I couldn't help but look at him gratefully, then walked in confidently and said, "Good morning, everyone. I'm Charlotte. I've come here today to clarify and explain everything clearly to you all."Jessica followed closely behind, saying, "You want to prove your innocence, right? Let's begin then."She seemed remarkably certain.If I hadn't kept a trump card up my sleeve out of habit, this situation would have indeed followed her lead, leaving me speechless."First, please listen to a recording." I took out my phone and played the conversation I had with Nancy yesterday.The expressions of everyone present changed immediately. Jessica seemed to have anticipated this and calmly said, "What does this prove? Nancy is your assistant. Who's to say this isn't staged by you?""You make a valid point." I nodded approvingly and took out the manuscript of my design from my bag. "Please take a look, everyone. This is my design manuscript. You can clearly see the modifications made. Jessica's
"I'm not as dramatic as you."I left these words behind, unwilling to entangle with her any longer, and turned to leave."Don't go! You must give me an explanation today!"However, she suddenly rushed over, stumbling deliberately straight towards me.And beside me was a large fountain!She crashed into me directly, sending us both tumbling towards the fountain. I grabbed her arm fiercely, pulling her in with me!Didn't she want to die together?Then let's do it together.The bone-chilling water completely soaked us in an instant, unexpectedly filling my mouth and nose!Fortunately, the water wasn't deep. I groped around with my hands, trying to find a point of support, when a large hand suddenly gripped mine tightly."Charlotte!"In the next instant, someone pulled me out, wrapping me in a coat and holding me in a warm embrace!I coughed repeatedly from being choked by water, still recovering. Jack then shouted as he looked at Jessica, who was still struggling, "Don't rescu
Looking at his reaction, an indescribable sense of pleasure surged within me.This pleasure drove me to speak even more.I felt dizzy and my body seemed to burn, but my spirit was extremely exhilarated. I disregarded everything else, just wanting to vent my anger. I was eager to do so without delay.Facing his dark eyes, I smiled cruelly and spoke, "Yes, when I first found out, it was just five weeks. It was very tiny, so tiny it didn't even have a heartbeat yet. There were signs of a miscarriage. I had been having stomach pains during that time because I was pregnant."Ryan looked at me in distress and lifted his lips slightly. "Why... didn't you tell me?""It was on our third wedding anniversary when I found out. I was so happy, so eager to share the news with you. I prepared a candlelit dinner at home for our anniversary, hiding the test results in the cake I baked myself, hoping to surprise you...""I didn't see any cake...""That day, you didn't care about me at all!" I smi
Feeling like it wasn’t enough, I smiled and said, "Ryan, when I had the miscarriage, you were with someone else. When I came out of the operating room, you slapped me hard and asked me why I didn't stop her, because I was pregnant too... I was afraid of getting hurt... I didn't dare! Are you satisfied with this answer now?""Charlotte..."This was the first time I had seen such a bewildered expression on his face. He reached out as if to hold my hand.Unexpectedly, a pair of hands intercepted him first!Suddenly, Jack returned, his gentleness tinged with sharpness. "Are you here to settle the score for Jessica? This is my doing, it has nothing to do with Charlotte."In an instant, Ryan regained his usual cold demeanor, sneering. "As for your debts, there's plenty of time. No need to rush to offer your head.""I know Ryan's methods," I couldn't help but speak up. "Jack was helping me. There's no need to shift blame onto him. If you want to defend your loved one, just come at me."
On the way to the hospital, I slumped in the passenger seat, half-conscious. I kept thinking about Ryan's pained and desolate expression before I left. I felt like someone was stabbing it and it hurt.But after that outburst, the pain in my chest did ease considerably!Yes, it was true that we lost our child together.Why should I suffer alone?He should suffer too, together with me.Jack controlled the steering wheel with one hand, reaching out to touch my forehead with a worried expression. "You're running quite a high fever.""It's okay, just caught a chill, a few shots and I'll be fine."I shook my head nonchalantly.Anyway, there was no child in my belly anymore. Catching a cold and having a fever, I just needed some medicine and injections.The MS Group was the closest to the St. Heart Hospital. Jack was afraid of wasting time and chose the closest hospital, and I didn't care about that either. In such a large hospital, as long as there was no deliberate intent, no one c
The doctor behind the hospital director inquired about my condition, skipped the step of drawing blood and directly prescribed medication. He instructed a nurse to fetch it and started an IV drip for me.When the needle was inserted, I instinctively felt afraid and involuntarily pulled back my hand. Suddenly, a pair of cool hands covered my eyes gently. "Don't be afraid, the needle's already in," a soothing voice said.My heart settled slightly. Just as I relaxed, the needle pierced into my vein.Those hands withdrew, and I helplessly looked up at Jack. "Jack, you’ve learned to lie as well?""A well-intentioned lie." He chuckled softly.After the nurse helped me lie down on the bed, she also applied a cooling patch to bring down my fever. The dean and his group left soon after.The patch felt ice-cold and instantly made me feel much more comfortable.Jack sat beside the sickroom, gesturing outside. His expression was gentle, with a hint of hesitation as he spoke carefully, "Di
I reached out in the darkness to turn on the light, glancing towards the direction of the door. It was closed shut.It wasn't Jane.Jane had stayed with me at the hospital tonight, afraid that it might affect my sleep and delay my recovery. She insisted on sleeping on the sofa in the living room, but also worried that if I felt uncomfortable and called out for her, she wouldn't hear me, so the door remained half open.Now, obviously, someone had come in.Was it him...?I didn't know.But it didn't matter anymore.The next day, after a good night's sleep, I felt much better.The nurse brought a breakfast for two, along with fruits and bird's nest, a lavish spread.Jane clicked her tongue. "Your hospital is quite generous."The nurse smiled, "To help patients recover faster. However, the nutritional plan for Mrs. Frost was personally tailored by the hospital director."After saying this, she checked my temperature and other vitals, "Mrs. Frost, you still have a slight fever. P
My spirits lifted, and I pressed on. "Please don't hold back because of this. The divorce is between him and me. But Grandfather has always been so good to me, I don't want him to leave with unanswered questions."Offering him this reassurance, Albert finally made up his mind to speak. He took out a transparent sealed bag from his pocket, containing only a small pill.And this pill, I was intimately familiar with.It was the emergency medicine Grandfather always carried in his pocket.Albert said, "This was found a few days ago by the servants while cleaning Mr. William's study, under the carpet on his desk."I took it and examined it closely, a chill running down my spine. The air in Jelaston isn't particularly dry, so if the pill had fallen on the ground a while ago, it should have been somewhat damp. But there was no trace of moisture on this pill inside the bag.My voice tightened involuntarily. "When was the last major cleaning at the old mansion?""It happened the day befo
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