At a glance, the post was full of malicious comments and personal attacks. Henry furrowed his brows. His face darkened as fury gnawed at him. He couldn't imagine how Gabriella would feel when she saw the hate comments.He thought about Gabriella enduring everything alone. She would be going to work while feeling wronged. Hence, an indescribable pain crept up his heart.His phone had been on for a short while, and yet hate comments and threats kept flooding in. Henry opened his Instagram and scrolled through his feed. However, he couldn't find the chat with David Collins. Gabriella must've deleted all their past chats after blocking him.Then, Henry thought of something and scrolled through the screenshots in his gallery. He managed to find evidence that Gabriella had saved. The picture consists of a chat between two people. The last message was from David saying, "... I'll let you advertise my program next season. Are you going to the Four Seasons Hotel tonight?"Henry's eye
The car pulled into the villa's yard. Henry looked up after stepping out of it. The lights in the master bedroom were already turned off.Henry turned on the lights as he entered the living room. He searched the drawer and found that the spare key to the master bedroom was already there. He walked silently into the room. The room was pitch black with only weak streams of light flooding in through the curtains. He could vaguely see Gabriella's hair spilled out on the pillow. In the dark, the little lump in the middle of the big bed seemed frail. Her body was curled up and half of her face was covered by the blanket.Henry sat on the bed gently and lifted the corner of the blanket gingerly. He gazed at her through the weak moonlight as she slept soundly.Only then did Henry notice the deep crease between her eyebrows. Her forehead was drenched with sweat. She muttered quietly, as though she was having a nightmare. Suddenly, her breathing quickened. She clawed at the bedsheets as
According to previous years' routine, they would have lunch at the Toussaints' before visiting the cemetery. Lunch was sumptuous. The dining room was bustling.Nathan's childish chatter made everyone guffaw from time to time. Nathan was just so adorable that Gabriella couldn't help but smile.She wondered what the baby in her womb would look like. She hoped that it would be as cute and carefree as Nathan. Henry sat opposite her. He gazed at her as she smiled absent-mindedly.Gabriella froze when she met his gaze. She quietly put down her cutlery and left for the washroom. As she walked out of the washroom after drying her hands, she noticed someone standing at the door.The person wore a gray suit and leather shoes. From the back, he looked quite relaxed. Gabriella stopped walking. Oliver glanced back when he heard someone behind him.Gabriella greeted him and said with a smile, "Secretly smoking?"Oliver smiled sheepishly as he stubbed out his cigarette. He replied, "Megan don
Gabriella clenched her fingers.It was as if Oliver read her mind as he said, "Don't worry. Grandpa is a reasonable man. All he wants is for you to be happy. I'll also talk to him about it … "Gabriella was about to say something when she heard footsteps behind her. It was Henry who spoke."Gabby? Why are you still here? Oliver's here too?"Oliver smiled at Henry and said, "I was just talking to Gabby."Oliver was very friendly. So he'd gotten close with Gabriella back when she lived in the Toussaints'.Henry didn't suspect anything as he said to Gabriella, "I noticed that you didn't eat much just now. Why don't you go back and eat more?"Gabriella replied, "Okay."After watching them for a while, Oliver said, "I'm going back too, otherwise Megan would suspect that I'm out here smoking."Henry smiled faintly when he saw the cigarette butt on the ground. Oliver whispered, "Don't tell her."Henry raised his eyebrows and said, "You reek of smoke."Oliver stopped in his tracks
The interview was out for everyone to watch. It was the finance channel's afternoon news on Sunday.It was also released on their official website and blog.Gabriella stayed at home to rest on Sunday. Maria knew the reason behind Henry and Gabriella's fight last night, so she nagged Gabriella to tell Henry that she was pregnant.However, Gabriella firmly refused to. She thought of Henry stroking her stomach last night, asking her if she would still choose to have a divorce if they were to have a child.Gabriella had looked right at Henry and said, "I asked you the same question before. Do you still remember your reply?"She asked him, " … Would you still be so set on getting a divorce if we have a child?"She still remembered his answer even though it had been a long time. He said, "There are no ifs. Even if we do, we have to abort it."Henry froze as the memory of his reply resurfaced.Caroline spat out word by word, "There are no ifs. Even if we do, we have to abort it."He
Henry hesitated briefly then shared, "Well, you know. Our personalities didn't quite click. With the whole dual degree thing in university, I was pretty swamped. Free time for us was a rare commodity. After diving into work post-graduation, I got caught up and kinda forgot to tune into her feelings. We tried working things out a few times, but in the end, we decided it was best to part ways on good terms."It sounded like an official statement. "Guess it comes with the industry, you know? In the acting world, on-set commitments can stretch for months. This makes it tough for couples, especially if both are hustling. And now, being the CEO at Toussaint, I bet you're swamped too. Any thoughts from Ms. Carrington on that?"Henry grinned. "Oh, she's got her hands full too. We often find ourselves burning the midnight oil together. Strangely enough, it makes our days feel pretty productive.""So those online rumors about Ms. Carrington pulling strings aren't true?"Henry shook his h
