"If you’re going to involve someone unrelated to this, Dad, then I won’t stand for it!" Sebastian said firmly, anger lacing his voice. In response, Geoffrey gave him a hard slap.Sebastian’s head spun sideways. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, and snorted."You always blame Mom for everything. You kept saying she’s dragging you down. After that, she stayed at home and didn’t interfere in anything because she was afraid of troubling you. Even then, you still look down on her. I’m really curious, Dad. Must it always be other people’s fault? Aren’t you going to take any responsibility?"Smack! Geoffrey gave him another harsh slap. "You’ve lost the project, but you’re still arguing with me! Phillip, bring me the stick!" Geoffrey snarled. He had always been strict, and was a staunch believer of the old saying: spare the rod, spoil the child. Following this, Sebastian received many beatings ever since he was a child.As Sebastian got older, Geoffrey rarely laid a hand on hi
Sebastian looked at Rosalie in worry. A few seconds later, he said coldly, "Not really. We’re just casual friends. We don’t see each other very often. Yvonne hangs out with her more."Yvonne never expected her brother to say that, but she knew he was trying to protect Rosalie.Rosalie was puzzled to hear Sebastian's words. She had a hunch he was pretending to be unfamiliar with her on purpose—he was doing it was for her sake. His father didn't seem too kind."Oh, is that so?" Geoffrey sounded somewhat sarcastic, and his sharp gaze fell on Rosalie again. "Miss Young, my son says you two are just casual friends. Is that true?""Yes, Dad," Yvonne answered quickly. "She and Seb are just normal friends. We’re closer."Yvonne hurriedly linked her arm with Rosalie's. "I called her here to hang out. I didn’t think we’d find you two here. We’ll leave immediately!"She knew her brother must be deathly anxious right now. The only thing she could do was to take Rosalie away.Sebastian shot
Rosalie didn't dare to waste any more time, and immediately opened the notebook on hand."It's true Regent Co. took Skycrest Enterprise's project, but I've discovered many issues with that company. Their leverage ratio is far too high. I did some calculations using public data and information all night. Achieving such results is simply impossible, so I can confirm that they’re falsifying their data."Mr. Carter, I've written everything down in this notebook. Please take a look at my notes, and then compare them with Regent Co.'s public data. You'll definitely find discrepancies."Their gross profit margin is much higher than the industry average. I also found that the company’s management team’s trading activity is suspicious. They use small and unknown auditing firms, and frequently switch agents through layers of intermediaries."Geoffrey took her notebook, and flipped through a few pages. His frown deepened as he read it.Finally, he snapped the notebook shut."Do you expect me
Who could have imagined that Rosalie, with her meek appearance, would be so strong-willed? She was practically standing up to a lion.Seeing Geoffrey’s increasingly dark expression, Yvonne shivered in fear. She took a step forward and whispered to Rosalie, "You should stop talking, Rose. We should leave now."She was genuinely terrified. The air Geoffrey emitted alone could scare someone to death. What if arguing with Geoffrey affected Rosalie’s pregnancy?However, Rosalie stood tall and refused to leave. She kept her eyes locked on Geoffrey."Little girl, you certainly have guts to speak to me this way," Geoffrey snarled. "I'm just telling the truth. Although I might be just a little girl to you, we’re all equal as human beings. I respect you as I speak, but I also respect myself," Rosalie replied calmly.Geoffrey's expression turned grim.He was a dangerous man. Everyone in the household feared him, especially Yvonne. Whenever she was around her father, she was like a mouse i
"Yes, I know her, but..." Rosalie didn't tell Geoffrey that Sydney was her mother-in-law. Technically, they were no longer in-laws, but she still called Sydney ‘Mom’. She was worried Geoffrey wouldn’t believe her if she told him this fact, and right now, saving Sebastian was more important."Do you have any proof? Why should I believe you? Even if she refused to lend to Regent Co., it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Unless..." Geoffrey's firm tone suddenly softened. "Unless I can hear it from her directly. Otherwise, your words are just that—words.""Alright, I'll ask her to tell you herself. Wait a moment." Rosalie took out her phone, and walked to the side to send a message to Sydney. [Mom, please help me with something. My friend's father thinks he lost a project to Regent Co. and wants to punish him severely. I need to prove that Regent Co. has issues so I can help him avoid punishment. Can you tell his father that Regent Co. has problems? You're respected in the field,
