“You...”“Let me guess, do you wish to know how I’d know what to do?”Hesper did not say anything and only gazed at the man sitting across from her with her cold eyes.‘Even after three years, he still thinks so highly of himself. Seeing him again really upsets me!’Rickard lifted the corners of his lips and let off a smirk. “Before I departed here to meet you, I had already reviewed our proposal and tried to perfect it. And it’s always advisable to prepare ourselves for everything in the business field, isn’t it?”Hesper understood.‘He’s saying that he already suspected that we from Lane Holdings would make his life difficult on purpose, so he prepared himself for this outcome in advance.’Rickard looked at her displeased look, and a faint hint of hilarity flashed across his eyes. “Ms. Lane, you’re still young. You still have a lot to learn.”Benji, who was standing at the side, wiped the sweat on his forehead.‘Mr. Duval, you spent so much time looking for her all over the
Rickard wanted to say something, but a commotion could already be heard coming from behind him.Hesper stared at him indifferently. “Do you still want to subdue me here?”Rickard did not budge at all, and during this short period of hesitation, Isaac had already caught up to them with the other bodyguards and shielded Hesper behind him immediately.“Ms. Lane, are you okay?”“Yes.” Hesper shook her head.She then turned toward Rickard and said coldly, “I’ll make myself clear now once and for all. I don’t wish to see what happened today happen ever again. So, Mr. Duval, please pay more attention to your future actions!”She turned around with the men, ready to leave with them.Rickard was still not reconciled, so he gnashed his teeth and asked, “Even if you have nothing to say to me, what about our son? You’ve been away for three years. Don’t you plan to meet him again?”Hesper stopped for a split second.‘Why would I not want to see him? I’m the one who gave birth to him. I’ve
“I… I need to make a call. I’m going back to my room.”Sophia forced a smile but couldn’t really smile when facing Rickard’s cold expression. She looked as if she was going to cry and it looked comical. “Rickard, what’s going on?” Julie unhappily said, feeling bad for her daughter. “Why the long face? Who made you angry?” Rickard kept this cold expression. “There’s something I need to ask the two of you. Wanda, can you please take Renfrew to play?’Wanda was startled when she was suddenly spoken to but quickly took Renfrew away. Julie noticed that something was wrong and frowned. “Just say what you want to say. Why do you need to take the kid away?”“Because,” Rickard said, taking a deep breath, trying really hard to control his anger. “I’m afraid that what I’m going to say would traumatize him.”Rickard threw a folder at Sophia and coldly said, “Look at what you did.”Sophia just took a glance and her expression immediately changed. “Rickard, this… Someone is trying to fr
“What was all this for?” Rickard couldn’t understand. When he thought about the past, he didn’t want to marry Hesper, but after they were married, they respected each other. Hesper dealt with the troubles they gave her at home and did her part well as the daughter-in-law. He thought that even if his own mother and sister looked down on her, the worse they would do was mock her, but to be so cruel? Julie breathed heavily as she said in an indifferent tone. “You should remember that she left with another man. They might already be sleeping together and her heart doesn’t belong to you anymore. Don’t you think that it’s funny to put us on the spot for her now?”Seeing how he was silent, she pretended to be cynical. “I know that your divorce was rushed and you feel like you’ve wronged her, but it’s been so many years. You should start a new life now. We should stop mentioning her, alright?”Rickard kept his eyes on them for a few seconds, then left without saying anything more.
Suddenly, a little hand suddenly started tugging at her coat. Hesper looked down and it was a three-year-old child, beaming with his big brown eyes staring at her. “Excuse me.”Hesper was surprised. Isaac walked over and wanted to shoo him away, but she stopped him. The child’s voice was soft and made her heart melt. “Yes, baby?” Renfrew kept his eyes on her as if this was his mother. She looked exactly like the pictures. His face lit up and blushed after finally meeting his mother, but he tried to cover up. He blinked his big beautiful eyes and said in an innocent voice, “My family went out and I’m very hungry. Can you get me some food please?”Hesper’s natural instinct made her think that the child was suspicious, but when she saw him smile, her heart melted, so she couldn’t say no to him. “Sure, what do you feel like having? I’ll pay for you.” The child’s eyes shone. His mother wasn’t unfriendly. Why did she leave him then? He grabbed her hand and ordered the more ex
“How… how did you know?” Ren started stuttering out of nervousness. He thought that he was doing a good job pretending, but he was immediately called out. Hesper smiled with tears in her eyes. “It was so obvious, it would be hard for me not to realize.”Feeling the bundle in her arms made Hesper’s heart whole. Renfrew went all out. With shiny eyes, he looked up. “Mommy.”“I’m here.” Tears rolled down the corner of Hesper's eyes, as that was the first time she heard her son call her mommy. She had been waiting for that for so long that it made her nose tingle. Hesper didn’t want to scare him, so she asked in a gentle tone. “Are you full? If you are, I’ll bring you to my room, alright?”“Alright.” The little boy obediently followed her into the elevator. Isaac didn’t realize what happened until that moment. The mother and son had reunited and the child was the one who found her.Why did it feel unreal?In the presidential suite, Hesper and Ren sat on the couch. She touched h
It wasn’t until that night that Hesper learned that even though Ren was a child, he was sensitive, just like Rickard. It was probably because they were father and son. “Would you stay here and spend time with me tonight?” She acted cute and the little man patted her hand like an adult. “Of course. I want to sleep here with you.”That night, Hesper gave Renfrew a bath and blow dried his hair, then played with him for a while before tucking him in. Watching him quietly sleeping, her heart melted while at the same time being angry. It was past midnight yet no one in the Duval household realized that Renfrew wasn’t home. It was enough to prove that they didn’t care about him!She would never let them off the hook for this reason alone. The next morning, Wanda’s voice was heard throughout the villa. “Oh no, young master is missing!”“What’s this yelling so early in the morning?” Julie had been worried about Sophia recently and didn’t sleep well. Now that she was woken up by W
“She’s the child’s biological mother. There’s nothing we can do about it.”Rickard frowned, not liking how she was speculating. However, Julie said, “People are unpredictable. She left him without a word after giving birth. Who knows if she holds a grudge still and will take it out on the child? And even if she doesn’t, she just took the child away without saying a thing. What if she fights for custody?”Rickard’s head started to hurt because of her shouting. “It won’t be too late to say that when she actually does it. Aren’t you tired of speculating when she hasn’t done anything yet?”He finally understood how stressful it was for Hesper to live with them. She must have felt exhausted after things stacked up. “The child will be safe with her. I’ll send someone to keep an eye on them.”Seeing how he was looking impatient, Julie stopped speaking and yelled at him as he turned around. “Come back early then. Let’s have dinner together as a family.”“We’ll see.” Rickard walked awa
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