"What are you doing? Put me down!"Aveline was shocked. What had gotten into this man again?Lucas quickly walked into the bedroom, tossing her onto the bed. Before she could get up, he leaned over, his heavy body pinning her down, his gaze dark and intense."What are you doing, Lucas?"Aveline's chest heaved with anger, her beautiful eyes burning with fury.Lucas looked at her coldly. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Russell? What were you thinking today, bringing him here? If I hadn't happened to show up, what were you planning to do?"Aveline found him completely unreasonable!She struggled fiercely. "Lucas, stop being crazy! Russell and I are friends. What's wrong with bringing a friend over?"She dared not mention that she was selling the house. If he knew, he might tear her heart apart!This man, when he lost his mind, was capable of anything!Lucas stared at her intensely. Her face had turned a delicate shade of red from her efforts.She wasn't wearing any makeup, but the bl
Aveline looked at him calmly, raising an eyebrow. "Not continuing?"Lucas suddenly scoffed coldly and stood up, leaving the room.As she heard the door slam loudly, Aveline let out a deep breath.She was really afraid and didn’t know how she could defend herself if he continued. It was like last night; she had no way to resistBut she didn’t want this.He had feelings for Sophia, and she didn’t want to be entangled with him any further.She just hoped to get through this month safely.By then, she would definitely get a divorce!...The next day.After work, Aveline was about to leave when someone blocked her path with a smile. "Mrs. Tudor, I'm the butler of the estate. Madam Yvonne asked me to take you to the estate for dinner."Yvonne?Aveline was puzzled. "Why did Madam Yvonne suddenly invite me?"Did Lucas know about this?The butler smiled and said, "Mr. Lucas hasn’t been back for a while. Mr. Frederick and Madam Yvonne miss him very much, so they wanted to invite you over. Mr. Lu
Aveline directly grabbed Crystal's wrist, her clear eyes now tinged with coldness. "I told you, it wasn't me!"Crystal forcefully shook off her hand. "He's only seven. Could he lie? Not only are you an ill-mannered maid, but you are also cruel to harm a child!"The little boy cried his heart out.Anyone witnessing this scene would think Aveline had bullied the boy.The people around looked at Aveline with disdain and contempt.Aveline instantly became the target of everyone’s blame."What happened?"At that moment, Yvonne appeared, looking at everyone with a puzzled expression.Crystal pointed at Aveline. "Is she your maid? When I came in, I asked her to help me with my bag, but she ignored me. Then she hit my grandson. Look at him crying. She must be so cruel to bully a child!"When Yvonne heard this, she seemed surprised by the situation.She frowned and glanced sympathetically at the boy. "Don't cry, look what I have here. It's candy."She took out a lollipop and handed it to the bo
As soon as Lucas entered, his gaze landed on Aveline. Seeing the two bodyguards holding her, his expression turned icy."Let go."His tone was cold, surrounded by a powerful and chilling aura.The two bodyguards instinctively released her and looked over at Crystal.Crystal, seeing him, immediately said, "Lucas, you're just in time. This maid not only ignored my words but also hit my grandson. How are we going to resolve this?"Lucas ignored Crystal's words and went straight to Aveline, his eyes fixed on her. "Are you okay?"Aveline's heart trembled slightly. She shook her head. "I'm fine. I didn't hit him.""I know," Lucas said quickly and confidently.At that moment, Aveline's heart settled.Regardless of their past conflicts, at least for now, he was on her side.Aveline lowered her gaze, suppressing the emotions that surged within her.Crystal's brows furrowed deeply as she watched this scene.The onlookers were also quite surprised.Wasn't this woman a maid of the Tudor family?Wh
Lucas' eyes were filled with a layer of cold indifference as he glanced at Yvonne.Yvonne felt a sudden weight on her shoulders, an invisible pressure enveloping her. Her eyes flickered, and she said no more.Crystal's face was grim. "What do you want to do?"Surely, Lucas wasn't going to make her apologize to Aveline? Was he crazy? What was her status compared to Aveline's? Did Aveline deserve it?Lucas cast a cold glance at Crystal before turning his gaze to the little boy."Come here."Crystal held the boy tightly. "Lucas, what are you going to do? Are you planning to harm a child?"Lucas looked at her coolly. "Do you think I’m like you?""You!"Crystal's face turned livid.But she knew that today’s incident was her fault. She couldn't be too aggressive. She almost wished Lucas would force her to apologize to Aveline, as it would escalate the issue to a conflict between the Tudor and Ross families. That would make things harder to resolve.The little boy, cowering in Crystal's arms,
What was she thinking?Was she actually wondering if he cared about her and if he had feelings for her?She must be crazy.Lucas would do anything for Sophia. He helped her today only because he didn't want her gone so soon, leaving no one to shield Sophia.After all, it would be hard to find another fool like her.Aveline took a deep breath and then pulled her hand away.By this time, they had reached the gates of the estate.Lucas turned back to look at her, his expression unreadable.Aveline said calmly, "Thank you for today."Then she turned to leave.But Lucas grabbed her wrist, his brow furrowing. "That's it?"Aveline smiled slightly. "What else?"Lucas' lips pressed into a straight line. He pulled her wrist, bringing her close to him.They were so close that their breaths mingled on each other's faces.Aveline felt uncomfortable with the proximity. Given their current situation, it felt too intimate.She stepped back. "Lucas, what do you want from me? I'm grateful to you, but th
