Theodore looked silently at the woman on the floor. The darkness in his eyes faded as tears slid down her cheeks, and the final vestiges eventually gave way to guilt.Cynthia was right. What wrong did she do? He was the one who told Cynthia that he wanted to marry her, and that he would file a divorce with Rose for her sake. Was he trying to blame Cynthia now for sleeping with him on the same bed? What a joke!Theodore had been filled with rage just moments earlier and wanted to vent it all on Cynthia, but he ended up like a deflated balloon with nothing more to say. Since he fell asleep under the influence of the sleeping pill, he was naturally unable to do anything with Cynthia. However, it was a different issue from other people’s perspective.Cynthia cried so hard her sobs gradually became hoarse, until she eventually went out of breath. She collapsed on the floor, and clutched her chest in pain.“Cynthia!” Theodore sprinted forward, and hauled her up in his arms before p
Rosalie and Sebastian changed out of the uniform, and headed back on the helicopter.Rosalie was still in a daze, as if she had her soul sucked out of her. She didn’t say where she wanted to go, and only realized that Sebastian was taking her to a villa that she had never seen before when the helicopter finally landed.“Come on down,” Sebastian said as he carefully helped Rosalie down the helicopter, afraid that she might fall.Rosalie looked around her. “Where are we?”“I saw how miserable you looked. Since you didn’t say anything, I decided to bring you to my place. Don’t worry, only my servants and I are around. There’s no one else.”“Sebastian, I’m really sorry for causing you so much trouble.”Rosalie felt soulless throughout the entire journey, her mind a complete blank.“It’s not trouble at all. Let’s head in and get some rest first. Once we feel up to it, I’ll send you home.”Rosalie went into a daze again as her eyes went out of focus. She didn’t even respond to him. S
“It’s fine, it’s just a shirt.” Sebastian smiled. He winced in pain as he accidentally pulled the wound at the corner of his lips.Rosalie thought that his face looked a little swollen. “Do you need to go to the hospital to get your injuries checked?” “It’s all right. Just some superficial wounds. I’ll be fine in a few days.”“No way! You have to at least apply some ointment. You can’t just leave it be. Do you have a first-aid kit at home? I’ll help you treat your wounds.”Sebastian was about to reject her, but allowing her some distraction from her bad mood seemed like a good idea. With that, he nodded and asked his servant to fetch the first-aid kit.Rosalie opened the first-aid kit, and began treating Sebastian’s wounds. She went about the task very carefully, for fear of hurting him.They sat in close proximity to each other, their breaths mingling. Rosalie was purely trying to treat his wounds, but Sebastian kept his gaze locked on her.Rosalie fixed her eyes on the woun
“I loved the wrong man.”Rosalie stared at the resident register in a daze, before pulling her phone out from her pocket to check the time. She then realized that her phone was out of battery, and had switched off automatically.Sebastian saw the blacked-out screen on her phone, and immediately offered, “I have a charger. You can use it.”Rosalie nodded. “Thanks.”Sebastian hooked her phone up to his charger, and put it aside to allow it to charge.“What time is it now?” Rosalie asked.Sebastian glanced at the clock, and said, “One in the afternoon. What’s the matter? Do you have something to do?”“I was too rash at the resort, and said that I wouldn’t file for a divorce to make things difficult for them. I’m regretting it right now. I’d rather quickly go through the divorce, lest I have to bear the sight of him again.”Anger had gotten the better of her just now, and she had said things out of spite. She just didn’t want to let them off so easily, and this seemed to be the bes
Howeber, Theodore never appeared.Rosalie called Theodore, who said that he was on his way and would reach soon. But half an hour passed, then an hour, and he still hadn’t arrived. It was way past the one hour they agreed on earlier.There were many people queuing up ahead of her. If he didn’t rush here in time, the staff members of the office may end up knocking off.When it was about four in the evening, Theodore was still nowhere to be found. Rosalie was furious about Theodore’s lack of proactivity even in filing for a divorce—which he asked for.She was about to call Theodore when she received another call, which looked to be from the police station.She answered the call with doubts in her heart. “Hello.”“What did you say? How did it happen?!” she exclaimed in shock.“Okay, I got it.”She hung up.“What happened?” Sebastian asked.Rosalie’s head started throbbing.“Theodore was caught for drunk driving, and he’s at the police station right now. I need to bail him out
“No,” Rebecca said in a tone that suddenly turned solemn. “I want to see the resident register in one hour’s time. Otherwise, I’ll go find you in person and see if you’ve replaced your ID card.”The chill in Rebecca’s voice told Rosalie that Rebecca must already be suspicious of her. She had to give back the resident register, by hook or by crook.“All right, Grandma. I got it. I’ll have someone give back the register right now.”“Good. Watch the time, otherwise I might suspect that you took the register to do something fishy.” With that, Rebecca hung up.Rosalie could sense the heavy suspicion in Rebecca’s voice. For all she knew, Rebecca might already be onto something, but was giving her a last chance by not exposing her there and then.She really couldn’t imagine how Rebecca would react if the latter found out the truth.“Theodore Spencer, are you happy about this right now? We can’t file for a divorce tomorrow afternoon. Grandma wants the register back in one hour’s time.”