Although Geoffrey might eventually learn about her relationship with Sydney, her priority right now was to save Sebastian. She would deal with this problem later."The relationship is not the main point here. What's important is that you believe her. If you still have doubts, you can hire a professional to thoroughly analyze all the data. If I can figure it out, I believe they can too. "Regent Co.'s methods aren't particularly sophisticated. They just took advantage of good timing and the regulatory authorities' negligence. Many companies are operating this way. They think they can get away with it, but it's just a matter of time before they’re exposed. I'm sure the short-sellers have already set their sights on Regent Co."Geoffrey turned around. "Phillip." Phillip stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"Geoffrey passed him the wooden stick, instructing him to put it back in its place.When she saw the stick being taken away, Rosalie finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Sebastian
The doctor examined Rosalie, and said she had low blood sugar. Coupled with physical exhaustion and stress, she needed a balanced nutrition and ample rest.Sebastian was so busy taking care of Rosalie, he didn't have time to get his own wound treated.Hence, Rosalie "ordered" him to get it treated. Only then did he leave to find the doctor, albeit reluctantly.Yvonne sat by the bed, and gave Rosalie a thumbs up. "You really impressed me today. I can’t believe you confronted my dad!"She thought that Rosalie was either naïve, or incredibly courageous.Rosalie smiled. "I was just being practical with your dad."She didn’t fear Geoffrey, but she respected him.After all, her upbringing wasn’t exactly ordinary. Although the Spencers looked frightening, they were just humans like everyone else.People like the Spencers and Geoffrey exuded a kind of awe-inspiring presence and a natural authority that commanded respect and fear. It was different from the terrifying aura of criminals w
"Seb’s a good friend of mine, and he’s helped me a lot. It's only natural for me to return the favor. Besides, it's not very difficult. It's just that no one has done it before. I wasn’t fully prepared just now, either," Rosalie said. She didn't think that much credit was due.Yvonne grinned. "Rose, stop being modest. Whatever it is, Seb will definitely love you more than ever after this."The smile on Rosalie's face froze instantly, and she stared blankly at Yvonne.Yvonne closed her mouth immediately. She froze, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. Oh, no! She had let it slip!In the corridor, Sebastian had just turned to enter the ward when his footsteps suddenly stopped—he appeared thunderstruck. He immediately withdrew his foot, turned around, and leaned against the wall. The room was right beside him, but he didn't dare to enter. His breathing also became quicker.Damn Yvonne! What was that brat saying? Did she even know what she just did? She really didn’t think b
Theodore wrapped all of them up in his long arms.Under the golden sunshine, the family of four was wrapped up in each other's embraces. Sunlight shone on them, encasing them in a warm, golden glow. Everything felt calm and peaceful. The children snuggled in their parents' arms, innocent smiles lighting up their faces. They could feel the warmth of the sunshine as they found the safest and warmest haven in the entire world in their arms.In the evening sun and gentle breeze, they finally found happiness in each other's embrace.-In the deep of the night, Rosalie had a dream.Both Justin and Grandma came to her in her dream.Grandma and Justin were playing cards, surrounded by beautiful birds and flowers. They seemed to be in heaven, having the time of their lives with a look of tender love in their eyes.Grandma was very happy that she had reconciled with Theodore.Justin told Rosalie, "Rose, I'm so happy to see you happy.""Justin, do you hate me?""Silly girl, why would
Theodore made Rosalie feel like love was possible once more, and gradually opened her up.Love was ever-changing with time and the experiences they went through.Rosalie missed Justin dearly, but she also learned to treasure the people around her and every present moment of happiness. She learned how to accept the past and treasure the present amidst all her relationships.Justin would be her one and only in her heart, but Theodore also found his place in her heart amidst the unique position Justin was in.This was how their affections and love for each other grew and changed with time.Justin was dead, and Rosalie couldn't keep living in the past. She would carefully preserve her love for Justin in a corner of her heart.She would spend the rest of her life loving Theodore and their children."Chelsea," Rosalie said as she pulled Chelsea over. "Your daddy loves you very much, but he didn't get to see you come into this world. But you must remember his name. He is Justin Lynch."
