Seeing Jane in so much pain, Zachary turned to the doctor and asked, “Why is she still in so much pain after getting the epidural?”The doctor replied, “It seems Mrs. Collins is resistant to anesthesia...”“What do we do now?”“Mr. Collins, please don’t worry. Labor is a process.”Jane clenched Zachary’s hand tightly, her nails digging deep into his flesh.“Stop talking.”“Alright, alright, I won’t say a word.”Zachary wiped the sweat from her eyes and kissed her forehead gently. “I’ll listen to you.”The doctor said, “Mrs. Collins, I can see the baby’s head. Push one more time.”Jane took a deep breath and pushed with all her strength.A baby’s cry pierced the air. “Wah—”“It’s born!” A nurse quickly took over, handling the baby and placing it in an incubator.Jane finally relaxed and immediately passed out.Zachary panicked. “What’s happening? Doctor!”The doctor, sweating profusely, quickly reassured him, “She’s just exhausted. She’ll be fine after some rest.”Still a
She had not even had time to stop it when Jasmine, driven by curiosity, asked the question.“Why?”Frank did not take his eyes off Charlotte and replied lazily, “Because I would get jealous. My wife would be liking another man.”Jasmine and Jordan quickly held hands and slipped away.It was so sweet that it was both enviable and overwhelming.Jane woke up in the evening.Zachary immediately called the doctor to check on her.“Don’t worry, Mr. Collins. Mrs. Collins is fine. She just needs proper rest and recovery.”After the doctor left, Jane asked Zachary, “Is it a boy or a girl?”“I don’t know.”Jane grabbed his hand and sat up, looking around the ward but not seeing the baby.“Where is the baby?”Afraid she would panic, Zachary quickly helped her lie back down. “In the incubator. The baby is fine. I’ll have someone bring them over right away so you can see.”The nurse soon brought the baby in.Jane had been excited and was looking forward to such a moment, but as soon a
Miranda stood to the side, supported by Jonathan, her face pale as she watched people come and go, paying their respects to Westley.Zachary glanced at Westley’s portrait before shifting his gaze to the lavishly crafted coffin.He picked up a lily and casually placed it in front of the coffin with the others.He did not bow. He simply stood silently beside Jonathan.Among those bidding farewell, there were both friends and foes.The allies sighed over Westley’s untimely death.The enemies wanted to take action but abandoned the idea the moment they saw Zachary.Once the ceremony was over, Leanne held the portrait and led the way for Westley’s burial.By the time everything was settled, it was already night.In the end, only Zachary followed them back to the Howard family’s residence.It was then that Carter finally appeared.“I was busy today and couldn’t come earlier. I hope you can understand,” he said to Jonathan and Miranda.Zachary let out a cold chuckle. “And now you’
Jordan finished her shoot and was about to grab something to eat with Jasmine.The two of them were chatting and laughing as they walked to the door when a male voice called out."Jordy."Jordan's smile froze for a moment. She turned her head and looked over.She was met with a familiar face—gentle, smiling—but it made her feel awkward.Oliver spoke first. "Your studio is doing well."Jordan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Oliver."Oliver nodded. "Since we ran into each other, how about having a meal together?"Jordan didn’t really want to. "Oliver, I’m with a friend. It’s not convenient."Oliver didn’t push. "That’s fine. Actually, seeing that you’re doing well puts me at ease. Westley is dead now. From now on, you’ll have more freedom, Jordy."Jordan was in a little bit of a daze. "Who’s dead?"Before Oliver could answer, Buck appeared in front of her."Ms. Hickey." Buck handed her a file box. "This is the property Mr. Howard arranged for you before. Please take it
Even though Jordan no longer loved him, she had spent those years with him.Even if she cried, she would have thought it was normal.But now, Jordan seemed as if her soul had been taken away. She just sat there, without sorrow or joy.Not a single tear fell.That, in turn, was even more concerning."Jordan, have a drink?"Jordan didn’t respond.Jasmine went to get two glasses and poured some wine.She also grabbed some chips to fill her stomach a little."Here." She placed the glass into Jordan’s hand.Only then did Jordan react—tilting her head back and downing it in one gulp.The same way of drinking as before.Jasmine couldn’t accompany her like this today. She needed to stay sober in case something happened to Jordan after drinking.She refilled Jordan’s glass.Drinking until she passed out would at least help her sleep and stop her from thinking too much.As they drank, Jasmine gradually moved all the food over."Frankes truly deserves its reputation as the place o
Jordan nodded slightly, and Jasmine went to fetch her some water.While Jordan drank, Jasmine grabbed a towel to wipe her sweat."Did you have a nightmare?"Jordan nodded again.She hadn’t expected Westley’s death to give her nightmares."I’m fine.""No, you’re not." Jasmine pressed her forehead against Jordan’s. "You have a fever."Jordan touched her own forehead. "It’s probably just the heat. I sweated so much, but I don’t feel uncomfortable."Jasmine handed her some clothes. "We should still go to the hospital.""We’re abroad. Seeing a doctor isn’t convenient. It’s fine—we’ll be back tomorrow."Jordan set down the glass. "I need a shower."Jasmine wasn’t at ease, so she crouched outside the bathroom door.At the same time, she ordered breakfast.Just then, she got a call."Hello, are you Jordan’s assistant?""I am.""Here’s the thing. the finals awards ceremony will be held in Frankes. Please inform Jordan."Jasmine had no idea what competition Jordan had participat