When they arrived at a restaurant, Rosalie called her family’s driver. She gave him the resident register so he could get it to Grandma as soon as possible.The restaurant had a great ambiance, with a pianist playing a soothing melody on stage. Rosalie was lost in the mesmerizing tune as she listened intently to it.“Rosalie, have you thought of a name for your baby?”Sebastian tried hard to think of topics to chat with Rosalie about to distract her from thinking about things that would upset her.“I haven’t thought of that yet,” Rosalie said as she smiled. “I don’t even know if it’s a girl or boy.”“You should have a name ready.”“Yeah.”“Do you wish for it to be a boy or a girl?”“I don’t know,” Rosalie said, looking rather upset.“If I were to give birth to a boy who inherits Theodore’s personality and ends up being a bastard who goes around breaking women’s hearts, what should I do?”“If I gave birth to a girl who’s so vulnerable to heartbreak, what should I do? Who can p
“We’ll see about that. I don’t even know where I’ll be when the time comes,” Rosalie smiled bitterly. Who could help another person their entire lives? Even some husbands and wives couldn’t depend on each other.What’s more, Sebastian was an outstanding man who would eventually get married, probably to an equally outstanding woman worthy of his status. When he eventually has his own family, how could he possibly have the time and energy to care about another woman’s child? His wife would be the first to object.Sebastian said nothing further. He knew his boundaries very well.A melodious tune suddenly came from the piano, which sounded different from just now.In fact, the tune sounded very familiar.Rosalie turned to see a handsomely-dressed man seated on stage, his svelte fingers dancing gracefully across the piano keys.Everyone’s attention was drawn to the mesmerizing melody.Rosalie was shocked upon seeing his face.What was Theodore doing there, playing the piano on st
A surge of intense emotion welled up in Justin's chest. He pulled Rosalie into his arms and held her tightly.Rosalie wrapped her trembling hands around his waist."Rose, do you know what you're saying?" Justin's tone was heavy, almost accusatory. He needed to hear her say it with certainty, not just in a moment of impulse."Justin, I love you. Don't go, okay? I don't want you to leave."Some words were difficult to say, but once spoken, they could no longer be contained.She didn't know exactly when she had fallen in love with Justin. Maybe it was from the first time they met when he shielded her in his arms, or when she learned about his tragic past and felt sympathy for him. Or perhaps it was the accumulation of moments over time—his gentleness, his kindness, the way he cared for and protected her. In this seemingly cold and ruthless man, she saw goodness, and she couldn't help but fall for him.Now, she was sure. She wanted to be with him. The thought of never seeing him again dro
The next day, Rosalie was distracted at work, staring at the numbers on the computer screen until they blurred before her eyes.The entire morning passed in a daze.Last night, she had sent Justin a message asking for the exact time of his flight today. He told her it was departing from Vlodon Airport at 2.30 PM.It was already 1.00 PM now. A sudden wave of anxiety surged within Rosalie.She had initially decided not to see him off as she couldn't bear the pain of parting. But now, an overwhelming emotion rose within her.She couldn't let him leave.Rosalie immediately shut down her computer and hurriedly left her desk.She drove straight to the airport, calling Justin multiple times on the way, but he never picked up.The airport was vast and crowded. Rosalie had no idea where Justin was. She could only search for him based on his flight time, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't spot him in the sea of people.She kept calling him and sending him messages.[Justin, please
Rosalie's nose tingled, and tears fell down her cheeks uncontrollably."Justin, I don't know what to do. I'm so scared. I don't know what the future holds."Hearing these words, Justin felt as if a knife had pierced his heart. It hurt."You're right. I'm scared too. I don't know what the future will be like either, so let's just leave it at this. Stay with Theodore—your bond spans over a decade. You once loved him so much. You have a child together, while I'm just an outsider. How could I ever compare?""Justin, don't say that."If one met the right person, even a minute was enough to fall in love with them. But if it was the wrong person, even decades together wouldn't stop both people from growing weary of each other.Justin sighed. "Then what should I say? After all those years with him, does he really have no place in your heart?"Rosalie lowered her head. "I…""Rose, don't deny it. He'll always have a place in your heart."It was easier to see things clearly as an outsider. That w
