The lunch went on pretty smoothly, despite Sydney's nerves at the start.Christopher, on the other hand, remained rather open-minded.Sydney slowly got infected by his mood; they started chatting about many things, ranging from finance-related issues to personal preferences. They even shared anecdotes about interesting and strange things they encountered.The two of them got along pretty well.Many times during their conversation, Sydney was tickled pink by Christopher.Each time Sydney laughed, Christopher would look at her with a tender and deep look in his eyes. Yet, he always managed to compose himself right before Sydney noticed it.They continued chatting long after their meal was over.The clock struck two in the afternoon before they realized it.Sydney glanced at her watch. "Mr. Jackson, we've been here for so long. I'm sorry for holding you back from your appointments."Christopher smiled. "Not at all. Am I holding you back from anything?"Sydney smiled politely. "O
Sydney's mind went blank.Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the man's face right before her.His eyes were shut, as if he was enjoying the moment.Sydney's body stiffened, and she couldn't move an inch. She didn't even have the energy to push him away.Somehow, she found her entire body soft and limp. Suddenly, she felt a strong force push her against the wall.Christopher started kissing her harder.His large hands pressed against her shoulders, and slowly roamed downwards. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding his other arm against her back while slowly inching downward.Sydney's knees went weak, and she almost lost her balance. She was pinned to the wall, allowing him to drag her along for the ride.He hugged her tight in his arms, stopping her from collapsing on the floor.As the kiss deepened to the point of almost losing control, Sydney's mind buzzed as she felt all energy being sucked out of her. She felt as though she was no longer herself.Just then, s
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jackson. Perhaps I wasn't thinking right. I just thought that…"She didn't know what to say. She just felt as though she were in a fantasy."There's no need to apologize. I should be the one doing that instead," Christopher said with a sigh. "I thought there was something between us, but I might have made a mistake. I was a fool.""No," Sydney exclaimed.A glint flashed past the depths of Christopher's eyes, but a look of despondence overtook him. "No? Do you mean that we…"Sydney spoke too soon, realizing that she might have fallen into his trap. He was a scheming man, after all."Mr. Jackson, I meant that it's very normal for people to overthink things. It has nothing to do with you being foolish."Her instincts warned her against getting too close to this man."Mr. Jackson, I have something to attend to and need to go. See you."Sydney then turned to leave."Is that goodbye?" Christopher asked, looking at her retreating figure. "Or do you really mean that w
"Really? Quick, call her," Rebecca urged gladly.Sydney's brows furrowed as she said, "Theo, are you really going to call Rose right now? She's very busy."The solemn look on his mother's face made it seem as though the sky would fall on their heads if he really called Rosalie.Instead of saying something, Theodore let Rebecca go and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He left the scene, and walked toward the door of the villa.Sydney hurried out after him and saw him scrolling through his contacts.Sydney said, "Theo, are you really going to call Rose?"If he called her out of the blue, all her efforts would go down the drain.Things would go back to what they were in the past, with the two of them entangled with each other and in pain."Are you afraid of me calling Rose?" Theo said. "No, that's not what I meant," Sydney explained. "I just don't want to see you hurting.""It's none of your business. It's my own business whether I'm hurting or not. I'm an adult, not a chil
The moment Aurora walked in, everyone's gaze landed on her.Shock registered on Sydney's face when she saw the familiar-looking face. Wesley looked as shocked as Sydney was.However, they both knew that Aurora merely looked like Rosalie, and wasn't really Rosalie.Rebecca was taking a nap on the couch.Theodore walked over, bent forward, and said, "Grandma, Rose is here."The mention of Rosalie's nickname made Rebecca immediately look up, only to see an achingly familiar face.Rebecca was stunned for a moment, then a look of doubt flashed past her eyes. She could sense that something was off.Everyone quieted down.Did Rebecca suddenly become alert? "Grandma, didn't you ask to see Rose? Look, Rose is here," Theodore spoke up again."Oh, Rose. You're all grown up," Rebecca said as she stretched a hand out. "Let me look at you."Aurora felt a little nervous as she glanced at Theodore. Theodore nodded back at her, and shot her a reassuring look.Aurora mustered up the courage
Aurora stood up. "Mr. Spencer, your grandmother has gone to rest.""I'll make a move too," Theodore said as he approached her. "Thank you so much for today. Apologies if I held you back from your plans."Aurora said with a smile, "I didn't have much on today, anyway. I'm glad I was able to help you."Theodore said, "Let me send you back."Aurora didn't want to trouble him any further, but she also wanted to spend time alone with him, so she nodded. "Alright, thank you."The two of them were about to leave when a voice stopped them."Theo. Ms. Payne."Sydney approached them.Theodore stopped in his tracks, and turned around. Sydney stopped right in front of them and shot them a smile, her gaze landing on Aurora."Hello, Ms. Payne. It's my first time meeting you today."Aurora greeted politely, "Hello, Mrs. Harper. You're so beautiful and young."She meant her words, having been blown away by Sydney's beauty the moment she saw her. Sydney looked to be only slightly over 30 yea
