The unmoving figure had no intention of leaving.Kimberly felt increasingly self-conscious under his unabashed gaze, her ears turning redder. Under his compelling presence, she didn't want to show weakness. It was just changing clothes, after all. If he wanted to watch, then let him.She pretended to be calm as she got out of bed, revealing her fair, delicate skin, marred with bruises, a testament to the previous night's lack of gentleness.The cold black eyes of the man standing by the bed darkened further.Just as she was about to step out of bed, her pale, delicate feet not yet touching the ground, he pushed her back down.He glanced at the time and murmured, "There's still time.""…"Fortunately, Samuel wasn't completely heartless. He only held her close, kissing and caressing, without going further. But it still delayed them considerably. When the car entered the alley on the east side of the school's rear gate, it was already filled with vehicles. The alley, a one-way street, nee
At the breakfast shop near the school's back gate, the modest-looking store was bustling with customers, including students in uniforms, residents, and visitors like them who had come from afar for the food.The small shop couldn't accommodate many people, so tables were set outside the street.Fortunately, it wasn't peak time, so they found a spot to sit outside.Samuel didn't eat much, spending more time watching her eat.After she was full, his long, handsome hand took a napkin and reached over to wipe the soup residue from the corner of her mouth.Kimberly paused, looking up at him.Suddenly, she caught a fleeting glimpse of hidden sorrow in his eyes, disappearing instantly, making her wonder if she had imagined it.The cold and distinguished man stood up, his posture straight and graceful, holding her slender wrist in his stern voice. He softly suggested, "Shall we walk a bit?"Looking at the crowded street, they had arrived a bit late, and finding a parking spot was already good
Kimberly wore a simple yet elegant black dress today, paired with a luxurious Fendi fur coat from the latest autumn and winter fashion show. This combination highlighted her deer-like bright eyes, making them look like clear pools of water. Her natural elegance and charm were evident.Standing beside the equally eye-catching Samuel, she did not lose any presence. Their unexpected match drew even more attention.A teacher in the crowd, Emily felt a sense of loss upon seeing the woman beside Samuel. She had harbored feelings for Samuel since high school but knew their difference in status was vast. Holding onto a sliver of hope, she once confessed her feelings to him, but the usually indifferent Samuel told her he liked someone else.She had always admired him from afar, and over the years, as the gap between their statuses widened, she gradually stopped paying attention. She felt excitement and joy when she returned to her alma mater to teach and learned that Samuel's company was donat
Listening to his increasingly absurd words, Kimberly secretly tugged at the corner of his clothes, signaling him to stop before it went too far and became embarrassing. Unexpectedly, Samuel gently held her hand and asked loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Baby, what's wrong?"Knowing he was doing it intentionally, Kimberly's ears grew hot, and she suddenly couldn't lift her gaze.Everyone's eyes turned towards them.Emily's face stiffened, her gaze flitting towards Kimberly, filled with unclear emotions and jealousy for the woman sitting next to Samuel. She had never expected such a cold person to have such a tender side.Sensing Emily's gaze, Kimberly looked back. She saw the beautiful woman turn her head away awkwardly.When they left the restaurant, the once bright sun had turned gloomy.It started snowing heavily outside, cold enough to make one shiver. Before Kimberly could wrap her coat around herself, Samuel embraced her, sharing his warmth.Listening to him bid farewell to t
Kimberly tightly embraced his neck, her mind in chaos, unsure what to question in such an intimate atmosphere. She found herself asking, "What's your private life like?"Up until now, her understanding of Samuel was fragmented. She had never really inquired about or paid attention to him before and later deliberately avoided him. The 'school beauty girlfriend' was the only aspect she somewhat knew of his private life, and even that was unreliable information.Samuel, astute as he was, immediately grasped the underlying meaning of her words – she knew hardly anything about his life.His cold, desire-laden features slightly furrowed, his eyes complex and subtle, his lips pressed into a thin line."..."The wind battered the windows, wildly swirling outside, casting one into midair."...""..."After what seemed like an eternity, he finally released her. Stray strands of hair fell over his cold and stern brow, giving him an air of vulnerabi
This was Kimberly's second visit to Smith Corporation. Her first visit was to catch a cheater, and this time, it was to safeguard her vast wealth.When Kimberly arrived at the meeting room of Smith Corporation, all the other shareholders had already gathered. They were familiar faces, either business associates of her family or attendees of her wedding with Steven.However, the mood among the shareholders in the meeting room was grim.The man leading the meeting, dressed in a crisp suit, lounged lazily in his chair. Unlike their last encounter, where he appeared desolate and lonely, his peach blossom eyes were now cold and indifferent. He showed no particular expression when he saw her enter.He had also moved on from their divorce. The atmosphere between them was subtly awkward; they had gone from being a married couple to strangers.Charles sat not far from him, his expression dark and unpleasing. Although only in his late thirties, his face was already marked with deep furrows, sug
