She laughed very happily, the kind from the depths of her heart, different from those practiced standard smiles during work hours.Oh, how Xander wished he could pull Felix's coat off and put his own onto Abigail, but his good sense stopped him from doing that.After all, seeing another man care about his wife while he could do nothing deeply frustrated him.Melody then asked, "Mr. Zane, were you driving?"Paxton was seated in the MPV but Xander shook his head. "No.""If you don't mind, feel free to take a ride in ours," Melody said.Even the cheapest of Xander's cars were at least in the millions, and Abigail was worried he would not be used to it and said, "Mr. Xander, how about you wait for your chauffeur to pick you up.""No need," Xander said as he got into Felix's car. He had chosen the co-driver seat, and that would prevent Abigail from sitting beside Felix.Melody got into the car next and Abigail immediately grabbed onto her as she whispered, "Mel, he's Xander Zane, a
'If her words meant nothing, then whose does?'Seeing that Abigail was unwilling to answer the question, Xander could tell what she was thinking, but he still insisted on an answer from her. "I'm asking you now."Unable to watch his darling Caterpie being 'bullied', Felix turned around and glanced at Xander. "Mr. Zane, whether your wife will forgive you or not is up to your wife, whatever my Caterpie here says means nothing in the grand scheme of things."Xander's sharp brow raised a little as an incisive gloom appeared in the eyes beneath his glasses. "Your Caterpie?"'Abigail is my wife, since when did she become another's?'It was an enmity that only men could see, and Felix could tell that Xander was a very dangerous person. "Yeah, my Caterpie. We have known each other since we were in diapers."Mel, who was so enchanted by Xander's good looks, did not even sense the tension in the air as she leaned over and asked, "Mr. Zane, do you want to know how Caterpie got her nickname?
Abigail still wanted to stop him, but Felix was faster as he ordered the soup and then ordered some other dishes that they liked.After he was done, he handed the tablet over to Xander. "Mr. Zane, have a look at what you like?"Abigail wanted to take the tablet but Felix refused to hand it to her. "I've already ordered your favorites. Let Mr. Zane see what he likes."Xander was a picky eater. He did not eat offals, nor this nor that, and the soup restaurant only had a select few dishes, and there was nothing he liked after a glance.He put down the tablet and said, "I'll eat whatever Abigail eats."In any case, his purpose here was not to eat, but to know Abigail better.Felix then smiled. "I ordered quite a bit, so don't be a stranger later, Mr. Zane."After ordering their food, the waiter came with the condiments. As the three of them were regulars here, the server knew them very well and had already come bringing their favorite condiment mixed with coriander.These were all
However, Xander did not care at all, and as if he was in rivalry with Felix, the two kept fighting one another to fill Abigail's plate and soon it was piling up so high that she could not even finish them.Abigail felt that the two men were acting really strange, but she could not put her fingers on what it was.It was until Felix proudly threw this line out. "I've taken care of my Caterpie for almost twenty years now. Our bond is as deep as the ocean, and isn't something that can be compared by just serving her food."Abigail almost choked on her food when she heard that.Felix and Melody were her childhood friends and Xander her boss, it was natural that the three of them were far more intimate but that was not something one would tell Xander in his face.Abigail silently nudged Felix and the latter too realized that he had gone overboard, so he turned to serve Melody instead. "Mel, eat more and fill your belly."It was only then did Melody, who was ignored all this while, pout
Unbeknownst to Abigail, the star in her inappropriate thoughts had been following them in a car behind theirs.After they safely returned to their neighborhood, Xander said to Paxton, "To Southcrest Residence.""Yes, sir," said Paxton.Xander asked, "What's a Fog City?""I'll look it up immediately," answered Paxton."There's no need."Xander took out his phone and sent Malcolm a WhatsApp message: [What's a Fog City?]After he sent the message, he quickly got a reply from Malcolm.[Xander, I've never seen you in a relationship over these years. Don't tell me you really are interested in men?]Xander frowned and replied: [Hah...]Malcolm sent another text: [You should be interested in places like Tipsy Belles, not Fog City.]However, Xander also did not know what kind of place "Tipsy Belles" was.He typed a few words: [Explain properly.]Malcolm replied: [To put it nicely, The Fog is a goldmine for the ladies. To put it coarsely, it's Florivera's most famous host club. How
"Thank you, Grandma Cassandra! From now on, stay here and focus on getting better. Don't worry about Abigail; I'll take good care of her." After Xander got Cassandra's affirmation, the weight on his chest was finally lifted.Margaret said, "Cassandra, you can't forgive him this easily."Cassandra laughed."It's not up to you and me to decide. Let the kids sort out their own matters. Why worry so much? We don't have many more years to live anyway.""Alright. The younger generation will do all right on their own; we won't interfere," said Margaret. She turned to Xander and continued, "But if you dare mistreat Abigail the slightest bit again, I'll be the first to kill you.""Don't you two worry. It definitely won't happen in the future."After Xander bade the two old ladies goodbye, he hurried back to Florivera.On the way back, Paxton finally noticed how pale Xander looked."Mr. Zane, you don't look so good."Xander pressed his abdomen as he closed his eyes and leaned back in th
