Rosalie chuckled in disbelief. “I’m sorry, Grandma, but I think it’s not appropriate for me to stay here any longer. I’ll head to the hall now while you guys continue.”She really didn’t want to stay here a moment longer. She was pregnant, and getting agitated might be detrimental to her baby.“Sure, Rose. Leave this to me and go.”Rosalie then left the dining room.-She headed to the hall by herself and settled down on the couch, her blood boiling.Cynthia was clearly putting on an act—everyone could tell, with the sole exception of Theodore.So, it was true that love is blind and a man in love would certainly be biased. In the mind of a man in love, there was no such thing as logic and objective truth!Instead of blaming Cynthia for creating a rift between everyone and saying something like this, he chose to blame Rosalie for mentioning it in the first place. She was exasperated at his line of thought.After a while, she heard footsteps coming toward her. She turned to se
“What about you? Do you also think Grandma was the one who did it?” Rosalie asked.“Yes,” Theodore answered, as his face grew cold. “Grandma did seem like the prime suspect at that time, so I thought she deliberately stopped Cindy’s operation so she could separate us.”Rosalie could feel her blood boiling. “You’re too much! How could you suspect your own grandmother? You’re such a let-down!”“How am I a let-down?” Theodore said in a suppressed tone. “As much as I suspected Grandma, did I confront her about it? Neither did I blame her nor mistreat her because of this. Is that not enough?”Rosalie was almost convinced by Theodore’s logic, which seemed sound. He didn’t blame Rebecca, despite thinking that she did the wrong thing.But… If he really trusted Rebecca, would he have suspected her immediately? Why would he suspect that his own family member would do something so horrendous?At the end of the day, Cynthia was the most important person to him.Why didn’t he suspect that Cy
The memory of Cynthia claiming that Theodore would defend her just half an hour ago flashed past Rosalie’s mind.Cynthia had a reason for being so confident. Theodore really was defending her. Even if he knew Cynthia might have done it on purpose, he still chose to defend her.How much did he love her to defend her to such an extent, despite knowing that she slandered his grandmother?“Fine, it’s over since you said it’s over. But don’t forget: just because it’s over, doesn’t mean that it never happened.”Rosalie then turned to leave.Theodore grabbed her arm to stop her. “Wait, there’s one more thing.”“What else is there? If it’s about Cynthia, I don’t want to hear it. Let me go.”Just then, Rebecca and the rest walked in. “Rose.”“Grandma,” Rosalie said as she shook Theodore’s hand off hard. She walked to Rebecca. “Grandma, are you all right?”“I’m fine, really. We’ve talked things through about what happened today,” Rebecca said, looking to be in a good mood.Sydney and W
Rosalie sat in the front passenger seat in the car while Theodore drove on in silence.There were a few times Rosalie had the urge to speak, but seeing Theodore remaining silent made her hold herself back.It felt like a competition in which the first to speak loses.Just as that thought popped into Rosalie’s mind, Theodore spoke up. “I hope you won’t think about what happened today again.”Rosalie furrowed her brows. “Then why are you mentioning it again?”“I just want to make things clear. I’ll look into what exactly happened with the operation.”Rosalie scoffed. “In that case, you’re admitting that you think Grandma did it even before investigating things.”Theodore said, “It is precisely because I think that Grandma’s the one that I didn’t go ahead with the investigations. Whatever it is, Cindy has already paid the price.”Rosalie sneered, “So, whatever she says is right and whatever she does will be forgiven, just because of her health condition?”“What if it were you?
Rosalie’s grip tightened over her phone, feeling miserable. Her heart broke thinking about tears streaming down Rebecca’s old, wrinkled face.She had been keeping Rebecca company all this while, but she didn’t even realize what Rebecca was feeling. And yet, Theodore did. Perhaps she had misunderstood him all along. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Grandma, he simply didn’t show his concern as explicitly as she did. He had never been an expressive person.Her palms started sweating. “Are we going to just keep dragging things out?” “I promise you that I’ll keep my distance from Cindy.”Rosalie found that laughable. “Keep your distance? I can’t just turn a blind eye to what you two have already done!”“Nothing happened between us!”“Don’t bother explaining yourself. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.” The image of them in the resort made pain pulsate through Rosalie’s heart.“What you saw may not be the truth.”“What’s the truth, then?” Rosalie demanded. “Was it not true t
Cynthia felt uneasy. She wanted to sit next to Theodore, but since he made it clear where he wanted her to sit, she had no choice but to do as she was told. Her fingers intertwined nervously as she asked, “Theo, what’s going on?”Theodore said, “Explain to Rose what exactly happened at the resort the last time.”Cynthia looked at the two of them in disbelief, her gaze pausing at Theodore as shock registered in her eyes. “Theo, why did you bring this up out of the blue?”Did Theodore bring Rosalie here to make her explain to Rosalie about that? Did Theodore consider her feelings when doing this, and gave Rosalie a chance to humiliate her?Rosalie found it ridiculous, too. “Why are you making her explain things to me? I really don’t understand what’s going through your mind.”“It’s simple, really,” Theodore said. “You don’t want to hear me out, and even if you do, you won’t believe me. In that case, I’ll have Cindy explain things to you. Both of us will tell you clearly what exact
“Oh, yes,” Rosalie went on, as another thought came to mind. “On our way here, Theo told me that we won’t be getting a divorce for the time being.”She didn’t want Cynthia feeling too happy.Cynthia looked as though lightning had struck her on the head, and her eyes widened in shock.“Theo…”Theodore turned to look at Rosalie. “Wait for me in the car, will you? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”“Sure, take your time to talk,” Rosalie said, as she stood up to leave the hall. She didn’t want to stay here with the two of them, anyway.After Rosalie left, Cynthia immediately stood up from her seat and sat next to Theodore. She grabbed his arm, and asked, “Theo, what exactly is going on? Is she the one who’s stopping you from divorcing her?”“No. Rose wants the divorce, but this time, I was the one who told her that I’m not going through with the divorce,” Theodore said calmly.“Why not?” Tears immediately fell down Cynthia’s cheeks. “Why are you saying something like this? Didn’t yo
“Yes, you have,” Rosalie said, as she locked her phone screen and put it aside. She turned to look at him. “So what if nothing happened between you two? The facts remain: you switched your phone off, and brought her on a holiday. You asked me for a divorce, and clamored to marry her. You rush to her defense each time something happens. It doesn’t really make a difference whether you two had sex or not.”Whatever it was, she and Theodore could never return to the past. He was entangled with Cynthia, and it was pointless no matter how hard Rosalie tried.Theodore gripped the steering wheel so tightly, the veins on his hands tensed up and even popped.Rosalie was showing off in front of Cynthia not because she was glad that they weren’t getting a divorce, but simply because she was trying to provoke Cynthia.Theodore sat there unmoving and didn’t start the car, but Rosalie didn’t rush him either. She picked her phone up, and started scrolling again.She opened and closed a couple
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