Seeing the delicious food in front of her, Aveline's eyes lit up.She picked up a few snacks and quietly ate them in the nearby lounge area.Several women had already started chatting over there.Since they were talking about Larbor City, Aveline wasn't interested because she didn't know much about it."Hey, have you seen Mr. Lucas? He's the third son of Frederick Tudor from Cloudflare City, the one who was in a coma and then went missing for a year.""Yeah, I saw him. I heard his childhood friend saved him, but her leg got broken. Then he lost his memory and was found by another woman. When she found out who he was, she refused to divorce him.""Hah! That's the Tudor family. If you can hold on to Mr. Lucas, you can rise to the top. Who would want a divorce?""Isn't his childhood friend pitiful? She saved him, broke her leg, and she still couldn’t be with him. That woman must be shameless, clinging to a man who doesn't love her."Aveline was speechless.Listening to their conversation,
Aveline paused for a moment, then looked at her and said, "Thank you."Judy smiled. "You're welcome. Follow me."Judy led her upstairs to a large room and pulled out several dresses from the walk-in closet, saying, "These are all unworn. Pick one."Aveline pointed to a black dress similar to the one she was wearing, "I'll take this one. Let's exchange contacts, so I can return it to you after I wash it or buy you a new one."Judy smiled. "No need, it's just a dress. Go ahead and change, I'll wait outside."Aveline nodded. "Okay."The walk-in closet door closed.Aveline looked at the dress similar to her own, her eyes glimmering.After a moment, she opened the door, smiling. "It fits perfectly, thank you."Judy nodded. "I’m glad you like it. I think Mr. Lucas is looking for you.""Really? I'll go find him then." Aveline said immediately, then turned and went downstairs.But as soon as she reached the bottom and started looking for Lucas, the music in the entire villa hall suddenly quiet
The butler's face darkened further. "Ma'am, if you don't cooperate, I have reason to suspect you stole the pearl earrings, so...""Do you have any evidence?" Aveline asked directly.The butler said, "You were the last to leave Miss Thompson's room, so you are the prime suspect...""Do you have any evidence?" Aveline repeated, her beautiful eyes filling with coldness.People around began to look at Aveline with increasing disdain."Isn't she Mr. Lucas' wife?""No, she's just an ordinary person who happened to marry Mr. Lucas when he lost his memory. Once she found out his identity, she refused to divorce him.""No wonder she'd steal Miss Thompson's pearl earrings. Women like her are disgusting!"Aveline remained quiet.The butler frowned. "Since you won't cooperate, don't blame me for being rude. Search her!"The servants immediately moved to conduct a body search on Aveline."What are you doing?"At that moment, a deep, magnetic voice echoed, and the murmurs of the crowd fell silent.L
At this moment, Lucas' aura suddenly became sharp and intimidating, his piercing eyes holding a cold, ghostly light as he looked at the butler as if he were a dead man.The butler felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon him. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly looked at Aveline."Mrs. Tudor, I sincerely apologize. I was too hasty and offended you. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this time."He bowed deeply, his attitude now extremely respectful, a stark contrast to his earlier domineering demeanor.Lucas, however, didn't let Aveline speak. His tone remained cold, "Do you think just a few words can earn my wife's forgiveness? Do you deserve it?"The butler was taken aback and asked, "Mr. Tudor, what do you want me to do?"Lucas replied, "If you have to ask how to apologize, it shows you have no sincerity. Since the butler from the Thompson family acts like this, doesn’t it mean that everyone in the Thompson family behaves the same way?"Hearing this, the butler
The car was already waiting outside.Once inside the car, Aveline hesitated. "We're just leaving like this?"Lucas replied, "What, should we stay for breakfast tomorrow?"Aveline kept quiet.It was pointless trying to talk to him properly!There was a brief silence in the car.Back at the hotel, Aveline went into the room first to change clothes and take a shower.When she came out wrapped in a bathrobe, she saw Lucas on the phone, his expression gentle, and she could vaguely hear him calling someone "Sophia."Aveline turned around and went back to her room.What bad luck.Lying on the bed with her phone, she couldn't sleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.Her mind kept replaying the scene of Lucas standing in front of her, dealing with the Thompson’s family butler.So handsome!So charming.But soon, her thoughts shifted to him talking to Sophia.Such a jerk.She felt like stabbing him.Frustrated, Aveline covered her head with a pillow, her whole body filled with conflicting
Lucas said, "If you don't want to go out, then just stay home."After saying this, he stood up and walked towards the room."Bang!"Aveline slammed her fork on the table with force. She was so angry that she lost her appetite! Why couldn't he talk about this matter properly? It really infuriated her!At that moment, her phone rang. After calming down, she picked it up to see it was a call from Selena."Ave, where are you?" Selena's lazy voice came through.Aveline replied, "Larbor City."Selena said, "Larbor City is nice. The churches there are said to be quite effective. Do you want to go ask for some blessings? And while you're at it, pray for me too, hehe."Aveline's eyes brightened, "Sure, I'll stay an extra day."Selena said, "I just miss you. Hurry back.""Okay," Aveline responded.The call ended quickly.Lucas soon came out. Aveline stood up and said, "I'm going to the church."Lucas looked at her, his eyes unreadable. "Shall I accompany you?""Sure." Aveline nodded.Lucas respo
