A smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of Isabella's lips."Milan Club?"Victoria's celebration party was also held at the largest Milan Club in the city. Some of the most prominent local entrepreneurs, out of respect for Nathan’s status, attended to show support for Victoria. Nathan’s close friends also made the effort to come from afar, giving Victoria ample face.Nathan had booked a luxurious VIP room at the hotel and hired many famous singers and dancers to perform lively songs and dances in the hall.Victoria looked around at the festive and bustling scene, her eyes welling up with emotion.She clung to Nathan’s arm. "Nathan, thank you for throwing this celebration for me. I’m so happy."Nathan gazed at Victoria with tenderness. Even though Victoria had her makeup on, her exhaustion was still evident. He recalled the doctor’s words: although her kidney transplant had been successful, her body had been frail for a long time, and there were concerns her single kidney might not
Victoria resumed her lecturing tone, taking on the role of the older Sis. "Bella, you spent so much money on the Newcomer Competition, it must have been a loan, right? You still haven’t paid off your debts, and now you're spending so lavishly at the most expensive club in Milan. You’re going to accumulate a lot of debt this way. You know, Dad's company hasn't been doing well these past two years, and it’s not making much profit. He doesn't have the money to help you pay off your debts."Isabella looked at Victoria indifferently. "He doesn’t have money to help me pay off my debts, but he has money to help you get a kidney transplant. Is that right?"Tears rolled down Victoria’s face. "Bella, I didn’t want to use Dad’s money…""Then why don't you just die? If you die, you won’t drag the Moore family down, will you?"Isabella could no longer tolerate Victoria’s self-righteousness.*Slap…*Nathan's slap landed hard on Isabella’s face, like a wild beast, his eyes bloodshot with rage as he g
She decided to boldly reach out for a hug. Thinking it would be a brief embrace, she didn’t expect Theodore, being so tall, would accidentally cause her petite frame to wrap her arms around his slender waist.This little guy really had a great physique—lean but firm, as if sculpted from years of fitness.Without overthinking, Isabella bombarded him with questions: "Are you getting used to being back home?" "Did your stepmother and brother give you the cold shoulder?" "Does Grandpa treat you well?" Theodore held her tightly, as though afraid she might turn into a butterfly and fly away. He recalled his first day back home: after retorting to his stepmother during dinner, she deliberately complained to his father. Without asking for the truth, his father slammed his bowl on the ground and ordered him to kneel as punishment. He knew they were sending him a message—a warning that he was merely an outsider in the Sanchez family. That night, he endured it. "I'm fine, Sis," he
Ava looked at him teasingly. “Mr. Hill, you’ve finally remembered you still have a wife, huh?” Nathan’s bloodshot eyes burned with fury as he roared, “Who’s in there with her?” Ava glanced at Victoria, who was panting heavily beside her, and sneered, “Mr. Hill, you should focus on taking care of Miss Victoria. My Sis doesn’t need your concern. She already has someone who cares about her.” “I’m her husband,” he shouted angrily. “I’m the only one who has the right to care for her.” Ava shot back heatedly, “You’ve harmed her body. You don’t deserve to be her husband!” Victoria stepped forward, her voice steady and condescending. “Little girl, the matter between my Sis and my brother-in-law isn’t something you can understand in just a few words. My brother-in-law once saved my Sis’s life. Their connection runs deep, far beyond what outsiders like us can comprehend. My Sis may claim she doesn’t love him, but that’s just her acting out because she can’t have him.” Ava, still youn
Isabella’s thoughts traveled through the long river of time: For the sake of her child, she had pleaded with him to cancel or delay the surgery. But his face was colder than ever. Taking a drag on his cigarette, he exhaled a cloud of smoke and said emotionlessly, “Isabella, Victoria has waited too long for this moment. I don’t want her to wait any longer. The longer she waits, the more she suffers.” “But I’m pregnant with your child. If you harm my body now, the child will be in danger,” she begged. “The child can be aborted. We can always have another one later,” he replied coldly. “Husband, please, no... This is *our* child. I don’t want to lose it,” she cried. “If you want to keep it, then keep it,” he said indifferently. She thought he had softened, that he would spare their child. But what happened later? Later, he forced her onto the operating table. True to his word, he let her give birth, but after being subjected to excessive medication, she delivered a fra
Isabella turned pale with fright and quickly shielded Theodore behind her. Nathan’s raised fist hovered in the air but never came down. He simply stood there, stunned, staring at Isabella. Seeing her protect another man, her gaze so firm and resolute, something deep inside him began to crumble. The once timid Isabella had only ever shown such courage for him. Now, that bravery was no longer his alone. He finally understood: he had lost the girl who had once loved him with all her heart. Taking advantage of Nathan’s momentary daze, Isabella grabbed Theodore and ran. When they reached a deserted street, Isabella clutched her chest, exhaling in relief. Then, she lightly punched Theodore in the chest—a gesture more sound than fury. Angrily, she scolded him, “He’s the young master of the Imperial Capital, someone even your eldest brother has to tread carefully around. You’ve offended him—do you not want to survive in the Imperial Capital anymore?” Theodore put on a look