Online, it was common that the absence of one perspective or response may lead to the amplification or enjoyment of an opposing viewpoint.Despite claiming to oppose online violence, some netizens contradicted themselves by immediately engaging in mockery within Hannah's Twitter comments.If it was merely media speculation, Hannah's fans could explain it as sensationalism for clicks. However, when the Saint Ben ship gained popularity, someone approached the studio's Twitter, questioning the authenticity of their relationship.Instead of giving a straightforward answer, the studio responded with a smiley face emoji.For fans who ship the couple, this response was seen as a subtle approval sweeter than any carefully crafted public relations statement. The screenshot was shared on platforms like Reddit and quickly became a trending post in online communities.Now, haters had used this screenshot to create drama around Hannah, accusing her of being a third party in Gabriella's sit
The entire Sunday passed without Henry returning.Perhaps he was unsure of how to face Gabriella.Around 5:00 pm on Sunday, another piece of news surfaced on Twitter's trending topics.There was a fire at the industrial park of Toussaint in Astral City. It resulted in one fatality and left three others injured. The cause of the fire remained unclear and an ongoing investigation was underway.In a video shared by a passerby, flames shot up into the sky, creating chaos in the vicinity. Firefighters were seen working hard to keep the fire under control.The combination of the existing animosity toward big corporations and capitalists, along with Henry's recent public scrutiny sent a wave of mockery in the comment section. The slightest provocation seemed to set off a chain reaction of criticism and satire.Henry's alleged extramarital affair with Hannah rode on the coattails of this incident. It also gained momentum.Somewhere along the way, some versions of the fire's origins star
Carmila, dressed in a gorgeous wedding gown, entered with Zain.After exchanging rings, Shawn and Carmila headed toward their parents in the front row.Layla's seat was on the opposite side, and the gorgeous flowers on stage hid her view, so she could only hear what was happening.The newlyweds appeared on stage with the four elders for a group shot.She narrowed her eyes and noticed that Shawn's mother resembled her landlord.Chris also had the same realization and whispered to her, "Layla, do you think that person looks like our landlord?""They do look quite similar."The ceremony was over. The newlyweds left, and the waiters began serving dishes.Carmila was pregnant and didn't need to toast. Only Shawn came forward to drink with the Sanderson elders.After toasting, he placed the wine glass on the tray, followed the elders' instructions, and turned to the next table.When he noticed a familiar figure at the table, he stopped and narrowed his eyes. He looked at Layla, the
Shawn and Carmila's wedding was rescheduled once Henry had been safely released from the detention center.However, Carmila's pregnancy was already showing, so the wedding was kept simple.Firstly, everyone thought she would appear unsightly if she married while being visibly pregnant. The second reason was that they feared the complex wedding would exhaust her and the child in her womb.Carmila was displeased, but she had no say in the matter. Furthermore, insisting on a bigger ceremony would make it appear that she didn't care about the child.The wedding car left Florin around 5:00 am and picked her up at 8:00 am.Shawn was in a suit, and Carmila was in a wedding gown. They stood together and carried out the ceremony amidst their elders' blessings.Then, he helped her into the bridal chamber.Meanwhile, Gabriella, along with Megan and several close relatives, entertained the guests who were seeing off the bride.Everyone left for the hotel around 10:00 a.m.Although the wed
Naturally, Elaine wouldn't tell the truth. "I've told you about Moabia before. They're the ones who took the watch. "I ran into Fay's friend at the mall two days ago. She recognized and mocked me! I was outraged and tried to scare them today. But they smashed my car, pinned me to the ground, and beat me!"Unexpectedly, Sam scowled. "Nothing would happen if you didn't scare them."As soon as he heard about Moabia, he knew that Gabriella's friend, whom Elaine mentioned, was Colene.Although he hadn't returned to Chatan at that time, he had been following Colene's Twitter account and checking it frequently. He knew she had accompanied Gabriella to Moabia.She wouldn't let herself suffer, and she wouldn't mock others without reason. There must be a reason for everything.Furthermore, Elaine's words lacked credibility.Everyone would choose to portray themselves favorably, including her. Just like when she broke a person's leg and said it was just a minor injury. Elaine couldn't b
