"Even if his family forced him to go on a blind date and he was just humoring them, that was rude."Hesper grabbed Jessie's hand and pulled her up. "We're going to have dinner at my home today. I'll call Professor Jenkins and tell him that you're here.""Thank you!"It wasn't the first time Jessie visited her place. She knew the place well, so Hesper went into the kitchen to start cooking. Hesper rarely invited friends over for dinner. Before ending her failed marriage with Rickard, she didn't have friends. After going to live with the Lanes, she focused on self-improvement and pretending to be someone she wasn't, so she didn't have a lot of time to breathe. It was difficult for her to find time to enjoy a holiday alone. Isaac and Renee came together. Even though Hesper said they didn't have to bring anything, Renee bought a few types of wine. Hesper didn't get any drinks because they would be too heavy for her to carry. She was planning to get them from the store nearby."Yo
"The celery at the cafeteria was horrible today. If I went to the restaurants nearby, I might bump into Ms. Lane, so I just swallowed it.""That's an exaggeration… I bumped into her when I was getting coffee this afternoon. I had my head low the entire time because I was worried that she might chat with me.""An exaggeration? After I finished the awful food, I realized that she was sitting next to me in the cafeteria. I was impressed.""Haha…""The food there is awful. Hesper hates celery.""..." Hesper frowned. The message about her hating celery was quickly replaced, but she had already seen it. She checked the sender's number; the name was just a question mark and the profile picture was the default photo. It looked like a second number. A lot of people knew that she hated celery, but how would people in the office know?She gave the number to Renee, who was confused. "Where did you find this number? Where should I start investigating?""Hmm… Where I got it from isn't i
The amount was manageable to Hesper. She shook her head and was honest. "I came here today because I need your help.""Alright, go ahead. I'll do my best to help."Hesper stood on the spot and said, "I want to know who sponsored me. Maybe I had a friend when I was a child who wasn't Julian."The director hesitated. She didn't have to check her records to remember who Hesper's sponsor was. However, when the person gave them the money, the biggest request was not to tell Hesper their identity even when she became an adult."Your expression shows that that person is very special and didn't just randomly sponsor me. There must be something behind that." Hesper's voice was clear.She had thought about it a lot. Even her surname, Rivera, was given by the sponsor, and Rivera… wasn't a unique last name where she was from."You told me that I was abandoned outside the orphanage. I never questioned that." Hesper sighed, then softened her tone. "I just want to know my past. If you know anyt
‘But what role do the other people play in my life? And who are my biological parents?’"Ms. Lane?"Renee’s sudden appearance interrupted Hesper’s trance. She looked at Hesper with slight concern. "What’s the matter? Didn’t you discover any valuable clues? You’ve been standing there for a long time already."Hesper shook her head, not knowing where she should start with the explanation, and whether she should tell Renee about what she had found out.Although she did not want to, she really could not trust anyone around her now.Her cell phone rang all of a sudden. Hesper picked up the call; it was from Matthew."What’s the matter?"Matthew paused for a split second on the other end of the phone call as if he had sensed that Hesper’s mood was a little cold at the moment and continued after a short while. "It’s nothing. I only wanted to inform you that Twiggy, the girl that you entrusted to me, is fully recovered.""...Twiggy?"Hearing this unfamiliar nickname, Hesper was stunne
At midnight.The room was in a chaotic mess, and Juniper was sitting in Carter’s arms, caressing his neck with her fingertip."It seems that your mother likes me very much. She even kept me at your place today." Juniper sounded a little proud and moved even closer to Carter. "Are we going to get married soon? Congratulations, you've finally acquired me.""Oh, really?" Carter smirked. "Baby, my mother might like you very much, but your mother doesn’t like me at all, so you might have to wait for a little longer."Juniper remained silent for a while. She had not gone back to the Wight Manor all this time. Her mother had been calling her every day, but she had not picked up any one of those calls. She did not know if she was being unfilial, but she could not accept that her mother was trying to stop her from being with Carter.She could not understand why her mother would stop her when she had finally listened to her advice and given up on Rickard.‘Carter treats me so well. It may
The next day, Dianthe packed her luggage and came straight to Genecity.Hesper went to pick her up from the airport and saw Dianthe, who wore all pink, from a distance at first glance as the pink was very eye-catching among the crowd. As soon as she saw Hesper, Dianthe waved her hand vigorously, forced her way through the crowd with her luggage, and dashed toward Hesper."Hesper!"The suitcase slid forward a few extra feet out of inertia, and before Hesper could react, Dianthe had already hugged her as if she was hugging a human-sized teddy bear."Happy New Year!"Dianthe wore a down jacket, and its fluffy collar nestled around Hesper’s neck, making her feel even warmer."...Happy New Year."Hearing Hesper’s voice, Dianthe let her go, and her clear and beautiful eyes narrowed with her smile, beaming with delight. "Are you happy to see me? And don’t I look good today? Do I look like someone who came out of a cartoon?"Both of them were obviously of the same age, but Hesper subco
One could not claim that Dianthe was bothering Hesper...Hesper had made breakfast. She then took a glance at Dianthe’s closed door and realized that there might be a huge problem—the immense difference between their biological clock.The main thing that erected the red flag within Hesper happened at two o’clock the previous night. Hesper woke up in the middle of the night, only to still hear Dianthe playing games with someone and communicating with her teammate on the mic.The soundproofing of the room was way above average, so Hesper only heard a voice very vaguely when she walked out of her room, but it did not affect her sleep at all.But compared to Hesper’s regular schedule, it was indeed very late.However, unexpectedly, just as Hesper had eaten half of her breakfast, Dianthe trudged out of her room and slogged toward Hesper."It smells so good!" Dianthe walked into the dining room with light makeup on her face and looked at Hesper with bright eyes. "Hesper, you actually k
“Why are you staring at me?”“I think you look great.”Carter stood up and walked over. A sweet smile appeared on the corners of Juniper’s lips. “Are you saying that I only look good today? Allow me to remind you that the director of today’s program is said to be the daughter of a big family in Emperion. So if I can build a good relationship with her, my career will definitely bring my career to a new height from today onward.”“Oh, really?” Carter went along with her solemnity casually. “You’re still worrying about your career when you’re my girlfriend?”“I’m not worried at all.” Juniper giggled and pushed him away. “Okay, okay, stop bothering me already, I have to go through the script carefully now.”When Hesper and Dianthe arrived at the studio, they happened to arrived just in time. Dianthe came there on a work trip as her mentor’s assistant director, but because of her family background and status, many people in the studio wanted to curry favor with her.And Juniper was am
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