When Mallory questioned Esther, Mallory sounded like she was offended.It made Esther feel guiltier. She said, "Mallory, my brother asked me to come to Paridale to celebrate Easter together at the last minute. I left in a hurry that day. I forgot to tell you."Mallory asked, "Your brother is in Paridale. Is the woman there?"Esther did not get what she meant. She responded, "Which woman?"Mallory said, "That cheap woman your grandmother forced Xander to marry."Esther replied, "Mallory, that woman is my sister-in-law. Don't use such unkind words to call her from now on."Mallory said, "Did you forget she cheated on your brother?"Esther responded, "My brother said it was a misunderstanding. My sister-in-law is very nice. She's pretty and her personality is great. Don't insult her ever again."Mallory replied, "Okay. If you don't allow me to insult her, I won't insult her then. So, did you see her? What does she look like? What's her name? What does she work as? What's her famil
Although Esther was good-tempered, what Mallory said still angered her. Esther could not help but raise her voice. "My sister-in-law didn't give me anything. She's my brother's wife. She's the woman my brother wants to protect. So, she's also the woman I want to protect."Mallory was silent for a few seconds. Esther could then hear Mallory's voice again. It sounded like she was crying as she said, "Esther, you're scolding me again! You scolded me for a woman whom you just met not long ago. Is our over twenty years of friendship worthless to you?"Esther would not know what to do every time Mallory cried. She said, "Mallory, don't cry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have scolded you."Mallory responded, "Esther, you promised to help me win over your brother and you'll help me to become your sister-in-law so that we'll be together forever. You can't break your promise."Esther admitted she promised Mallory that. "Mallory, back then my brother wasn't married. So, I agreed when you wanted to b
Mallory wiped the fresh blood from the corner of her mouth. "Thank you for your guidance, Max. I'll pursue Xander more diligently from now on."Max's gaze was cold and disdainful. "Like mother, like daughter. Or, as we say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Seeing you swallow your anger, your meek submission, you're the spitting image of your homewrecker of a mother. No matter how brilliant your exterior, it cannot conceal the wretched blood running in your veins."Being beaten and humiliated, Mallory had to not only endure it, but also agree with him, or else endure another round of beatings. "Yes, Max. You're completely right. My mother and I are both worthless."After venting his frustrations on Mallory, Max finally left her bruised and battered. Even though he was gone, Mallory could not seek medical help. She had to let her injuries heal on their own. Just then, her fallen phone rang on the floor. Picking it up, she saw it was a call from her mother and, overwhelmed by
But what made Abigail blink was the price tag on the five-pound sack of flour. P$58. That was over C$400, making the price per pound extravagant to the point of ridiculousness. It made her wince just to think about it.Then, an idea sparked in her mind. 'What if I can find a few others to share the cost, each taking a pound? That would save a considerable sum.'Xander caught up with her after parking the car, finding Abigail staring at the sack of flour as if it held the secrets of the universe. He waved a hand in front of her face. "Abigail, what's got you so entranced in this bag of flour?"Abigail replied, "I'm wondering if we can find someone to split the purchase with us. This is too much flour. We can't possibly use it all."Being wealthy, Xander could not quite grasp why she was making such a fuss. "Do we really need to split a small purchase like this? We can take the five pounds back home, make a batch of ravioli, and store it in the freezer. Then you can cook up a few whe
After picking up the oil, salt, ricotta cheese, and spinach, Abigail prepared to head over to the fresh produce section. She then noticed that Xander had not selected anything yet. "Mr. Zane, is there anything you want to buy?"In order to spend more time with Abigail, Xander was neglecting his own shopping. "I don't have anything specific in mind. I mainly want to learn from you. This way, when I go shopping with my wife, she won't have to worry about everything. Could you explain to me how to use these ingredients we're buying?""Of course," Abigail was more than happy to help the boss chase his lady love. "Mr. Zane, let's head to the fresh produce area to get some lean meat and ingredients for our ravioli filling.""Okay." Xander followed closely, pushing the cart.Abigail picked out a promising cut of lean meat in the fresh produce section. As she handed it to the staff to weigh, she explained to Xander, "Mr. Zane, we mince this lean meat, mix it with some oil, salt, and voila!
Recognizing Abigail's concern about money, Xander suggested, "Then why don't you accompany me a little longer? I've got a few more items to buy.""Sure."Abigail had always known Xander never bothered about price tags. If he liked something, he would buy it no matter the cost. But she had not anticipated that even grocery shopping could follow the same principle.He proceeded to the aisles, placing one of each item in the cart. The large shopping cart was filled to the brim in no time.He then said, "Abigail, money is but a worldly possession. We earn it so we can spend it. Don't let a few thousand bucks dampen your spirit."Abigail chose not to respond. A few thousand dollars might be insignificant to Xander, but it was a few months' worth of living expenses for her. It was a substantial amount.Once one cart was filled, Xander motioned for the staff to bring over two more. Within moments, all three carts were filled to capacity with fresh beef, lamb, chicken, and a variety of c
Esther had not wanted to leave Abigail on her own, but her brother's instructions were something she could not dismiss lightly. "Abigail, I didn't mean to leave you," Esther said, her voice ringing sincere. "I was on the phone for too long and forgot about our shopping trip. It wasn't intentional.""Sure seems like it was to me," Abigail retorted.Esther's heart skipped a beat, wondering if Abigail had picked up on something. "Why would you think I left you on purpose?""Woman's intuition," Abigail replied simply.With no solid evidence to back up Abigail's claim, Esther relaxed. "A woman's intuition can be accurate but not always. Trust me, I didn't intentionally leave you to go shopping with my brother. Can you forgive me? I promise it won't happen again.""I'm not so sure I want to forgive you," Abigail said, a teasing glint in her eyes.Esther's heart stumbled in her chest. "Why won't you forgive me? Don't you like me anymore?"Hearing the tremble in Esther's voice, Abigail
Abigail promptly tucked her phone away. "Mr. Zane, are you coming down with a cold? If you're not feeling well to drive, let's swap. I can take the wheel."Silently, Xander protested in his mind, 'I'm not sick! I don't have a headache! I'm driving this slow because I want you to talk to me, not glued to your phone chatting with Esther.' He voiced none of his thoughts, only saying, "I'm not sick." He cast a glance at her. "Why are you so fond of Esther?"Abigail responded, "Essy is beautiful, adorable, and she has a good, straightforward heart. Any of those qualities are lovable. It would be more surprising if I didn't like her."Xander, finding himself jealous even of his own sister, could hardly contain his bitterness. "Esther is cunning. She's an expert at using her cute exterior to fool people. Don't let her fool you too."Abigail, puzzled by his negativity toward his sister, had to ask, "Mr. Zane, is Essy really your sister?"He responded, "She's my blood sister, born of the s
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