"Sure, it's been a while. Thanks, Miss Greenwood." Mentioning that old shop made my mouth water too. It served traditional bone broth with a touch of chili and vinegar, a specialty far different from the soup bases at chain restaurants, which often included sesame paste or milk.Just as we got into the car, the real estate agent came running after us, panting. "Ms. Wilson, Miss Greenwood, please wait! The owner of the property you viewed yesterday morning has responded. They are willing to lower the rent.""Which property?" asked Jane."The one next door, the office space across the street." The agent pointed to a tall building just across the road. The rent there was higher than this one, and while Jane and I were satisfied, we hadn't seriously considered taking it.After exchanging glances, Jane spoke up, declining, "Forget it. Even if they lower it, we don't have that much capital to invest in rent right now.""They're willing to lower it to this amount." The agent held up a fe
I repeatedly told myself not to care anymore, but when I heard he was in trouble, my body acted beyond control.It seemed like over these eight years, a conditioned reflex had formed.I couldn't help it.As I grabbed my car keys and rushed out, trying to remain calm, I confirmed, "He's at St. Heart, right? I'm coming over.""Yes, VIP ward number one," replied Gary.On the way to the St. Heart Hospital, I managed to keep my composure, but my thoughts were in disarray.Although the Frost Group's current situation wasn't particularly good, it still stood as one of Jelaston's top enterprises. Moreover, there was always the possibility of a turnaround.Who would dare to openly set Ryan up at a time like this?Despite being mentally prepared, upon arriving at the ward and seeing Ryan sitting pale-faced on the bed, staring blankly out the window while doctors changed the bandages on his arms and chest wounds and applied fresh gauze, I was still somewhat taken aback.In an instant, my
My eyelashes fluttered lightly as I took a silent deep breath. "It's different."Deciding to divorce doesn't mean I wanted something bad to happen to him.Ryan sat on the bed, reaching out his long arm to pull me closer, looking up at me. "How is it different?"His intense gaze left me flustered. "It's different in every way. If anyone got injured today, I would show concern.""Anyone?" He casually repeated the question, his tone turning cold and harsh. "If it were Jack in trouble today, would you rush over just as quickly?""Yes." I didn't hesitate to respond, as if to prove something, I added, "Maybe even faster."Jack was a very dear friend to me.When a good friend was hurt, no one would remain indifferent.The softness in Ryan's eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by a piercing gaze. "Would you also shamelessly stare at his upper body like you did just now?"It dawned on me then. He had just finished changing bandages and hadn't put on his shirt yet. Apart from the gauze on
I furrowed my brows, grasping the main point and pressing on. "For me? Is this injury of his because of something related to me?"Gary scratched his head. "Well..."I racked my brain but couldn't recall anything recent that could have caused trouble for Ryan. We had hardly interacted these days.Seeing Gary hesitating, I decided to cut to the chase. "If you won't tell me, I'll just ask him directly.""Don't..." Gary gave in frustratedly. "It's about the unfinished building incident on the outskirts of the city. Remember?""I remember." How could I forget being kidnapped for the first time in my life? But wasn't that resolved?Gary sounded exasperated as he continued, "It was Zack Johnson, that bald guy. He pressured us to give him the land in the west of the city. Later, realizing he couldn't handle it, he came back to beg Mr. Frost, but insisted on taking 80% of the profits, which Mr. Frost didn't agree to.""And then?""The night before last, he got desperate and tried to for
"Ouch."This trick was exactly the same as last time.I pointed at his right hand. "You just used that hand to pull me earlier, with quite some strength.""Doing that earlier made my arm ache." He smoothly picked up where I left off.I stuffed a piece of dragon fruit into his mouth. "Alright, eat up, eat more."Later in the evening, Gary brought in a stack of documents.They were all documents waiting from the company. As long as Ryan was still alive, we had to find a way to handle them.His right hand was indeed injured, unable to be used frequently. So, I helped him flip through the documents and he signed them at the end.For a moment, it felt like we had returned to the days of mutual respect."Charlotte, there's an issue with this return rate..." Ryan turned his head as I leaned forward to pass over a new document.His slightly cool lips unexpectedly landed on my face.We both froze!Although we had many intimate moments before, things were different now...Ryan's eye
