Elaine had truly never expected to meet Aaron's family under such circumstances. Knowing Ralph Brown's identity only made her more uncomfortable.Ralph Brown went upstairs to change his clothes, leaving her alone downstairs. He had specifically instructed her, "Feel free to look around the house. Choose something you like." After changing into fresh clothes, he stayed upstairs for half an hour before coming down. From a distance, he could see Elaine sitting on the sofa. Her hands were awkwardly placed on her knees, and she was looking down, lost in thought."How about it? Did you find something you like?"Startled by Ralph Brown's voice, Elaine, already on edge, stood up hurriedly. "Grandfather, I just remembered I have something to attend to. I'll be leaving. Thank you for your hospitality."She was eager to leave. While she knew she would have to meet Aaron's family sooner or later, it shouldn't be under these circumstances. It was both awkward and uncomfortable."Is that so?" Ralph
Inside the quiet moving car, Aaron furrowed his brow. He occasionally glanced at the silent woman beside him. His fingers tapped restlessly on the steering wheel. A few days ago, he hadn't even thought about marrying Elaine.So, when she didn't demand him to fulfill his husbandly duties, he naturally ignored her. Coupled with his guilt towards Sarah, he had indeed spent more time with her these past few days.Casting another sidelong look, his gaze fell on Elaine's profile. "Are you hungry? Let's go eat."Elaine didn't bother to look at him and simply shook her head.Aaron's anger flared up. He suddenly jerked the steering wheel, accelerating sharply. "I'm hungry. Go home and cook for me!""What did you say?""What, as your husband, don't I have the right to order you to cook for me?" Aaron was getting agitated, not bothering to look at her as he pressed down on the gas pedal.Elaine gripped her seatbelt tightly. When they arrived home, she remembered something, her lips curling up sl
Melissa and Lionel spent half an hour in the study, after which Lionel left. As he left, Sarah immediately went to the study without knocking on the door. She turned the doorknob and entered abruptly, saying, "Mom!"Melissa was seated behind the desk and was startled by Sarah's sudden entrance. She hurriedly stuffed whatever was in her hand into a drawer. Sarah noticed and, curious, approached while asking, "What are you hiding? Let me see.""It's none of your business, so you don't need to look," Melissa avoided meeting her eyes, walked around the desk, and pulled her towards the door. "Come, let's go downstairs. I have something very important to tell you."Sarah gave her a suspicious glance, feeling that something was off. While Melissa was reaching for the doorknob, Sarah swiftly pushed her aside, ran back, and by the time Melissa caught up, Sarah had already opened the drawer and taken the documents she had hidden."Sarah," Melissa exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. It
The roads around nine o'clock were always congested. When Elaine arrived at the Brown mansion, she was a step late. She could see Mason's sports car parked near the main building of the Brown estate, implying that he must have already gone inside.Ralph Brown and Mason sat on opposite sides of a sofa, both wearing calm expressions. When they heard footsteps, they looked up at her. Elaine felt awkward, so she first called Mason and then looked at Ralph Brown. After a moment's hesitation, she addressed him, "Grandfather."Ralph Brown looked at her with a kindly smile. "Grandfather already knows. We are discussing the wedding plans."Mason spoke up, "Elaine, we are planning the wedding."Elaine was left utterly stunned. The words of rebuttal got stuck in her throat, and she found herself unable to say anything.Things became much easier from then on. Ralph Brown represented the Brown family, and Mason represented the Smith family. They had dinner and sorted out the details of the wedding
Lilian was so infuriated that she wanted to hit Elaine. Her raised arm was about to land on Elaine's face when suddenly another hand reached out and grabbed her wrist."You!" Lilian's lip twitched, staring at her son in disbelief. "Let go!"Aaron's other hand pulled Elaine behind him, stating, "Marrying her was my own decision. It has nothing to do with her.""Are you trying to drive me to my death?" Lilian glared at him. The Smith family was respectable, and she didn't despise Elaine. But the fact that Melissa held 5% of Aaron Group's shares, if Aaron married her daughter, then...She was truly about to burst from anger. She forcefully shook off Aaron's grip, her attitude remaining firm. "In any case, your father and I don't agree."Aaron frowned and looked behind him. Elaine was right behind him. He was confronting his mother for her sake. Unconsciously, her eyes became slightly teary. The image of this man seemed to grow taller in an instant.Even though he wasn't willing to reveal
Melissa couldn't sit still any longer. She pulled Sarah, who was reluctant to leave, and passed by Elaine, giving her a glare."Take your time leaving," Elaine suddenly had a clever idea and deliberately said this to them. She was implying that she was the master of this house, and they were merely guests.Sarah was about to turn around and curse at her, but Melissa held her back. The mother and daughter exchanged a glance, and Melissa signaled to her with her eyes. Sarah nodded lightly, and the two of them walked out in silence.Elaine, of course, had no intention of making things difficult for them any further. She lightly smiled and turned her gaze to Aaron, who was looking at her thoughtfully. She felt a bit flustered, so she quickly turned her head away. What was she looking at? She didn't like those two mother and daughter anyway.Aaron's eyebrows slightly relaxed as he was about to say something, but a woman's exclamation came from the entrance, "Sarah, what's wrong with you? D
