Westley had said that he was no longer the head of the Howard family and had resigned.But after all these years, he had built considerable power.No one dared to provoke him in the open, let alone in the shadows."I just think that Leanne is still young and inexperienced, so I was just giving her a little reminder."Westley didn’t even spare Matthew a glance and gestured for Leanne to go inside.When Leanne reached his study, she slammed her hands forcefully onto the desk with a loud bang."Were you just waiting to see me flustered and scolded for a while before finally agreeing to see me?"Westley simply said, "You don’t need to worry about what’s been happening lately."Leanne immediately understood. "Is the Jackson family in Impelia putting pressure on you?"Westley remained calm. "My brother-in-law just found me something to do, that’s all. You should focus entirely on dealing with the major families in Nelana. Now that the Howard family is in your hands, you should make
Every detail exuded an effortless grace, nurtured by wealth and power.It was captivating.Jordan noticed that Jean’s eyes were practically glued to Nathan.Her gaze was filled with deep affection, completely unhidden.It was the same kind of admiration that Jasmine had shown when she first saw Nathan.But perhaps because Jean had known Nathan longer and had some understanding of him, her demeanor carried a certain sense of entitlement—like that of a rightful partner.Even though nothing had actually developed between them yet.Jordan glanced at Jasmine, feeling a slight sense of concern.But Jasmine was busy looking at her phone, teasing her online "husband."Then, as if she suddenly thought of something, she searched for nearby locations and whispered something to Jordan.Jordan glanced at her phone screen.She figured it might be good for Jasmine to relax a bit, so she agreed.Still, she sent a message to Jane to check in.Jane told them to have fun, with only one remin
Nathan made a phone call, and soon, one of his men arrived in a car.He instructed Jordan to take Jasmine and get into the car first.After closing the car door, his expression carried not a single trace of warmth.He looked like he had just stepped down from an icy mountain."I’ll say this only once—this ends here."Jean panicked. "No, Nathan, I just wanted to build a good relationship with your sister, but I misspoke because I’m not good with words. Can’t you forgive me just this once? I didn’t mean anything against your sister..."Nathan’s fox-like eyes gleamed with ice, their sharp curve as cutting as a blade."You’d better not say another word."Jean had so much more to say, but all the words got stuck in her throat.She knew that Nathan was not someone who could be easily fooled.She could only lower her head, making herself appear pitiful, hoping to evoke his sympathy.After all, men like him—powerful, cold, and untouchable—always fell for gentle, delicate women.She
Jordan felt a little embarrassed.After all, she called Nathan her brother, but becoming family was just her wishful thinking.Strictly speaking, they had no blood relation.She didn’t want to stand between anything."Nathan, when you go on a blind date, make sure to clarify what kind of sister I am to you. Don’t let them misunderstand."Nathan simply replied, "It’s not a blind date, just meeting my grandfather’s friend’s daughter."His words only confirmed what she had just suspected.Nathan had arranged the meeting not because he was interested, but because he didn’t want to reject Jasmine outright.Jordan didn’t expose him. She just nodded and opened her phone to check Jane’s messages.Jane. "You were right."Jane. "Since that’s the case, just comfort Jasmine and tell her to look at other handsome guys."Jane. "Have fun. Don’t let a romance that never even started get in the way of enjoying life."Jordan replied with a simple "Okay" and then showed the message to Jasmine
Miranda and Jonathan could clearly sense the shift in Westley’s mood.His gaze grew even colder and darker.But before they could say anything, Westley stood up.His voice also carried a chill."I will handle things between me and her. It’s best if you don’t interfere."After saying that, he strode away, leaving Miranda and Jonathan staring at each other in silence.Impelia.The car couldn’t enter the alleyway.It stopped at a car park by the roadside.Nathan got out first, opened the door, and shielded Jordan as she stepped down. His voice was slow and steady."You’ll have to walk a little.""But once you taste the chef’s cooking, you’ll find it’s worth it."Jordan wasn’t that delicate—walking a bit was no big deal.But she hadn’t expected the alley to be so long.They walked all the way to the very end before reaching the place.The weather was getting hotter, and she had to take off her light jacket, her forehead covered in sweat.She felt exhausted, almost drained.
