“You’re not as insignificant as you claim to be. Since you know President Harper, why don’t you introduce us? Skycrest might need to take a loan or two in the future,” said Geoffrey. Rosalie finally understood the reason behind his call today. It was none other than for corporate interest.“To be honest, Mr. Carter, I’m sure an enterprise as outstanding as Skycrest would have many banks fighting to give it a loan. There’s no need for you to look for a bank, not to mention asking someone insignificant like me for help on that,” Rosalie said firmly. For someone like Geoffrey Carter to look her up for an introduction with a bank president, something fishy must be going on. There was clearly an unknown reason behind this—one that Geoffrey would certainly refuse to say.“That’s true,” Geoffrey said, “but the choice always goes both ways. There’s no loss in getting to know the president of a bank. Could you help me out, in light of the fact that I didn’t punish my son on your account t
After a moment’s silence, Rosalie finally said, “I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll ask.”“In that case, Ms. Young, I can’t guarantee anything too. It seems we both need to work harder on this. I have something else to attend to, and I need to go. I hope to receive good news from you.”With that, Geoffrey hung up.Rosalie tightened her grip over her phone.Geoffrey was way too vicious! How could he bear to do this and use Sebastian as leverage when Sebastian was his biological son?But she shouldn’t find it strange. The world was filled with all kinds of people, and not all parents were fit to be one. A bastard would remain a bastard even after becoming a parent. He wouldn’t suddenly become a great man or a hero after having a child.After a moment’s hesitation, Rosalie had no choice but to scroll to Sydney’s contact and dial the number. Sydney answered the call after over ten seconds.“Hello, Mom. It’s me.”“What’s the matter?” Sydney’s voice was icy. Although they weren’t
After leaving Rosalie’s house, Sebastian buried himself in work.Geoffrey arranged many appointments for him, forcing him to run around many places. He didn’t even have time for a sip of water till deep in the night. By the time he returned home, he was exhausted and collapsed weakly on the couch.Sometimes, the strictness his father displayed made him wonder if he really was that man’s biological son. But given the same blood type they shared and how closely he resembled his father, it seemed like an indisputable fact.What a cold, heartless father he had.As it turned out, cold-blooded creatures could reproduce, too.“Seb, you’re back.” Yvonne walked downstairs, and saw the fatigue on her brother’s face.Sebastian’s brows furrowed. “Why are you here?”“I’m staying here right now. Didn’t I tell you before that I wanted to stay here for some time? I don’t want to go home. Dad’s super strict, and I’m scared of him,” Yvonne said, intertwining her fingers with each other.Sebast
“You do have a friend by the name of Lily, don’t you?” Sebastian smiled, knowing that he had a hold over Yvonne.Yvonne swallowed hard. She straightened her body, and said seriously, “No, I don’t.”He arched a brow, and was about to put his card away when she grabbed his wrist. “But I can make her up!”She stretched her hands out, and carefully pulled his black card from his fingers. She wrapped her arms tightly around it, for fear that her brother would snatch it back.Then, she blew him a flying kiss. “See you, Seb! I’ll be off to find you a Lily!”-In the middle of the night, Rosalie felt thirsty and got out of bed for a cup of water.She felt restless and irritable, with many things on her mind. The matter regarding Sebastian bothered her the most. She couldn’t tell him about it, and had to settle the matter behind his back.This whole thing concerned his father, after all.Rosalie chuckled helplessly over the irony of the situation.What an outrageous situation she
Sebastian texted, [I hope you’ll like her.]Rosalie texted, [Whether I like her or not isn’t important. What’s important is that you do.][Yes, I do. She might not be good enough in other people’s eyes, but in my opinion, she’s different and better than anyone else,] he replied.Rosalie felt warmth seep into her heart.Sebastian was such a great man! Any woman who married him would be blessed. She even started to feel envious of the woman he liked.However, it stopped at just simply envy. She genuinely felt happy for Sebastian as well as the lady he fancied.As fatigue finally set in, Rosalie yawned. After chatting with Sebastian, she felt a lot more relaxed.[Seb, turn in early so you’ll be at your best tomorrow.][Yes, you too. You and your baby need a good rest. Help me say hello to your baby.][Sure. Goodnight.][Goodnight.]Rosalie gently caressed her belly. “Baby, do you feel that? Uncle Sebastian cares about you very much.”She was about to put her phone down when sh
