Different from the undercurrents on Daybreak’s side, Hestia’s methods of making things difficult for Duval Group were relatively more straightforward.Benji brought the proposal out of her office with a demoralized expression. And as soon as the team waiting for the results saw Benji’s look, they immediately knew that Hestia must have returned the proposal again, and they could not help but feel a little defeated for a while.When Hestia came into the company yesterday, she only wandered around the company, making Benji feel a little uneasy. However, Hestia started asking questions related to the project that morning, and both the previously proposed plan and its backup had all been rejected by her.Now the entire Team A that was in charge of the project was outside Hestia’s office. They were there waiting to receive Hestia’s next order at any time, and among them was the unlucky Benji.Although Hestia had been making things difficult for them deliberately, everyone could still see
"Ms. Rivera is also involved in the Deschamps’ suspicious businesses?""...Hmm, it’s just a guess of mine." Kenji paused for a split second and continued. "The Deschamps were originally from Fredonia, and Daybreak chose to set up their base and make a fortune there only because of certain characteristics of the country. It can be said that some cities in the country are perfect breeding grounds for evil organizations."Benji originally thought that Hesper had returned to Genecity this time around just to restore her memory. He did not expect that it was not as simple as it seemed.‘If Hesper really did run filthy businesses while she was in Fredonia, leaving the other minor consequences aside, I don’t know if she'll be able to accept it after she fully recovers from her memory loss.’"Alright, it’s useless to think so much at the moment. From now on, I’ll keep an eye on all of Ms. Rivera’s actions until the moment her memory recovers."This was the main reason why Kenji came back.
After sending Nathaniel off, Hestia created a new folder on her laptop, called Sylvie, and asked her to encrypt this folder separately, not allowing anyone to see the contents inside.Although Sylvie felt a little puzzled, she still agreed and went to do as asked.After arranging the things on her end, Hestia curled her lips and realized that Benji had not come in for more than an hour, so she took the initiative to open the door. "Benji Lynch?"Unexpectedly, Benji did not show up, but another person appeared in front of her out of nowhere."Ms. Rivera." Kenji looked at Hestia indifferently and then explained, "Benji has returned to the CEO’s office. I’ll be in charge of your safety for the rest of your days in Genecity."Hestia was a little surprised. Benji was a lot softer when dealing with her. So in order to prevent him from being led directly into a trap by her, Rickard would certainly arrange for someone else to come and take over his position, which did not seem to be a ver
When he threw the question out, Kenji did not take his eyes off Hestia’s gaze, but Hestia looked back at him calmly too as if she did not know anything about this and even had some doubts."Sorry, I seem to have worried too much." Kenji apologized and did not say anything else.Hestia smirked. "Then please do send me back, Mr. Lynch, and thank you."...Although Hestia did not show any emotion on the surface, Kenji still felt that Hestia’s living next to Rickard was something that she had deliberately planned.After listening to Kenji’s report of the information that he had gained throughout the day, Rickard did not seem surprised, but only nodded. "Keep monitoring her, and come to me at any time if anything seems unusual.""Ms. Rivera... She isn’t very trustworthy now." Kenji hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sir, you may not understand how the Deschamps trains their people. I don’t think Ms. Rivera will now care about the relationship that she shared with you back then, and t
Seeing that Charles seemed to have something to tell Hestia, Elise handed the phone directly to him and then walked out of the room. So after that, only Hestia and Charles were left staring at each other through the phone for quite some time."Have you found the answer that you’re searching for?"Charles finally took the initiative to start the conversation, and Hestia lowered her gaze. "I’ve found parts of it, but I don’t know. There are still a lot of things that I want to do in Halwanest. Although you two are my life savior and benefactors for taking me in back then and teaching me heaps of things throughout the past six months, I can’t go back now.""I’m not asking you to come back now, am I?"Hestia had been getting ready to get into a debate with Charles, but she did not expect him to support her decision without her fighting for it, so she lifted her head and widened her eyes. "You don’t object to my decision to come to Genecity?""No, I still don’t like it." Charles’s expr
A subordinate in Genecity would only contact her when they were ordered by their higher-up. Hestia thought for a moment, and she realized that bars were always the fastest and most widespread way to spread messages. If she could find the person with the surname Sulzbach earlier, she could finish the task faster and be free to do what she wanted."Sigh." Letting out a sigh, Hestia walked over to the mirror and shook her head at the make-up she was wearing. It did not suit her, so she decided to change it.*Night was the time when darkness and desire thrived."Miss, this is a VIP-only establishment. If you're not a member, you can't come in."Hestia had already had Sylvie investigate the largest bar in Genecity, but she did not expect to be stopped at the door when she arrived. Although she was a bit annoyed, the last thing that Hestia lacked was money."What should I do to become a member? I just came back from overseas and I'm not familiar with this place."The doorman at the
Despite successfully gaining entry into the bar, the security measures at the entrance were stringent, and the atmosphere inside was far from relaxed.Hestia was aware that in order to obtain any valuable and dependable information, she needed to network and make some connections in the bar. These information brokers were always on guard, and if she was not careful, they would feign ignorance and decline to engage in business with her."Are you here to look for something, Ms. Deschamps? Why don't you ask me instead?" Nathaniel's voice rang out beside her ears.Hestia scoffed. "Do you really not know why I am here, Mr. Tucker? I thought you were well aware of my situation.""I have no idea what made you think so, Ms. Deschamps," Nathaniel said as he reached out to tuck Hestia's hair behind her ears. "I'm not monitoring you."Hestia instinctively felt averse to the sudden intimate gesture. It was not because of her own volition, but because deep within her being, she was against suc
This was the first time Hestia had heard of such a request, but since the bartender had said so, she did not say anything and just let him place the drink in front of her. "This is our newest signature drink and is very suitable for ladies. You can taste it." The bartender placed the drink down and then walked away. Hestia's gaze fell on the drink. It was indeed a very beautiful drink, with small bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass like shattered starlight. Hestia leaned in to smell it and then took a sip.As soon as Hestia collapsed, the two bartenders rushed over. "That was easier than I thought. It seems we must have mistaken her identity." "Don't worry about it. Let's take her to the boss and see if she really is the person in the photo. If so, we'll both make a fortune!" The two of them made a plan and each carried Hestia on one side, taking advantage of the darkness as they made their way up the stairs along the wall. However, none of them noticed that the co
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