Her expression froze for a moment, ignoring him.Lucas commanded, "Come here."Aveline frowned. Nothing from before was resolved, so why should she listen to him? She turned her head and smiled slightly at Russell. "Russ, could you give me a ride home?"Russell raised an eyebrow. "It’s my pleasure to drive a beautiful lady home." He then reached out to open the car door.Lucas' face darkened as he stared at Aveline.Just then, Russell's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes."Hello?" he answered.Aveline watched him, not getting into the car immediately.Russell's expression soured as he listened to the caller. "I understand," he said before hanging up. Turning to Aveline, his face showed a trace of apology. "I'm sorry, something urgent came up. I can't give you a ride."Aveline blinked. "Then you should go. I'll just call a taxi."Russell insisted, "I'll find someone to take you."Aveline shook her head with a smile. "No need. There are plenty
Aveline asked, "Can you reach Juliet?"Zachary shook his head. "No, ever since Juliet found her biological parents, she only occasionally contacts Madam Hilda. None of us have been able to reach her."Aveline's brows furrowed deeply. It seemed that Hilda had been bailed out by Juliet's family, who were very influential and difficult to track down. So, was she destined never to learn who her biological parents were?Noticing her distraction, Zachary asked, "Aveline, are you alright?"Aveline snapped back to reality, shaking her head. "It's nothing. Since she's gone, she probably won't come back. What are you planning to do next?"Zachary shook his head helplessly. "I don't know."The sky was gradually getting brighter. Aveline looked around and then said, "I need to go to the police station and see if I can find out anything.""I'll go with you," Zachary offered."No need. You should stay at the orphanage. With Hilda gone, someone needs to be there," Aveline replied, shaking her head.
Aveline still felt a bit worried. "Anyone who can be friends with Lucas probably has a bad temper. If you ended up provoking him, make sure you get out of there quickly.""Don't worry, I will," Selena replied, looking eager for the challenge, clearly not ready to end the game just yet.Aveline stood up and said, "I might need a few more days before I can return. I hope nothing happen to you by then.”Selena pouted. "Come on, can't you at least wish me good luck?"Aveline laughed. "Alright, I hope you have Aaron wrapped around your finger, making him fall hopelessly in love with you, pining for you, willing to live and die for you, even to the point of banging his head against a wall."Selena chuckled. "That's a bit extreme."Aveline laughed again and then said, "Alright, I need to go. I have things to do.""Okay, take care."After hanging up, Aveline got up to freshen up. As she came out, her phone rang. Seeing it was Zachary, she answered, "Hello?"Zachary's cheerful voice came throug
Aveline smiled faintly and chose not to respond.They soon arrived at the campsite. Zachary unloaded their supplies and carried them to their tent, with Aveline helping from behind.Once everything was set up, Aveline rolled up her sleeves. "Let me help you."Zachary smiled. "Sure, but be careful not to burn yourself.""Got it."They got busy, and soon the aroma of barbecue filled the air. Aveline took out her phone and snapped a picture, sending it to Selena.Selena replied, “What's going on? Is that a man's hand I see? My dear Ave, have you finally decided to start dating someone new?”Aveline quickly put her phone away, not wanting Zachary to see and get embarrassed.Zachary had already grilled some skewers and handed one to her. "Try this."With her hands full, Aveline opened her mouth and took a bite. "Hmm, not bad."Zachary's eyes lit up, and his ears turned red. He stood beside her, momentarily unsure of what to do.Seeing him still standing there, Aveline asked, "What's wrong?"
