Hesper looked in the direction of the voice, saw Wilfred, and put on a flawless smile through the corners of her lips. “Uncle Will, it’s been a long time. I still remember that you often gave me business advice when you first arrived in Genecity, but it seems that you’ve grown rather aloof recently as I don’t hear from you anymore. I’m still waiting for your bits of advice.”Although she did not bring up a single word about Wilfred’s grounding, every single word that escaped her mouth pierced through Wilfred’s heart.‘What a sharp-tongued b*tch...’Wilfred knew that he could not get the upper hand by letting his mouth run, so he waved his hand in embarrassment. “If it wasn’t for Father’s birthday, I don’t think I’d ever get the chance to see you again. You probably just can’t wait to get your share and leave the Lanes.”Hesper was naturally not going to let him have it his way and was about to retaliate, but Helen stood up and calmed everyone. “Alright, I don’t care which of you is
“We’ll see what Hesper thinks.”Arthur Lane waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter if she changes her name. She would still be part of the family. Rivera is what she grew up with, so she shouldn’t forget where she came from even after becoming part of our family. That’s good.”Hesper gave a sigh of relief after hearing that. She turned around and wined at Arthur. Matthew was done with work and went home not long after they started chatting. The relatives didn’t dare to do anything to Hesper when Matthew wasn’t around and were even more cautious when he got there. If Arthur was protective of Hesper, Matthew downright spoiled her. No one would dare touch his baby sister, or they would be in big trouble. “There’s nothing in your mind other than work.”Matthew was immediately chided by Arthur when he got home. He was used to it, so he didn’t even look up when he heard that. “You dropped your cane, Grandpa.”Hesper looked at them gleefully, then picked the cane up. Being stuck in th
It was Arthur’s birthday the next day. Hesper didn’t work overnight and just gave Renfrew a call before she went to sleep and explained why she didn’t go visit him. Even though she asked Rickard to explain to Renfrew, to not disappoint him, she still wanted to explain to him personally. Renfrew knew that he wouldn’t be seeing his mother that day but was still happy when she called. He kept repeating that he missed his mommy, and that made Hesper’s heart melt. She sat next to the window and smiled. “I’ll visit you when I’m back, even if it’s a weekday.”“Yay! I’ll be waiting for you!”Hesper smiled and nodded but realized that Renfrew wouldn’t see that. When she wanted to speak again, all she heard was the steady breathing of her child. After some ruffling, Rickard’s voice came from the phone. “He fell asleep.”“Alright,” Hesper replied. Rickard didn’t hang up, so Hesper didn’t either. They sat there in silence for a moment, then Rickard spoke. “You went back to Emperion fo
Matthew snapped back when he noticed that Hesper was looking around, then looked at the cake and shook his head. “Nothing.”“Hmm?” Hesper knew that something was wrong, but he tried to cover it up. She remembered that Matthew told her she looked a lot like Rachel Lane, and it dawned on her. “Are you thinking about Rachel?” Matthew didn’t hide it and nodded. He kept his eyes on the cake but they weren’t in focus. “Whenever we have a party at home, everyone wouldn’t have time to take care of me and Rachel. She would always sneak into the kitchen and bring cakes out.”“The cakes were usually hot, and she would pinch her earlobes like how you did and look at me with a cheeky smile.”There were so many memories. Matthew would smile sadly because he had to remember his sister based on his memories… and he was glad that they were all good ones. Hesper covered her mouth. “You don’t have any updates on her yet? You’ve been looking for her for years. Do you think she just forgot about h
Unable to hide upstairs, Hesper had to go down. Arthur couldn’t hide his smile when he watched her walk down. Hesper looked around at the same moment and glared at him while still looking like a well-behaved person. “Hello everyone! Happy birthday Grandpa!”Arthur smiled and walked over to her. Hesper took a seat next to him and smiled at everyone. The first person who noticed Hesper kept praising her, but she couldn’t remember who she was. When she turned around, Arthur seemed to be enjoying it, so she just politely let her continue singing her praises. …Hesper had no idea that she was so highly regarded. Arthur waved his hand after having enough fun with the situation. “Alright, alright, this girl is just alright. Don’t praise her too much, or it’ll get to her head!”Hesper turned around and beamed at him, but he winked back at her. “Oh by the way, I think it’s time for Hesper to get married. I remember that she has an arranged marriage with that Tucker boy, right?”
She had the right to turn it down. She was almost done talking, so she made up an excuse to escape. When she left, she saw Nathaniel and Matthew standing together, so she waved to them then turned and left. Hesper couldn’t be sure she would be able to maintain her smile if she kept getting asked about her marriage. Everyone split after Hesper walked away and Arthur saw Nathaniel there. That was when Matthew and Simon went over. “Happy birthday, Uncle.”Simon wasn’t interested in blending in with the crowd, so he only walked over with the present for Arthur when that happened. It was a tea set, nothing too lavish. Arthur didn’t really like the tea set he had before this, so this gift was just perfect. He didn’t say if he was happy or unhappy about the gift but instead just placed it on the table and asked, “Are you going to stay here for a while, or are you leaving soon?”“I came back for your birthday,” Simon said. “You know that I don’t have much going on here, and I have
What Nathaniel mentioned was their agreement to cancel the marriage agreement. There was no reason to hide this from Matthew, but seeing how curious he looked, Hesper became playful and winked at Nathaniel. “What could we hide from you? Right, Nate?”“Yeah.” Matthew didn’t believe them one bit but just shook his head. “I don’t want to know. You’re just teasing me.”The party was in full swing. Hesper had a set of chess made from jade. It wasn’t something unique, but since Arthur loved to play chess, he would usually use top-quality chess pieces. It wasn’t something that was rare, but Hesper had to get it custom-made for his birthday.Hesper put a lot of effort into the present. Even though it wasn’t the most expensive gift there, it was the one that he loved the most. Arthur loved it so much that he asked Theodore to play a game with him after the party. Hesper knew her gift was definitely not the most expensive, but Arthur’s love for her gave the gift a different meaning,
“Matt, if Rachel returns, I’ll leave immediately.”“...Don’t say that.” Matthew frowned. “I said this before. You’re my sister, no matter what. Even if she comes back, you’ll still be my sister.”Hespr shook her head and smiled, but it looked broken in the cold wind. “When she comes back, I’ll return her brother to her.”***The time she had at Emperion was short. Hesper returned to Genecity, but this time, Matthew didn’t come along. There was a lot of work to do in Emperion, especially since she had to take part in the competition. The hype that it brought benefited Lane Holdings, so Matthew was busy. The fourth stage of the competition was around the new year. The most important project in Genecity was the design competition. Hesper didn’t get involved in it, so there was nothing much to do at home. That morning, she went to room 345 earlier with a bag of flour. The live-streaming room was still very quiet at that hour. Even Hesper wouldn’t show up so early usually, but
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