Gabriella told Lilian about how the photos she took couldn't satisfy Elaine. So, she asked Lilian to assign Elaine another photographer.Incidents like this had happened before. Some photographers had complained about demanding clients, while some clients had complained about the photographer's poor skills.Elaine was Walt's friend, and Lilian knew her too.All this time, Walt had always done Elaine's photoshoots. Therefore, Lilian thought it was unusual that Elaine had specifically asked for Gabriella to conduct the photoshoot this time. However, now that Gabriella had come to meet her, Lilian finally understood why.Elaine and Gabriella had bad blood between them.Although Gabriella was merely a newcomer, Lilian had seen her work. She thought that Gabriella was an exceptional photographer and a rare gem.On the other hand, Elaine was the young lady of the West family. She was unreasonable and had to be coaxed by others.She asked for Fay to be her photographer, but she wasn'
"I didn't steal it. So, I won't admit it. Mr. Foster, I hope you can give me a chance to prove my innocence. "If there's actually proof that I stole the necklace, I'll immediately resign. I chose to work at Colson Photography Studio because I liked the studio's beliefs."Gabriella glanced at Daniel and continued, "If I'm deemed guilty without any solid evidence, then I really regret picking Colson. Also, Colson wouldn't be worthy of holding the reputation of being fair.""Fine. I'm a reasonable man. So, I'll let you argue for your innocence."How could Walt refuse Gabriella after hearing her say that?Elaine's eyes flashed as she immediately objected, "Walt, why are you listening to her? She's obviously trying to trick her way out of this!" "Elaine, could it be that you're feeling uneasy?" Gabriella chuckled. She continued, "If I really stole the necklace, you should support Daniel and go against me. Then, I'll immediately be thrown into the depths of shame!"Elaine scoffed
Gabriella sent a resignation letter to Lilian after she returned. Lilian quickly approved it and noted that she considered Gabriella an exceptional photographer. Lilian regretted the situation but felt powerless. She felt sorry for her, so she recommended one of her friends to Gabriella.This friend was a magazine editor who often collaborated with various photographers. Gabriella thanked Lilian and added them on WhatsApp.Lilian had likely talked to the editor about Gabriella, and the editor was friendly toward Gabriella. They mentioned that if the right opportunity arose, they would recommend Gabriella.Gabriella learned about the West family after Colson left.The West family became prominent in the 19th century and thrived in Draken. During this period, there were significant developments in science and technology. The Wests, as a traditional family, experienced a period of decline. However, an older family member returned from studying abroad and initiated substantial re
"Why is she here? Doesn't she know that she's not welcome at this gathering?" Bella said with a disdainful expression.Elaine? Gabriella wondered if it was the Elaine she knew.Bella said, "Fay, come with me to the next room in a moment.""Why?""Alexander has arrived. So, Adonis and the others are giving her a warm welcome."Pete had mentioned this to Bella, but he didn't expect they would meet at the same club or in adjacent private rooms. If she hadn't seen that idiot Elaine, she wouldn't have known about this."Alright then."Gabriella understood what to do, remembering her recent conversation with Frank. He had asked about her adjustment to Draken and mentioned planning a visit in a few days.In the next room, a group of young people sat around a round table with a lavish feast spread out before them."Come on, Frank, have a drink." Walt filled a glass and lifted it, smiling at Frank. "Here.""Frank, it's been a while. Let's have a good drink this time," Pete said, smili
Walt briefly recounted the incident."Gabriella was taking photos of Elaine that day, and Elaine's necklace got lost."It was the truth. Gabriella wouldn't resign without a reason, and he guessed she must have felt wronged. It seemed like Elaine had purposely singled her out, even though it was a simple misunderstanding."So that's what happened." Pete casually leaned back in his chair, smiling. He advised, "Walt, as the boss, you can't ignore this. When your employees go through such things, it's disheartening. You need to step up and support your team. Also, you're Frank's friend. Though unintentional, you're putting Frank in an awkward position with Gabriella!"Another friend jokingly said, "So, did Elaine not apologize? That's not okay. If someone is wronged, an apology is necessary."Elaine dismissed it, saying, "I didn't do it on purpose. Who knew she would take it so seriously and resign on the spot? Anyway, she has a new job now. There's no reason to bring it up again."
Bella was curious. "Wasn't it just an accident? What discovery could there be?""I'm not sure. Typically, after we settle an issue, the police wouldn't continue the investigation. Maybe Mr. Carber's people found something while looking for him?""Well, it shouldn't be. I did think of having my dad help. But before he could do anything, the car owner had already been taken to the police station." "I see. I'll go check it out first, then."Gabriella stood up and said, "You guys have fun. I'll be leaving now. Let's meet up another day.""Okay."Gabriella left the private room with her bag and headed toward the elevator. As she turned the corner, her footsteps halted. A woman was tightly hugging a man from behind in front of the restroom door.The man wore gold-rimmed glasses and a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The woman had wavy hair and wore a long, designer skirt.From the side, she looked somewhat familiar. She looked like Alicia, whom Gabriella
Back in Florin, Shawn and Carmila's wedding had been postponed. Henry's arrest and the chaos in the Toussaint family had made it impossible for Shawn to get married.Carmila was also concerned that Shawn might face consequences because of Henry's arrest. Shawn and Carmila returned to their hometown since their new wedding date hadn't been fixed yet.Carmila's hometown was Stalar Village, Forksna, North District, Florin City. The people in Stalar Village knew that Carmila, Zain's daughter, had found a wealthy boyfriend in the city.Her boyfriend was said to be generous. Carmila had been buying appliances and a car for the family and supporting her siblings' school transfers.There had been rumors that Zain's family planned to buy a house in the city after Carmila married. Everyone was envious of them. Everyone thought that Zain was lucky to have such a great daughter.However, some jealous people made cynical remarks, saying that wealthy city folks wouldn't marry a rural girl witho
Kayce started to overthink because of what Carmila said.He didn't want Shawn to overthink too and ruin his impression of the Sandersons, so he immediately changed the topic.But Shawn did overthink it. The only way a young female university student could earn so much money in such a short time was either through getting a sugar daddy or by selling her body.In extremely rare cases, fresh graduates from highly prestigious universities would obtain a high enough salary to earn 200 thousand dollars in a few months. But Carmila's cousin was clearly not one of them.That was her father, after all. She was willing to sacrifice herself for his health. She was an excellent daughter, but her circumstances were more than what she could handle. She had no other choice. Such was life for the common folk.That was why the matter didn't ruin Shawn's impression of Carmila's cousin. He was simply overwhelmed.He said, "Mila, let's visit Uncle Chris when we get back."Since the kidney transpl
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