However, when she compared them now… The difference was staggering. Was it because of their difference in age? Hesper came from a normal family but she was much more graceful than Aelinor, as if she wasn't someone who was still in school but someone who had worked for years. Isobelle smiled and shook her head. What was she thinking? Hesper had more experience in life, so she was more mature. Hesper stared at her toes in boredom but heard someone coming down the stairs. She looked up and saw Pennleigh jogging down the stairs, looking anxious. When their eyes met, he frowned. "What's the hurry?" Isobella grabbed his hand. "You should be more mature at your age."Hesper watched what happened. Pennleigh seemed to have something to say to her, but Isobella stood between them, so he could only stare at her from a distance. Hesper understood something from his hesitation in speaking, but what was he trying to tell her? Hesper blinked a few times and still didn't understand. "Yo
Hesper looked up and into Rickard's eyes. Hesper knew Rickard didn't believe she was Pennleigh's girlfriend. She also knew that her peaceful life in Fredonia was going to be ruined. Even though Hesper acted weird, Isobella didn't think much about it and went to the kitchen to talk to them about lunch later. Pennleigh looked sorry. "I'm sorry. After I heard my dad say Rickard was our guest, I wanted to ask you to leave but was stopped…""It's alright, you don't have to explain. I get it."Rickard suddenly showing up was very much a coincidence. Hesper knew that she had terrible luck, so she couldn't blame Pennleigh or anyone else. However…Rickard finding out where she was made her feel embarrassed. She was no longer Ms. Lane who had the same status as he did, but was instead in an awkward position. It was as though she was an imposter. "You could leave if you want to. I'll say something came up."Hesper shook her head. "Rickard saw me, so there's no point leaving. He'll
Meanwhile, when he realized that he had to pretend to be in love with Hesper, Pennleigh frowned and looked at Hesper. "Do you think he would believe us? Why would you fall for me?""It's simple. I was in distress and you helped." Hesper was determined to make Rickard jealous; it didn't matter if he believed them. "You don't have to say anything. All you need to do is pretend to be loving. He's not going to ask us about our relationship in front of everyone here. You're the host and he's a guest.""Um… alright." Pennleigh leaned closer, his light grey eyes smiling as he looked at her. "How do we pretend to be loving?"'He's gotten into character very quickly,' Hesper thought.When Rickard and Petruchio walked down the stairs, they saw Pennleigh and Hesper standing very close to each other. Pennleigh saw them, raised his brows, and leaned even closer to her. Rickard didn't buy the childish act because he knew Hesper had loved him for years and wouldn't be interested in a young man
"I don’t think I’ll be giving a speech or anything like that just yet. It’s very rare for our place to be this boisterous, so let’s not spoil the fun." Pennleigh turned his head to the side and picked up a piece of celery and shrimp cocktail for Hesper. "This is our home chef’s signature dish, try it."‘She doesn’t like celery.’Rickard watched this scene coldly, but in the next second, Hesper actually picked the piece of celery up and smiled at Pennleigh. "Wow, it tastes much better than expected."Pennleigh realized it and said apologetically, "Do you not like celery?"Rickard’s gaze was still fixed on them, and although Hesper did not turn her head, she could still feel his scorching gaze, so she shook her head indifferently. "I might not have liked it very much in the past, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t like things that I didn’t like before, right...? Actually, it turns out that celery is more delicious than I imagined. It’s really good.""Glad to hear that."Even though
Seeing that Hesper had just said something in Pennleigh’s ear before walking out, Rickard looked away too.Hesper and Pennleigh were indeed very close. Rickard could tell that what Hesper had said just now was targeted at him.‘In the past, she might not fall for someone like Pennleigh, but things are different now.’However, Rickard still did not believe it."I’ll head out for a short while."Petruchio did not think much about it. After all, he knew exactly how busy Rickard could be. If it was not for their good relationship, Rickard might not have stayed for lunch. He nodded. "Go then. If you have something to do, you don’t have to stay back and entertain us.""I’m not busy at all.""Huh?"Rickard retracted his gaze and frowned. "I mean, I’m not very busy nowadays, and there are quite a few things that I have to attend to in Fredonia, so... Can I continue to bother you for a while longer?""Of course, I wouldn’t say no to that."Unexpectedly, not only did Rickard not want t
Hesper suddenly felt that the setting sun was too dazzling to her taste. She did not like it anymore.Rickard was still standing upright, but his finely-defined face gave off a slight hint of helplessness. "I’m not belittling you...""I know, you’re just stating the facts."It had been so long, Hesper had certainly made peace with this fact, but she was not doing too bad herself now. "Mr. Duval, why come to see me personally? Since you can’t fulfill my wish, is there anything else that I should know?"Rickard frowned. "Pennleigh Pasino."‘Sure enough.’Rickard’s gaze had seldom left her and Pennleigh throughout the whole luncheon, so Hesper was not surprised that Rickard would ask her about him. After all, she had already experienced the possessiveness of men.‘He was already extremely sensitive and suspicious when he had no feelings for me, let alone now when he’s slightly into me.’"Pennleigh is now my boyfriend. Haven’t you already seen it?""Impossible." Hesper shrugged as
Hesper did not go light with the stomp, so Rickard let go of her and frowned, while Hesper immediately ran to the side and started taking in gasps of fresh air.Although Hesper and Rickard had had a child together, Hesper’s recollection of what happened that night was still rather vague, and nothing intimate had happened between the two of them after marriage. Theoretically speaking, this was the closest she had ever gotten to him as far as she could remember.Hesper could hear that her heartbeat was chaotic and took a few deep breaths before glaring at Rickard, who looked as calm as a toad in the sun."Have you lost your mind? Are you even Rickard Duval?"Her hair was a little messed up.Rickard was in a daze thinking that the distance between the two of them was actually not that far away, but it was still a lot farther compared to the distance between them when they were about to kiss a while before.Hesper saw that Rickard was staring at her without saying anything, almost to
——Seeing Pennleigh and Hesper coming back together, Isobella smiled, walked over, and hold Hesper’s hand."Hesper, Penn is really a clingy kid, huh? As soon as you left, he immediately wanted to go find you. I stopped him, but he actually snuck out."Pennleigh cleared his throat. "Mom, can you not embarrass me?"As he said so, Pennleigh winked at Hesper twice. She knew that it was probably because Rickard went after her, so Pennleigh chased out because he was worried, so she grinned knowingly.From Isobella’s perspective, it could be regarded as affection."Okay, alright, you youngsters should know what’s best for you." Isobella held Hesper’s arm. "Did Penn tell you about dessert making just now? What kind of dessert do you like? I’ll get the kitchen crew to make some for you. And let’s stay here for the night. We live quite far from the city, so it’s not safe for a young girl like you to go back at night."Living there was of course equivalent to living with Pennleigh. When He
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