A black car drove steadily on the road.Theodore sat on the driver's seat, his hands firmly on the steering wheel as he kept his eyes on the road ahead.Aurora sat in the front passenger seat, her seat belt buckled in. Her hands gripped uneasily over the belt as her heart raced.She felt very nervous being in the same car as Theodore.It was perhaps nerves from liking the man that made her so tense. She was worried over even the slightest movement that might make her look awkward and embarrass herself before him.The silence in the air started feeling awkward. Aurora finally spoke up, breaking the silence."Your mother is really beautiful and your father is handsome, too. They look like a match made in heaven."Theodore said indifferently, "They just look like it."Aurora found Theodore's words strange.Did his parents not have a good relationship, too? Why did she get strange vibes from his entire family?She opened her mouth, wanting to ask further, but Theodore beat her to
After Theodore got out of the car, he saw a young man lying on the ground. The man's bag had fallen to the ground, and he was clutching his leg and groaning in pain.Theodore immediately walked up and asked, "Are you alright? Can you stand?"The person on the ground turned to look at Theodore.When Theodore saw his face, he was shocked. He had seen this person before.This was Yerick, a friend of Rosalie's. He had met Yerick at the hospital when Sebastian was hurt. Rosalie had stayed at the hospital as well to take care of Sebastian.Why was Yerick here?Yerick, seeing Theodore, seemed to recognize him as well. "Oh, it's you?"Yerick was grimacing, appearing to be in great pain. "It hurts. My whole body hurts. It feels like my bones are broken."Theodore hadn't expected to run into Yerick here, let alone hit him with his car."Can you stand? I'll take you to the hospital," Theodore offered. Aurora, who was still sitting in the passenger seat, looked through the windshield an
"You make it sound so easy. How do you know Sebastian wouldn't do such a thing? Do you know what he did to me? He tried to kill me several times! Do you think he will treat my son any better?"Theodore shoved him away and staggered.Justin quickly supported him, saying, "I know Sebastian isn't a good person, but this child isn't just yours. It's also Rose's. He loves Rose very much. He wants to be with her, so he wouldn't be stupid enough to harm Steve.""What if…""What if he really harms Steve?" Justin immediately said. "Don't worry. I'll tear Sebastian to pieces if that happens, and I'll give my life for it!""Give your life for it?" Theodore scoffed, "Do you think you can handle that?"Justin helped Theodore back onto the bed. "Just watch the video first."Justin turned to leave."Where are you going?" Theodore immediately asked.Justin paused at the door and turned back, saying, "I'm going to bring Steve to you.""Wait a moment." Theodore called out to him."What is it now? If you
Loving someone was inherently painful, especially when one didn't realize one's feelings at the start. It was only after losing the person that one woke up to the truth, but by then, the loss was final and irreversible.Things had already happened, and no amount of pain could bring back what was lost."Justin, what are you still doing here? Are you here to watch me suffer? Get out! Go! Tell Rose I will settle this with her. I'm not done with her. I will fight for custody. Steve is my child. I will take him home!"Theodore's heart was filled with hatred."I'm looking for Rose too, but I can't find her. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you," Justin replied.Theodore froze. "What did you say?""Do you really think I came here to show off? I came because Rose's gone. If I could find her, I wouldn't have come to you. I tried to reach you before, but you were in surgery. Now that you're awake, I need you to get your emotions in check. What I'm about to tell you is even bigger than the fact
If the mysterious pregnancy and DNA test reports still left him with some doubts, hearing Justin's words in person—that Steve was indeed his son—completely erased any lingering suspicion. What replaced it was an overwhelming pain.Theodore had once wondered what it would be like if Steve were his son. He had even wondered if Steve could possibly be his son.However, thinking back to everything that had happened between him and Rosalie, he became afraid. He was afraid that if he thought too much about it, he might just be deluding himself. What would he do then?After all, when they met in Melrine, he had seen Rosalie, Sebastian, and Steve eating together at a restaurant. Theodore had watched as Sebastian and Steve interacted like father and son. His first instinct was that Rosalie and Sebastian had a child together.And Rosalie hadn't denied it. She had implicitly accepted it, which led Theodore to believe that Steve was indeed Sebastian's son.Theodore thought about his interactions w