Dinner was pleasant and harmonious.After the meal, the three of them sat in the living room and chatted. The atmosphere was especially warm and relaxed.Most of the conversation between Rosalie and Theodore revolved around the book she was about to write.Rosalie asked Theodore many questions, and he answered each one carefully, offering his advice. In this field, he was indeed more knowledgeable than Rosalie as he had years of experience. His insights were sharp, whether viewed from a macro or micro perspective.As their discussion grew more complex, it reached a level where others could no longer understand.Justin sat silently on the couch, watching them. Even though he didn't understand their conversation, he wasn't annoyed. His gaze remained fixed on Rosalie.It was as if he couldn't find a place in their discussion, nor did he want to interrupt. So, he simply watched them quietly.Unknowingly, time slipped away, and it was already 9.30 PM. Justin glanced at the clock.His gaze l
"It's great to hear you say that! Once I've got a draft, you'll be the first to read it. If there are any mistakes or areas that need improvement, you have to point them out," Rosalie said.Theodore nodded and replied gently, "I can't wait to read it."Sitting quietly to the side, Justin watched their interaction. For a moment, he felt that the two of them were truly a perfect match. After everything they had been through, they could still share a meal and discuss these matters. They shared the same interests and values.And what about himself? Did he and Rosalie have anything in common? He knew nothing about finance. He was just a cold-blooded assassin. Only when he was with Rosalie did he feel like an ordinary person, but in reality, his true identity was one he could never reveal to anyone.Theodore was different. He was born into a prestigious family, had a high status in society, and had remarkable knowledge.Rosalie should be with Theodore. Only he could give her the life she de
Theodore asked, "Then how do we know whether this so-called financial critic is telling the truth or not? After all, not everything is just a rumor.""Exactly! That's a great question," Rosalie replied with a smile. "This brings us to credibility and information verification. I want to clearly address this in my book and discuss how to determine the credibility of financial information, much like verifying sources on the internet. I can share methods for cross-checking company reports, financial data, and news sources."If a company is indeed facing an issue, we need to analyze the specifics—what kind of issue it is, whether it can be resolved, or if it is just a normal part of a business cycle. Sometimes, we can't just focus on a single point; we have to take a macro perspective. "It's like a person with a mole on their face—if someone isolates that mole and uses it to argue that the person is not human, that wouldn't make sense. The mole is merely a part of the person, but it doesn
Rosalie eventually agreed to Theodore's suggestion to fetch her home on a helicopter.Instead of going to the car park to get her car, Rosalie went to the top floor and waited there. Very soon, a helicopter arrived and she hopped on. She managed to reach home in less than forty minutes.Rosalie remarked to herself that it was indeed good to be rich.When she walked into the living room, she saw Justin and Theodore playing with Steve.They blindfolded Steve and randomly exchanged positions, and made him guess where his father was. Steve sometimes burrowed in Theodore's embrace, and then in Justin's arms at other times. He was completely fooled by them.The two men were playing like children and having a blast.Warmth spread across Rosalie's heart at the scene before her.When they realized that Rosalie was back, Justin exclaimed, "Rose, you're back!"The two men looked at her and immediately tugged the blindfold off Steve's face for fear that she might scold them.Rosalie ignor
"You're praising me?" Theodore exclaimed, as if he heard something unbelievable. "It's completely reasonable for you to punch me."Justin patted Theodore's shoulder. "I'm standing right here, alive and well and able to see Rose, precisely because you defeated the evil within you. The one standing before me is the good Theodore. If I were to punch you, who'd be willing to save another?""If I were you, I'd punch me," Theodore said.Justin shook his head. "Not so. You might think this way because you haven't actually experienced it for yourself. Once you do, you'll realize that many things aren't what you thought they were, and that would change the decisions you make."Theodore had a newfound respect for Justin. If the world had more people like him in it, it would probably be a more beautiful place, without conflicts and struggles and endless criticisms and personal attacks.Theodore was starting to understand why Rosalie liked Justin. He was a man worthy of her fancy.Their rela
Justin reached Theodore and Rosalie's place at around 5.20 pm.He didn't come early, because Rosalie told him that she could only reach home at 5.30 pm earliest. He wouldn't be able to see her by coming early, anyway.Theodore was at home and came out to welcome him."You're here."Both men weren't antagonistic against each other, but there was a tinge of awkwardness in the air."You've recovered well," Theodore said politely, but it was what he genuinely thought.Justin was previously shot in the head and had half his head shaved. Some hair had grown out since then."I have recovered pretty well. Oh yes, I haven't thanked you for what happened previously," Justin said. "What for?" Theodore asked."After I got shot, everyone thought I was dead, but you noticed my finger moving. Had you not said anything, I might really have died."Theodore didn't immediately accept Justin's expression of gratitude. In fact, he felt rather guilty. His first reaction at that time was not to