"I'm coming." Hesper turned to hold Celine's hand and nodded at Rickard. "I'll take good care of Ren. If you want to see him, I won't request anything.""..." She had to hint at something before she left. Rickard felt helpless as he watched the two ladies walk away. Celine was curious, but hearing what Hesper said to him, she could tell that they weren't just friends. After spending time with Hesper, Celine knew that she wasn't a petty person, so she asked, "Who was that? It looked awkward between you."***The spotlight was on Hesper during the party. Roberto announced that she was going to take her as his student, which meant that she was going to have a bright future in the industry. Hesper had lost interest in fame. After staying with the Duvals for a year and then three years with the Lanes, she learned not to judge. People would usually bow down to those that were powerful and avoid those who had fallen from grace. If she didn't have status, she wouldn't be treated we
The competition finally came to a close and work at Genecity started to slow down. Hesper canceled her leave and went back to class. Professor Jenkins was very happy. He didn't feel as elated even when Michelle apologized to him, but Hesper getting first place and becoming the favorite of Roberto made him feel that he was right and she didn't ruin his reputation. "You don't know how my dad talked to everyone about you. I don't think he ever did that to me before."Jessie pouted. "But listen, he's going to put on his poker face and say that you did well and tell you not to be too proud because there's still a long way to go…"Hesper always knew that Jessie was very good at imitating. She knew that when he spoke he would have his hands behind his back, so she chuckled. "Why do I feel a few years younger whenever I'm with you? The last time I talked to someone about my dad behind his back feels like a hundred years ago." Jessie giggled. "I was watching the annoying people in the g
"You know that we all have a limited amount of patience. I helped you contact Hesper and passed messages, but I didn't do it so you could keep delaying."Julian's expression was cold. "It's not easy to develop medication for a mental illness like that. What your leader wants to develop is similar to what you want. If you can't get the ingredients, all I can do is add them to my order list, little by little. Do you think that's easy?"Riley nodded, as he understood. "That's true. Big T knows.""If you want me to develop a medication, you need to have patience. As for the messages to Hesper… I have no way of knowing whether they were even delivered. "Oh, don't accuse me." Riley looked hurt. He suddenly remembered something funny and raised his brows. "That reminds me, I saw her son a few days ago. They look really happy. I wonder if she knows that you, her knight, worry about her even though you're the one in danger."Julian's hand froze. "She doesn't need to know.""Oh, that's
Renfrew's face was covered in tears and he looked pitiful. Myriade felt helpless and pulled him out of the corner like she was pulling a carrot out of the ground. "Why are you crying? Boys shouldn't cry. That's so shameful." Myriade sounded annoyed but she gently wiped his tears away. "I didn't feel sad before this, but I'm going to if you keep crying."Renfrew paused when he heard that and he even forgot to cry. "So you're really leaving?"Myriade looked down and nodded. "My… brother wants me to go back. I'd ignore anyone else, but my brother treats me very well and he's my only family, so I have to listen to him."Even though sometimes Big T would do illegal things, he did save her life and brought her up since she was a baby. He was the only family Myriade had. Renfrew pressed his lips together and sniffled, then nodded. "You have your family. I shouldn't be so selfish. Go home."Seeing how understanding he was, Myriade thought about her reply a while ago. Myriade: I w
But he dared not speak.Ehren's health had been deteriorating rapidly recently, so sitting in the snow all morning was a little harsh on his body. And no matter how many layers he had on, all he felt was the chilly weather and freezing gusts."Our guest’s here..." Ehren murmured.Alfred was about to claim that there was no one there.‘Mr. Sulzbach can’t see anything, so how would he be able to notice when someone’s arrived?’However, when he lifted his head, he saw a car pull over at the gate of the courtyard, and after a while, a young man got out of the car."Nate, it’s been a long time."Nathaniel frowned and stepped forward. Ehren was sitting in a wheelchair without even a blanket covering his thighs. The temperature in Emperion could go lower than negative ten degrees during this period of time, and Nathaniel had no idea how long the man sitting in front of him had been waiting for him in the snow."I already told you that I still have some affairs to deal with, didn’t I?
Myriade wanted to tell them that their next meeting might be ages away, or perhaps... They had already become each other’s enemies when the time came.The moment would eventually come in between both parties; it was only a matter of time.Thinking of this, Myriade felt a little sad.‘Aunty, why must you be Hesper Rivera? And why must Renfrew be yours and Rickard Duval’s son? If not, perhaps I’d really choose to stay back here.’"Okay, let’s eat." Hesper looked at the two children who looked very depressed. Although she felt no less than both of them, she was an adult and the eldest at the dining table at the moment.If she were to give off negative emotions at this time, Renfrew and Myriade would feel even worse about it.After finishing her meal, Myriade went back to her room very early. Even though Hesper served her favorite candied snack later in the evening, she did not eat a few extra pieces like she usually did.Seeing this, Renfrew and Hesper exchanged gazes and then sigh
Roberto nodded, and his gaze turned a little cold. "The incident happened so abruptly back then, and I lost my wife and child in an instant, so the bolt from the blue and immense sorrow caused me to lose judgment.""But after investigating over all these years, my gut is telling me that something doesn’t seem right. My wife might not have died because of the accident."Hesper knew that since Roberto was so sure, he must possess some important piece of evidence, so she took the initiative and suggested, "I have some connections here in Genecity. Perhaps you can tell me about this matter in detail, and I can help you with the investigation."…When she got home, it was already late.All the lights in the house were turned off, so Hesper turned on the lights in confusion. The first thing that caught her eyes was a home that had been decorated from corner to corner. The color schemes looked rather exaggerated and childish, while the balloons were tied and stuck to the wall at rather a
It was the weekend again, and it was already late winter. Although the temperature in Genecity would not drop as low as it did in Emperion, the outdoor temperature was not high. Hence, Hesper had to be very cautious every time she brought the two children out.There were two more days before Myriade had to go home, and Hesper had thought about taking her to some places to have some fun, but Myriade had never been to any place, so her lack of imagination was no less than that of Hesper years ago.In the end, Renfrew made the final decision to go to the amusement park.Although Renfrew had already been there with Hesper before this, thinking that Myriade had not even been to an amusement park or watched fireworks before, Renfrew pitied her.In fact, Myriade was a very competent and powerful person.Renfrew had long realized this. Many adults thought that he was talented because he already knew a lot of things that even they did not know of, but he actually learned all of them from M
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