Zoya shook her head hesitantly. "No… I don't want to go back today…""We should let her stay for a few more days!" Renfrew said as he shook Hesper's hand under the table. Hesper was caught between tears and laughter. She rubbed Renfrew's head and said, "It's not up to me to decide. Zoya has her own family as well. This isn't her home, so she has to go back sooner or later."Renfrew understood what Hesper said, but he did not want Zoya to go back. He pouted his lips with disappointment, while Zoya lowered head and chuckled. Even though there were a lot of things in Zoya's bag, Hesper was confident that there were no clothes in there. After she took off her down jacket yesterday, Hesper also noticed that the clothes that Zoya was wearing seemed inappropriate for the season. Besides, it was not hygienic to keep wearing the same outfit either.When Renfrew learned that they were going out with Zoya, he went back to his room and began rummaging through his closet. In the end, it was
Taking advantage of the chaotic situation, Zoya slipped away from Hesper and Renfrew to go after that figure. "Oh my, it seems like our Mimi is pretty sharp—"Someone grabbed Zoya's collar from behind as soon as she turned around a corner. "Let me have a good look at our cute little traitor… Oh, look at what she's got. A set of new clothes. It seems like Hesper really likes you very much." Zoya kept a cold face. She knew she could not break herself free from Riley since he was much taller than her, but it did not matter."What are you doing here? Besides, I'm sure you know who's the real traitor between us, right? Killing Hesper isn't one of Big T's goals either." Riley put Zoya down and squatted in front of her. After that, he reached out and pinched Zoya's cheek while smiling at her. "Mimi… Do you know that you may get yourself killed if you poke your nose into other people's affairs?""Don't call me that name," Zoya said as she turned her head aside. "You should probably sa
"You look really beautiful in real life, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life, just slightly lesser than me." Riley put his thumb and forefinger together to show a small gap. His hand was finally free from Myriade’s tight grasp, but he still looked at her in pain. Myriade pretended that she didn’t see him and stood behind Renfrew. "..." Hesper was a little surprised at suddenly receiving compliments. Riley was a little too friendly and Hesper had never met anyone like him. She said, "If Myriade doesn’t want to leave with you, I won’t let you take her away."Riley wasn’t planning on bringing Myriade with him, so he waved his hand. "Whatever, if she wants to stay here, then stay. She won’t be able to come back though."Renfrew was confused. Remembering something, Riley continued, "Myriade has a supplementary card and the credit limit is pretty high. I think it’s enough for you to take care of her until she’s seventeen or eighteen."The love Big T had for everyone e
After their mission in Halwanest was completed, Riley didn’t have any feelings toward Halwanest like Myriade. The only thing he cared about in this world was Trez, but Trez was no longer there, so he would leave too. "I’ve met Hesper Rivera and I had to admit that she’s beautiful." Riley looked at Trez, who was laying in bed with his eyes closed, then sighed. "How nice it'd be if you didn’t hate her. I might have the chance to ask her what brand of skin care products she uses."***After finding out that Myriade’s bag was filled with low-quality candy, Hesper kept trying to find a way to throw all of it away. She knew that the cheap candy would have too much coloring… Myriade seemed to be from a well-off family, so why did she love candy like that?The girl even considered them as precious gifts. Hesper looked at the bottle by her bed. Myriade gave her a lot of them and Hesper guessed that she would be running out soon. She hoped that Myriade would soon give all the candy to
"There’s no point glaring at me. Big T says you can’t leave."Riley turned around sadly and handed the medication to 013, then changed his expression and leaned in close, his beautiful eyes a little unfocused. "Let me feed you. Be a good boy… You’ll feel better only if you take your meds."***Although it was fun to spend time with the children at home, it was time for the final round. Hesper was the favorite, and her every move was recorded by loyal fans. The viewership for the final live broadcast was at an all-time high. Since it was the finals, to keep things under wraps, they locked down the filming location. The viewers didn’t even know the theme of the round and would only be able to see the final work. Renfrew and Myriade were ready to watch the show. Meanwhile, with the help of Yanis, Ernest and Wendy were sitting eagerly to watch the show. It went from rowdy to silent. Hesper and Celine looked at each other and smiled. Shawn was behind them. Michelle, on the other
Winning wasn’t really important now that it was the finals. Hesper and Celine held hands. The results would be decided by a hundred professional designers through voting, and everything would be kept secret. Other than the designers and models, no one knew which dress was designed by whom. This was the fairest way that Hesper could come up with. There were four designers in the finals, including her. Shawn and her were linked to Lane Holdings, Celine was her friend, and there was a newbie designer who went through a lot of hard work to get where they were. Even though Hesper wanted to win and get a chance to learn from Roberto, she didn’t want to use her influence to win. The theme of the finals was ‘Love’.Hesper hadn’t lived a long life, but she felt that she had a lot of experience when it came to love and hate. She knew that love could not be forced. This theme was the best thing she had come up with. As for the results…Hesper looked up. The lights were like millions of
Celine was the runner-up. Even though she wasn’t the winner, that still surprised her. She lost in the Duval competition and was ready to give up on her design dream. Her mother had a large medical bill. She couldn’t spend time taking care of her, so when her situation turned dire, she might need to hire a hospice to take care of her… All that required a lot of money. When she was feeling lost, she saw the Lane competition. Celine promised herself that if she didn’t make a name for herself this time, she would give up on her dreams and accept reality. She was glad she won something. “Congratulations, Hesper.” Celine looked at her. She knew that if not for her, she wouldn’t have gotten as much attention. If it wasn’t because of how fair Lane Holdings was, she would not have been where she was now. Hesper saw that Celine was going to cry, so she went over and hugged her. “We have a long way to go, but we’re friends now, aren't we?” Hesper rested her chin on Celine’s shoul
Hesper mentioned Renfrew to test Rickard. Hesper felt that something was off when he sent Renfrew to her, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Now that he was back, why hadn't he taken Renfrew back?He knew that Renfrew was her only weakness. Whether it was because of their companies' situations or if Rickard really fell for her and wanted to use Renfrew to get to her, none of that should have happened. Why did he leave Renfrew with her? Did he really just want them to be together, or was there an ulterior motive?Hesper was too sensitive. Rickard knew that if he couldn't give a good reason, she would send Renfrew back to him. Myriade would then leave and go back to Daybreak. All his trails would be lost then. "Because…" Rickard frowned. Hepser looked at him and knew that he was hiding something from her. "Because my mom wants to find me a new wife.""What?" Hesper didn't know how to react because she wasn't expecting him to give that as a reason. She blinked. "What does t
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