She no longer wanted Steven, but the book still seemed to hold some value for her. Memories of those painful days surged like a tide, and she couldn't let go of that one glimmer of light from her darkest times.The person was gone, but the book was hers. How could she not take it back?Kimberly struggled internally, then smiled, though it was more of a grimace. To Lucas, she said, "Lucas, I'll wait here. Could you please go and fetch it for me?"Lucas looked troubled. "Madam, please don't make this difficult for me. You know, Mr. Smith."His words were actual; nobody could change Steven's mind once he decided.Indeed, it was unfair to put Lucas in such a position.Their relationship was awkward now, and it would be best if they never saw each other again. It was all in the past, and she wondered what Steven was planning now.Kimberly crossed her arms, tapping her fingers lightly on her forearm. She considered a solution to satisfy everyone when Lucas cautiously said, "Madam, you shoul
Kimberly quietly observed the man before her whom she once passionately adored. Now, her heart felt no ripples as she gazed at him again.Her bright and clear eyes fixed on him, her voice devoid of affection, “Steven, don’t you realize that you initiated the divorce? What right do you have to blame me now?”Steven's throat tightened upon hearing her words. He stood up and walked towards her, bending slightly, his gaze earnest and hopeful as he tried to explain, “Kimberly, I shouldn’t have acted out of anger, making so many mistakes. I never had anything serious with those women.”Steven pleaded in a low voice, “I now realize what’s most important. My arrogance and pride hurt you, and I apologize. You can hit or scold me, and I promise never to repeat these mistakes. Can you give me a chance to make amends? I swear, if you’re even slightly dissatisfied, you can stop anytime, and I won't bother you again.”Unmoved by his sincere words, Kimberly said flatly, “From the moment you asked fo
This time was different from before. Kimberly decisively separated the business dealings between the Smith and Wilson families as clearly as possible.Unexpectedly, he encountered Kimberly at Club in the evening.She was followed by another man, who was carrying her coat. The club manager’s obsequious smile and attentiveness made it clear what that man's profession was.Kimberly, behind his back, had actually hired a male escort. Yes, it was such a slick-looking pretty boy. This realization instantly swept away all his rationality.At that moment, he finally realized how much he cared. Just seeing another man standing beside her filled him with unbearable jealousy, let alone a male escort.What if he hadn’t bumped into them? He didn’t even dare to think about it."Kimberly, there's a limit to being willful!" he warned her sternly.Kimberly showed no guilt or panic; instead, she retorted, "What right do you have to question me?""Because I'm your husband," he replied without thinking.
On the night of the wedding, he deliberately alienated Kimberly and didn't go back. Instead, he went out to drink with Ethan.Right now, he didn't want to see her eyes, red and swollen from crying, looking pitiful.Even drunk, he didn't mention to Ethan why he was acting out of character that day. It would remain a secret buried in his heart, never to be spoken of again.During this period, he thought about repairing his relationship with Kimberly, but his pride and ego wouldn't allow him to grovel. He also feared her hatred if she ever discovered the truth about him taking Samuel's place. So, he threw himself into work, completing in two years what he had promised his grandfather to do in three, with outstanding results.He was promoted to the head of the Smith Corporation's technical department, a position he achieved through tremendous effort.As time passed, rumors and gossip about him inevitably spread in the social circles.At first, he thought of explaining to Kimberly, but the
He thought that would be the end of it.After entering university, he and Kimberly were seen as inseparable by others. He looked forward to them making their relationship official.He waited a long time for Kimberly to confess her feelings, tossing and turning every night, unable to sleep. Could it be that she didn't sense his feelings?Impossible. He had been obvious enough. If he didn't like her, why would he accompany her to study sessions on weekends?If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have bothered choosing elective courses in her major.If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have patiently comforted her during her nightmares.Finally, on the eve of graduation, the day came when Kimberly took the initiative to confess. He admitted it was the happiest day of his life. Before she could finish speaking, he wanted to immediately say, 'I want to be your boyfriend.'But his happiness didn't last long. From her confession, he gradually realized something.She talked about the hand he extend
