"Well, Ross is sick."Forced to be sick, Ross was actually chiseling ice in the Arctic at that moment.Raymond was forced to accompany him.This was because Zachary was afraid Ross would cause trouble."You said that Mr. Collins wants to give Mrs. Collins an ice sculpture and wants to carve it himself, so he asked me to get ice for him. But this ice will melt by the time it reaches Jeswood, right? After all, summer is approaching."He had a brain, but not much of one.If Zachary wanted ice for a sculpture, he could have just frozen a batch in a storage unit.Making them go to the Arctic was purely a punishment.Unfortunately, Raymond had to suffer along with Ross.Raymond couldn't help but kick Ross. "Get to work! Mr. Collins is waiting for the ice!"Ross was happy chiseling ice, but without good food, he became unhappy again.Seeing him stop, Raymond urged him on.Ross simply tossed aside the iron chisel in his hand.Raymond, being a sensible person, immediately went to f
Carter didn’t seem to expect him to ask such a question."My examination results show that you didn’t injure your brain."Westley took a deep breath. "I mean, if I can't get up, how do I walk to the bathroom?"Carter glanced at the catheter and understood."It can be removed today. After that, you can handle things in bed, have a family member push you in a wheelchair, or call a caregiver. You have plenty of subordinates who can help you."Westley’s breathing grew heavier, clearly on the verge of losing his temper."Just hurry up and fix me!"Carter closed the medical record, clipped his pen back into his pocket, and said indifferently, "I can’t. You need my sister-in-law for that.""Then call her.""I can’t reach her. My brother made her mad again. I don’t know where she is, and she blocked me."Westley had every reason to suspect that Carter was messing with him."I’ve never done anything to wrong you, have I?"Carter shook his head. "No. But everything I’m saying is the
"Carter!"Westley finally lost his composure completely. "You’re really annoying. No wonder your sister doesn’t even want to acknowledge you."Carter was always cold-faced, but now, his expression grew even darker.The temperature in the ward seemed to drop several degrees.Jordan was so startled that she instinctively moved aside.Westley noticed, his gaze shifting to Carter, his expression also turning heavy."If you know where to strike, you should also know your limits."Carter turned and left without another word.Westley's eyes fell back on Jordan’s face, and his expression softened. "Did he scare you?"Jordan shook her head and sat down by the bedside.The nurse entered right after, removed the catheter, and gave Jordan some instructions.She memorized them carefully.Once the nurse left, she turned to Westley. "If something’s wrong, just tell me. Don’t let pride get in the way or feel ashamed about anything.""Just treat me like a caregiver."Westley’s Adam’s appl
She thought about it and realized that saying too much to Westley was meaningless.He was injured because of her, and she was taking care of him—doing what she should."I've made my stance clear. I won't leave, no matter what you say. If you think I'm not professional enough, I can hire a caregiver and assist them. I don’t want to say anything else. Just rest. If you don’t want to rest, then wait for Buck to return with the food."Westley’s thin lips moved slightly, but in the end, he didn’t say a word.It wasn’t that he didn’t know what to say.Rather, he knew exactly what to say—but he couldn’t.Besides, with what she had already said, what was the point of saying anything more?"If you want to eat something, just tell Buck to buy it."But the next second, Jordan’s phone rang.It was a call from Jasmine.She answered, "What’s wrong?"Jasmine’s voice was filled with excitement. "Ms. Hickey, we’re going to Breckil! The monkey, the Saguinus—the Saguinus!"Jordan didn’t immed
The ward door slammed shut.From that moment on, their worlds were completely separated."Jordan."Jordan happened to run into Jane, who had just arrived at the hospital."Your eyes are red. Were you crying?"Jordan shook her head. "I’m fine, Sis. I cry easily when I get emotional—tear incontinence."Jane nodded. "Have you eaten yet? Let’s go get something to eat.""Something sweet—it’ll lift your mood."Jordan nodded again.Since Jane wasn’t there to see Westley anyway, she linked arms with Jordan and walked away.Zachary was rendered speechless.He wanted to follow but was immediately shot a glare by Jane.With a change in his steps, he walked into the ward instead."Jordy!"Westley thought Jordan had returned. The composure he usually carried was completely gone, and his voice was filled with obvious panic and nervousness.Even when he had relapses of his illness, Zachary had never seen him this vulnerable."You pissed her off so much that she left?"Westley turned
Jordan, concerned about Jane’s pregnancy, found a quiet restaurant for them to eat."Sorry, Jane, because of me, you almost got into trouble.""What does that have to do with you? Don’t be so polite with me all the time—we’re sisters."As Jane ordered her food, she added, "Your problems are my problems."Jordan was deeply moved.Sometimes, family bonds couldn’t be put into words.She and Jane hadn’t grown up together, yet when they met, everything just felt right. They clicked in every way.After their grandfather passed away and her love for Westley ended in failure, she thought she was destined to wander through life alone.But fortunately, fate hadn’t treated her too unfairly."Precisely because we’re real sisters, I’m afraid something might happen to you. I finally found my sister, and I want us to live to a hundred together."Jane flipped the menu and continued ordering. "We will. We’ll both live to a hundred. Now, pick what you want to eat."Jordan leaned in to look, f