Aveline squinted her eyes slightly and said, "Handsome, gentle, sometimes domineering, but always exceptionally good to me, always goes along with whatever I say..."As she described, Lucas' face appeared in her mind. No, it was Lu's face. He smiled at her gently, his eyes filled with an overwhelming affection and tenderness. That was the memory-less Lu. Her Lu.Zachary's eyes brightened even more, and just as he was about to say something, Aveline suddenly stood up. However, having had too much to drink, she felt dizzy and stumbled as soon as she got up."Careful!" Zachary quickly stood up to support her, and she ended up leaning unsteadily into his arms.This scene was taken in by a man not far away."Sorry..." Aveline, her cheeks flushed, looked at Zachary with a hint of apology in her clear, shimmering eyes. She had accidentally drunk too much. Her alcohol tolerance was low. She could handle half a bottle of this cocktail, but anything more would get her drunk.Zachary's ears
Zachary's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at them. "You... you two..."Lucas kissed the corner of Aveline's lips and said, "My dear Ave, tell him who I am."Aveline gazed at his face, seemingly forgetting the pain he had caused her, only remembering him as Lu. "My husband..." she murmured softly.Lucas' lips curved in satisfaction. He looked up at Zachary. "Are you planning to stand there and watch us being affectionate, or are you going to leave?"Zachary's expression was like he had been struck by lightning. Her husband? She was married? She had said she didn't have a boyfriend.Feeling betrayed and unable to accept it, Zachary looked at Aveline in Lucas' arms, feeling she had deceived him. Why hadn't she told him she was married? All his hopes, his feelings - they seemed wasted now.He turned and left.Lucas noted Zachary's reaction with a hint of mockery in his eyes, then refocused on Aveline's face. The alcohol had taken effect; her fair cheeks were flushed, and her clear
Lucas stared at her intently. Even though he had watched the surveillance footage of the road where they first met countless times, he still couldn't be sure if she knew his identity from the beginning. If she did, then she was incredibly cunning, as he hadn't noticed it during their entire year together.But if she didn't...He didn't dare continue that line of thought, nor did he dare to trust easily. A faint glimmer of light flickered in his eyes.A sudden cold wind blew, making Aveline shiver as she burrowed into his chest. "Lu, I'm so cold. Hold me."The tension in his heart made him uncomfortable, but seeing her like this, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up. Ultimately, he was addicted to her current softness and obedience.Lucas collected his thoughts and hugged her tightly, feeling her soft warmth. His eyes darkened further."Mr. Tudor."At that moment, Steve walked over. He was momentarily shocked to see Lucas holding a woman, but quickly regained his composure."Are y
Aveline's fingers curled instinctively as she lay in the car. She had actually woken up as soon as they put her in, but she hadn't opened her eyes immediately. Zachary had already left, and it was too late for her to return to the hotel alone, so she pretended to be asleep. There might have been other reasons, but she didn't want to delve into them.She responded coolly, "Yes, any problem with that?""Aveline, you deceived me and took a free ride back, and this is how you repay me?" Lucas was nearly laughing in frustration.Aveline looked at him. "Didn't I say thank you? What more do you want? Should I kneel and kowtow to you?"Lucas was speechless. This woman really knew how to infuriate him!Seeing his increasingly dark expression, Aveline smiled and said, "Lucas, you're upset because you gave a lady a ride back to the hotel? That's pretty petty of you."With that, she turned and walked away.Lucas stood there for a long moment, truly exasperated by her words, before finally return
The reason it wasn’t the same was simple—her plan would fall apart if she got caught.Of course, that wasn’t something she could admit.Jolie simply said, "I just don’t want any unnecessary complications. Since you’ve already arranged the flight, let’s just leave directly."Gavin’s dark eyes fixed on her for a moment, but he didn’t press the issue.It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it any further, so he let it drop.When the elevator doors opened, the two of them walked out together. A car was already waiting at the entrance. Gavin, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her.The car pulled away from Cooper Enterprises, and Gavin asked, "What do you want to eat?"Jolie, busy typing on her phone, replied, "I know a good restaurant."It was a cozy place she loved, one she often visited with her friends."Alright," Gavin replied, pulling out his phone to respond to some emails. With his work condensed into such a tight schedule, he seized every spare moment to handle it.Jolie p
Gavin suddenly recalled Wilfried's words, "That girl doesn’t even like you."Lowering his gaze slightly, Gavin pushed the thought aside without explanation, his expression remaining cool and indifferent as he watched her. After Jolie finished looking through the photos, she turned to him and asked, "Why do you have pictures of all these women?" "My father brought them over," Gavin replied. "Oh." Jolie nodded knowingly and didn’t press further. It was easy enough to figure out—the Cooper family obviously wanted him to consider an arranged marriage, so they sent over these photos for him to choose from. She could understand that. In fact, she even helped him look through them, just in case one of these women turned out to be a good match for him. After all, their relationship wasn’t meant to last forever. When he grew tired of her and she had her fun, they’d part ways, and everything would return to normal. As she neatly organized the photos and placed them back on the ta
