."I can't say much about Pierette, but you must be cautious around her. Don't believe a single word she says. Not a single one."To speak of his own daughter in such a manner, it seemed that Pierette had truly lost all of Quincey's trust. Hesper nodded in understanding, holding onto Rickard's hand. "Don't worry, we will be cautious.""Furthermore, the Mustafas have already sensed that the Rikihisas won't cooperate with them. You've been frequently going to the Rikihisas' villa lately, and many people have already started spreading rumors about you healing Shun."Quincey picked up an invitation card that he got from Ranfik. "The Mustafas are going to publicly select a wife for Ranfik. If you have any plan in mind, you can take a
The more Hesper thought about it, the more things seemed off, causing her to furrow her brow. Despite her suspicions, Rickard maintained his calm demeanor. "When Camille initially approached me, I did have my doubts, but I needed the assistance of the Moreaus."'So it was Camille who sought out Rickard in the beginning?'At that time, Hesper and Rickard were still at odds with each other, so Hesper had no inclination to investigate the origins of their engagement. She had assumed that Rickard and Camille had reached some sort of agreement and decided to cooperate.But now when she thought about it, there were a lot of things that did not quite add up. "Have you contacted her since coming to this island?"Hesper was referring to Camille. Rickard gave her a puzzled glance upon hearing the question and replied, "Why would I contact her?"Although Hesper anticipated this response, she could not help but be taken aback by Rickard's nonchalant tone. It left her feeling both amused and
Camille grasped Sherese's wrist upon hearing this, shaking her head. Sherese furrowed her brow and took a step back. When she was about to say something, another voice suddenly sounded from behind them."Let them through."Upon hearing the voice, Sherese frowned and turned her head, looking at Cheney, who stood behind them. She was not sure how long Cheney had been there, but she watched them with a fake smile on her face."Yes." The ticket attendant responded without hesitation this time, directly handing two boarding passes to Sherese. "I wish you a pleasant journey."Camille furrowed her brow, but Cheney quickly caught up with them. Sherese looked at the striking resemblance between the two, realizing that this woman who appeared out of nowhere must have a blood relation to Camille. 'But who is she, and why does she hold such great authority on Leafdelle island? Even her identity card couldn't bring Camille into the island.'"You seem quite surprised. Well, even if Leafdelle
He had never anticipated that he would end up loving her so deeply.It could be said that amidst all the misunderstandings and complexities, their journey together had taken many winding paths."I wouldn't risk getting into trouble just to set off fireworks for someone I didn't even like," Rickard said, his voice gentle. "You dummy."His words were soft, but as Hesper listened to his explanation, she cleared her throat, and her eyes turned bloodshot. She had never imagined that the person she had loved so intensely in her youth had, at some point in their lives, secretly admired her.Hesper attempted to smile but ended up with teary eyes. Seeing this, Rickard reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "If it's going to make you cry, I won't say anything more."Hesper pursed her lips. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."Rickard, despite understanding her reluctance, couldn't help but reflect on the past and openly admitted to the emotions he had felt in his you
They were flooded with memories, and Hesper couldn't help but admit that she had been through so much with Rickard. Her eyes welled up with emotion.The livestream ended, as they couldn't maintain constant surveillance of their lives. Even though they hadn't gone home yet, the crew had left.In the past two days, people had gotten to know them quite well, so the crew decided to give them some alone time.Hesper sat in the passenger seat and stole a glance at Rickard. She couldn't help but say, "I never expected that the only time you were seen as making a mistake in Grandpa's eyes was because of me.""There are many things you don't know," he replied. Hesper raised an eyebrow and asked, "Like what? Tell me."Suddenly, Hesper recalled the countless times Rickard had looked at her. Yet, during those moments, Rickard had always had feelings for Juniper. She knew that was the reality, so she never expected that Rickard might have had the same strong feelings for her as she had for h
Hesper glanced at Rickard, who remained emotionless, but she still reached out to hold his hand.[This is tough to see. Both of Rickard's parents are no longer here… Sigh.][Hesper immediately checked on Rickard. If I were Rickard, I'd love her so much.]Ernest shook his head and remained silent as he flipped to the next page. Most of the pictures were of Hesper after that. She hadn't realized she had so many childhood photos. Julian appeared in some of them, too.Before everything went sour.Rickard didn't have many pictures. As he grew older, he became quieter.Most of them showed Hesper standing next to Julian, but there was something off about them.[Did you notice... In many of those pictures, Hesper was looking at Rickard, and in others, Rickard was looking at her.][Oh my god, is this puppy love? I had no idea!][I remember Rickard had another lover.]Hesper had noticed, too, but there was no need to remind people that Rickard used to hate her, so she dismissed it as a
