At that moment, in a high-rise building in Brussels, over a dozen men in black suits gathered together."This is Charles' wife."One of the men turned the laptop screen towards the others, "We received information that he loves his wife very much. If we capture his wife, we can extort a large sum of money from him!""Humph!"All the men looked at the laptop screen fiercely. "Charles forced us into a corner two years ago. Now it's time for him to be cornered!""Yes! We can't deal with him, but we can capture his wife.""Hehe..."One of the men, who looked sleazy, licked his lips sinisterly, "His wife is quite beautiful. Let's capture her and have some fun!""Yes..."Another man's eyes gleamed, "Such women are petite and gentle. If we all have our turn with her, she might not even want Charles anymore, hahaha..."The man sitting behind the laptop screen tapped the table with his finger."Let's not think about that for now. Let's make a plan and see how we can capture that woman!"Immedi
After Mia left Maria’s room, she didn't return to her own room but took the elevator downstairs and left the hotel.Walking on the bustling streets of Brussels, she pouted in frustration and kept complaining."If I am ordinary, what about Maria?""Maria is even worse than me!""He looks down on me and doesn't like me, so he deliberately mocked me in front of Patrick!""Damn Maria. What's so good about her? Charles likes her, and even my dad likes her... They've gone too far!"Suddenly, a white van stopped by the roadside, and the door whooshed open. Two men in black suits immediately jumped out of the van. They purposefully ran towards Mia, who was still complaining with her head down. Suddenly, a handkerchief covered her mouth and nose, and a strong smell rushed into her nostrils. She wanted to struggle, but suddenly, everything went black and she fainted…The two men quickly carried her into the van, and then the van roared off.The two men in black looked at the unconscious Mia and
If Maria weren't Andrew's apprentice, Charles would have definitely ignored Mia. But now, Maria was Andrew's apprentice, and Mia was Andrew's biological daughter. Even though Charles and Maria disliked Mia, they couldn't leave her alone.Instead of panicking, Maria said to Charles calmly, "Honey, give me your phone. I brought my laptop. In half an hour, I can find out where they are."Charles was composed and calm. He was devoted to Maria and there was no trace of any affair with other women on his phone, except for some business secrets. Even if Maria knew about the business secrets, he didn't mind. So he handed his phone to Maria with confidence.Maria took his phone and quickly jumped off the sofa. She took out her laptop and quickly typed on the keyboard.Charles knew that Maria had a master's degree in information technology. If Maria wanted, she could definitely become a formidable hacker. So he entrusted it to Maria and quickly left.****The doorbell rang.Alexander was lyi
Maria’s fingers were still tapping on the keyboard, her eyes set on the computer screen. Multitasking, she told them, "I should be able to track them down very soon. Once we locate them, we'll have a plan.""Maria…"Andrew looked at Maria with deep gratitude. He would have never thought that after how Mia treated Maria previously, she would still exert all her efforts to help Mia out in this crisis.Just this alone was something Mia would never be able to do in her lifetime!Sure, Maria could multitask, but she was still focused primarily on the task at hand, barely noticing Andrew's current emotions.Charles came over and glanced at Maria’s computer screen, which he couldn't understand as it was filled with dense letters and symbols."Ria, do you still need my phone?""No need."While Maria was typing, she said, "When I was contacting them just now, I found that their signal didn't move. That implies those people have stayed put since they left Mia there, which is very advantageous f
At this time, in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Brussels, in a dimly lit cabin, only one table lamp was lit. Mia Lesser lay on the bed, slowly opening her eyes.Everything was so unfamiliar, and the air was filled with an unpleasant smell.She had just moved a little, only to find that she couldn't move at all.What's going on?She looked down at herself to find that her feet were tied and her hands were tied behind her back. She couldn't move at all. She wanted to cry out, but she could only make a "whimpering" sound.She was immediately dumbfounded, trying hard to recall what she remembered. She was clearly walking on the street, so how did she end up here? A man sitting nearby was playing a game on his phone. Suddenly hearing a noise, he turned his head and saw her big eyes staring at him in horror. The man laughed in delight."Hehe, girl, you seemed to be sleeping quitecomfortably...""Mmm..."Mia wanted to speak. She wanted to ask the man why he brought her here. But
"Eh!"Inside the car, Maria looked at the computer screen, blinked and said, "Husband, it seems like they're moving...""Moving?"Charles looked at the laptop screen, indeed seeing that the small red dot was slowly moving.Maria and Charles stared unblinkingly at the red dot. They saw the dot circle around before it started heading in their direction."Eh..."The more Maria watched, the more confused she became. "Why do I feel like they're coming towards us? What are they up to?"Indeed, the red dot was slowly moving on the map. While it seemed slow on the map, Maria knew that they weren't slow on the actual road.Moreover, they were currently facing the group and it wouldn't be long until they would meet. Charles saw the red dot getting closer and immediately said, "Jiang Jie, drive towards the hotel. Maintain a steady speed, don't go too fast, and don't go too slow.""Okay."Jiang Jie, who was in the driver's seat, quickly turned the steering wheel at an intersection. His car immedi