It was the day of the awards ceremony.“We’re done for, we didn’t know, and we didn’t prepare anything!”Jasmine looked at the suitcase with only a few ordinary change of clothes and wailed to the sky.“How can we go to such a grand ceremony without formal attire?”Jordan flipped through the few clothes she had brought with her.They definitely weren’t suitable for accepting an award.She thought for a moment. "When we were shopping, didn’t we see a store that makes dresses?"Jasmine replied, "There is, but it’ll definitely be expensive."Jordan had been spending a lot lately.Buying a house and opening a studio.Plus, she hadn’t been working properly because of Westley.Her available funds were a bit low.It was also inconvenient to withdraw money abroad.“Well, we still need to get two dresses, let’s go have a look.”Just as they were about to leave, they received a call from the organizers.“Jordan, we’ve had to change the location of the awards ceremony at the last m
Jordan hesitated for a long time before taking the trophy.People around her started to look over, and the audience below craned their necks to look up at the stage.They began to whisper.“As expected, no one can escape Mr. Hill’s face.”“Too bad I couldn’t be the champion this year, but I have to admit, Jordan’s work is truly superior. I can accept losing to her.”Jasmine couldn’t see the face of the presenter.The presenter had turned his back to the audience when he went up to the stage.She didn’t know much about Mr. Hill, who they were discussing.But looking at Jordan’s expression, it didn’t seem like she was captivated by his looks.It was more like she had seen a ghost.The organizers knew exactly what was going on.After all, the decision to hold the ceremony in Frankes had been Mr. Hill’s idea.A lot of money had been invested, and he insisted on presenting the award to the champion, which said a lot.“Jordan, please take the trophy first. You can say anything a
She now saw herself only as a sister figure to him. Even though they were a bit close, there was still a sense of distance and wariness.It was impossible for her to fully open up to him.But at that moment, suddenly talking about their relationship wasn't really appropriate.Besides, with how things had developed between her and Westley, if he intervened, it would just force them apart.In the end, it would be her who got hurt.‘Forget it.’Nathan decided to just watch how things would unfold.If Westley still didn't realize his mistakes and hurt Jordan again, then no matter what, he couldn't let them be together."Has Jasmine not come back?""Huh?" The topic changed too quickly, and Jordan was a little slow to react. "No.""Nathan, did you take anything from this room?"Nathan's gaze darkened slightly. "No."Noticing that he was in a bad mood, Jordan didn't ask about his situation with Jasmine."Jasmine probably has something she wants to do."Nathan could tell from her
"I've already picked out a few candidates, but I just haven't had the chance to arrange meetings for you yet. Maybe you've only ever been exposed to him since childhood. Try dating someone else, and you might realize he isn't the only one for you." Jordan shook her head. "Nathan, that's not it..." "I'm certain I like him—no matter how outstanding others are, I won't be interested." Nathan frowned. "You've never tried being with anyone else. How can you be so sure?" Of course, Jordan was sure. Ever since her youthful heart first fluttered, she had been certain, apart from Westley, she would never love anyone else. And that was precisely why his indifference had wounded her so deeply. She had filed for divorce and despised his later attempts at remorse. Because she had never wavered in her feelings—yet he only began to love her after she decided to let go. If he had realized it even a little sooner, they wouldn't have suffered through such a painful, drawn-out
"I’m not doing anything," Westley answered her question, squeezing her hand slightly. "Just need your help with something."Jordan was already in her 20s.How could she not understand the things between men and women?His voice was dangerously hoarse now, and what kind of help could he possibly need from her?"You do it yourself, I can't help.""Well, I’ll do all the hard work."He was the one doing all the hard work indeed.But he was holding her hand, making her hand... move with his!Jordan tried to pull her hand back. "Westley, you’re making me mad."Westley leaned on her shoulder and laughed lowly. "Alright, after you help me, feel free to get angry. Hit me however you want. But right now, Jordy, I can't stop."The temperature in the kitchen gradually rose.With the heating, it made the air dry and uncomfortable.She had just taken a shower to cool down, but now, a thin layer of sweat had formed.She felt hot.Jordan had nowhere to hide and couldn't break free.In t
The arm around her waist suddenly tightened.The breath sprayed near her ear, hot and unsettling.The man's hoarse voice came. "Don't want to sleep? Then how about we do something else?"Jordan gripped the blanket tightly, weakly lying, "I want to go to the bathroom. I haven't washed up yet either."Westley released her.Jordan quickly escaped. She didn't know what she might do if she stayed another second.Westley lowered his head, glancing at her, then sighed deeply.This was a pyrrhic victory.Jordan stayed in the bathroom for a long time.She even took a shower.But after finishing, she suddenly remembered that her bath towel had been taken by Westley.Standing in the bathroom, she felt like she had no way out.And in her haste to come in, she hadn't grabbed a change of clothes.She had impulsively picked up the clothes that Westley had swapped out of and her clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket.Her clothes were now all wet.She could only silently fume.