At that moment, Lucas suddenly turned his head slightly, causing Aveline's intended kiss on the corner of his lips to land directly on his mouth.Aveline froze and quickly sat back down, her ears turning red.Lucas' eyes darkened as he looked at her. "Is that all?"Aveline responded, "Lucas, don't push your luck."But Lucas chuckled softly. "Aveline, you're the one trying to please me right now. Are you sure you want to talk to me like that?"Aveline's gaze turned cold as she looked at him.He always used the threat of divorce against her but never followed through. What exactly did he want?Lucas watched her leisurely as if he was certain she would give in.Aveline, however, scoffed and turned her head away, ignoring him.Lucas' expression hardened.He stared at her face for a long time before finally starting the car and driving away.The car was filled with a stifling atmosphere, making it hard to breathe.Aveline lowered the car window, but within seconds, it was rolled back up.Av
Aveline made a simple meal and sat at the dining table, instinctively checking her phone.What's going on?Lucas hadn't come up yet?Where did he go?Her mind started to wander. She gripped her phone, staring at it for a while, then remembered what he said earlier. She needed to keep him appeased to get the divorce finalized. Otherwise, she'd remain trapped in this dangerous situation.Taking a deep breath, Aveline dialed Lucas' number.After three rings, the call was answered."When are you coming back?" she asked directly."You're so shameless! Lucas loves Sophia, not you. Why do you keep clinging to him? Because of you, they can't be together, and Sophia has depression!" The angry female voice on the other end wasn't Lucas.Aveline's expression turned icy. "Did you eat crap before leaving the house?"Sharon Walsh's face twisted in anger. "How dare you insult me?"Aveline sneered. "Did I insult you? I was just reminding you to brush your teeth. Even through the phone, your breath sti
"Let… let me go!" Jolie struggled with all her might, but the drugs were quickly sapping her strength, leaving her powerless to break free.The man, too impatient to care, ignored her pleas and began dragging her toward the back exit."Hey! She told you to let her go. Are you deaf?" A sharp voice suddenly cut through the air.The man froze, startled, and looked up to see a girl standing not far away."Who the hell are you? This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!" He snapped, not recognizing Selena, his tone turning nasty.Selena’s expression grew colder as she took in Jolie’s disheveled state. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and slapped the man hard across the face, then yanked Jolie away from him."Letting yourself fall into the hands of this scum? Where’s your fight?" Selena said sharply.Jolie’s blurry consciousness flickered at the sound of her familiar voice. When she realized it was Selena, her tensed body finally relaxed, leaning heavily into her for support."Take me
Jolie watched Selena’s retreating figure and shook her head in frustration. What could she do? Selena’s emotional wounds ran deep, and no matter what Jolie tried, it seemed impossible to bridge the gap between them.Returning to the party, she glanced around at the crowd of men and women mingling with champagne flutes in hand, but her mind wasn’t on the event. She casually picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and sipped it slowly.What she didn’t notice was a man standing across the room, watching her. As she drank, his eyes darkened, and he licked his lips suggestively.After finishing about half the glass, Jolie started feeling strange. Her body was growing weak, her skin hot and feverish, and a strange itchiness spread through her veins.Her brows furrowed in confusion. What was happening? She headed toward the restroom, but as she rounded a corner, her legs gave out, and she had to grab the wall for support to keep from collapsing."Did someone drug me?" she murmu
Maria looked at the two little ones, absolutely delighted, and then turned to Aveline. "I’ve got some happy news to share as well."Selena guessed, "You're pregnant?"Maria nodded. "That’s right."Selena gave her a thumbs-up. "Wow, that was fast! You said it and made it happen."Maria smiled. "I couldn’t fall too far behind. I need to make sure my kid has the best opportunities and chances, right?" With their babies close in age to Ethan and Emma, Maria thought it would be perfect for them to grow up together, maybe even become childhood sweethearts.She looked at Selena and asked, "Weren’t you eager at first too? Why haven’t you made any moves yet?"Selena sighed. "I’m not sure. Honestly, I’m a little scared."Maria reassured her, "Take your time, no rush."Selena got up and left the room, heading outside for some fresh air. Seeing Aveline go through the struggles of pregnancy and the dangers of childbirth genuinely frightened her. On top of that, she worried she wouldn’t be a good m