Charles looked at Andrew without showing any hint of anger. He simply stared at him calmly, then chuckled, "Do you believe in what you just said?"As the atmosphere turned increasingly awkward and the conversation became more strained, Maria pulled at Charles' hand and smiled at Andrew. "We're still not sure about the whole situation, so we have to adapt to it. Let's not discuss this for now, I'm going to check where they've reached…"After finishing her words, she turned around and looked at her laptop screen again. Either out of surprise or delight, she pointed at the screen and exclaimed, "They're almost here."Upon hearing her words, Andrew and Charles both stopped arguing and turned their attention to the computer screen. The red dot on the screen was getting closer to them, apparently entering the streets controlled by Charles. Andrew bit his lip hard, his voice somewhat hoarse, "They are really... coming..."Charles, for the sake of Maria, did not continue arguing with Andrew
"Alright, then wait for me." Maria hung up the phone and looked at Charles, Andrew, Alexander Caine. Her face remained unreadable.Andrew knew that Maria was saving Mia solely for his sake. He sighed and gave a comforting pat on Maria's shoulder. "Maria, thank you. After we save Mimi, I will properly discipline her."Maria didn't say much. She simply got a shoulder bag, put her phone inside, and walked out leisurely. "You two stay here and don't go anywhere else." Charles told Andrew and Alexander Caine before following Maria.Andrew's mind was in turmoil. He was aware of how much Maria and Charles despised Mia, and yet they were going to save her because of him. While he couldn't fully understand how they might truly feel, he knew how abhorrent this task must be for them. He shook his head and sighed, moving to the window.The window overlooked the street below. If he was careful, he could observe every single movement down there. Alexander Caine also joined him near the window, lo
After leaving the banquet courtyard, Maria and Charles got into a sightseeing car and headed towards the Lesser family gate.Along the way, Charles remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his face looked terrifyingly solemn.Maria also didn't say anything. She held his hand tightly as if she wanted to give him her strength.Even when they got into their own car, Charles didn't say a word. He just gently rested his head on Maria’s shoulder, like an injured child.**********Back at the villa, Maria fetched a bottle of red wine, opened it, and took out two glasses. She tilted her head at Charles."Let's go and drink in the room."She smiled and raised the wine bottle in her hand. Charles noticed and finally relaxed the corners of his tightly pressed lips.He stood up and laughed softly, "How is one bottle enough? You are never drunk after a thousand cups."Maria looked at him speechlessly, seeing him take out two more bottles of red wine. She felt like things wer
Eva had been with Eric for more than twenty years, and she had no doubt about his feelings for her. Moreover, Eric always took good care of her and loved her deeply. If there was any rift between them, it was Charles.For the past twenty years, she had always been cautious in protecting their relationship, never inquiring about any news about Charles. That's why they had been living in harmony, until Mia came to Beijing. She had started investigating Charles' affairs under the old lady's orders.And since then, she felt that Eric had become more and more distant from her, a distance that she couldn't close no matter what she did.Now that Charles had come to Beijing, she had to make a choice between Eric and Charles. She didn't want to, but she had to…"Eric…"Her voice trembled as she pleaded, looking at him. "Can't you…?""No!"Those two resolute words instantly crushed the only hope in Eva heart.On one side was her husband, and on the other was her biological son, and she owed C
David and Hamya exchanged glances as they heard this. It was as if they had made a decision. They immediately said in unison, "We want to go too!""Huh?"Charles looked at them with confusion.David patted his stomach and smiled at Charles, "Young Master Smith, I wonder if your company is in need of pianists? What do you think of me?"Hamya chuckled and nodded, "I think I can do it too. Young Master Smith, please consider signing both of us. We don't ask for much, just a chance to perform in top music halls."David was worried that Charles would disagree, so he put on an even more sincere smile. "Ah yeah, haha... We just feel that Patrick is not enough on his own. With Hamya and I joining, after all, we have better qualifications than him. When the three great piano masters embark on anglobal tour together, and with Maria and Linda, it will be twice as successful.""Exactly!"Hamya laughed happily, "Young Master Smith, a single concert takes too long, Patrick won't be able to handle i