‘I’ve already taken my pants off and you’re just going to leave it at that?’She thought this must have been intentional on Westley's part.She raised her leg and kicked him, then turned around, pulling the blanket away, her back clearly showing a trace of resentment.Westley didn't mind, pulling both her and the blanket into his arms.He chuckled softly in her ear."Your reaction right now makes me think you're dissatisfied."The deliberate pause was even more teasing.Jordan immediately elbowed him.But because she was tangled in the blanket, she couldn't put much strength into it.The muffled laugh of the man in her ear clearly mocked her, making her even angrier.Her emotions flared up too quickly, and tears started falling.Westley felt the wetness on his arm, it was hot.He quickly sat up.He knew about her tendency to lose control of her tears, but seeing her cry still made his heart ache.He gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb and whis
"You can't possibly have nowhere to stay."Westley turned her around and found her eyes tightly closed.He laughed softly. "You used to try everything to see what’s in front of you right now, so what's wrong now?"Jordan had been influenced by dramas and novels back then.Because she was protected by the Howard family and watched over by Westley, there were no other men around her except for him.Even if there were, she couldn't see their abs.So at that time, she could only secretly look when he was training or at moments when he would take off his clothes.Leanne had also helped her a lot.When she was young, he saved her when she was hospitalized.He injured his shoulder, and he had to take off his clothes to apply medicine.During those days, she insisted on taking care of him and saw a lot.But all of this ended before she turned 18.It was like playing house, no one took it seriously.Later, she never had the chance to see Westley’s body again.Now, she couldn't loo
Westley's eyes flashed with a deep, meaningful smile.He replied calmly, "How did I trick you? I'm just being very sincere. I was just asking about the things from before. I didn't mean anything. If you're overthinking, then... Are you feeling guilty?"Jordan retorted immediately, "I'm not guilty!"Then, she weakly explained, "I didn't do anything wrong. My confession was real, and the words I said to your mom were for you. Later, I didn't contact you because your attitude toward me wasn't good. I didn't dare to reach out. So, it's all your fault."Westley laughed. "Alright, it's all my fault."He released her and stood up, heading toward the bathroom.Jordan stood frozen, not knowing why the conversation ended so abruptly.They didn't really reach any conclusion.But that wasn't the point. She followed him to the bathroom door and knocked."Westley, are you taking a shower?"There was no response. She pressed her ear to the door and thought she could hear water running.Alt
"I..."Jordan leaned on his shoulder, her voice soft. "Can you just say it?""Okay."Westley was easy to talk to. "You said that after giving it some thought, you might have mistaken your feelings for me. You might have confused sibling love with romantic love. Actually, maybe you don't really like me. That was the gist of it. The exact words, it's been so long, I don't remember."Jordan didn't believe that he didn't remember.If he didn't hold a grudge, he wouldn't have treated her the way he did afterward.He didn't even send her a message.Even when the Howard family invited them back for dinner, he had his subordinates contact her."You really are petty."Westley chuckled, pulling her even closer.He kissed the corner of her lips. "Yep, I'm petty. For the things I owe you, I'll apologize and make it up to you, but for the things I've done right, I'll remember them and make you pay me back."Jordan quickly grabbed his wrist, her speech speeding up."Westley, I can explai
Jordan was rendered speechless. "You didn't drink tonight. What, are you drunk from fruit juice?"Westley let go of her, changed his shoes, and, as if he were at his own home, casually unbuttoned his shirt and sat down on the sofa."Huh?"Jordan changed her shoes and walked over. She sat at the coffee table in front of him, her face serious as she said, "You'd better tell me the truth!"Westley leaned back against the sofa, his posture casual."What do you want me to confess?""I want you to..."The man suddenly moved closer, and Jordan swallowed her words.She stared wide-eyed at the extraordinarily handsome man in front of her.He had undone four buttons of his shirt, and as he moved, his muscular physique subtly showed through.Her gaze couldn't help but fall inside his collar.Suddenly, she felt her mouth becoming dry."Jordy, you need to take responsibility for your words.""I..."Before she could finish, her waist was grabbed, and before she could react, she was sit