Abigail hoisted the bags of clothes she had purchased for her grandmothers, joining the departing passengers at the train door. Once the train halted, she alighted, making her way with the crowd to the station exit. Hailing a cab, she headed straight for Southcrest Residence. It was not until she arrived and saw the stately villa towering in front of her that it slowly dawned on Abigail that Nathan's family was likely much wealthier than she had anticipated.Nathan was a local of Florivera, a city known for its extensive redevelopment and subsequent reallocation of homes. A minimum of one house per displaced family was typical, some receiving two or three. Live in one, sell the rest, and the resulting funds would take care of you for life. Rumor had it that residents in prime locations even got a bonus each year, and some of Florivera's locals made quite a handsome profit from it. Many opted to sell their Florivera homes, buying villas in the less expensive Southcrest, and used the le
Both elderly ladies were content with the clothing, and Abigail was delighted. "Grandmas, I'm going to wash these new clothes before you wear them.""Don't trouble yourself, dear." Margaret beckoned her to sit down. "We have someone to take care of the laundry. Nathan has seen to it. You're not here often, so just sit with us and chat."Abigail had come intending to dote on the elderly ladies but soon discovered the caretaker Nathan had hired was doing an exceptional job. From taking care of the elderly ladies to tending to the garden and keeping the house spotless, Abigail found no room for her intended kindness. It dawned on her then that Nathan was far more attentive than she had given him credit for. This realization only served to endear him more to her heart. On a scale of ten, Nathan already held a commendable eight in her book.Margaret, who was keenly hopeful for the young couple's future, switched the topic to Xander as soon as they settled down. "Abigail, you mentioned yo
Cassandra, laughing heartily, chimed in with a twinkle in her eyes, "Alright, alright, we'll leave the toe-sucking stories in the past. Let's discuss when you used to wet the bed as a child."Abigail was mortified, but she let them continue, relishing their joyful chatter. Strangely, neither of them brought up Nathan.Once the raviolis were ready, Abigail cooked up the first batch. Margaret tasted a couple and was genuinely pleased. "Abigail, these are just lovely, the filling is tender and juicy, not dry at all. Could I take a bowl to our neighbor, Mr. Drake?""Sure, Grandma," Abigail agreed quickly. "I'll cook up another batch right now." With that, she prepared another pot of raviolis, then carefully packed them into an insulated container, even adding a small side of marinara sauce. "Grandma, shall I take this over to Mr. Drake?""No need, dear, Mr. Drake is a bit shy with new faces. I'll take it," Margaret decided, cheerily picking up the container and heading out the door.C
"Are you suggesting you're not?" Margaret could not believe he had the nerve to ask such a question. 'Who doesn't know he's a man who would go to any lengths to achieve his goals? In the ten years since he took over Zane Corporation, hasn't he demonstrated that time and time again?'"If Grandma thinks I am, then I guess I must be." Xander unlocked the door, stepped into the room, and promptly locked the door behind him.Margaret was frustrated enough to pound on the door, but upon reflection, she knew her headstrong grandson had his principles and pride, and he would not force himself onto a girl.Xander moved to sit beside Abigail's bed, gently adjusting the covers over her, and then simply watched her in silence. From his viewpoint, the first thing that caught his eye was her long, curling eyelashes, as beautiful as a doll's. Her skin was incredibly smooth and fair, reminiscent of a freshly peeled egg, not a single flaw visible. Xander could not resist and extended his slender fin
The next day, Abigail was up with the lark. As the doctor carried out a routine check-up on Cassandra, she kept vigil at her side without taking a step away. Once the examination was over, she grilled the doctor about every detail, only relaxing slightly when assured her grandmother's condition was stable.Margaret respectfully left the room to the two of them. Alone with Abigail, Cassandra could not help but broach the subject of Nathan. "Abigail, you said over the phone that you want to give things a shot with Nathan. Have you really decided?""Mhm." Abigail nodded. "Don't worry, Grandma, I'm not doing this on a whim. I've given it careful consideration."Cassandra had always trusted Abigail's judgment. "Nathan is a quiet one, not good at sweet talk or coaxing a smile, but for some reason, he just seems like someone you can rely on."Abigail nodded vehemently. "Grandma, I feel the same way. Every time I think about him, I feel... at ease."Cassandra gently ruffled Abigail's hair
This sudden revelation sent a surge of alarm through Abigail, her heart pounding in her throat as though it were ready to leap right out. Almost on instinct, she sprang back, inadvertently slamming her head against the car window behind her, which shot stars across her vision in a symphony of pain. Ignoring the throbbing in her skull, she darted a quick glance at Xander. To her immense relief, he seemed to still be asleep, oblivious to the whole ordeal. Breathing a sigh of relief, she found herself patting her chest in an attempt to steady her pounding heart.'Since Xander has no idea I just fell asleep on his shoulder, I'll act as if nothing happened,' she reasoned silently. 'Yes, as long as I keep my mouth shut, nobody will know I slept on his shoulder.'Just as she was silently consoling herself, Xander's eyes fluttered open. His gaze bore into her from beneath the silver-rimmed glasses, lending an almost eerie intensity to his countenance. The sudden scrutiny startled Abigail int
But, Abigail felt that the act was especially inappropriate. She said, "Mr. Zane, you should let go of me. I can do it myself.""Do you have eyes or a hand on top of your head?" Xander let her go after he had helped her with applying the medical cream. He then unhurriedly put the cream away. He coldly stared at her as he said, "Did you think that I have some kind of intention toward you again?"Abigail did think that. But, when he confidently asked her that, it made her feel as if she was overthinking again. She answered, "I-I didn't."It was obviously a lie. She behaved as if Xander was about to devour her whenever he got close to her. This made him really unhappy. He wanted to punish her ruthlessly. He asked, "No?"Abigail was speechless.'I did, actually!'He pressed me into his embrace. Of course, I'd overthink.'However, Abigail did not dare to admit it because he had already told her that he did not have any intention toward her. If she continued to think like that, it wou
'His wife's name is Abigail Renee too. Same first and last name as mine!Suddenly, all of his unreasonable behaviors could be explained.'Back then, when he was drunk and said my name was bad luck, that was because he was having a conflict with his wife. So, he took out his rage on me.'But now, when he treats me so well, that's just because I have the same name as his wife. I just benefited from having the same name as her. And yet, I still foolishly thought that he was interested in me.'Abigail finally understood why his voice was so sweet whenever he called her name.Xander spoke again. "My wife is brilliant. She deserves to be cherished and spoiled. I've decided that I'll be with her for the rest of my life. I won't be with another woman."Abigail responded, "I know that."Xander asked, "Do you?"He wanted to tell her that he had decided to spend his life with her. But, she knew nothing. She even constantly thought of drawing the line with him.His lawfully registered wif