Alicia looked over and saw Colene drag Elaine by the hair and push her to the ground. Colene even tied her hands with a rope as she struggled.Gabriella straddled Elaine, grabbed her chin, and slapped her twice.It was a rare opportunity to teach Elaine a lesson. She naturally wanted to settle the scores!Alicia was speechless. Sam's plane was about to land. She didn't want to face him with a bruised and swollen face."Ah! Just wait and see! I'll kill you bitches! Let go of me! My uncle will shoot you both! Ah! Fay, you bitch!"Elaine was crying and howling on the ground, her voice shrill. It was the first time in her life that she had suffered such humiliation! She swore to take revenge on them!She would make sure Blake had them jailed and executed!Elaine's cries attracted several passersby.Seeing that the destroyed car was a Maserati, they realized they couldn't intervene. So, they just watched from the side. No one dared to step forward.Someone was filming Gabriella, bu
They were her nemesis!Elaine fixed her gaze on Gabriella and Colene, filled with rage. "I must teach them a lesson!"Alicia, trying to discourage her, said, "Elaine, I don't think it's a good idea. We're in Chatan…""My uncle's here. What are you afraid of?" Elaine replied unconcernedly, "Follow me."Gabriella and Colene stepped into a clothing store while talking. The clothing in the store was stylish. Gabriella chose a one-shoulder dress and entered the changing room.Colene was outside and exclaimed with astonishment, "Damn! So the woman standing with Henry outside the women's restroom door that day was Elaine?"Gabriella frequently videocalled her while in Draken, telling her about her situation there.She then realized that Gabriella had met the self-righteous foolish Elaine, the young lady of the Draken's wealthy family, on the plane again."It's her," Gabriella responded as she changed clothes."She came to Florin?""Do you remember that we met a big shot at the pol
Then she turned slightly to see that Felise was still fast asleep. However, they were so close that they might wake her up.Gabriella didn't want Felise to catch them in the act.Henry didn't answer. He blew hot air onto Gabriella's neck, and goosebumps prickled her skin. He caught her earlobe and sucked it hard.A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her, and she shuddered. She curled her toes and shrank back.Suddenly, Gabriella became fully awake, and she tightened around Henry's hand. "What… what are you doing?"Henry's mouth was next to her ear, and his breath was hot on her earlobes. "I'm helping you relax.""No…""When you're relaxed, I'll sleep."Gabriella remained silent. Then, she bit her lip. "No, Henry… don't… uh, Lise is beside me… don't…"A light seemed to flash across her brain, and she stiffened suddenly, and her eyes went out of focus as she stared at the ceiling. Her breathing turned heavy.Henry kissed her cheek and got some wet towels to wipe her do
Felise hadn't seen Gabriella in two months, and she missed her dearly.After school, Felise got in line with the other children to leave the kindergarten. She looked around and heard her seatmate say, "Lise, your parents have come together to get you!"Felise followed the gaze of her seatmate, and she saw a man and a woman standing side by side, their eyes searching through the crowd of kindergarteners. The man wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his lean forearms. He wore black pants and a leather belt, which showed off his long legs. He looked like a model.The woman wore a fitting white lace blouse, and there was a white-gold necklace around her creamy neck. Her arms were fair and slender, like snow, and she wore a short khaki-colored miniskirt. Her legs were slim and fair, and her skin was flawless. They were a very good-looking couple, and they attracted the attention of many of the parents. Even the children couldn't help looking over at
It was already noon. Henry told the driver to make a detour to a restaurant. The waiter led them to a private room on the second floor and politely handed them a menu.Henry had come here a few times before. Perhaps it was because he didn't like lamb, but he only just noticed that there were several signature lamb dishes on the menu. Gabriella looked through the menu and ordered a few at random.Henry heard her orders and told the waiter, "Add a braised lamb and lamb rack.""You have great taste, sir. These are our signature dishes." The waiter smiled and noted it down."Will it be too much?""It's okay. We can bring it back if we can't finish it." Henry gave the menu to the waiter. "That's all."While they waited for the food to be served, the two of them chatted casually.Henry told her in detail about all the affiliated companies under Toussaint Holdings and the new products the studios were about to launch. He asked Gabriella which of these she was interested in. As lo
Then Layla heard something that made her lose all hope."Layla, come to my office."She opened her mouth, then deflated and said, "Okay."The intern looked curiously at Shawn's retreating figure and said, "Why does Mr. Shawn want to see you?""I don't know. Whatever it is, I'll find out when I go. I'm leaving." Layla carried an expression of dignified resignation.She guessed that Shawn wanted to see her about the office romance issue. She wasn't dating Robin, but it was worse than dating. Shawn had just stepped into the office when Layla followed him in. Her head was lowered, and she looked uneasy. "Mr. Shawn, what do you want to see me about?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Shawn sat down behind the desk and arranged the documents on it. He asked casually, "Do you remember what I asked you during your interview?""Y-yes… you asked me what I think about office romances." Layla lowered her gaze and answered in a small voice. Her palms were sweating, and her heart was in her t