“But didn’t you say you acknowledged him as an uncle?” Jordan asked in confusion.“Sigh.” Jane waved her hand dismissively. “That was just to prevent him from maintaining a marital relationship with you. At the time, I didn’t know you were already divorced. Since you two are truly divorced, there’s no need for any connection.”Jordan caught the key point. “The divorce certificate is real?”“Not only that, but your divorce status is also officially recorded. According to the Civil Affairs Bureau, you are now legally divorced.”Jordan should have been happy, but suddenly, she felt an inexplicable discomfort in her heart.She couldn’t quite put her finger on what that feeling was.Pressing her lips together, she said, “It’s good that it’s real.”The dishes were served one after another. Jane placed some food onto Jordan’s plate. “So, you don’t have to dwell on what happened at the black market last night. Everything is settled.”Settled.It was good that things were settled.Jor
"Good.""Alright, eat well."In the car, Zachary was still checking his watch every second.He keenly noticed that Jordan had been looking at his car for quite a while.She had noticed him, so Jane couldn't have missed it either.It must have been an act.Unable to hold back, he sent a message back.Jane replied, "Did you finish seeing Westley?"Zachary immediately understood why she had been so warm and enthusiastic yesterday, but was much colder today.It was mostly because of Westley and Jordan’s situation.It was still connected in some way.He typed. "I didn’t see him. I asked about the bodyguards and then came over."Jane sent a nodding emoji.Zachary waited for a while but didn’t see any new messages from her.He had quit smoking, and when he was feeling impatient, he chewed on mint candy.The sound of him biting the mint candy felt like he was chewing on bones.It sent a chill down the driver’s spine."Sir, please don't do anything impulsive.""I won’t."Zach
Jordan and Whitney chatted casually.Most of the time, it was Jordan doing the talking while Whitney listened.After covering enough about the wedding, they talked about Jordan's work over the past few years.She also mentioned the tangled feelings and past with Westley.When she got to that part, she grew a little curious. "Whitney, before you married Caleb, did you ever like anyone?"Whitney shook her head."What about a secret crush?""Not even that."Whitney rarely talked to others about her past.Zachary only knew because he had looked into her and thought she was perfectly suited to be a pawn.And she had needed to become that pawn—to completely sever ties with her past, achieve her goals, and fulfill her ambitions."I was too busy studying and working to think about anything else."Jordan sensed she didn't want to go further, so she didn't press.Just then, Jane called, saying she and Charlotte would arrive soon and join them for lunch.She relayed the message to W
"We had a meal together before, and I noticed you always seemed to like sweet dishes, so I tried buying some. I was worried it might not suit your taste.""It does, it does." Jordan took a bite of the pudding. "It's delicious. But did you buy anything you like to eat?"Whitney said, "I already had breakfast. I can't eat anymore."Jordan offered a suggestion, "Why not try a bite of this sponge cake? It's a specialty here in Nelana."Whitney really couldn't eat any more. She had a small appetite, a condition built up over the years.If she ate a full meal, she couldn't eat snacks afterward. And if she ate snacks, she would lose her appetite for meals.She had a small stomach.But seeing Jordan looking at her so expectantly, she still picked up a piece of sponge cake and took a bite."It's very good."Jordan smiled and took a big bite of the sponge cake herself."Whitney, you're so good at picking food! This is great!"The old house was a bit remote, but it had a rooftop terrac
Jordan said Whitney would be coming over later.Westley hadn't expected that the first one to get out of bed would actually be Whitney."Just the two of you?" he asked."For now, yes."Jordan glanced at her phone. In the group chat, it was just her and Whitney talking—no response yet from Jane or Charlotte.She more or less knew why Jane hadn't responded, but Charlotte too?Still, it didn't really matter. There weren't any specific plans for today anyway.She hadn't known Whitney was coming, so it was a nice surprise."Maybe my sister will text me around noon. We can decide what to do then.""You." She pointed at Westley. "You are not allowed to show up in front of me again after breakfast."Westley nodded. "Got it."After buying food, Whitney told Caleb, "I'm going to find Jordan. You can go handle your stuff. I'll be staying at her place until the wedding."Caleb leaned against the elevator wall, his voice low and lazy. "You're telling me what to do?"Whitney wasn't in a