It was like a butterfly about to break out of its cocoon. Their eyes locked, and something seemed on the verge of happening. The man's handsome face was getting closer, and it looked like they were about to touch. Elaine's heart raced, almost leaping out of her chest.But then, a knock on the door was like a bucket of cold water being poured down, extinguishing a red-hot iron. Aaron froze as if someone had stepped on his tail, his whole demeanor exploding in an instant! Elaine pushed at his chest, gesturing for him to get up. Ignoring her, he turned and shouted at the door, "Who is it?""It's me," Lilian's voice came from outside, equally angry. "Open the door for me!"Hearing Lilian's voice, Elaine found it a bit amusing. She really did treat her like a thief, coming to knock on the door in the middle of the night. Obviously, this wasn't going to end well.Aaron's expression turned gloomy. He was stopped at a critical moment, not caring that his mother's interference might affect his
It had been a while since Aaron left. Melissa pushed the door and entered the hospital room."Mom, you heard it, right? Aaron married Elaine to protect me. I knew he wouldn't let me down," Sarah said."Yes, yes, Mom heard it," her mood had finally improved a bit, and naturally, Melissa wanted to go along with her."I want to ask Mom to do something for me.""What is it?""Since Aaron was forced to marry Elaine because of those photos and videos, Mom, can you try to find someone to retrieve those photos and videos? As long as she doesn't have those things, Aaron can divorce her, right?" Sarah said with hope.Melissa hesitated. After thinking for a while, she felt that this matter might not be that simple. Facing her daughter's hopeful gaze, she couldn't bear to dampen her spirits. So, she tried to delay a bit, "Let Mom think about this.""Okay," Sarah grabbed her arm again and repeated, "Mom, you must be quick about it. If it drags on, what if Elaine gets pregnant? I don't want to see
In the following weeks, Lance frequently invited Sylvia to meet up. Gradually, Lance developed feelings for Sylvia and decided to confess his feelings. However, Sylvia felt he was too young for her and turned him down.A few days later, Sylvia was taking a break in her office. She heard footsteps approaching the door and assumed it was a nurse coming to remind her about a patient. She set down her coffee cup and stood up. But when the door swung open, it wasn't a nurse who entered; it was Lance, dressed in a suit and holding roses.Almost reflexively, Sylvia's heart skipped a beat. She pretended to flip through patient records and casually asked, "Why are you here?"Not receiving an immediate response from Lance, Sylvia raised her head to find him standing less than two meters away, holding roses and looking directly at her.Lance said, "You asked me to think it over carefully, and I did that after I went back."His expression was incredibly earnest, and Sylvia's fingers, gripping the
Seeing the young man staring at her, Sylvia wasn't one to be subtle. Considering the potential identity of the young man, even though she didn't have any disdain for that profession, she still felt a bit strange. So, taking advantage of the moment when the man was in a daze, she swiftly moved out of his embrace.Realizing that her arms were suddenly empty, Lance snapped back to reality. He lowered his head and looked at his empty arms, feeling a sense of loss. A trace of disappointment appeared on his clean face, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly."Lance, I advise you to think it over. I'm offering you a high price. Don't regret it!" The woman took the opportunity to approach, and her finger almost pointed at Lance's nose in an arrogant manner.Sylvia didn't like this woman at all and wanted to teach her a lesson. However, her hand was pulled by Lance, whose fingers were clean and slender, with neatly trimmed nails, just like him, giving off a very clean impression.Sylvia lowered he
From a very young age, Sylvia displayed a different side compared to other girls. While most girls immersed themselves in pretty princess dresses and shades of pink, and vied for the attention of handsome young men, Sylvia showed little interest. Furthermore, she had an exceptional older brother, Lance, which led her to have high standards when it came to men. Ordinary young men simply couldn't capture her interest. During her school years, many pursued her with flowers and gifts, but failed to attract her. Later, when she began working in the emergency department of a hospital, she encountered gory scenes every day. Her conversations were often peppered with terms like "fracture," making her one of the renowned figures at St. Love Hospital's emergency department. Sylvia didn't think much of men. They seemed to exist only to fulfill certain needs, and she had little desire for such things. Having become accustomed to being on her own over the years, even as her family members marrie