At first, the twin really did look quite wrinkly and not very cute, but as time passed, they started to fill out and became more and more beautiful. The baby boy had a calm demeanor, rarely crying or fussing. He spent most of his time either eating or sleeping, with large, dark eyes like black grapes, a high nose, a tiny mouth, and chubby, round cheeks full of baby fat.The baby girl, on the other hand, was much more lively and prone to fussing, expressing her displeasure whenever things didn’t go her way. She cried the most between the two.The baby boy was born first, and the girl was the younger sister. Every time, the sister seemed determined to make her brother cry, but she never succeeded. Once fed, she would calm down.“Have you thought of any names for them yet?” Selena asked, looking at Aveline, who was slowly recovering, while playfully toying with the little ones in the stroller.Aveline replied, "We’ve chosen some temporary nicknames, but we haven’t settled on their full n
Aveline said, "Braden is probably not interested."“Huh? Why?” Selena asked, confusion spreading across her face.Aveline explained, “Baron, Braden, and Maria all have a special bond with Lucas. No matter what, they wouldn’t betray him.”She paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting to Brian, the man who had always seen it as his duty to protect Lucas. She wondered how he was faring now.Selena shrugged. “Alright, I suppose. He’s helped me a lot recently, and if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have handled everything so smoothly.”Aveline replied, “It’s all over now. Taking him with you wouldn’t really serve any purpose.”“True,” Selena agreed, nodding as she let go of the subject.She ended up staying in Larbor City for a month. One night, Aveline suddenly went into labor. The family rushed to action—though there was some initial chaos, they quickly regained control. Drivers got the car ready, calls to the hospital were made, and everything unfolded smoothly.At the hospital, Lucas h
To mitigate the impact of the incident, the Fletcher family arranged a marriage with the Skyler family, setting the wedding date for just one month later, a rather hasty decision. Aaron officially became the head of the Fletcher family, and despite any grievances Nathalie might have had, she didn’t dare voice them, keeping her frustration to herself.Selena, on the other hand, finally had some leisure time. With Aaron busier than ever, she felt bored and decided to visit Aveline in Larbor City.Aveline’s belly had grown quite large, and with just a month left until her due date, her feet had started swelling, looking puffy and rounded like little pillows. Seeing her condition, Selena couldn't help but remark, "Pregnancy looks so tough. I'm starting to get a little scared."Aveline glanced at her. "Are you planning to get pregnant?"As far as she remembered, Selena had never mentioned such plans.Selena nodded, then shared the idea she had previously about arranging a marriage between
Aaron held her hand and led her directly out of the room upstairs.Meanwhile, inside the room, Nathalie had someone forcibly separate the two entangled people. Ernest looked utterly disheveled, still trying to grab onto Lila and continue.Lila, now slightly regaining her senses, realized the situation. She let out a piercing scream, wrapped herself in the blanket, and cried out in distress."How could this happen? Why did it turn out like this? Why am I here? Mom, wasn't that bitch Selena supposed to be in this room? Why is it me? Why me!"The sensation in her body was undeniable, and seeing Ernest in his dazed state, she could already imagine how wild things had been between them. Worse yet, many people had witnessed it!This scene was supposed to fall on Selena!What went wrong?Nathalie hugged her, trying to calm her down, "Don’t get worked up, Lila. You can’t afford to get upset right now. It’s okay, mom’s here with you. I’ll take care of this."But Lila was inconsolable, sobbing u
The servant stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded. How... how could this have happened? How did Lila end up in the room instead of Selena?She distinctly remembered helping Selena into that very room and watching as the family doctor applied the patch to her ankle. The patch, once applied for more than a minute, should have released the drug into Selena's system, gradually taking effect. But now everything had gone terribly wrong.Pale and trembling, the servant knew that her role in this failed scheme had been exposed. There would be no good outcome for her. She began to retreat, hoping to slip away unnoticed."Leaving so soon?"A lazy, magnetic voice suddenly spoke from behind her.Startled, she spun around to see Aaron standing in the doorway. His tall, imposing figure blocked the exit, preventing anyone from leaving easily."I... I..." The servant stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, trapped in her fear.Aaron’s expression remained neutral, b
"Such a big issue has to be cleared up, don’t you think, Aaron? What if someone is deliberately trying to smear your wife’s name?" "Exactly! We’ve all met your wife—she’s beautiful and sharp. There’s no way she’d do anything to betray you.""We need to open the door and clear up any misunderstandings before things get out of hand."The crowd voiced their concerns, their words filled with feigned sympathy, but their eyes gleamed with anticipation.Kendrick arrived just behind Aaron, and upon hearing the whispers, his expression darkened."Who said this?" The servant timidly raised her hand. "I... I did."His voice hardened. "Are you sure of what you saw?"Though visibly frightened, the servant nodded firmly. "I’m sure.""I don’t think she’s lying.”"Maybe it’s true. If it is, then she really couldn’t keep herself in check, especially at Lila’s birthday party. How shameless.""Unbelievable! With a husband like Aaron, she’s still not satisfied? I can’t understand women like that."A few