From that day on, he began to subtly observe his friend's actions.More than once, he had seen Samuel's gaze linger on Kimberly.Today was a big basketball game between schools, and Kimberly couldn't come to watch them play. Samuel seemed normal on the surface, but he was caught several times glancing at the audience, seemingly searching for someone's figure.After the game ended, they headed out of the court.Lucas, who often played basketball with them, made a careless joke, "Why didn't we see Kimberly from Class 7 today? Isn't she the one who always likes to hang around us?"Lucas turned to him and said, "Steve, I've noticed that Kimberly not only looks good but also has a great figure. Why doesn't she join the school cheerleading team? She'd look hot in that outfit."After saying this, Lucas laughed at his own joke, but there was silence all around, and everyone instinctively looked his way.Hearing this, his brows furrowed tightly, "What the hell are you saying?"He was about to
Time swiftly passed, and the high school entrance exams arrived in the midst of summer. He ranked first in his school earning a spot in best private school.At the moment the results came out, what concerned him most was not his own score but hers. He immediately sent her a message to ask about her results. He simply wanted to see if her highly praised 'sea of questions' strategy was effective, and he was eager to see her fail.After repeatedly checking his phone with no reply from her, he grew increasingly frustrated. She had promised to get into the same school as him; had she really failed to qualify?During the final tests, she had only fallen out of the top ten once, so she should have been fine, right?The only message in their chat was the one he had just sent. His patience wore thin. He knew that nerd's method was useless, and she should have listened to him.The tall teenager, clutching his phone, rushed downstairs.Grandpa adored Kimberly, and though it was the best school,
Time flew by, and soon they were facing the high school entrance exams. Kimberly was determined to get into the same school as him.He naturally aimed for the best private school.As the most challenging school in the state, it only admitted the top students from each school. Knowing he was applying there didn't matter much; Kimberly's math was so poor, it was still uncertain if she could get in.However, since deciding to apply to the same school as him, she immersed herself in studying. She was no longer seen in various school activities and even used the short ride to school to review vocabulary, drastically reducing the times she spoke to him.She stopped watching him play basketball and quickly returned to the classroom after a hurried lunch.The girl, who always took care to look pretty, lost that meticulousness. Several times, he saw the faint blue under her usually fair skin, knowing she had stayed up studying.He had told her many times that studying overnight was ineffective
Originally thinking she really couldn't speak, things changed during a year-end performance.He told a fairy tale in front of the whole school, titled "Princess Marlin," chosen randomly from a fairy tale book.After the story, there was thunderous applause. He was satisfied as he left the stage, but unexpectedly, he ran into the little mute girl backstage.His good mood was instantly ruined, and he pushed her away fiercely, "Get lost."To his surprise, she spoke to him for the first time, "Was it you?"He was shocked that she could speak, and her voice was soft and sweet, revealing that she wasn't mute after all.After the initial shock, anger welled up in him. She had ignored him so many times when he tried to talk to her; she had been pretending to be mute all along.This realization made him even angrier."What do you mean, was it you?" She's really an idiot; I don't even understand what she's talking about."You promised to tell me the story of Princess Marlin, why didn't you come
This was Steven's first time accompanying his grandfather to visit the granddaughter of his grandfather's good friend in the hospital.The strong smell of disinfectant permeated the hospital as his grandfather and Grandpa Ruan talked in solemn tones."Is Kim being discharged from the hospital today?" Old Smith asked.Old Wilson didn't speak but nodded, his entire demeanor drained of vitality, looking much older.Seeing this, old Smith sighed, "Life must go on, Kim is still young, you'll need to take care of her more from now on."Steven looked at the little girl sitting on the bed, her skin porcelain white and exceptionally delicate, but her most beautiful eyes were dull and empty. Her long lashes drooped as she kept turning her head to look out the window, seemingly unaware of his grandfather greeting her, showing no manners at all."What did the doctor say about Kim's condition? Shouldn't she stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation?" old Smith sighed, seeing the onc
The crowd around them was packed with people watching the fireworks. The tall and stately figure pulled her into his embrace, discreetly protecting her. As a bunch of pink heart-shaped fireworks bloomed in the sky, the crowd erupted in waves of admiration, "It's a pink heart, wow, so spectacular." "Did you get that? Did you get that? So beautiful!!!" "It's so beautiful, today's fireworks show was worth it." Another loud bang followed, and suddenly someone exclaimed, "There are words!" The giant fireworks that exploded in the sky clearly cast several words against the black canvas of the night. ——Kimberly, Happy New Year After the words twinkled away in the night sky, another 'boom' resounded, and more fireworks burst forth. The giant heart-shaped display. The huge screen on the building across the river changed to ——Kimberly, Happy New Year ——Kimberly, I love you. The surrounding crowd started to get noisy and excited. "Wow, look at the riverfront!" "Holy moly, who is Kimb