Esther felt hurt."Grandma, Xander forgot about me after he got a wife. Do you not want your granddaughter anymore now that you have a granddaughter-in-law? Don't forget who gave you a massage this afternoon.""Do what you will, you little rascal. I need to talk to Abigail in private." Margaret smiled and waved at Abigail."Abigail, come over and sit with me for a bit."Abigail hurried downstairs and sat down beside Margaret.She subconsciously glanced around and wondered, 'Xander isn't in the third-floor room, nor is he in the first-floor living room. Where'd he go?'Meanwhile, Margaret saw right through her. She knew how easily embarrassed youngsters were, but she still could not stop herself from teasing Abigail, "It's only been a few minutes, and you're already missing Xander?"Abigail blushed and said in embarrassment, "Grandma...""What's so embarrassing about missing him? He's your man."Margaret laughed and continued, "Your grandma is almost home. I'll have Xander wait
Margaret was not satisfied with Abigail's vague answer. She wanted to know what Abigail thought. "Abigail, I'm not pressuring you. I'm just worried that you two won't last long. I'm worried that there'll be a day when you don't want him anymore, leaving him all by himself."Abigail did not expect Margaret to say such a thing.'Xander is a great guy and has plenty of women who want him. Why does his family always worry that women won't want him?' she wondered.Abigail did not know the answer. However, the most important thing right now was not to find out the answer but to comfort Margaret."That won't happen, Grandma Margaret. He and I have promised each other that we'll both work together on spending the rest of our lives with each other, so don't worry.""Spending the rest of your lives together isn't something you can just promise," Margaret said with a hint of worry in her eyes.She continued, "Abigail, did Xander ever tell you about his parents?""Sort of," Abigail replied.
"It wasn't presumptuous at all. It's just that your question was coincidentally the truth, and I felt embarrassed."Since they were already at this point in the conversation, Margaret decided to just tell Abigail."I did suspect Nova of wanting to get rid of Xander. However, I don't have the evidence, leaving the matter unresolved."Abigail was shocked.'How could he do such a thing to his own son? Xander was barely even four years old. Nova is so inhumane,' she thought."Grandma Margaret, when did this happen?"Margaret let out a long sigh and said, "It happened years ago. Back then, Xander was only three or four years old, so he yearned for motherly and fatherly love. One day, Nova—who had never been quite fond of Xander—said he'd take Xander to the amusement park. Xander happily went with him. That night, Xander still wasn't home by 9 o'clock. I called Nova, and he said the driver had already sent him home. But the driver in charge of picking up Xander said Nova told him that
'Sending him to prison for ten years is too lenient. If I were Xander, I would've at least let him serve twenty years in prison to relieve my hatred for him,' thought Abigail.Margaret wiped her tears. "Abigail, do you understand why I'm telling you all this?"Abigail nodded."I do, Grandma Margaret. Don't worry. I'll definitely treat Xander even better in the future. I'll do my best to protect him and not let anyone hurt him again.""Oh, you silly child. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for Xander. I just hope that the two of you will bear a child soon and live a good life together," said Margaret.Margaret was pleased to hear Abigail's words, but what Abigail said was not what she wanted. She had a simple wish, and it was that the two would live a good life, bear a few children, and live happily ever after as a family."We will. In the future, Xander and I will have many, many children," said Abigail.Abigail was not saying this to appease Margaret; she also liked childr
Abigail hugged Cassandra's hand and refused to let go."Grandma, you told me we can't control what others say about us and that we should focus on our own lives. Why do you suddenly care about things like etiquette?" she asked.Cassandra leaned close to Abigail's ear and whispered, "Abigail, you silly girl. Do you think I'd let you follow another family's etiquette? I'm just putting on a show. If people buy it, they won't even be able to find fault in us if they wanted to."Abigail was amused by her grandmother's words."You really do love me the most, Grandma."Cassandra replied, "You're my one and only precious granddaughter. Who do I love if not you?"Margaret complained, "Stop whispering behind my back! I'm about to get jealous.""Alright. We'll stop. Let's get into business and have a chat with the kids," said Cassandra."By the way, Grandma. You still haven't told me what you went out to buy."Cassandra replied mysteriously, "You'll find out soon."Margaret called out,
Since she could not refuse, Abigail could only accept the card. "Thank you, Grandma!"The people of the Zane family were so generous that they had the habit of gifting bank cards when they meet someone. When they were registering for their wedding two years ago, Xander also stuffed a bank card into her hands and left. However, the limitless black credit card was not the only gift Margaret gave Abigail.The old woman lifted her arm, and the butler respectfully brought a platter covered in red cloth. On top of the fabric were a few real estate title deed certificates. She placed the documents in Abigail's hand. Margaret said, "Abigail, this real estate certificate is for a villa at Casa Del Mar. These two are for housing units at The HC Residences. There are also these that are shop lots in some of the prime areas. As an old lady, I can't remember all the detailed addresses. They're all written on the certificates. When you have the time to take a look, I can arrange for someone to bri
Cassandra said, "Both of you are legal husband and wife who already have their marriage certificate, but you lack a traditional marriage ceremony. I've always regretted it, but today, I have gifted both of you the dragon and phoenix bangles. I want to borrow the meaning behind the dragon and phoenix to wish that the both of you would have a baby soon and live happily ever after!"Abigail accepted them with both her hands. "Thank you, Grandma! As husband and wife, we also wish both grandmas a healthy and long life. May you grow younger as the days go by."After the simple gifting session was done, it was time to eat. Before she went to the table, Abigail made an excuse so that she could go to the bathroom. While hiding in the bathroom, she secretly sent a message to Justin: [Mr. York, I have another piece of information that can rake in a lot of cash. Do you have the guts to publish it?]Justin replied: [I've told you before, Lucky Charm. I wouldn't dare to publish anything that has
Xander did not speak further and just stared at her. Abigail's heart trembled from the staring. "I'm busy earning money."She raised her phone and truthfully showed him her chat logs. "Justin is still waiting for my message. Could you first let me go?"Xander's sharp eyes were able to spot her praising him for his good looks. He chuckled. "You can do this type of thing openly. There's no need to hide in the bathroom like you're a thief."Abigail answered him, "I was worried you might get angry."Xander asked her, "You're afraid I would be angry?"Abigail did not bother with him as her attention was back on her phone. She sent the newly taken picture to Justin and typed: [You can send them without worry. Write them as eye-catchingly as possible. I'll bear any consequences and not let you be implicated in this.]With Abigail's promise, Justin was not so worried. He texted: [As long as you keep to your word, I'll definitely write the headline as eye-catchingly as possible. I'm going
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