The next day, Matthew rejected Hesper’s request for him to visit the office with her. “Since you’re the person in charge, it's up to you to decide on everything. If I show up, it will affect your persuasiveness.”Hesper didn’t know what to say but her appreciation for him increased. Matthew had other plans anyway. Ventoso was the most popular restaurant in Genecity. It was decorated with vintage decor and even the chef was from the state dinner. After it went viral, its popularity skyrocketed. Reservations had to be made one to two months in advance.At that moment, Matthew and Rickard were sitting across from each other. They were both stone-faced, and no one spoke. The atmosphere was cold. Benji and Tanner looked at each other then looked away. “Did you invite me here without even knowing what you want to talk about?” Matthew picked up his teacup and took a sip elegantly. Rickard had to admit that it was his mistake for not realizing who he was in the first place. “
“Don’t.” Juniper was on the verge of tears. “I didn’t want to bug you. It’s just that…that…” She hesitated for a long time but couldn’t form a complete sentence. Rickard scoffed. “Is this about Hesper?”Juniper was shocked. “How did you know?”“You know what you did. If you didn’t slander her during her opening ceremony, why would she try to get you?” Rickard said with a cold tone before hanging up.Juniper sent a few messages to ask for his help but he ignored all of them. Juniper was going crazy. Her face had just recovered not too long ago, but now big pimples were starting to sprout again, which looked disgusting. More importantly, after her previous recovery, she finally got back into the station with some connections and got herself a few sponsors to get a show. She was trying to get back to becoming the top host. Now right before the shooting began, her face was acting up again. If she couldn’t get better, not only would her face be forever ruined, her career and her co
“What are you doing? I’m warning you, stay away from me! I’m a Wight. If you hurt me, my family won’t let you get away with it!”“Don’t worry, you’re not worth dirtying my hands. I’ll let you live so you can feel tortured and see yourself turn ugly and rot, then eventually die like the pile of mud you are!”Juniper had never felt so terrified. She could see her life ending with just the simple description Hesper gave. Fear and instinct prompted her to grab onto something, and before she realized it, she was grabbing onto Hesper’s pant leg, "Please help me! I’m begging you. I can’t let my face rot!”“Get away. Don’t get my clothes dirty!” Hesper looked disgusted, but Juniper wouldn’t let go. Seeing how it was almost time, Hesper suddenly smiled. “I can help you, but you have to agree to one thing.”“Tell me. I won’t say no as long as it’s something I can do!”Hesper smiled and whispered in her ear. Juniper’s eyes grew wide. “You… Aren’t you afraid?”“Afraid? If I were afraid,
Juniper was surprisingly easy to speak to today, but Sophia didn’t think much about it since she was her friend. She changed the topic. “By the way, about what you mentioned in the call, it’s all in the past, so we shouldn’t bring it up anymore, okay?”“Sure.” Juniper agreed. When she pretended to flick her hair, she dropped a pill into the glass of alcohol in front of her. “Have fun then. I’ll be on my way.”“Alright,” Sophia waved her hand and picked up the alcohol without suspecting a thing then took a sip and quickly went back to the dance floor. “Don’t blame me, Sophia,” Juniper whispered. “It’s your own fault…”Juniper turned and left. Once she was out of the bar, she gave Hesper a call. “I’ve done what you asked. Where’s my antidote?”“Don’t worry. I’ve sent it over. If I’m correct, it should be at your home by now.”“You better not be lying to me.” Juniper happily rushed home but not before giving her some advice. “Here’s a tip, Hesper. Although it may seem as thou
“I’m just worried that the lady will misunderstand…”The frat boy winked. His flirtiness gave the man goosebumps. “Alright, that’s just how Sean is. The two of you aren’t strangers to one another, so you how how he is.” Hesper stifled a laugh and pointed toward Sophia with her chin. “Go wake her up.”“Yes, ma’am.” Isaac walked over with a glass of water and threw it on her face. “Who?” Sophia jumped and slowly opened her eyes. She immediately saw a handsome frat boy smiling at her. “You’re awake.” Sophia, still mesmerized by his looks, tried to speak in a higher pitch. Her phoney femininity made Hesper chuckle. When Sophia looked toward the noise and saw her sitting on the couch, she frowned. “What are you doing here?”“You’re so fierce.” The frat boy sniggered then walked over to Hesper and tilted his head. “This is my boss, pretty girl.”“What?” Sophia finally realized that she had been framed. Her face filled with horror. “You work for her? But we… we…” She anxiously
“Now you’re worried? I bet you never thought that this day would come when you were bullying me and didn’t give me a chance to defend myself.”Finally understanding that Hesper was taking revenge, Sophia bit her lip. “It’s all in the past, so there’s no point talking about it now. No matter what, I’m Rickard’s sister and Grandpa’s granddaughter. Even if you don’t care about me, you shouldn’t do anything for Grandpa’s sake!”Hesper was silent. Before Grandpa came back, she wanted to run Sophia to the ground as revenge, but Grandpa still treated her well even after so many years, and she didn’t have the heart to disappoint him. “Fine. I’ll let you off for his sake.”“Really?”Before Sophia could get too happy, she coldly said, “But you should still get the punishment you deserve. I want you to apologize to me ten thousand times for how you treated me.”“Wh… what?” Sophia was confused. Hesper continued. “From now on, no matter where I am, you should avoid me. Because whenever you
After getting out of the hotel, Rickard stopped in his tracks. Benji, who was behind him, followed his line of sight and saw that not too far away, the frat boy was holding Hesper’s hand and flirting with her. Hesper not only didn’t reject him but gently tapped his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here!” Rickard didn’t take another look. Noticing him, Hesper helplessly said, “Sean, they’ve left. Do you still want to flirt? If Isaac starts hitting you, I won’t be able to stop him.”“I don’t.” The man immediately let go and smiled. “But Hesper, Rickard is such a nuissance. He’s got nothing on me. Why don’t you think about going out with me? I’ll make you happy.”“...No thank you.” Starting to get goosebumps, she retreated into the car. The frat boy was going to say more but was warned off by Isaac’s glare. “If you don’t leave, I’m going to stab you with a fork!”After sending Sean away, Isaac said unhappily, “Ma’am, please don’t listen to him. There’s nothing great with that young
Benji, who had sharp eyes, noticed that something was off with him. He cleared his throat. “Ms. Duval, you said you were drunk, but we checked the surveillance and your condition didn’t seem very natural.”Remembering that she was feeling hot all over, Sophia’s eyes widened. “Are you saying someone drugged me?”She couldn’t wait to put the blame on Hesper, so she blurted, “Was it the man who was with me? Why else could he have been there?”“No, not him.” Benji shook his head and explained. “We checked the footage and that man only showed up after you were out. He didn’t get close to your alcohol, and—”“And what? Tell me.” She was on the edge of her seat. Why did he stop at such an important part?Benji looked at her with a strange expression. “And it looked like you were taking the lead, and you… led him to the hotel.”“Shut your mouth!” Sophia just wanted to hide in a hole, but it was too late. Rickard heard their conversation and suddenly snorted. “Look at you. That’s not ho
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