In mid-September, Renee gave birth to a baby girl. When Elaine and Aaron arrived at the hospital, they saw the newborn baby, wrinkled-faced and tiny. Elaine looked at her with great affection and couldn't wait to hold her.The nurse carefully handed the baby to her, a soft bundle that seemed fragile, as though she might break with a wrong move. Elaine held her with stiff movements, as if cradling something extremely delicate. She didn't dare to breathe too heavily."She's so small and so soft," she exclaimed excitedly. Elaine turned to look at Aaron and was surprised to see a hint of tears in his eyes. She was momentarily taken aback. The baby in her arms had already been taken away by the nurse."I have to take the baby to the nursery. Family members can go there to see her," the nurse said and left with the baby.In the corridor, it was just Elaine and Aaron. Elaine placed her hand on her swollen abdomen, then linked her arm with Aaron's, and smiled. "We'll have our own baby very so
As time passed, Elaine's belly gradually grew larger. With Aaron's meticulous care, she gained a little weight. Her once sharp chin filled out, and her complexion improved.During these two months, a significant event occurred: Ralph Brown passed away. He transferred all of Aaron's company's 30% of shares to Elaine, left the old Brown family mansion to Vincent, and the other five properties, including cars and various antiques, to Trevor. Mavis, at first, didn't agree with this distribution of the inheritance. Elaine didn't want those shares either, but the lawyer explained that if Elaine refused, the shares would have to be donated to a charitable organization. So, in the end, Elaine had to accept the shares. Mavis had no choice but to accept it as well, as the will had legal effect.Elaine already had 10% of Aaron's company shares, and with the additional 30%, it meant that Aaron's company ultimately returned to Aaron's control.Throughout this process, Aaron remained silent. He see
Aaron brought Elaine back to their home. He carried her upstairs, being gentle and considerate. "You're so cold. Let me run a hot bath for you."In truth, Elaine wasn't cold; it was his own body that felt icy.Seeing his lips turning purple, Elaine couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his cheek. "I'm sorry for making you worry."Aaron just shook his head. "As long as you're okay."Elaine bit her lip. "I'm not okay. I've really thought about ending it, why go on living to face all that pain?"As her words fell, Elaine distinctly felt Aaron's arm around her tightening. Nevertheless, she continued, "I just thought of the baby in my belly. I've already killed one. I can't harm this one too, so..."Her words caused Aaron's entire body to tense. Yet, he was also relieved that they had this child. Otherwise, he might have lost Elaine forever. He shifted his gaze to her abdomen and softly said, "Thank goodness for you."Elaine was unaware of his thoughts, and her fingers instinctivel
After two days of anxious waiting, Melissa finally received the DNA test results, confirming that she and Elaine were indeed mother and daughter. The samples had been provided by Melissa herself, and the hair samples, including Elaine's and hers, couldn't have been falsified.Her fingers trembled uncontrollably. Melissa staggered backward, her back against the wall, unable to contain the shivers running through her body. Elaine was really her daughter.She was the same daughter she had heartlessly abandoned in the wilderness during that winter, the daughter she had forsaken in her ruthless quest for revenge against Tatum. She had harbored murderous intent against her daughter not once, but three times, all in the name of saving Shumo Ran's life.Elaine was her daughter!..."Aaron, hurry and find Elaine. She drove off by herself, and we're worried she might be in danger. You must find her!" Renee's voice sounded frantic on the phone."What happened? Why did Elaine leave home like that
More than an hour later, Elaine woke up. When she opened her eyes, there were people standing around her hospital bed. She blinked and felt some discomfort in her shoulder. Her brow furrowed slightly.Aaron, anxious, immediately asked, "What's wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?"Elaine shook her head. "I'm okay. Thanks for worrying."She remembered Calvin, the man who had pushed her away, and asked anxiously, "How is Calvin?"She tried to sit up but was gently restrained by Sylvia. "Don't worry; he's okay. He has a broken leg, but the other injuries aren't too severe."Elaine, reassured about Calvin's condition, patted her stomach. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot about the baby."Aaron stopped her from moving further, saying, "The doctor said you should try to move as little as possible. Don't forget, there's a baby in your belly."Elaine rested back down.Over the next few days, Aaron not only took care of Elaine but also investigated why the driver had veered toward her. He found
Tatum went to the Garcia household since Melissa wasn't at home. After waiting for about half an hour, he heard the sound of a car outside. Tatum suddenly looked up, a hint of panic in his eyes, and slowly stood up from the sofa. It was indeed Melissa returning. She was holding her phone and talking on the phone, saying, "Don't worry, as long as you complete this task for me, I promise to send your wife and child abroad. Yes, the two million deposits have been transferred to your wife's account. I'm waiting for good news from you. Remember my requirements, go all the way!" Then she hung up and walked into the house. "Melissa!" Tatum looked at the weary woman before him. If only he hadn't insisted on leaving all those years ago... "You..." Melissa looked at the person before her, and a vague image in her mind became clearer, merging with the man before her as if he were the man from her hallucinations. She opened her mouth as if to say something but suddenly clutched her head, her