The waiter introduced each dish as they were served.Jasmine looked at the plate of cabbage, hesitating to speak.Once the waiter left, she leaned toward Jordan and whispered,"This dish, Pure and White, really is pure and white. I thought it would be something else."Jordan chuckled and asked, "If you want something else, then try the other dishes. This dish is also quite impressive to me.”Jordan picked up a piece for her. "Try it.""A great chef can turn ordinary ingredients into something extraordinary."Jasmine was already starving, so she figured she might as well eat since they had already ordered the food.But after just one bite, her eyes widened in surprise.The Step by Step Higher wasn’t just about the plating—it was about the layers of flavor.One piece of tofu had three distinct textures and taste experiences.Yet, when combined, they harmonized perfectly.She quickly tried the cabbage dish as well.Sure enough, it was far from ordinary."This is amazing," ex
Jane said, "Sure enough, when you love someone, even if you lose your memory, you’ll still be moved when you see them again."Charlotte glanced at the picture of Nathan and said, "But your brother doesn’t seem to care. If he wanted to find her, it would be easier for him than for us."Jane leaned back on the cushion, drinking water as if it were alcohol, giving it a little swirl for enjoyment."My cousin has always been emotionally detached. It’s not easy to make him care. But once he does, he will love deeply, and he will be devoted to that one person for life."Charlotte also leaned back, propping her face up with her hand and asking, "Your brother’s background... isn’t there pressure to form a marriage alliance?"Jane replied, "He should, but if he ends up liking Jasmine, I can help. After all, we do have some influence now."Charlotte smiled. "But who doesn’t want to reach for the stars?""Your cousin’s marriage alliance, plus you, would make the Jackson family's position ev
Because they looked so alike, she had initially assumed they were siblings.Even just now, when Jean had targeted Jordan, treating her as a rival, she had mocked Jean without giving it much thought.However, she had forgotten.There was no evidence proving they were siblings.Nathan had been overly considerate of Jordan.After dinner, Nathan drove them back to the hotel.They had been out all day and were feeling a bit tired.Jordan declined Nathan’s invitation to go somewhere else.She noticed Jasmine looked rather down.She thought it was because of Nathan, so she decided to bring her back to the hotel to comfort her."Thank you, Nathan. Drive safely on the roads."Nathan nodded. "If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call me. I can always answer your calls, don’t worry about troubling me. Since you see me as your brother, that makes us family."Jordan agreed and waved at him.As she was about to grab Jasmine’s arm, she noticed she hadn’t said a word and had already wa
"Jane, don't argue with Zachary. This time, I am staying here voluntarily," said Jordan."I’ve made a bet with Westley, and there will be a resolution in the end."Jane nodded. "I can let you handle this matter yourself, but you have to promise me that you won’t let yourself get hurt, and you won’t just keep sacrificing yourself. If it becomes unbearable, give it up. I’ll always be here to support you."Jordan nodded. "Okay."The two sisters chatted for a long time, and only when Jane started to feel sleepy did they end the video call.Jordan handed the phone to Buck and closed the door to her room.Buck was left standing there.He felt like he had been completely abandoned, as if everything around him had fallen apart.Anyway, as a sandwich in the middle, he was already crushed, so it didn’t matter anymore.For several days, Jordan got up to eat, and the food was always food prepared by the chef.She hadn’t seen Westley around.She couldn’t really say how she felt. She just
"He is faking his psychological illness," Jordan rebutted.Even if he had one, it had nothing to do with her.Even she didn’t have any psychological issues, how could someone with such a strong mind like Westley have any psychological issues?He shouldn’t blame her for everything.Having seen enough, she turned around and walked away.But Carter called her back. "He once took good care of you, and you're going to be this heartless?"Jordan wasn’t familiar with Carter. He was usually a man of few words with a cold personality.If she greeted him, he wouldn’t respond. If she talked too much, she might get an icy look in return.She really didn’t expect that one day, he would try to mediate between her and Westley."You should focus more on your own matters," she said.His own love life was a mess, so what right did he have to interfere in hers?Jordan’s emotions were written all over her face, she didn’t hide them.Carter could guess how she was feeling just by looking at her
Jane didn’t care about Westley. Even if he was feeling it now, it was too late for regrets.If he hadn’t acted the way he did, Jordan wouldn’t have suffered so much.Moreover, he had once ignored her cries for help, so now he shouldn’t blame Jordan for his injuries.“How’s my sister?” she asked.Roy replied, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Collins, Ms. Hickey is doing fine. Except for the lack of freedom, there are no other restrictions.”“When can I have a video call with her?”Roy thought for a moment. “Since Mr. Howard is now delirious, I can make the arrangements.”“Thank you,” said Jane.“It’s no trouble, it’s my job.”After hanging up the phone, Jane looked at Zachary and asked, “What do you think?”Zachary moved the phone a little farther away to avoid radiation.After finishing the massage, he helped her lie down and said, “I’m thinking what you’re thinking.”Jane gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re slick.”Zachary smirked and bent down to kiss her forehead.“Get some rest.”
