Xander had originally planned to inspect Westwold Wetlands with the CEO of Alastair in the afternoon, but he knew it wasn't urgent and could be postponed. Abigail nodded, "I'll inform Alastair and reschedule the appointment."Xander looked up from his paperwork and furrowed his brows, sensing Abigail's fatigue from their travels the day before. Realizing that a night's rest might not have been sufficient for her to recover fully, he said, "You don't have to come into work today."Abigail was caught off guard and wondered, 'Who did he mean?' She decided to ask, "Mr. Zane, are you firing me?"Xander was surprised by her question and thought, 'When did I say I was going to fire her?' Despite having worked with Abigail for only six months, he trusted her as much as he did his longtime assistant Keith. Xander knew that even if Abigail wanted to leave, he might not be ready to let her go just yet.He continued, "Do you feel well enough to meet with clients today?"Abigail began, "I'm so
Cassandra's first question left Xander speechless. She assumed he was just shy or didn't want to talk in front of others. She smiled and said, "Sophia, I'd like to chat with my grandson-in-law in private. You can go do your own thing."Cassandra emphasized the word "grandson-in-law" to remind Sophia that Xander was her granddaughter's husband and discourage Sophia from having any romantic interest in Xander.Sophia knew she shouldn't entertain any romantic thoughts about Xander, but she couldn't help taking a quick glance at Xander and thinking to herself, 'How can someone be so good-looking?'Xander didn't even acknowledge Sophia's presence throughout the whole exchange, which pleased Cassandra greatly. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She beamed with happiness and said, "Nate, I'm glad you found time to visit me despite your busy schedule."Xander politely replied, "It's the least I could do."Cassandra continued, "You and Abigail weren't in love before you go
"Is there any chance you two can save the marriage?" Cassandra asked again."No," Xander replied firmly."Thanks for being honest," Cassandra said, pausing for a moment before adding, "Don't tell Abigail yet that I know about your plans to divorce. Let me figure out how to talk to her.""Alright," Xander agreed.After Xander left, Cassandra lay in bed thinking for a while. Once she had made up her mind, she picked up the phone and called Abigail.Abigail was abruptly awoken by the ringing phone from her deep sleep. She answered and heard her grandmother's excited voice, "Abigail, Nate came to visit me. He's not only good-looking but also thoughtful in everything he does. He arranged for me to move to a private room and set up two caretakers to take care of me in shifts. He thinks of everything. You should rest after work today and not come to the hospital.""Okay grandma, please remember to eat on time. I'll come to see you tomorrow after work," Abigail replied. She thought that
Lucas slapped Xander on the shoulder and said, "Are you going to say she's married again? So what if she's married? Can't she just get divorced? Give her husband some money and make him go away. Once he's got the cash, he'll be out of her life and she'll be yours."Xander bent down and stamped out his cigarette before fixing Lucas with a cold stare. "She's not someone you can just joke around about."Lucas chuckled. "So you're protecting her?"Xander replied, "Protecting her? I just can't stand it when people make fun of women.""Alright, alright," said Lucas. "I won't talk about her anymore. Let's go eat." But in his mind, Lucas was thinking, "Xander is all talk and no action. He can't even handle someone saying his assistant isn't just his assistant. He won't even admit he has feelings for her."The truth was, maybe Xander wasn't avoiding admitting his feelings, he just didn't know how to love someone. Having never been in a relationship, he had no idea what it felt like to love
Abigail not only had to manage what Xander drank but also what he ate. She wouldn't let anything he didn't like anywhere near his plate.After the meal, Abigail tended to Xander's needs, and by the time she had a chance to eat, her food had gone cold, and her stomach was starting to growl.Xander was accustomed to having Abigail as his assistant, taking care of everything for him. He didn't think anything was wrong with letting her take care of him so much tonight.Stella was furious and pinched Lucas hard. She cursed under her breath, "It's all because of this jerk. I invited friends over for dinner, and now everything's ruined."Lucas held Stella's hand. "What do you want to do after dinner?"Xander replied, "Anything's fine with me."Stella turned to Abigail and asked, "What do you like to do for fun, Abigail?""I'm not really into—" Abigail started to say, but suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her stomach, and she rushed to the bathroom.Xander's gaze followed her, and a hint
Stella over imagined things in her mind. Abigail did not know how to explain it to her. So, she just did not bother to do it.Her stomach was not feeling well and wanted to vomit just now. It was because she accidentally ate a dessert with peanut butter filling.She had been allergic to peanut butter since she was a kid. So, she could not eat any food made with peanuts.Luckily, the peanut butter filling in the dessert was not much. So, her allergic reaction was not too strong.Abigail poured a glass of hot water and drank it. Her stomach felt much better after a while.Stella worriedly said, "Abigail, should we go to the hospital?"Abigail smiled. "Stella, I'm fine. Don't worry."Stella was still worried. "Let us send you home then."Before Abigail could reject her, Lucas grabbed Stella as he said, "There are so many paparazzi outside. How can you send her home? It's safer to just let Ms. Renee go home by herself.""Mr. White is right. I should leave now." Abigail liked Stell
Xander glanced at her flat belly. He wanted to say something. But he remained quiet in the end. He just asked his driver to drive off.Abigail took a taxi to the hospital. She then only got to know that her grandmother had been transferred back to the normal ward. The caretaker hired by Nathan was dismissed as well.Cassandra's excuse for dismissing the caretaker was that she did not want to waste money. But Abigail still sharply noticed something was wrong. "Grandma, what did you and Nathan chat about this afternoon?"Cassandra grabbed her glasses at the side and put them on. She held Abigail's hand and gently patted it as she said, "Abigail, if you decide to get a divorce, I'll support you."Since Cassandra talked about it, Abigail wanted to just confess what was really happening between her and Nathan. But she did not dare to take the risk. "Grandma, Nathan is just busy working. We're good..."When Cassandra saw Abigail try to comfort her, she felt even more heartbroken and reg
Abigail did not really sleep well that night because she was too excited. But she was still very energetic the next morning.Before she went out in the morning, she checked the documents in her bag again. She wanted to make sure she had everything before going to the office.After she finished her tasks in the morning, Abigail requested a half day's leave from Xander. "Mr. Zane, I have something to do in the afternoon. I want to apply for a half day's leave from you."Her mood was so good today that Xander could feel it without looking at her.'She's so cheerful. Could it be because she's really pregnant?' Xander thought to himself.Xander felt inexplicably annoyed with this guess in his mind. He fixed his collar. "Both of you can rest this afternoon."Abigail said, "Mr. Zane, you're giving us time off again?"Under Xander's leadership, the Zane Corporation had developed so well to the point where many corporations could not match. All the heads of departments in every subsidiar
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