The more Ron listened, the more annoyed he became. He said to Abigail, "You trust Mr. Zane so much. Could it be that you've fallen in love with him?"'I treat Emma so well, but she's always thinking of escaping from me. Abigail didn't even know she was Xander's wife, yet she trusted him so much. People really shouldn't be compared. Otherwise, it'll just infuriate people.'Abigail's reason for her trust was simple. "Mr. Zane is my boss. If I don't trust him, should I trust you then?"Ron said, "You're evading the real question."Abigail admitted frankly, "I admire him! How can I not admire such an outstanding person? However, it's just admiration between a subordinate and a boss, not romantic feelings between a man and woman.""Are you sure your feelings for Xander don't involve romantic feelings between a man and woman?" Ron hoped what Abigail said was true. Among the four of them, Lucas and Alwyn had happy marriages. He would be the only one feeling lonely if Xander's marriage wa
Ron flicked off the cigarette ash and took a casual puff. He said to Abigail, "You can leave. I'll have someone invite Emma to dine with me.""Mr. Hagrid, are you even a human being?" Abigail could not stay calm anymore when Emma was mentioned. She slammed her hand heavily on the table. "Even if Emma left you, she was once the woman who shared your bed. She even carried your child. Why can't you give her freedom but instead keep haunting her?"Ron's eyes darkened. "So, you do know she's my wife? I thought you didn't know. Since you know, why do you interfere in our matters?""I don't care. Do you want me to watch Emma die before my eyes?" Abigail still could not bear to recall the scene of Emma's miscarriage that day. It suffocated her every time she thought about it. She said, "Mr. Hagrid, have you forgotten what happened on New Year's Day? Emma almost lost her life. Do you want to see her die in front of you before you're satisfied?""I don't care whether she's alive or dead. All
Xander instinctively opened his arms and wanted to embrace Abigail as she ran toward him. However, her words, "Mr. Zane", instantly pulled him back to his senses. He looked at her from head to toe and asked, "Did he bully you?"Abigail shook her head. "Mr. Hagrid just invited me to have a meal."After confirming that Abigail was fine, Xander said softly, "You go out and wait for me."Abigail nodded. "Okay."As Abigail left and closed the door, Xander's gentle gaze turned fiercely sharp as he looked at Ron. If looks could kill, Ron would already die under his gaze."Xander, why are you here?" Ron acted as if nothing had happened and handed a cigarette to Xander. "I haven't seen you smoke recently. Did you quit?"Xander did not take the cigarette. He said, "Abigail doesn't like me smoking."Ron sneered, "She doesn't even know she's your wife. Why would she care if you smoke or not?""She doesn't know, but you do. Yet you dare to interfere with her." Xander's voice turned deep. "R
"Whether my wife is steadfast to me or not, that's a matter between me and her. There's no need for you to test her on my behalf," said Xander. He felt happy that Abigail was able to reject Ron firmly. At the same time, he realized that if Ron intentionally tested Abigail for him, he would not agree with this approach.'I'm Abigail's husband. I'm the person who'll accompany her through the remaining decades of her life. Whatever Abigail said or did, I should unconditionally believe in her and support her.'Ron laughed again. "Did I mention you and your wife? I was talking about Abigail and her husband."Xander raised his eyebrows. "What's the difference?"Ron patted his shoulder. "Xander, let me remind you. Abigail is loyal and steadfast to her husband, not necessarily to you. To Abigail, you're just her superior, nothing more."Ron understood Xander well, and every word he said struck Xander's heart."You take care of your own affairs. My affairs don't need your concern," said X
Abigail opened her eyes and saw it was the bank card she had given to Emma. She became anxious immediately. "Mr. Zane, why do you have this card? Did something happen to Emma?""I've arranged for someone to take Emma away. As long as I don't say anything, Ron won't be able to find her in the short term." Since Ron dared to provoke Abigail, Xander would have to show Ron some consequences. He could not let Ron think that Abigail was easy to bully.Abigail asked worriedly, "Where did you take her to? Why did you give me the card back? She just settled in Neese. Now, she needs to start over in a new place. She needs money for everything and can't use her own card. What is she using to survive?"Xander took Abigail's phone and entered a new phone number. He then handed the phone back to her and said, "This is her new contact number. After getting off the plane, you can call her yourself.""Mr. Zane, has Emma really escaped from Ron? Is she truly free now?" Abigail stared at Xander inten
Xander's comforting words seemed to have a special kind of magic that would inexplicably allow someone to trust him unconditionally and calm a person down.Abigail walked out of the airport with him and got into the waiting vehicle to go back to the city center. During the journey, she asked, "Mr. Zane, you helped Emma escape Ron's clutches, right? Can I still contact her in the future?""You can contact her as you wish from now on. You don't have to worry about anyone," Xander replied to her succinctly.Abigail knew very well that although Xander may put it so simply, he must have contributed a lot behind the scenes for this.Emma had moved around before heading to Neese and yet Ron still managed to find her in such a short time. That meant that Ron had eyes and ears everywhere.Xander's own power base was not in Francovia; it was a very unlikely thing for him to completely avoid Ron's scrutiny in such a short time, but yet, he somehow pulled it off.Abigail looked sideways at X
[I still had plenty of places I wanted to visit, many delicious foods I've yet to savor and I still had friends I wished to make... I wanted to live, I wanted to live normally, I wanted to use the rest of my days to do the things I want and have yet to do.Abigail, it was you who pulled me back from the jaws of death when I decided to end it all. It was you who gave me hope once again. It was you who told me that we only have one life, and it was impossible to restart from zero; that I'll really have nothing left if I die.Thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me the chance to continue to savor the highs and lows of this world!As for escaping from Ron... I was prepared to be captured by him. I knew that if he wanted to look for me, it was just a matter of time before he found me.When I was on the run, I was really afraid of being found by him, really afraid that I would be taken back to face those people I didn't want to face in the Hagrid family. I was afraid of living t
Abigail was speechless."I've not encountered such a thing, yet," Xander added.Abigail could understand that. After all, Xander was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had an infinite amount of money to spend since birth. He could do whatever he wanted, and it would be rare for him to encounter something that would make him cry tears of joy.With Emma's matter coming to a close, Abigail threw herself into her work for the next few days. Those days were busy, so much so that she did not sleep enough, and so did not have much time to chat with Nathan at all.More than a month soon passed in a blink of an eye, and soon it was March. With the work at Paridale successfully completed, their team was finally to return to Florivera.Abigail was in charge of booking the flight tickets home and she chose the red eye 12:00 a.m. flight. It would take 12 hours to fly from Paridale to Florivera and the flight would arrive at 6:00 p.m. at Florivera International Airport. That way, she wou
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