"Mrs. Howard—"Buck watched helplessly as Jordan jumped into the sea.Before he could rush over, a figure was even faster than him."Sir!"Westley dived into the water, found Jordan, and dragged her to the shore.When Jordan was pulled onto the shore, she was still a bit dazed.Wasn't she just swimming? Why was there so much fuss?Buck gestured for people to bring a stretcher, lifted Westley onto it, and hurried back.Buck also called for the maids to help Jordan back.Jordan wiped her face, pushed the maid aside, and twisted the water out of her hair. "What happened?"Buck was anxious to check on Westley, but he couldn’t stop watching Jordan, worried she might jump into the sea again and trying to think of other ways to prevent it."Mr. Howard was saving you.""Why?" Jordan was confused. "I didn’t drown. What’s the need to save me?"Buck recalled what he had seen earlier. It seemed like... swimming?"Weren’t you... jumping into the sea?""Yes." Jordan didn’t notice Buck
"Nathan, you should head back and deal with your own matters. Let's not interfere with Jordan's matters anymore."Nathan didn’t expect Jane to say this. He paused for a moment before speaking. "You know better than I do what Westley has done. How can we just ignore it? Jordan is still young and hasn’t experienced much in terms of relationships. She lacks experience, what if she falls again..."Jane knew what he was talking about and comforted him. "Don’t worry. Jordan may have experienced little in terms of relationships, but she’s not a foolish girl. She knows how to handle things."Nathan asked, "Is it because there’s something Westley knows?""No, it’s because we can't let Westley continue making a scene. This matter still needs to be handled by the person involved."Nathan didn’t say anything more and told Jane not to worry. When it was close to her delivery, he would come back.Jane agreed and hung up the phone.She threw the phone onto the counter and hugged Zachary from b
Charlotte raised her hand and gently patted Jane’s shoulder."I understand, after all, she's your sister. But I think Jordan is very smart and capable, she can take care of herself. You can worry, but at the same time, take care of your own health. Then, when she comes back, you can love her properly."Jordan walked around the island.There was a helipad on the mountain with two helicopters.Out at sea, there was a large cruise ship docked.But she didn’t know how to pilot any of them, so there was no way to escape.In the end, she decided to just accept things as they were.If there was a problem, she would deal with it. If not, she’d wait."Mrs. Howard, Jasmine is looking for you."When Jordan returned to the villa, Buck handed her a phone.Hearing Jasmine’s name, she took it."Jasmine.""I'm relieved you're okay," said Jasmine, letting out a sigh of relief, then apologizing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have drunk so much.""It’s not your fault."Since Westley had a plan to
She got up just around noon.After thinking for a moment, she decided to go see Westley.Westley wasn't in the bedroom, so she went downstairs to ask the staff.The servant pointed toward the kitchen, and she walked over, finding Westley cutting vegetables.A strip of bandages was wrapped around his exposed wrist.His pale lips and exhausted eyes suggested he was still in poor condition.Yet, he was cooking?Jordan pressed her lips together, her sleep had been poor, and her face didn’t look good either.She stood in place for a few seconds, then turned and walked away.If he didn’t take care of his own body, what business was it of hers?Westley glanced over but didn’t call her, continuing his task.Buck watched the whole scene, worried about Westley’s health, he was still running a fever.“Sir, you should rest. Let me arrange for someone to cook, and I’ll bring it up to you later. And Mrs. Howard... probably won’t care about you... You should take care of your health. Othe
Charlotte nodded. “So does unhygienic mean better taste?”Jane directly spoke to her belly, "Son, you have to treat your mother-in-law well in the future. Mommy won't be able to back you up. Mommy’s useless..."Charlotte raised her hand and poked her forehead. "Alright, stop the act.""You're even bringing the child up. We still don’t know if it's a boy."Jane said, "I want to arrange a marriage alliance with you. My child can sense his mother’s feelings and will surely fulfill his mother's wishes.""That's nonsense." Charlotte went out to buy what she wanted to eat.As soon as she sat in the car, she received a call from Frank."Is Mr. Smith slacking off again?"Frank chuckled. "I’m calling my wife. Is that not allowed anymore?"Charlotte had driven herself. She turned on the air conditioning and was thinking about going shopping. "I’ve got to go now. I'll be home tonight."Frank heard the sound of the engine and asked, "Did you go out?"Charlotte snorted, "You should know
The fireworks were dazzling and brilliant.Westley looked up in a certain direction.At the moment the fireworks bloomed, a figure appeared in the window of that place.Jordan couldn’t sleep because of Westley’s injury.As she tossed and turned in bed, a sudden bright light appeared in front of the window.She walked over to the window, opened it, and saw the fireworks bursting in the night sky.There seemed to be a few figures on the beach.But Westley was tall enough that she could spot him at a glance.At that moment, she forgot to watch the fireworks.It was only when Westley raised his hand and pointed upward that she looked up.She realized that the fireworks formed a few words.“I’m sorry, Jordan.”“Happy birthday.”Jordan had originally planned to spend her birthday with Nathan and Jane.But when she was brought over by Westley, she completely forgot about her birthday.She glanced at the time, and it was exactly midnight.Her birthday had begun.The night sky