Justin's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion. He lowered his head and saw the papers that had fallen at his feet. He bent down and picked them up.Upon seeing the contents, he asked in surprise, "Where did you get this from?""You're asking me?" Theodore sneered. "Justin, are you the one behind this? Are you deliberately causing trouble by sending these things in Rose's name?"The more Justin listened, the more confused he became. Suddenly, he noticed an envelope on the nightstand. He picked it up and, upon seeing the sender's name, glanced back at the report in his hand."This definitely wasn't sent by Rose.""Not sent by her? Then where is she now? I can't get through to her phone. Tell her I need to see her. I want to talk to her, especially about Steve. I need to know if he's Sebastian's child or mine. I want to do the paternity test myself!"Whether the contents of the mail were true or not, Theodore was determined to investigate this matter personally. He had always assumed St
Theodore thought he was dreaming.His hands were trembling as he held the documents. He repeatedly examined the pregnancy test report and the DNA test report.The result showed that Steve was his biological son.What on earth was going on?The pregnancy test report was from a year and a half ago, but the DNA test report was from just a week ago.How could this be?"Mr. Spencer, are you alright?" The assistant noticed Theodore's abnormal behavior and was somewhat concerned. He didn't dare look at the contents of the documents, as this was Theodore's mail."My phone. Where's my phone?" Theodore asked."Mr. Spencer, your phone was destroyed in the car accident. I'll get you a replacement.""Wait. Give me your phone. Quickly!""Okay." The assistant immediately handed his phone to Theodore.Theodore knew Rosalie's number by heart, of course. He quickly dialed it."Sorry, the number you've dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."Was her phone turned off?The mail showed it
But what difference did it make? Theodore felt nothing for Cynthia—at most, just guilt."Theo, I'm not asking to be with you again, but I hope that I can see you often. That's all I want. As long as I know you're alright.""I just want to be alone for a while. Please leave," Theodore replied weakly. "Can I still visit you?"After a moment of silence, Theodore said, "Maybe in a few days. I just want to be alone now.""Alright, I'll give you some space to calm down. I'll visit you again. I hope we can still be friends. Oh, by the way..." Cynthia took a small gift box from her bag and placed it on the bedside table. "This is a gift I made for you.""What's this?" Theodore asked.Cynthia opened the box to reveal a red braided bracelet."I made this for you. Can I put it on you? It'll keep you safe and bring you good health."Theodore was indifferent. "Do you really believe in this kind of thing?""Theo, whether you believe in it or not, it's still my sincere wish. I spent the whole night
Theodore had a long dream. When he woke up, his whole body ached."Theo, you're finally awake." Wesley sighed in relief.Theodore opened his eyes, feeling not only physical pain but also an intense pain in his chest. As soon as he regained consciousness, he thought of what Rosalie had said to him.Rosalie was so cruel. Why hadn't he died in that car accident? Why was he still alive?Seeing his son's dazed eyes, as if he was soulless, Wesley immediately spoke. "Theo, what's wrong? How could you be so careless when driving? Thankfully, you're alive. You need to rest and recover. Don't worry about the company, I'll take care of it. Your mother still hasn't woken up. If something happened to you, what would I do?"Theodore barely heard anything Wesley said because his heart was in agony. He even wanted to question Rosalie why she saved him.Wesley stayed with Theodore for a while longer, but had to leave to attend to company matters. He reminded the bodyguards and nurses to take good care
He cupped Rosalie's cheeks in his hands and apologized. "Rose, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Let's not talk about it anymore. I'm just a pitiful child who lost his mother. Don't hurt me anymore."Yerick suddenly started sobbing as he hugged Rosalie tight. "Rose, after all this draws to a close, I'll take you away. We'll lead a happy life together. Although I'm younger than you, don't worry. I'm very good at taking care of others. I started taking care of my mom when I was very young. She wasn't in good health, and I was always taking care of her. I'll take good care of you, too."Yerick sobbed in her arms like a child, his tall towering figure shaking uncontrollably. His voice rang in her ears; if she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine him to be nothing but an innocent, crying child who had lost his mother and lacked a sense of security. She would have pitied him.Rosalie felt her heart soften ever so slightly, but her rationale hardened her heart once more. Thinking of
Sebastian turned out to be so wicked! She couldn't believe he would do such a thing.After Sebastian left the warehouse, Theodore was left lying alone inside, in a pool of blood. He shut his eyes, having lost all hope.Rosalie's heart broke to witness the scene. She clutched her chest and could almost smell the metallic smell of blood in the air. "Theo, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"Another figure appeared in the video—it was probably Yerick. He pulled out a needle and injected something into Theodore's body before leaving.Soon after, Aurora appeared.Everything was becoming clear. That was what actually happened.Yerick put his phone aside. "Rose, do you understand now? Although I shot Theodore, I saved him afterward. You saw it for yourself. What did Sebastian do after Theodore was injured? He wanted to kill Theodore. Those whom you trusted have been lying to you, while the one you didn't trust has been protecting you all along. Rose, you must be devastated, right?""Why? Why did