At night Maria took a shower, she sat in the bedroom to dry her hair. Looking out at the night sky, she was upset.Her mind was filled with memories of her time spent with Charles. He had issued a threat, yet he had also acted as her protector. Whatever the case may be, Maria could not help but display a faint smile.Did she really have to leave?Why did she feel reluctant all of a sudden?Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind her, and the hairdryer in her hand was taken away.“What are you thinking about? You seem lost.”“Huh?”Maria attempted to turn her head in surprise only to find her head being held by two hands, “You’re so absorbed in thought that you might burn yourself. Let me help you.”Only then did Maria realize that the hairdryer was resting on her shoulder while she was lost in thought.Luckily, it was not her face, or she would have definitely gotten burnt.She sat quietly as Charles dried her hair.He moved gently as if he was dealing with something he cherished.“It’
The next day was Monday, Maria had classes and left early.Charles sat alone at the table having breakfast. Looking at the table of food in front of him, he lost his appetite.He always felt that Maria had been acting strange since they returned from the ad shoot, but he could not figure it out.He only knew that Maria was not happy.That day at grandfather’s place, although she wore a smile, it appeared forced.What happened?**************Inside the exclusive office of the headquarters of the Smiths Group, Charles fell into contemplation after finishing his work.He felt that there were only two reasons that could upset Maria. One was money, while the other second was her father.But Maria did not even collect the money she could have gotten for giving him a massage last night. It was clear that it was not about money, so it must be about her father. The mobile phone on his office desk suddenly buzzed. He checked the caller’s ID and answered it.Immediately the call connected, a m
Maria finally relaxed a bit when they had been on the road for a while, “You know who I am. How can you come to my school? If my classmates see me, how should I explain all this?”Charles laughed and said, “You can tell them that I’m your brother-in-law and I came to pick you up from school. Isn’t that all legitimate?”Maria rolled her eyes in annoyance, “In TV dramas, the relationship between a brother-in-law and a sister can easily be perceived as sensitive. Now that you came to pick me up so openly, do you think others would think it’s normal?”As she said that, she paused, and lowered her head, “Also, no one knows about my relationship with Mia. They just think that I look a lot like her. If they see me get in your car, they’ll think that you are my sugar daddy, and that you are cheating on your wife.”Tom, who was driving, had a slight tremor in his hand that was in the steering wheel when he heard that.What?Mrs Smith was digging her own grave!Young Master Smith never tolerate
Charles stared at the neon sign that reads Night Colorsss and laughed out loud, “Who told you that I took you here to find prostitutes?”Maria was embarrassed and pouted, “Isn’t it? Look at the decorations and this flashy neon sign that gives off suggestive vibes. It would be strange if it is not.”Hearing that, Charles realized that she had never been to a night club or hung out at night before.It appeared that his little wife was still quite pure.“You are right.”Charles chuckled and grabbed her petite hand, “Let’s go get you a man.”“What?”Maria was startled and turned to run away, but her hand was tightly gripped by Charles. It was impossible for her to run away.Overwhelmed with embarrassment and annoyance, Maria remembered that Mia had once mentioned that Charles did not like women. This thought spurred some peculiar imagery in her head.Could it be… that Charles really did not like women?He could enjoy it himself, but why did he have to drag her along with him? It was crazy
Maria suddenly had interest, "Sure, tell me about it."Ben chuckled mischievously. When he was about to speak, he suddenly felt two cold gazes on his face. He was scared and quickly turned away.Maria turned her head and saw Charles warning gaze. It seemed that Mia wasn't wrong in saying that Charles didn't like women."We've arrived. This is it."Ben pointed to a beautifully crafted pool table, glancing at Charles, "Haven't played in years, right? Want to have a round?"Charles raised an eyebrow, extended his arm, and immediately someone respectfully handed him a pool cue, "It seems that I haven't made you fail inyears, and you're longing for it.""Hey!"Ben picked up his own special pool cue and argued, "Young Master Smith, let me tell you, in the years you've been gone, I've been practicing every day. I've been waiting for you to come back, so I can cleanse myself of my past shame. Today, I'll let you witness the power of the PoolPrince of San Diego firsthand!"Charles smiled and
Maria looked towards the woman. They were about the same age. She was stylish and tall, looking down at Maria disdainfully with slanted eyes.Maria was sure that she didn't know this woman, so she couldn't understand why she suddenly attacked her.Ben frowned and looked at the woman standing next to him, "Angel, watch your manners. This is my buddy's wife. Be polite!"Angel scoffed, "Young Master Thomas, Mia is pretty confident. She doesn't need you to speak for her."Upon hearing that, Ben realized that something must have happened between Angel and Mia before. Angel wasn't his girlfriend. She was justsomeone he paid to accompany him to play pool when he wasn't busy. They weren't close.So naturally, he sided with Mia."Enough. Don't be so sarcastic. I paid you to accompany me, not to see your attitude!"Angel pursed her lips. Ben paid her, so she dared not offend him. But she was still unhappy.Seeing Maria staring at her, Angel scornfullysmirked, walked over to Maria and raised h
Charles’ joy bloomed as he gazed into Maria’s eyes, adorned with a captivating smile.He raised his hand. In front of everyone, he pinched her soft, white cheek gently.The smile on his lips widened. “If we lose, you will leave it to my discretion back home!”Despite his harsh words, his actions were gentle. Angel looked at Charles’ affection for ‘Mia’ with jealousy, her eyes turning red.Why was Mia blessed with a wealthy stepfather and the chance to marry Charles, a handsome and wealthy man?Besides, wasn’t it rumored that Charles did not like women?What magic did Mia possess to make this man love her to this extent?Watching Maria wince in pain and then being enveloped by Charles’ embrace,Angel clenched her teeth. “Are you sure you want to bet?”Maria nodded in Charles’ arms, smiling, “I want to bet.”Angel didn't want to watch Mia and Charles showing off their love any second longer. She picked up the pool cue and turned around, “If you want to bet, let's start!”However, Mari
Charles looked at Maria in surprise. He was confident in his own skills. If Maria started the game, even if he couldn't pocket all the balls, he was confident of pocketing at least half. But Maria wanted him to start it. She might hand over their only chance of winning to their opponents.Seeing his look, Maria smiled. She raised her hand to pat his shoulder, “Don't worry, hit hard. Leave the rest to me.”Charles, “...”Shouldn't such domineering and confident words be his lines?Maria’s fingers squeezed his shoulder hard, "Go on. Remember to hit hard."So she liked it rough...Huh...Charles chuckled softly, taking his cue and walking to the pool table.A glance at the rack, he took the cue ball. Then he placed it directly on the edge of the table, using the cue ball to aim for the middle of the rack's slope. Afterwards, he bent, his left hand supporting the cue, his eyes aiming for the middle of the stack of red balls. Suddenly, his right hand exerted force. With a ‘boom’, after the
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