She replied with an emoji, then looked for her girls in the group chat to ask them out for food.Their group chat had a new member now—Whitney.And it was Whitney who replied to her."I'm already eating at the hotel. Do you want to come over, or should I bring something to you later?"Whitney had actually had a good night's sleep.Though it was a bit later than her usual habit, she still managed to get up for breakfast.Before, it was always Caleb who brought breakfast to the bedside and fed her, because she simply couldn't get out of bed.Jordan figured she was probably having breakfast with Caleb and decided not to bother her."No need, I'll just eat something nearby. Your hotel isn't close to me."Whitney replied. "I'm heading over later anyway, but I'll probably be a bit late. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat something first. I'll bring you something else."Jordan. "Thanks."Whitney. "No problem."Caleb noticed her holding her phone, her expression much softer, even t
Caleb was thinking that in the future, he could let her drink a little more.Of course, only when he was around.She looked kind of cute like this."I did say that, but didn't you just say you wanted to thank me?"Whitney felt that alcohol really wasn't a good thing.Even when hanging out with Jane and the others, she decided not to drink too much anymore.The rationality and logic that she was so proud of had completely vanished.She had never been as calm in front of Caleb as she was with others.Besides, there was a power imbalance between her and him.If she were sober, she wouldn't have been able to reject him anyway.Let alone now, when her mind was muddled.But maybe because she was muddled, she dared to say things that she didn’t usually dare to say."I just lost my balance earlier, and you helped me. Even if you don't accept verbal gratitude, that doesn't mean I owe you something this big."Caleb saw she could barely stand, so he held her by the waist to keep her
"But your reaction just now didn’t seem like you knew I was here."Jane tried to pull her leg back, but when she couldn't, she slapped him in frustration."It was called acting, understand? I didn't want you to look embarrassed, so I got those two out of the way first."Zachary rubbed her ankle with his thumb, as if he believed her. "Then should I be thanking you—for being so considerate?"Jane couldn't be bothered to argue. "Let go. I want to drink.""I'll drink with you."Meanwhile, Frank held Charlotte close and asked in a low voice, "Did she really know we were here?"Charlotte nodded. "What do you think? You really think Jane would mess around during her marriage? She might be bold, but she has boundaries. But you guys really are annoying."Frank hooked her chin with his thumb. "I knew it. You're being cold to me because you're sick of me. I've said it so many times, and you still wouldn't admit it."After saying that, he picked her up and walked out of the bar.He hadn'
Charlotte nudged him with her elbow, warning him not to stir things up.Jordan truly didn't dare to stay any longer. "Westley, take me home.""Okay." Westley finally got up. "You all take your time. If it gets too late, don't go back to the old house—just find a place to crash.""But..." Jordan suddenly felt like leaving wasn't such a good idea. "Maybe I'll stay and play a bit more."Westley simply dragged her out."Jane and Zachary...""You can't control what they do, so why bother worrying over nothing?"Jordan was settled into the passenger seat, her seatbelt fastened firmly.She didn't resist, mostly because she felt what Westley said made sense.Jane was way more capable than she was. This kind of minor drama would be easy for her to handle.Plus, with the smart and composed Charlotte around—It was better if she didn't add to the chaos.Once Westley got into the driver's seat, she asked, "Why did you guys show up? Especially you—didn't you say no seeing each other a w
But it was just a polite gesture—if they had been singing inside, they wouldn't have heard her anyway.So after knocking, she pushed the door open and went in.Charlotte and the others followed to take a look.When they saw the scene inside, they gasped.The four men from home were sitting around a cards table, all eyes on the door, each with a different expression.Zachary looked at Jane, who entered first, and said with a smile, "Honey, pick someone you like and give him a kiss."Jane took a step back and bumped into Charlotte's arms.That was when she noticed the big screen beside them—it was showing their own private room."You were watching us?"Zachary tapped the cards on the table with his long fingers, still smiling."If we weren't watching, how would we get to enjoy such an entertaining scene?"They had all been drinking.Whitney didn't hold her liquor well. She was already a little dazed. Although the room was fairly bright, everything seemed a little off to her.
Caleb didn't respond. Instead, he looked at Westley and played a card.Westley won.And it was a big pot as well.He cocked his brows. "Is this your wedding gift to me, Caleb?"Caleb asked, "Your wedding—Dr. Greyson won't be absent, will he? I heard you two are very close. You've been at death's door multiple times, and he's the one who saved you."Westley nodded. "Theoretically, yes. But I'm not sure if he might have some emergency.""Besides, it's not like you, Caleb, can't reach him. You helped him last time. It's impossible he'd ignore you now."Caleb could contact Carter, but if he did, it would mean helping Carter meet Mandy.He had no interest in meddling in romantic matters—too troublesome.But he couldn't get in touch with Tanner at all.Technically, there was no real need for him to attend Westley's wedding.Even if Whitney was invited by Jane, he himself wasn't obligated.He simply wanted to go, hoping to "accidentally" run into Carter.That way, it wouldn't loo