The two of them walked onto the stage and sat down at the piano. Maria raised her head and exchanged a glance with Linda, who placed her hands on the keys.The young pianists were curious about what music Maria and Linda would play. This was the second round of the training camp's open competition, and they usually wouldn't get to hear it.Suddenly, the piano played a melancholic melody, carrying a touch of elegance in the air, instantly striking at people's hearts!"This is..."Some couldn't remain calm instantly. "Butterfly Lovers?!""Is that possible? Butterfly Lovers arranged as a piano piece?""Yes, everyone knows that Butterfly Lovers is best played on the guqin, or the zheng would also work. It's my first time hearing it played on the piano.""Hey, no, this version of Butterfly Lovers has been adapted for piano. It suits the instrument perfectly while still preserving the essence of the original piece. It's absolutely refreshing!"After a few seconds of discussion, an unexpect
Two days later, Maria and Linda arrive at the venue of the exchange conference in their finest attire.They hand over their invitation cards and wait for the security guard to check them.Suddenly, a mocking voice comes from beside them, "Oh oh, who is this? Linda!? Am I mistaken?"The one speaking is Linda manager, and standing next to her is the pianist signed by Linda economic company."Aria, you're not mistaken, isn't that Linda herself?"Hearing their voices, Linda's face darkens. She turns her head and glares at them, "Aria, your eyesight is really not good, you can't even recognize me. You should go to the hospital to have your eyes checked."Aria originally wanted to embarrass Linda, but she didn't expect her to retort so sharply. She immediately gets furious."Linda, the company didn't give you an invitation card. Tell me, where did you steal it from?""Hehe..."Linda raises her chin triumphantly, holding Maria's arm. "Do I need the company to give me one? Just look at who's
After arriving in Beijing, the feeling of uneasiness never appeared again, and Maria felt an indescribable relief.Charles had sent someone to take Andrew back to the Lesser family, while Patrick and Linda followed Charles and Maria back to their villa.Originally, Andrew had strongly invited Patrick to come back to the Lesser family with him, but Patrick knew that the Lesser family was big and complicated, so he used the excuse of being with Linda and followed Charles.***********On the third day, when Luna returned from Brussels, she went directly to Maria’s place and looked at Linda, her expression becoming more flattering."Linda, I heard that your contract with your previous agency is about to expire, right?"Maria sat next to Linda, holding a big doll in her hands, feeling very angry."Yes, they told me before that if I could achieve good results in the training camp this time, they would sign me for another ten years and give me all the resources. But just when I announced my
At this moment, Maria had already packed up and left the hotel with Charles, Linda, Andrew, and others.On the way to the airport, Linda still couldn't understand and turned back to Maria, "Ria, as long as the misunderstanding is resolved, we can still stay in the training camp, right?"Of course, Maria knew that if she returned to the training camp now, everyone would treat her like a deity.Just kidding, being able to decide the life and death of their teacher, they would definitely flatter and serve Maria obediently.Maria shook her head, "Actually, I have already achieved my goal. Linda, if you want to go back, you can go back, no need to accompany me.""Hey!"Linda casually waved her hand, "Without you here, why should I go back? Besides, I have hugged your thigh, and you have hugged Master Smith's thigh. Am I still afraid of not being able to reach the pinnacle of the international piano world?"She said it so casually, as if she was joking. But Maria could tell that she still f
Maria, so smart, why couldn't she understand what they meant?She smiled and turned to shout inside the house, "Honey, it turns out they are looking for you." Charles was inside, and he had heard everything at the door clearly. The girls had looked down on him before and said he was weak, but now they all came to beg him with a straight face. It was really funny.He remained silent for a while before saying, "Ria, in our home, I make the major decisions and you make the minor ones. But in my eyes, besides you, nothing else is a major matter. So, you make the decisions."The girls outside, "..."Didn't that mean that Maria would be in charge of everything in the house?They felt a toothache and couldn't believe they were caught off guard by this unexpected situation.Maria shrugged and looked at them again.Originally, they came to apologize to Maria as a pretense, hoping that she would persuade Charles, but now, the initiative was completely in her hands, and they had to lower their
Maria was not foolish. Why did her reputation stink so much? Was it only because of the ambiguous relationship between her and Charles at that banquet?Just that one time was not enough to make everyone dislike and envy her.Lucy's face was extremely embarrassed, but at this moment, she had already lost all confidence in front of Maria and could only cry helplessly."Maria, I really know I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Please...""Lucy, your intentions were truly wicked. You even used Rivata as a weapon. Honestly, I admire you for that."Even while saying this, Maria's expression remained calm, her tone as if chatting with a close friend."You, alone, have bewitched the hearts of all the girls in the training camp. You treated others as pawns to sacrifice for your own gain. Wasn't your goal to drive me out of the camp? Congratulations, you achieved your goal. You should be happy, so why are you crying?"When Maria said this, the other girls immediately began pondering.After thinkin