Wesley asked solemnly, “Why did you suddenly ask me where she is? Are you unable to find her? What happened to her?”Rosalie had never texted Wesley about Sydney. This was her first time, and it was clearly an unusual occurrence.Wesley knew that something was wrong.Fearing she might worry him, Rosalie immediately said, “No, I’m just asking casually. I don’t mean anything else.”“Then why are you asking me? Why don’t you just call her directly?”“I tried that, but she didn’t answer my call.”“Is that so?”Wesley immediately hung up without a word. Rosalie was puzzled. After two minutes, he called her back.She answered the call. “Hey, Dad.”“Where are you right now?” Wesley asked.“I’m in my apartment. What’s going on?”“I called your mom but she didn’t answer me, either. I called her office, and her assistant said she’s not in the office today.”“What’s going on?” Rosalie was worried. “Where could Mom have gone?”“How would I know?” Wesley said anxiously. “Go to her plac
Sydney answered the call, yelling irritably, “Wesley Spencer, you’re beyond annoying! Can’t you take a hint when I refuse to pick up your calls? Quit harassing me and scram!”With that, she hung up and smashed her phone against the wall.Rosalie took a few steps back in fright. She had never seen Sydney blow her top like this, and didn’t understand what was going on. She had a feeling that it had to do with her, somehow.Despite her fear, Rosalie didn't leave. Instead, she stood from a distance and looked on silently.The phone was on the floor, the screen cracked. The chairs in the room laid haphazardly around the room, and there were glass shards from the wine bottles all over the floor.Sydney was already acting up before Rosalie arrived.Sydney clutched her hair in frustration, and flopped weakly onto the bed. She grabbed the covers, and yanked them over her head.Rosalie pulled out her phone and placed it on the table. She then rolled up her sleeves, and started clearing th
After hearing Rosalie out, Sydney fell silent.Her first thought was that Theodore was in trouble.As it turned out, Rosalie stayed up the entire night reading through the documents to identify the problem with Regent Co. not for his sake at all. Quite the opposite—she did it for Sebastian.Sydney suddenly laughed, the sound laced with helplessness and irony.Theodore wasn’t the only one who misunderstood the situation. She did, too. She really thought that Rosalie did it for her son, but she never expected…Rosalie clearly had her priorities in place, more so than Sydney did in her younger days. The girl might look weak and vulnerable, but she had a clear mind and knew exactly what she needed to do.Meanwhile, Rosalie didn’t understand why Sydney was laughing. “Mom? What’s the matter?” “Nothing,” Sydney said, looking at Rosalie. “So Geoffrey Carter threatened you with his son, and you accepted it because you care about his son very soon?”“Seb’s a good friend of mine,” Rosali
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm
Aurora collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden force. Her head was pounding and she cupped her red, hot cheeks with her hands. "What…what did you do? Why did you slap me?" she asked, stunned. Yerick looked down upon her, his towering figure dark and frightening in the night. "Are you taking me as your hitman, ordering me around as you like?"It was enough that she ordered him to kill another. How dare she ask him to kill Rosalie?! She was digging her grave!"I didn't mean that," Aurora said agitatedly. "I'm just so scared! We're on the same boat, so we should help each other out.""Help each other out?" Yerick crouched down and pinched her chin. "Tell me, then. What have you helped me with so far? Why do you think I arranged for you to be by Theodore's side and allowed you to get to know him? What do you think is my motive?""I…I don't know!" Aurora said with trembling lips. The man before her was way too frightening, his eyes ghostly as he chuckled. "But I'll do wha
Justin brought the baby home and saw Rosalie spacing out before the kitchen counter. She didn't even realize they were home."Mama," Steve called out to her.Rosalie heard him and turned to look at them. "You're back."She took Steve from Justin's hands and held him in her arms."Rose, are you alright? What did Theodore tell you?" Justin asked. "Aurora felt guilty and made Angie her scapegoat. Angie has been nabbed by the police," Rosalie replied.Justin frowned. "Angie surely wouldn't be a sitting duck. She'll expose Aurora.""That's not wrong," Rosalie said. "The problem is, Aurora is too good at putting up a facade. Theodore doesn't trust Angie and he said he'll investigate things and find out if Aurora was involved. At the end of the day, he refuses to believe that Aurora is capable of something like that. He subconsciously thinks that Angie was solely responsible.""That sounds like something he would do," Justin concluded. "Last time, I could tell he's very protective of
Theodore turned around. "Is there something else?"Justin walked over. "Do you want to hold him? He seems eager to hug you."Theodore paused. Then, he gave a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth."No, you take him upstairs." The more he held Steve, the harder it would be to let go. He didn't even know why he felt such strong emotions for Steve. Perhaps it was because Steve was Rosalie's child, and thus, he couldn't help but care for the baby.Seeing this, Justin didn't insist. He was about to leave when suddenly, Steve started crying in his arms. Steve stretched out his hands toward Theodore, trying to reach him.Hearing the cries, Theodore's heart tightened. He turned around and saw Justin trying to soothe the child."Steve, what's wrong? Are you hungry? I'll take you back right away."Steve continued crying, louder and louder, and Theodore felt as if his heart were being squeezed. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't move.Justin took a few steps b