Nathan stared at her indifferent expression, feeling an inexplicable stab of pain in his heart. So, love *could* fade. "Bella, do you hate me for taking your kidney?" Isabella’s lips curved faintly, a weak smile devoid of warmth. There were so many reasons for her to hate him that she didn’t know where to begin. Yet, regarding the kidney donation—if there hadn’t been deception—she didn’t truly hate him for it. "You saved my life and paid for my education. Consider the kidney my repayment. We owe each other nothing now," she said, rising to leave. But Nathan wasn’t ready to let her go. "Bella, if you don’t hate me, then come back home with me." Isabella stared at him, her gaze blank. She didn’t hate him for taking her kidney, but there were countless other reasons for her to resent him. "I won’t go with you," she replied. In her indifferent eyes, Nathan couldn’t see even a flicker of passion. He felt a rare sense of helplessness. "But we’re married..." Isabella i
Nathan stood at the door for a long time, his expression dark and sour. In the end, he could only sullenly take Victoria back. **The Capital.** After shaking off the fatigue of travel, Nathan returned home. But instead of heading to the grand Hill family villa, he went to the smallest, least notable property he owned—a modest apartment that served as his and Isabella’s marital home. The apartment was only 89 square meters. For an average person, owning property in such a prime location would be considered a decent asset. But for Nathan, heir to the Hill family fortune worth billions, with countless villas and properties, using such a place as a marital home underscored his disregard for Isabella. Back then, Nathan had subconsciously thought: for a girl who was abandoned by her parents and survived by scavenging trash, providing her with this kind of life was already a gift. She used to be so content. But when had she started wanting to escape the dream he had fabricated f
Samuel held onto William's neck and affectionately said, "Grandpa, as long as you are happy, I will unconditionally support any decision you make."William was very pleased and said, "Our grandson was not raised in vain."Kassidy's expression, however, was quite unnatural. She stammered, "Grandfather, you should go and investigate the background of that grandmother, shouldn't you?"William's eyes darkened, “Did you hear any rumors?"Kassidy noticed William's displeasure and nervously stepped back. They remained silent.Olivia said, "William, you scared the child. You are so smart, can't you see that Hana's daughter had impure motives for approaching Kassidy?"William just woke up from a dream and said, "Your female classmate's last name is Kerr?"Kassidy nodded fearfully.William fell silent.Thea sighed silently, realizing her father's persistence towards Hana, with the courage to resist societal norms, and she di
Thea, Olivia, and Thorne were sitting in a row on the sofa. When William saw them, he couldn't help but be taken aback, and then his old face became shy. "You guys haven't rested yet?"Olivia teased, "How can I sleep when my son and daughter-in-law are worried about your safety, an old man like you, not coming home so late? If they can't sleep well, naturally I can't sleep either."William felt ashamed and said, "Thea, don't wait for me anymore in the future. Although I am not young, I have just entered my prime, so I am not considered old."Olivia sighed and said, "Oh, love really makes people feel younger. A few years ago, who would have said to me, he's getting old. Half of his foot is buried in the yellow soil, with no other wishes in this lifetime, his last wish in life is for his daughter's well-being."William rolled his eyes at Olivia and said, "You, always so stubborn. I can't argue with you anymore, I'm going to bed."At this moment, Thea
Hana immediately showed joy, she straightened her clothes and adjusted her posture. Then, she tactfully and gracefully suggested, "Both Williamand I have been married before, and I have thought about it. Our wedding doesn't need to be extravagant, we just need to get the marriage certificate and invite our family and friends for a meal."Thea remained silent and continued to listen attentively to her advice."Since the wedding was not grandly celebrated, but the necessary three golds and dowry still had to be present. It didn't need to be a lot, just for the sake of formality. My main purpose was to appease my family."At this point, seeing that no one responded, Hana fell silent.Thea asked, "How much do you think is appropriate?"Hana paused, her gaze shifting towards the girl beside her.The girl, with an innocent and naive appearance, spoke in a childish accent about adult matters, “My aunt, who has a lower education level th