It was Jolie’s first time visiting Cooper Enterprises, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about the place.No, to be precise, it was her first time stepping into any corporate office. The Quin family also had company, but she had never visited, nor had Daisy or Terence ever asked her to.The private elevator for the CEO was stunningly opulent, its polished surface gleaming like a mirror, perfectly reflecting their images. Jolie’s heart began to race with an inexplicable excitement.The assistant glanced at her and said with a warm smile, "Miss Quin, there’s no need to be nervous. Mr. Cooper will definitely be delighted to see you."Jolie nodded and replied, "I’m not nervous."The elevator moved swiftly, and as they neared the executive office, Jolie adjusted her cap and mask, pulling them snugly to hide her face as much as possible.Meanwhile, near the adjacent employee elevator, Rosalie was holding a stack of files, ready to head downstairs.She froze the moment she s
"I’ll wait for you to come back," Jolie said softly before hanging up the call. The phone let out a soft beep, and the beautiful girl on the screen disappeared. Gavin frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flickering across his face. She ended the call without letting him say anything. But as he replayed her soft words about waiting for him, the irritation quickly faded. When his assistant walked in, the first thing he noticed was Gavin staring at his phone, an unreadable smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The assistant froze, momentarily feeling as though he’d seen a ghost. Blinking hard, he looked again. Phew! It must have been his imagination. Gavin still wore his usual cold and impassive expression. "Mr. Cooper, these are the proposals submitted by the planning department," the assistant said as he placed the documents on Gavin’s desk. "Mm," Gavin acknowledged, immediately opening the files to review them. "Mr. Cooper, I’ve also finalized your schedule for
It sounded so much like Jolie! The thought stunned Rosalie. Jolie had a boyfriend, and she got sent abroad because of him. How could she possibly be in contact with Gavin, let alone on a video call with him? Still, an uneasy suspicion gnawed at Rosalie. If she could just take one glance at the woman in Gavin’s video call, she could put her mind at ease. Gathering her courage, Rosalie lifted her head and looked in Gavin’s direction, her gaze fixed on his phone. The next second, a figure stepped in front of her—Gavin’s assistant. With a cold stare, he blocked her view. Startled, Rosalie’s face turned pale. By now, Gavin had already entered his office. The assistant looked at Rosalie, his voice icy. “What are you trying to do?” “I-I…” Rosalie hadn’t expected to be caught so quickly. Her heart leapt into her throat as she scrambled for an excuse. “I just wanted to check if Mr. Cooper needed anything.” “That’s not your job,” the assistant replied firmly. “You may be the
Aveline held Joy in one arm and looked at Selena, asking, "What are you doing?" Selena replied, "Do you know what I just saw?" Aveline shook her head. "No idea." "Hickeys!" Selena pointed exaggeratedly to a spot on her neck, saying, "Right here. And I don’t think it’s just one spot. There’s probably a lot more below. Tsk tsk!" She clicked her tongue twice, shaking her head as she added, "Who would’ve thought Mr. Cooper could be so... ravenous." Aveline was amused and said, "Well, it makes sense. After all, he's already thirty, never had a girlfriend, and now that he finally does, of course, he’d go all out to spoil her." "Go all out to spoil her..." Selena drew out the words, mimicking her tone as she leaned in closer. "Ave, you’ve really been corrupted by Lucas, that scoundrel. You never used to talk like this." Aveline responded matter-of-factly, "I’m the mother of two now. What’s there to be embarrassed about?" "Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Selena made a playful, teasing expr
The corners of Gavin’s lips curved into a faint smile.The subordinate giving the report froze, his eyes widening in shock.What on earth?!Did he just witness that?Their notoriously serious and unsmiling boss—especially during work—had just smiled. In the middle of a meeting at his phone.Several others in the room noticed it too. Their gazes darted between each other in silent but frantic communication.What’s going on?Did Mr. Cooper just smile? At his phone? During a meeting?“Is he… dating someone?” everyone thought.“Ahem!”Gavin’s assistant cleared his throat, immediately breaking the silent chaos. First, it was a warning to the staff to rein in their imaginations, and second, it was a subtle reminder to Gavin, who was typing a reply.Even the assistant couldn’t help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.Who would have thought?The president of Cooper Enterprises, a man known for his iron will and unshakable focus, was texting his girlfriend during a meeting… and smilin
Rosalie said, “That must be tough for you. But why did Uncle and Aunt suddenly decide to send you abroad?” Jolie’s eyes flickered. So, her parents hadn’t told their relatives the real reason? How typical.Of course, they’d be too embarrassed to admit it. Shipping their daughter abroad just to force her to break up with her boyfriend? What a humiliating thing to confess. Jolie replied calmly, “I wanted to study abroad to gain some experience. It’s for my future photography exhibition. I still have a lot to learn.” “Oh, I see,” Rosalie responded, feigning understanding. Then she added, “Where are you staying? If I get the chance, I’ll come visit you.” “There’s no need, but thanks for thinking of me,” Jolie said lightly. “I’ll only be gone for a year. I’ll be back before you know it.” Rosalie smiled on the other end. “Alright then. If you need anything, just let me know.” “Sure.” After a few more polite exchanges, the call ended. Rosalie stared at her phone, gripping it
"Beep! Unlocked!" The electronic voice of the fingerprint lock sounded unusually clear in the quiet night. As soon as Jolie stepped through the door, Gavin wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. His hot breath cascaded down onto her ear and neck, making her breath hitch instantly. She didn’t even have time to take off her shoes before she was swept up into his arms. His kisses were relentless, stealing her breath and unraveling her control as her emotions rose and fell with his every move. Before she knew it, she was seated on the entryway cabinet. Her dress had been pushed up to her waist, and her legs were forced to cling to his lean waist. His fingers trailed over her skin, leaving traces of his presence wherever they went. “Mm…” A soft whimper escaped her lips as his kisses marked her skin. Each mark, blooming like crimson flowers against her fair skin, painted a vivid contrast on her porcelain complexion. The room remained pitch dark, but