Theodore and Rosalie brought both children to Justin's tomb.Before they left, Rosalie said that she and Chelsea wanted to spend some time alone with Justin.Theodore brought Jake to the car to wait for them.Golden sunlight shone on the land, feeling warm and toasty and giving the earth a beautiful glow.Rosalie caressed the tombstone. "Justin, I'm sorry for not coming to visit for such a long time."The last time she came back was a few months ago, during which she snuck a peak at his tombstone.Rosalie pulled out a bone fragment. "That's because you're always by my side, which is why I think that I can bring you everywhere I go. You're not just here at this tombstone."Justin, Theo and I have reconciled. He did so much for me, even sacrificing his own life for me. I can't just stand idly by and do nothing about it. I can't bring myself to reject him ruthlessly again and again."You can say that I'm moved, or that I fell in love with him once more. He's just too good, and I c
Jake had so much fun today and was exhausted by the time he reached home. After his shower, he crawled into bed and fell right asleep without any coaxing whatsoever. Jake would sometimes sleep in the bedroom with Chelsea, and sometimes they slept separately.At night, when Rosalie went to Chelsea's room to tuck her in and tell her a bedtime story, she asked, "Chelsea, how was your day with Theodore?""Hmm, it was alright," Chelsea said. "But Mr. Spencer was so silly, he burnt the food. I only got to eat lunch very late.""Is that so?" Rosalie burst out laughing. "How silly of him indeed.""But Mr. Spencer is quite nice," Chelsea said. "I like him. He said that I can call him Daddy."Rosalie's eyes lit up. "Do you want to call him that?""I do," Chelsea said with a nod, "but I'll do that tomorrow."Chelsea yawned. She felt tired, too.Rosalie caressed her cheek. "Goodnight, my darling. Go to sleep."-Rosalie returned to her room, took a shower, and laid on the bed. Theodo
Their parent-child bonding efforts officially began the next day.Rosalie brought Jake to the theme park. In the beginning, Jake felt rather stiff and reserved. It was his first time alone with his mom, after all.As time went by, Rosalie's earnestness, concern, and gentle patience with him slowly opened him up.They sat on the carousel, drove the bumper cars, rode on the Viking ship, zoomed down slides, bounced on the trampolines, and sailed on mini-boats. They had a whale of a time.Jake was covered with sweat, but he was so happy, he didn't want the day to end.He had grown closer to his mom, so much so that he would jump into her arms, hugging her and asking for kisses.Rosalie did not hold back from expressing her love for him and even carried him on her back as they continued exploring the park.Jake was very obedient and came down very soon, for fear that Rosalie might get tired. They moved on to the next attraction hand-in-hand.Rosalie found out one thing from Jake, wh
Some time later, Rosalie realized that Jake was being rather sullen.Each time she asked him whether something was wrong, he would brush her away, claiming that he was fine before running off.It was a Saturday, and Rosalie didn't need to go to work. She was seated on the couch with a book when Chelsea ran over, her braids swaying behind her. "Mommy, can you give me a hug?"How could Rosalie say no to her adorable little daughter? She shut the book and said, "But of course. Come on over."Rosalie opened her arms, very willing to show Chelsea affection.Chelsea crawled up onto the couch happily, sitting on Rosalie's lap and diving into her embrace.Jake happened to see it all.Rosalie noticed Jake standing a short distance away and was about to say something to him when he ran off.The smile on Rosalie's face faded as a look of worry took over.At night, Rosalie put Chelsea under Theodore's care and went to Jake, wanting to speak to him alone."Jake, what's with you recently
A gentle breeze lifted the curtains slightly in the deep of the night.Rosalie laid in Theodore's embrace, panting slightly. Her cheek leaned against his chest, feeling his heart pounding heavily, and her cheeks flushed.She never expected this day to come between her and Theodore, yet everything happened in a flash. He went to bed with her just like that, bewitched and completely infatuated with her.Although they were once husband and wife and had been intimate countless times, this felt different from the last. Things felt more intense this time around."Rose, are you happy?"Although Theodore's liver had been doing well over the last three months of recuperation, he was still worried that his fitness level might be affected before his liver was fully recovered.Rosalie gave him a slight smile. "Of course, I am. You almost crushed me."Her face flushed the moment she spoke those words. She hugged Theodore tight, feeling safe and secure.She could sense that he was telling th
"Theo, have you had a woman over the past five years?" Rosalie asked very frankly.They weren't naive young men and women but mature adults with experience in this matter.Theodore was a red-blooded young man who had his needs. Suppressing his desires, which were absolutely normal, would only jeopardize his health.Theodore was getting angry. "Am I someone like that to you, going to bed with a woman I don't love just to satisfy my physical needs?""Aren't men all like that?" Rosalie said. She didn't mean it in a scornful way but simply highlighted it as a typical observation.Lonely men and women in the city were bound to seek companionship in some places and part ways after the night.Someone as powerful and influential as Theodore wouldn't even need to go searching for someone else. Women flocked toward him like bees to honey."Why can't I be an exception?" He was in no state whatsoever to find another woman over the past five years and would always deal with his sexual desire
Time flew by, and three months later, Rosalie was fully recovered and back at work.Her colleagues welcomed her back with a bash.Everything seemed to have returned to normal.To keep Jake company, Rosalie would go back to Theodore's house every day after work. She was practically living there.Rosalie and Jake's relationship had improved over time, and they were looking more and more like they were truly mother and son.Everything was going well.At night, the four of them sat around the dining table and chatted happily with each other.After dinner, Rosalie and Theodore sat in the living room chatting. She suddenly noticed a book on the table. It looked so familiar that it caught her eye.It was the book she had written. Over the past five years, not only was she busy learning and working, but she also managed to write the book she had conceptualized and even gotten it published. However, this book was only available in Briusian and not exported to Blencalgo.Rosalie's book