Olivia's words had a deeper meaning, and Thea quickly asked, "Mom, do you happen to know this person Hana?"Olivia glanced at the breakfast on the dining table and smirked, "Such a sumptuous feast on this table, how early did she have to wake up to make all of this? She is truly virtuous. No wonder your dad is so fond of her. But are these pastries really made by her?"Thea laughed and said, "So you've also noticed. These pastries taste like the famous ones from a popular restaurant. But what if this Hana is actually an employee of that restaurant?"Olivia nodded, "That was really a coincidence."Thea looked into the distance, her gaze darkened, “Tonight, I had arranged to have dinner with Hana and her family at a hotel. By then, I would probably be able to make a decision."Olivia let out a deep sigh."Ah. Back in the day, I liked William so much. But he didn't even give me a second glance. Now, he's captivated by an oldwoman, w
At 11 o'clock in the evening, William came home.The living room lights were not as brightly lit as usual, but instead emitted a dim and eerie glow. Just as William was feeling surprised, there was a sudden click, and the switch button sounded, causing all the lights in the living room to simultaneously illuminate. The dazzling glare of the incandescent bulbs enveloped William, leaving him with nowhere to hide.On the sofa, Thea sat upright, with her hands folded on her lap, her gaze dark and unclear, staring at William."Where have you been? Why did you come back so late?" Thea's tone carried a sense of seriousness, even though she was asking knowingly, and even though she had accepted the fact of her father's twilight romance in her heart, it didn't mean she could accept him coming back so late. After all, she was worried about his safety.William saw Thea and his eyes lit up. "Thea, when did you come home? Why didn't you tell Dad in advance? If Dad had
Upon returning to the Brown Manor, Thea was well aware of all the significant events that had occurred over the past few years.Ruby had already transferred the Brown Manor to Thorne's name, so Thorne is currently the owner of the Brown Manor. Although Thorne has been absent from the martial arts world for many years, legends of Thorne are still widely spread throughout the martial arts community.Samuel rose to fame at a young age, with a halo surrounding him, but the reputation was mistakenly attributed to Thorne. Many people assumed, "Samuel has Thorne as his genius father, like father like son. Samuel must naturally be so talented."And Thea's fame gradually faded away.In addition, Ruby's background has been speculated by various people. Especially her past experiences have been dug up, and her former teachers and classmates have added a lot of mystery to her identity, “Ruby was originally born into a common family, her parents favored boys ove
Thorne looked mysterious, “I hope I was just being overly cautious."The Brown Manor.When Thea and Thorne returned to the Brown Manor, Ruby held a grand welcome ceremony for them.Unlike the desolate, lonely, and quiet atmosphere of the Brown Manor in the past, the Brown Manor now is immaculate everywhere, with servants coming and going, and decorations such as red lanterns and agate are abundant, adorning this huge villa. The villa has become extraordinarily noisy.Thorne and Thea were stopped by diligent security guards at the door, who asked, "Sir, Miss, who are you looking for?"Thea and Thorne exchanged a smile, and just as they were about to explain, they heard an excited voice coming from inside."Thorne?"The security guard saw Ruby, respectfully bowed his head, with his hands hanging on both sides, and called out, "President."Ruby walked up with a smile and said to the security guard, "You must look carefully,
Thea took the glass of water and smiled gratefully at Thorne. Perhaps it was the overwhelming sense of crisis in that moment, or maybe it was to teach a lesson to this naive young girl, but Thea unexpectedly blurted out affectionately, "Thank you, husband."Thorne's beautiful pupils dilated, and a sweet smile overflowed from the bottom of his eyes. His heart felt as if a hundred flowers were blooming.This was the first time Thea called him her husband.Perhaps sensing Thorne's delight, Thea's face involuntarily turned red. She shyly tugged at his sleeve and said, "I..."Thorne, however, rewarded her with a kiss on the cheek and joyfully said, "Let's call each other like this from now on. I like this nickname."The young girl indeed looked skeptical, “Are you really a couple? Does she never call you husband? Hmph, I knew you were lying to me. You definitely aren't a real couple."Thea felt both ashamed and excited. She was ashamed that
Thea broke out in a cold sweat. She had always been unstoppable in the mall and had never really been afraid of anyone. However, when faced with the young girl's provocation, she did feel a bit fearful.The mood instantly became unattractive.Thorne saw the deep self-doubt and timidity in her eyes, and he hugged her with a heart full of pity. He regretted it at this moment. He had lived too comfortably, always finding trouble and insisting on teaching her how to express love on such a beautiful day. It made Thea lack confidence in many ways, especially when facing this shameless young girl, Thea's aura was very weak.Thorne held her tightly, encouraging her, “She was young and foolish, unaware of her own limitations. Clearly, she couldn't compare to you in any way. She wasn't as beautiful as you, nor as intelligent, and she lacked your grace, maturity, and wisdom. Most importantly, she didn't hold the same significance in my heart as you do."Thea s