Lucas' expression was icy, his gaze fixed ahead. "The brakes have failed."Aveline's eyes widened in shock. She quickly grabbed the handle, "What... what do we do now?"Lucas replied, "We might actually die together."Aveline's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She suddenly said, "If that's the case, won't Miss Winter be really sad?"Lucas glanced at her. "Why are you thinking about someone else at a time like this?""Watch the road!" Aveline struggled to stay calm, trying not to distract Lucas."What else? You keep thinking about being responsible for her. She really is quite pitiful, losing her leg to save you and waiting for you all this time, only for you to die with me."Aveline couldn't help but imagine the scene, feeling that Sophia would be devastated."And what about you?" Lucas asked in a deep voice.Her? What about her? She hadn't lost a limb, only a deeply heartfelt love.Aveline suddenly felt like laughing, "I don't want to be like those TV drama female leads who end u
The ambulance took a while to get there, and Aveline didn't dare move Lucas, afraid she might hurt him more. As his face grew paler from the blood loss, she felt more panicked than ever before.Fear completely enveloped her as she tightly held his uninjured hand. "Lu, you have to hang in there, you absolutely can't be..."She choked up, her vision blurring with tears. "If something really happens to you, I will definitely hate you, I promise I will!"She leaned down, pressing her face against his hand, feeling his warmth. "Lucas... you have to hang in there. You can't break my heart and then leave me like this. You just can't..."The ambulance finally arrived, and Aveline followed it to the hospital.At the entrance of the emergency room, she stood in a daze until the doors opened and a nurse came out."How... how is he?" Aveline asked anxiously.The nurse replied, "Who are you? Are you a relative?"Aveline responded, "I-I'm the family member of the injured person who was just brought
Daisy said, "I’ll go with you."Jolie didn’t respond, simply turning and heading toward the restroom. The restroom was spacious, and Jolie entered one of the stalls, locking the door behind her. Daisy waited near the sinks, glancing at her watch. After five minutes, her brow furrowed. “Jolie?” she called out. From inside, Jolie answered faintly, “My stomach hurts.” Daisy stepped closer to the stall. “Is it serious?” “It shouldn’t be,” Jolie replied. “I’ll be fine in a bit.” “Alright, I’ll wait outside,” Daisy said, though her expression showed growing impatience. The restroom wasn’t in the VIP lounge, so it was busier and less pristine than Daisy was used to. She stood with an air of distaste, her irritation evident in her posture. “Excuse me, whose luggage is this? One of the bags seems to be damaged,” an airport staff member said, approaching with a phone displaying a photo of the suitcase in question. Daisy glanced at the screen, her frown deepening. “It’s mine.
It was nothing short of breaking news! If this got out, the entire company would lose their minds in an explosion of gossip! The assistant fought to keep his excitement in check, pulled out his phone, and started digging into Jolie’s situation. In less than ten minutes, he returned, his expression serious as he knocked on Gavin’s office door. “Mr. Cooper, I’ve got an update. Miss Quin is currently at the Quin family home. I also found out she’s booked on a flight tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. to Montara for a year-long program.” Gavin, who had been reviewing documents, looked up sharply, his brows furrowing. “Studying abroad?” “Yes, that’s correct,” the assistant confirmed. “The Quins booked her ticket before she was even discharged from the hospital.” Such a rushed departure—why the urgency? The assistant glanced at Gavin’s unreadable expression and cautiously asked, “Mr. Cooper, should I dig further? Maybe find out the reason for her trip?” “No need,” Gavin replied coo
As expected.Jolie lowered her gaze slightly. Her pale face carried a fragile determination as she sat at the edge of the dining table. Her slender frame looked too weak to resist, yet the defiance in her eyes told another story.She couldn’t escape. But she wasn’t willing to give in. “I won’t break up with him,” she said, raising her eyes with a clear and unwavering resolve. Terence let out a cold laugh. “Well, you’ve got guts. You really are my daughter. Let’s see how long your resolve lasts!” With that, he abruptly stood and stormed out of the dining room. Daisy frowned at Jolie. “Jolie, why are you so stubborn? Ian Wheeler isn’t the right person for you. Why won’t you listen to us? Do you really think we’d harm you?” Jolie replied calmly, “Is what’s ‘right’ always the best?” “Of course,” Daisy said firmly. “If someone fits in every way, that’s what’s best.” “I don’t agree,” Jolie said softly, her gaze dropping as she rejected her mother’s words. “You’re being too