"And what about you?" Theodore countered. "Rose, when will you finally see what kind of people are around you? Sebastian's two-faced, pretentious, and full of lies. Justin has blood on his hands, with numerous enemies. He's like a ticking time bomb, and both of them will only bring you disaster."Rosalie sneered. "And how much disaster have you brought me? Do you think the mental torment you've caused me isn't enough?"Theodore gave a bitter smile. "Rose, do you want me to die to make up for the harm I've caused you?""No, I just hope you won't bother me anymore. I have my own life now. Whether it's good or bad, it has nothing to do with you. Once upon a time, Grandma was the last connection between us, but now that she's gone, we have nothing left."She avoided Theodore's gaze. "You should go now."Theodore clenched his fists. "If this is what you want, then I understand. I'll stay away from you in the future and won't bother you again, because, as you said, we have nothing left."Wi
Theodore was about to speak, but then he remembered he had important matters to discuss today and couldn't be sidetracked by Justin."Rose, I have something important to tell you. Let's talk privately.""If you have something to say, just say it," Rosalie replied. She knew he wanted Justin to leave, but she didn't mind if Justin knew what was going on.Theodore gave Justin a cold glance before continuing, "This matter concerns Grandma. I don't want anyone else around. It's something that should only be discussed between the two of us.""He's not an outsider," Rosalie replied without hesitation. "He can know about Grandma's matters too."Seeing the two of them about to argue, Justin immediately said, "I'll take Steve out for a walk and come back later."With that, Justin left.Rosalie quickly said, "Justin, you don't need to…""It's fine," he interrupted her. "I'll take him downstairs for a walk."With that, Justin left with Steve.Rosalie took a step back and said to Theodore, "Come in
Aurora looked incredibly sorrowful, completely unlike someone who was acting. Theodore, for a moment, didn't know whether he should believe her or not.When Rosalie had first told him, he had only defended Aurora, completely ignoring Angie.Now, with Aurora telling him that it was Angie who killed Rebecca, Theodore couldn't be 100% certain that Aurora was not involved in this matter.It felt like a layer of mist had been added, blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing clearly.After a long while, Theodore released Aurora."Get better first," he said, turning to leave.Suddenly, he heard some movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Aurora stumbling toward the window in the ward. She forcefully pulled open the window and jumped straight down.Theodore's brows tightened, and with rocket-like speed, he rushed forward. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her back from the window ledge. "What are you doing?!""Theo, let me die! I don't want to live anymore. Just pretend I kil
Theodore took out his phone and called Aurora, but she didn't answer the phone.He turned to the bodyguard and asked, "When you took Angie, was Aurora not at home?"The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, only Angie was at home. Aurora wasn't there."Theodore furrowed his brow. Was Angie telling the truth? Had Aurora fled in fear of being caught? He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.Could Aurora really be this kind of person? Had he misjudged her character all along?"Find her. I want to know where she went."A few hours later, Theodore's subordinates brought news of Aurora's whereabouts. She had booked a hotel room.Theodore led a group of people to her hotel room and knocked on the door forcefully, but there was no response.The staff member opened the door with a room key, and the group entered. Aurora was indeed in the room, and she was lying on the bed.Theodore strode over."Aurora!" he shouted, but as he got closer, he noticed that she was motionless. An empty pill bottle was on th
Hearing the recording on the phone, Angie was horrified and nearly fainted."No, that's not how it is! It's not like that!" she cried in fear.Angie tried to get up from the floor, but the two men behind her pressed her down firmly, keeping her kneeling on the ground."It's not like that!" Angie shouted. "Aurora's framing me! She's setting me up!""She's framing you?" Theodore sneered. "Didn't you admit that you killed my grandmother?""I… It wasn't me!" Angie's agitation intensified. "Aurora is clearly using me as a scapegoat! She tricked me into saying those things! This is all fake!"Angie finally realized that Aurora had planned to make her the scapegoat from the very beginning, wanting to rid herself of any involvement. It was so sinister—recording conversations and twisting the facts. How despicable!"Fake?" Theodore seized her face with one hand, gripping it so tightly that her face nearly contorted. He gritted his teeth and harshly demanded, "Are you saying Aurora did this?""Y