Hesper and Rickard entered the room and awkwardly informed Ernest that everything had been live-streamed just now. Ernest was shocked, but upon hearing that it was something people do, he nodded."It's fine. There's nothing that others can't hear."Hesper pursed her lips and glanced at Rickard before saying, "We didn't expect the Summers to come and see you. You should move in with us so these people will leave you alone."If Ernest lived with them, no one would dare intrude because they represented power and influence.Who would dare challenge them?"I don't want to get involved in your life. Renfew and Renarie would keep you occupied enough."Hesper understood that he had already made up his mind not to live with them, so she didn't press the matter further.She could understand his concerns, as many things might become inconvenient. Besides, Ernest didn't want to disrupt their lives either."We'll be heading to Fredonia soon, so even though we have filming to do, we wanted t
So what if the cameras were still recording?"Was my son's life not as valuable as your son's?"If he had grasped this earlier, recent events might not have unfolded. Jade had a point.The live chat fell silent. Though they lacked the full backstory, they could deduce what had transpired in the past.[I heard Rickard lost his parents when he was a child. I feel sorry for him.][His parents died because of that incident. It's no surprise if he harbors resentment.][Truthfully, this old man has no shame. If my child were responsible for another child's death, I'd beg for forgiveness.]Everything unfolding before their eyes was purely coincidental, and no one had control over the situation. They could only watch and terminate the livestream immediately if anything escalated.Fortunately, Jade received a stern talking-to and refrained from discussing the matter further, but Mrs. Summers did not fare as well. Hesper and the others bore witness to her irrational behavior.[This is e
"We've known each other for years, Ernest. I saved your life once, and now your descendants want to take my son's life!"As they approached, Jade Summers was angrily berating Ernest before him. Hesper's countenance immediately turned frosty as she walked over to Ernest."You should conduct yourself more appropriately, Mr. Summers Sr."Jade was taken aback to see Hesper, but he composed himself, took a deep breath, and fixed her with a hatred-filled gaze."If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. You're just a woman. Since when do you get a say in the Duval family matters?"In the 21st century, people were all for equality. Besides, Hesper was no ordinary or unintelligent woman. Naturally, she had a voice in these matters.The viewers were inundated with comments when they heard Jade's words, and the live chat exploded.[Who is this guy? He looks old but lacks respect.][What's the argument about?][I sense some drama.]Rickard walked over. Jade had thought he
[Didn't Hesper mention that Mr. Duval Sr. took care of her? Maybe she did grow up well.][I'm certain she did. Hesper doesn't strike me as someone who would tolerate mistreatment.]Hesper and Rickard were under constant surveillance throughout the journey, and they hadn't allowed Benji to accompany them. Rickard was behind the wheel, with Hesper in the passenger seat.During the drive, they remained silent, but to observers, it appeared as though they were in harmony.Upon arriving at the ancestral mansion, Hesper noticed other cars parked around and cast a curious glance at Rickard. Visitors to Ernest's home were a rarity."Sir, Ma'am, you're back," a young housekeeper greeted them. It was the same person who had assisted Wendy earlier, but they couldn't recall her name. Nevertheless, Hesper had faith in her.Noticing the housekeeper's troubled demeanor, Hesper deduced that the guest inside was likely unwelcome. However, she couldn't fathom who would disrupt Ernest's life. Given
Rickard noticed something in Hesper's expression, prompting him to ask, "Is there something else you haven't told me?"Being intimately familiar with each other wasn't always without its challenges. Hesper could never conceal anything from him.She sighed and replied, "It's nothing. Just that Pennleigh will also be on the list."Rickard fell silent.Hesper was aware that sometimes Rickard might not appear bothered, but Pennleigh's presence did bother him.Observing Hesper's awkward expression, Rickard lowered his gaze and suddenly took on a pitiful appearance, like a big dog caught in the rain.Yet, she knew he was merely putting on an act. Still, every time she saw him like that, she couldn't help but miss the Rickard who didn't engage in such playful antics. His character had undergone a change.Hesper found it amusing but didn't quite know how to express it. She sighed and added, "It's a fantastic opportunity. I know you'll let me go, right?"Rickard had no intention of inte
"Sullivan lied to her. He had her parents quietly killed. She found out after she turned her back on you."Benji lowered his gaze. "She was already dead when you came back. It was suicide."The conclusion lacked the weight necessary for such a betrayal. Hesper shut her eyes. The person she had trusted most was Renee. They had shared countless years together.Hesper acknowledged that their bond might not have been a genuine friendship. Renee had abandoned her when given the choice.However, Hesper had faced such situations before.Thankfully, there had been someone who had placed her first in their heart, reassuring her that she wasn't always relegated to being an option. Hesper stood in silence for a while before simply nodding.There was nothing she could do to aid Renee now. Renee had entered and departed alone, leaving no trace behind with Hesper.When the topic was broached, it weighed heavily on her heart. Hesper understood the situation but found herself at a loss for word