'Xander has such a strong presence that he can make anyone feel fear wherever he goes. He possesses such power that no one dares to lie in front of him, regardless of whom he's looking at. How does such a powerful man manage to make others feel distressed with just a single WhatsApp message?'The reason may not lie with Xander, but me. I always tend to be soft-hearted, especially when faced with Nathan's identity.'Abigail did not want to hurt him at all. She texted back: [Nathan, I'm sorry! The divorce was a nonsensical statement that I blurted out in the heat of the moment. I take it back. Just pretend I never said it.]However, Nathan insisted on getting the answer he wanted. He asked again: [Do you still want me?]Abigail typed out a few words quickly: [Yes! I only want you in this lifetime. I don't want anyone else but you!]After sending the message, Abigail buried herself in the blanket, touching her flushed face. 'If nothing unexpected happens, my face must be blushing in
Logically, Xander would still need to attend this birthday party. Even so, Xander had always been doing things according to his desires. For any occasion that he did not want to handle, he would be too lazy to attend them. He then asked, "Do you want to go?"During this type of occasion, although it says birthday party, it was actually a social event for people who were in the business field. Besides work, Abigail would never step foot on such occasions. However, she still missed Mallory, who would always tip her off about the latest news, and she also wanted to see what Daisy wanted to do to her. She said, "But then, I want to broaden my horizons."Xander knew this was not the real reason for Abigail wanting to join in the Guzman family fun. However, he merely stared at her as if he saw through her but chose to keep silent about it. "If you want to go, we'll go."Abigail was not shocked that Xander would accept her suggestion. "Mr. Zane, the guests who would be participating in the
When Abigail was fully prepared, she went downstairs to prepare to drive and meet Xander at the Guzman residence. She did not expect that once she exited the elevator, she would see a black Rolls-Royce Phantom with five 8s for its license plate parked outside the elevator at the underground parking lot. This was Xander's personal vehicle!Xander was standing next to the car. Even though they were at a place such as a parking lot, he still seemed to glow while dressed in a simple white shirt and black suit pants. Thankfully, it was currently not rush hour yet, and not many people were at the underground parking. If not, his high-profile look would have attracted a crowd to gather around him.Abigail subconsciously quickened her pace to walk to him. "Mr. Zane, why are you here?"The house they rented was in an old neighborhood that was a few decades old. Not only are the houses here run down, but the underground parking was also unlike other new neighborhoods', which were waxed, clean
She dared not move, and her voice was cracking. Xander slightly applied pressure to wipe the corner of her lips. He then raised his hand to her eyes and said, "Your lipstick wasn't applied well. I'm helping you wipe the excess off."Abigail was at a loss for words. 'Did I just overthink again?' she thought to herself. Xander turned his face to the side and did not look at her again. However, Abigail could feel the rage emanating from his silhouette. She did not understand; he had obviously flirted with her, so why was he still furious?The chauffeur was Liam. During this period, Liam had already driven the car out of the underground parking lot. He then drove steadily and swiftly toward the Guzman residence. The shutter within the car was already raised before Abigail got in the car. It separated the interior of the car into two independent spaces. Due to not having a third person, Abigail felt even more distressed.Xander was mad, while Abigail did not dare to look at Xander. She k
Abigail knew about everything that Xander was talking about. This was the reason why so many people feared Xander. The public was all saying that a man who would make such a ruthless move toward his biological parents would 100% be a cold-blooded animal. This type of person did not have regular human emotions; one should never talk about one's feelings with such people.However, Abigail knew Xander was not such a person. Yet, at the next second, Xander gave Abigail a heavy blow. "I still have a lot of things to do that the others haven't even thought about. Do you want to hear about them?"Abigail shook her head and then nodded her head. She then nodded yet shook her head...She honestly did not know whether she should hear about it or not. The cigarette Xander had lit was swiftly finished. Xander then lit up another one and continued to take a few puffs. The car windows were not winded down. The second puff of smoke that Xander exhaled out was all rushing into Abigail's nose.It c
His sexy lips twitched slightly upwards, and he could not help but chuckle. "Nathan being able to marry you and take you as his wife is the most correct decision he made in his life."He had used his identity as Xander to acknowledge her, so Abigail felt she should respond to him too. Although Abigail had no experience in love, she thought that giving feedback was most invaluable in relationships. Regardless if you love them or not, you should respond to them.She said, "Aren't I the same as well? To be able to marry Nathan is the most correct thing I could do in my life."When she said this, Abigail slightly lowered her gaze. Her delicate brows were showing a look of distress. "However, there's something that I have not dared to tell Nathan yet. If I talk about it, he might feel embarrassed and divorce me... But, regardless of his decision, I understand and won't blame him."She wanted to use this chance to tell Nathan about this matter. After she had told him clearly, she would r
'Did Xander find out that I know we're husband and wife? How and when did he realize? Did I give him the slip when I spoke? That won't do. I'm not prepared to be his wife yet, so I'll definitely play dumb.'Right then, Abigail decided to be stubborn about denying it as long as she was not prepared to engage with Xander under her newfound status. "W-What are you saying, Mr. Zane? I don't understand."Her stammering tone and bewildered look could not hide her guilty conscience, yet she was adamant about it.Xander smiled and said, "Not planning to admit it, huh?"Xander, as observant as he is, did not miss out on the subtle changes Abigail had toward him. Abigail would normally recoil and hastily create some distance whenever he tried to breach the boss and employee relationship. Recently, whenever he touched her, he would only see the conflicted struggle in her eyes. A few days ago, she came to the hospital in the middle of the night to ask about Nathan, then immediately sent a mess
Her hair was black, silky smooth, and felt nice to the touch, making it hard to resist.Abigail, seeing he had no intentions of getting out of the car, reminded him, "We have already reached our destination."Xander replied, "I know."Abigail was at a loss for words.Xander said, "Don't move from where you're sitting."Having said that, he released her black hair, got out of the vehicle, walked to the right side of the car, and opened the door for Abigail. He bent down and stretched out his hand to help her out of the car.Abigail, unable to reject his generously outstretched hand, placed her hand on top of his and he grasped her soft and slender hand tightly with a slight grip of his palm."There are a lot of people, Mr. Zane. It won't be good if someone took a photo..." Abigail desperately tried to retract her hand to no avail. He held her hand tightly, as if afraid she would dump him and escape.Xander smiled. "Who would dare to take a picture without my permission, huh?"X
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