She did not know Xander's gaze remained on her the entire time. When the throw blanket covering her slid off, he gently placed it back onto her.They arrived at Valtara over two hours later and went straight to Parkview. Parkview was an incredibly high-end multi-functional area in Valtara that integrated business, leisure, and pleasure.The Zane Corporation staff occupied five villas. Naturally, Abigail and Keith stayed in the same villa as Xander.Each villa had a total of three floors. Xander stayed on the top floor, while Abigail and Keith each had a room on the second floor.Right after Abigail placed her luggage in her room, she got a call from Xander."Abigail, put your luggage away and come with me to meet someone.""Who are we meeting, Mr. Zane? I need to see if there's anything I need to prepare."Since the conference participants were all leading figures in the field, the meeting between company leaders and leaders were all scheduled. However, Xander was not scheduled
Xander held Abigail's hand and bowed at Alfred."Thank you, Mr. Bianco. This is my wife, Abigail. Abigail, this is Mr. Bianco, my close friend and also my mentor in life."'The two have an over 60-year age gap but can still become close friends. This really is an enviable friendship,' thought Abigail.When faced with such a beautiful friendship, the embarrassment Abigail had from holding Xander's hand disappeared. She said sweetly, "Hello, Mr. Bianco!""Pleased to meet you, kiddo!" Alfred was nearly 100 years old, and Abigail was much younger than his granddaughter. In his eyes, Abigail's age was of a child's. "If you don't mind, you're welcome to frequent my house in the future," said Alfred."Pleased to meet you too, Mr. Bianco!" Abigail took out her hand from Xander's and shook Alfred's hand. Just as she retracted her hand, Xander held it again.Abigail was speechless.'There's no need to constantly hold hands even if we're really husband and wife, right? Wouldn't doing so se
Emma turned and dashed into the bathroom. She cranked the faucet on and splashed water on her face, aiming to soothe her nerves.Although they were engaged, they were still too young, with countless uncertainties looming over their future. The possibility of actually walking down the aisle was up in the air.Decisions made in a rush of happiness could eventually become sources of regret. And Emma knew all too well that she couldn't afford any regrets.She thought that fortunately, Ron hadn't pushed things further, which gave her time to cool off.After freshening up, Emma stepped out to find Ron on the balcony, a cigarette in hand.She couldn't resist chiding him, "I've told you to cut down on smoking. Why can't you seem to remember?"This time, Ron complied, snuffing out the cigarette. "We should get some sleep. We've got to put our best foot forward when we meet your family tomorrow.""Okay, I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed," Emma responded.Ron simply replied, "As y
Ron looked at her dawdling pace with disdain. "If you, a lady, can handle it, why can't I, a grown man, stay?"His words sounded noble, but Ron regretted them the moment they arrived at the hotel.Despite now earning a decent income, Emma was still reluctant to spend money.This place was hardly a hotel; it was clearly a budget inn charging only a few dozen bucks a night. The hygiene was questionable at best, and safety seemed like a gamble.Ron turned on his heel, dragging her suitcase behind him. "We're leaving, now.""It's too late, and we can't get a refund for the room.""Are you trying to get us killed?"Emma fell silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of frustration. 'I told him he wouldn't be used to cheap places. He insisted on coming with me, and now he won't even let me stay here alone. Why is he so annoying?'However, considering Ron had rushed over in the middle of the night to help her, Emma decided not to hold it against him.Ron picked the best hotel in the area—the
Rebekah glanced over at Ron; she exchanged a knowing look with him before saying, "I'll have someone tidy up the rooms. Why don't you two stay here tonight and keep me company?"Ron replied simply, "Sure."Emma had purchased a midnight flight back to South Florivera, necessitating a rush to the airport, which made staying over after dinner impossible.Yet, she found herself at a loss for words, struggling to decline Rebekah's kind offer.As she hesitated, Ron stepped in to clear the air. "Mom, I've got something on tonight. After dinner, I'll drive Emma back to her dorm."Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?" she wondered aloud, thinking, 'Wasn't he the one insisting Emma stay over? What's he up to now?'Ron kept it mysterious. "Life stuff."Rebekah could not help but chide him lightly, "You, always the joker."Right after dinner, Ron insisted on leaving to take Emma back to her dormitory. But as soon as they were out of the gated community, he asked, "So, you reall
