Mallory asked, "Can I leave now?"Ron answered, "Sure!"Mallory got up. But her legs were so weak that she could hardly stand.Ron then asked someone to help her leave.After sending Mallory away, the man who pretended to be Xander had his makeup completely removed too. He respectfully looked at Ron. "Mr. Hagrid, I'll leave now."Ron nodded. "Your sisters' makeup skills are indeed quite good. I'll still need the three of you in the future. Don't let your skills get rusty.""Understood." The man respectfully left after he said that. He did not say any words that he should not have said.After the man left, Ron then lit up a cigarette again. He took a few deep puffs before he smiled as he said, "Xander, Xander. Why are you so stubborn? Abigail won't misunderstand you if you just return my Emma back to me. I really want to see how you can make Abigail believe there's nothing going on between you and Mallory."...When Abigail got home, Felix and Melody were having breakfast.The
Of course, Melody knew Abigail cared about her. She knew Abigail would not bother asking if it were someone else.Since both of them were here, Melody told them everything about her boyfriend, "He's from North Florivera too. He lives in Jand Town. He's an only child. His parents own a mini market. And their business isn't bad. They have two housing units in Jand Town. His parents are living in one of them. And they're leaving the other one for him to move into when he's married. He attended university in Florivera, just like us. After he graduated, he stayed in Florivera to work. He's currently working at FloodTech."FloodTech was a technology startup in Florivera that had been growing rapidly in recent years. Reportedly, they had great employee benefits. Whoever worked ten years and above in the company could receive dividends.However, no matter how well a company was, the personal qualities of an employee could not be judged based on their job.Abigail asked again, "What's his p
After Abigail got onto the train, she took her phone out to text Nathan: [Nathan, I'm on the train to Southcrest now. Do you have anything that you want me to say to our grandmothers?]Mobile communications were so convenient nowadays. He could just video call them if there was anything that he wanted to say to them.Abigail asked him that because she wanted to chat with Nathan more to strengthen their relationship.She felt that Nathan was not very good at chatting. He rarely took the initiative to contact her. She was almost always the person who reached out to him...But she did not feel it was a bad thing that Nathan was an introvert. She was just worried that he might find her annoying if she was always the one who took the initiative to start a conversation.After she sent the text, she just patiently waited for his reply.One minute had passed...Five minutes had passed...Ten minutes later, Nathan still had not replied to her. But Abigail was still cool about it.But s
"Many people were afraid and terrified of him because he personally sent his father to jail. But there were many people who didn't believe in his capabilities because he was too young. Countless people wanted to take the Zane Corporation away from him. He had a lot of enemies at that time."The project in Alvonia was the key project for him to revive the Zane Corporation. It was also an opportunity for him to show the world his capabilities. But the project was huge. Many people wanted to take on the project, not only him."After rounds and rounds of competition, his chances of getting the project grew larger. When the competitors realized that, they started to use dirty tricks on him as they couldn't win against him above board.""That has something to do with Mr. Zane's illness now?" Samuel knew about that incident. But Xander sent him for another mission at that time. So, he did not go to Alvonia with them. And that was why he did not know how dangerous the incident was.Dr. San
Dr. Sander looked very glad when she thought about that scene. It was like she was watching her own child.But when she thought about what happened after that, the smile on her face suddenly disappeared completely. She just looked extremely worried and wistful.She spoke again, "Xander successfully signed the contract with his team. After he secured the project, he remarkably led the Zane Corporation to turn around their situation. But because he worked while he was still injured, he got a permanent illness. If he continues to not take good care of his body, he might end up making his wife a young widow."Samuel responded, "So, this time Mr. Zane still hasn't woken up from his coma not just because he injured his stomach from drinking, but his injuries back then have a great deal to do with this too?"Dr. Sander replied, "Of course."Upon hearing that, Samuel pondered for a while before saying, "Should we inform Ms. Renee and ask her to come and take care of Mr. Zane? Maybe Mr. Za
Abigail thought, 'He didn't reply to my text. It might be because he hasn't seen it yet. Or maybe the text is delayed.'I guess he'll answer my call if I call him.'I just want to make sure he's fine!'But when she called Nathan's phone number, she heard a cold, emotionless machine voice on the phone. "The number you've dialed is switched off. Please call again later."Abigail thought, 'His phone is switched off!'Why did he switch it off?'The uneasy emotion quickly grew in Abigail's heart.She did not want to think negatively. She kept comforting herself by telling herself that Nathan must be sleeping and that he would reply to her when he was awake later.But it was not working. The uneasy emotion continued to spread in her heart. It rapidly spread to every part of her body. It made her hand that was holding the phone slightly tremble."Abigail, come and have a walk in the yard with me." Cassandra had already noticed long ago that Abigail was unsettled the whole day today.
In the past, people in Abigail's hometown always said she was bad luck. They said not only did she cause her mother to leave, but she also caused her father's death.Abigail was just a few years old. When she heard about these kinds of accusations, they became her lifelong childhood trauma.Although Cassandra repeatedly told Abigail not to listen to what other people said and that those incidents had nothing to do with her, it was already too late.The voices of those bad people had already taken root in her heart, she could not forget about them.Cassandra gravely interrupted Abigail, "Abigail, I've told you very long ago not to listen to what those people said. Why do you still take what they said seriously? They said that because they didn't want you to live a good life. Do you understand?"Abigail replied, "But..."Cassandra rubbed Abigail's head. "No buts. If you want your father to rest in peace, you should then live your life well. As long as you live a good life, your fat
Cassandra asked again, "The two of you think you two are still young, that's why you guys don't want to have a child yet? Or are you guys following the 'dual income, no kids' trend and never planning to have a kid?""Grandma, I want to have a kid. But I want to wait for a few more years. I want to only have a kid after my career is more stable and my financial situation improves. I don't want my kid to be born with everything worse off than other people." Abigail was not planning to follow that trend. She quite liked kids.Abigail thought, 'I just bought an apartment. And my career is growing. If I had a kid now, I wouldn't be able to follow Xander everywhere to work. And I'd definitely have to quit my job.'I put in a lot of effort to beat my competitors and finally managed to get the assistant to the CEO of the Zane Corporation job. I don't want to quit this job because of having a child.'Cassandra said, "Nate will be twenty-nine this year-end. And you'll be twenty-five this yea
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