Daisy’s stance was unyielding, leaving Jolie no room to argue. She took her straight back to the Quin family home and even confiscated her phone.Meanwhile, just half an hour after they left, Selena arrived at the hospital. Noticing the empty room, she froze for a moment before grabbing a nearby nurse.“Excuse me, where is the patient from this room?” Selena asked.The nurse replied, “She’s been discharged.”“Discharged?” Selena was stunned. “So soon?”It wasn’t surprising that Jolie was ready to be discharged, but Selena couldn’t believe she’d leave without saying a word. She pressed on, “Did she leave on her own?”The nurse shook her head. “No, her mother came to take her.”Selena nodded slowly, her expression darkening. So that was it. Anger flickered in Selena’s chest. Jolie had been severely injured, and Daisy hadn’t bothered to visit her in an entire month. Yet, the moment it was time for her to leave, Daisy suddenly showed up. For the longest time, Selena had assumed Jolie w
Jolie instinctively glanced at Selena after hearing that, noticing the awkward expression on her face. After a brief pause, she suddenly called out, “Sister.”Selena shot up from her seat as if startled. “I think I’ll skip the oranges. I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll head out first,” she said quickly. Without waiting for Jolie to respond, she hurried out of the hospital room, looking like she was running from a pack of wild animals.Jackie blinked in surprise. “What was that about?”Jolie replied casually, “Maybe… she felt embarrassed.”Jackie chuckled warmly. “That’s normal, perfectly normal. When there’s tension and one side tries to make peace, the other usually feels awkward. Your relationship with Selena always seems a bit like this, doesn’t it?”Jolie lowered her gaze slightly and said softly, “She left home a long time ago.”Jackie raised her eyebrows. “Sounds like there’s been some serious conflict.”Jolie didn’t elaborate. The fact that Selena was willing to v
The next day, Daisy came to visit Jolie. Noticing Jackie in the room, she frowned and asked, “Who are you?”Jackie replied with a friendly tone, “I’m Miss Quin’s caregiver. And you are?”Daisy’s expression shifted briefly before she responded, “You can leave now. There’s nothing for you to do here.”Jackie grew wary and glanced at Jolie for guidance. Jolie said calmly, “Jackie, I’d like some fruit.”Jackie immediately understood that Jolie was subtly asking her to step out. “Alright,” she nodded and left the room.As soon as the door closed, Daisy turned to Jolie. “Jolie, did you look into that caregiver? What’s her background? Is she reliable?”Jolie met her mother’s gaze, her tone flat. “Sure. I’ll investigate later.”Daisy hesitated for a moment as if she suddenly remembered something. “I’m sorry, Jolie. Yesterday I forgot about you. There was an issue at the company, and your father and I were tied up until late. Were you alright? You didn’t go hungry, did you?”Jolie found it la
Upon hearing this, Jolie looked at him. "Can I refuse you?""Of course you can," Gavin replied without hesitation.Jolie eyed him skeptically, finding it hard to believe he would give in so easily.Gavin figured that even if she refused, there were still six obligations left to fulfill. Once those were over, their ties would be completely severed. He was confident that by then, she wouldn’t occupy any more of his thoughts.In his life, emotions had never been a priority. Career and power were always paramount. He had set his goals clearly from a young age. So even though he now realized he liked Jolie, he wouldn’t do anything irrational for the sake of feelings. That wasn’t who he was.Jolie’s eyes gradually brightened. She had assumed he was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, resorting to forceful tactics if she disagreed. His rationality made things much simpler!"Mr. Cooper, I’m sorry," Jolie said after deliberating for a moment. "We’re not very com
Gavin pulled out a document and handed it to her.Jolie glanced at it, her eyes widening in shock as she realized it was a detailed dossier on Ian. Staring at Gavin in disbelief, she asked, "What… what is this supposed to mean?"She didn’t even look at the contents again, her mind swirling with chaos. "To show you the kind of person you’re so adamantly defending," Gavin said coolly, his expression steady.Jolie’s grip on the bedsheet tightened as her thoughts spun out of control. She struggled to process what was happening. "Why are you doing this?" Their relationship was supposed to be simple—a transactional repayment of a favor. So why was he meddling in her life? Why investigate Ian? Why did he care so much about her relationship with Ian?A flood of questions filled her mind, and though the answer seemed obvious, she couldn’t bring herself to believe it.Gavin looked into her dark, clear eyes, finding something there he couldn’t quite decipher. It was rare for him to not unders
Jolie closed her eyes and said weakly, "I won’t break up.""You…" Daisy was taken aback by her stubbornness. Jolie had always been the most obedient child, the one who listened without question. Yet now, she was completely unyielding.Sighing heavily, Daisy sat down beside her. At this point, there was little she could do. Terence had already lashed out, but even that didn’t make Jolie relent. If she refused to break up, what more could they do?For now, Daisy decided to leave the matter alone. If talking to Jolie wouldn’t work, perhaps convincing Ian would be the way forward."Are you hungry?" Daisy asked after a pause."No," Jolie replied faintly. The only sensation she could focus on was the pain radiating from her back. She lay on her stomach, too afraid to move.Daisy let out a soft sigh. "If you get hungry, let me know. I’ll make you whatever you want.""Mm." Jolie barely responded, closing her eyes as exhaustion pulled her into a restless sleep.…Night fell, and Jolie stirred