Ron chuckled. "I didn't know you were aware that even a cornered rat will fight."Emma shot him a glare. "Are we going or not?"Ron quickly said, "Of course. When Miss Blue commands, how can I dare not obey?"Fearing another of his notorious driving escapades, Emma hastily buckled her seatbelt as she settled into the car.Thankfully, this time Ron kept it smooth, driving steadily.As they neared their destination, Ron finally spoke up, "You know, that Tucker guy is a married man. Don't let his kindness fool you into being the other woman."Emma's gaze on Ron was fiery, seething with anger. "Do you even hear yourself? Is that what you think of me? For the last time: Tucker and I share nothing more than a mentor-mentee relationship. There's nothing else between us.""I'm just looking out for you, worried you might get deceived," Ron said, witnessing Emma's fury for the first time. Yet, he could not help but find her anger not at all intimidating, but rather endearingly foolish.R
The two sisters had a pact: no cell phones at home to keep their secrets from the prying eyes of the Blue family. Thus, Emma could call only at prearranged times, the sole window for Rihanna to catch up.Rihanna's voice bubbled with excitement over the phone, as she chattered away about her life's minutiae.Knowing Rihanna was doing well eased Emma's mind.Just as Emma was about to end the call, she heard Rihanna's voice, soft and wistful. "You're really not coming home for the holidays? If you don't, I'll be all alone."Emma's heart clenched at those words, and she made up her mind in an instant. "I'll come back the day before New Year's Eve."The Blue family had their hands full with festivities that day, too busy to notice Rihanna's absence. Emma figured slipping back unnoticed then would be her best shot.After hanging up, Emma immediately booked a flight from Valtara to South Florivera. With her ticket secured and her last bit of work finished, Emma prepared to leave her off
Emma had no interest in romance, let alone the audacity to dream that Ron might fancy her.This time, she did not pick up the thread of conversation.After dinner, Ron, as usual, drove Emma back to the university.Before parting, Ron said, "Winter break is almost upon us, and the dorms might be off-limits. Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place for a couple of months?"Emma offered a smile in response. "Thanks for the offer. I've spoken with the dorm supervisor and submitted an application in advance. I'll be able to stay over the holiday period."Ron paused before saying, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll text you my number in a bit; make sure you save it."Emma nodded. "Sure."Without further ado, Ron drove off.Upon returning to her dorm, Emma saw Evelyn and Cassie, busy packing their bags, surrounded by gifts for their parents bought from Valtara.Evelyn asked Emma, "Are you really not going home for the winter break?"Emma replied, "No, I won't
Emma did not have the guts to risk failure because she did not have a safe haven to fall back on.Lucas kicked Ron in the shin. "Come on, if you fancy her, out with it. No Hagrid heir dithers like this."Ron glared at him. "Mind your own business." In his head, Emma was already his. The thought of losing her was unimaginable.Lucas said, "Without my meddling, she'd never be yours."Ron changed the subject. "I called you here for a serious discussion."Lucas replied, "No matter how serious, it can't outweigh the matter of your lifetime happiness."Ron was exasperated. "Lucas!"Lucas relented. "Alright, alright, you talk, I'm all ears."Ron spelled out Emma's music venture with Tucker. After hearing it all, Lucas could not help but see Emma in a new light."Never pegged Emma as such a dark horse," Lucas said.Silently listening to their conversation, Emma was thrilled to have her work recognized.Lucas said, "But, getting back to it, whether a song makes money, and how much, d
Ron barked, "Lucas!"With a chuckle, Lucas responded, "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing Emma. I'm starving. Let's grab some food and talk business while we eat."Ron snapped, "Get lost!"Lucas could not help but revel in Ron's frustration. "Ron, have you fallen so quickly? Who was it that told me they would never accept an arranged marriage?"Emma was increasingly confused by their banter. "If it's inconvenient for me to be here, I can just take a cab and leave."Ron said, "Call you dumb and you won't admit it!"Emma thought to herself, 'I didn't want to be a third wheel, cramping their style. Was that really so wrong? No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.'Suddenly, Ron grabbed Emma's hand and led her inside. "It's cold out; let's go inside."Emma had to quicken her pace, practically being dragged along.Seeing them together, Lucas laughed heartily from behind. "Ron, oh Ron, never thought I'd see the day.""Don't laugh too soon. Your day is coming," Ron shot back.Th
Emma said, "Okay."Ron asked, "Have you won over your crush?"Lucas responded, "Secret."Ron replied, "Looks like you haven't won her over."Lucas said, "As long as I make a move, there's no girl I can't win over. But I haven't made a move yet because the timing isn't right."Ron asked, "Is it because of the Sandow family?"Lucas answered, "The Sandow family wants to marry their daughter to me, and my family wants me to marry her too. But I've told them long ago that I'm not willing to do that. Nobody can make me marry a girl I don't like."Emma remained silent. 'I didn't expect that Lucas would also have the same problem as me and Ron.'It seems like the wealthier the family, the more they'll arrange marriages based on social status without considering personal preferences.'Lucas seemed to sense Emma's thoughts. "Emma, my situation with the Sandow girl is different from yours and Ron's. Don't lump us together."Ron looked at Emma and suddenly said, "There isn't any other gi