A few days ago, Simone asked me if I was suitable.At that time, nothing had happened yet, so I didn't have any thoughts about it.But when Bethany suddenly accused me to my face, blaming me for holding him back, I actually hesitated.After all, Ryan had been injured repeatedly recently, all because of me.In that instant when I heard the question, I wondered if everything would be different if he married Bethany.The Shaw family was prominent, and Bethany wouldn't just cause trouble for Ryan. She could even assist in many ways.Their union might add up to a number I couldn't imagine.But for Ryan and me, it seemed like 1 + 1 = 0.5.The excruciating pain in my lower back from banging into the corner of the cabinet became insignificant.Looking at Bethany's resolute appearance, for the first time, I couldn't come up with a rebuttal.Because of my humble family background, I was indeed holding Ryan back, indeed causing his misery.Causing him to be in the operating room for tw
As the words fell, his fingertip lightly traced the palm of my hand, like a feather scratching, sending a tingling sensation that flowed through my entire body like electricity.Bethany's face stiffened for a moment. "You can divorce even after marriage. You originally planned to divorce, right?"Ryan frowned. "Can't you see it?""What?""I don't want to divorce."His expression seemed casual yet serious at the same time. "And I'm actively pursuing my wife."I stared at him in bewilderment, unsure if he was speaking sincerely or just using it as a reason, an excuse to reject Bethany.Bethany gritted her teeth inwardly, a hint of unwillingness flickering on her face, but quickly, she smiled confidently."Ryan, maybe we haven't known each other for long enough. You don't know how rebellious I am, pampered by my parents. I've never experienced not getting what I want. The more devoted you are, the more I want to become Mrs. Frost and see how happy I can be!"She was so different
I couldn't deny that these words were quite touching.Touching enough that for a moment, I almost wanted to forget all the past grievances, yet I still found it difficult to let go.Some things have long been etched deep in my heart, leaving a profound rift.It's like how, in the past, even if he stayed out all night, I would never suspect anything, only empathize with his sacrifices for the Frost family. But now, with everything that has happened, I can't trust anymore, nor can I love without reservations, consequences be damned.I would start to hold back, be guarded, suspicious, sensitive, and restless.Even if we reconciled, if things continued like this for long, they would eventually break apart. So, it was better to cut losses now."Ryan, let's stop talking about this. Let's both be rational.""I know you don't believe me, but I will do it." Ryan's tone was as solemn as making a vow.I lowered my gaze slightly and handed another document to him, changing the subject. "Yo
"She's originally from abroad, it's hard to catch her." Frank waved his hand and said to Zachary, "Take care of it. I'm going to have some fun for a while. Once you're better, you can handle the aftermath." Zachary nodded. After Frank left the hospital room, Zachary told everyone to go home. "I'm fine, just a stomach cramp. It's not serious." Rebecca held his hand, hesitant to speak. Zachary took the initiative and said, "Don't worry. I've already cleared things up with Jane. Even if we run into each other in the future, we won't greet each other. We'll be strangers from now on." Outside the hospital room, Jane withdrew her hand from the door, turning to speak to Charlotte. "No need to go in. He's fine." After getting in the car, Charlotte looked at her. "You should stay at Region Gardens for a while." "Once Zachary and Frank finish dealing with the Sanchez family, you can move back to your own place. The Sanchez family has deep roots, and I'm worried that if
They were eager to see Zachary and hadn't had the chance to speak yet. "Was it Zachary who took Lexi away?" Frank nodded. "He said he would handle it personally, so it should be him handling it." "If the Sanchez family is inconvenient for you, I can take care of it." Just as Eric was about to speak, Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez arrived at the hospital room. They looked quite angry. "Eric, we've known each other for so many years. Even if we can't have a marriage alliance, don't harm my daughter." He unlocked his phone and handed it to Eric. Eric saw the image of Lexi tightly bound. He frowned. Zachary was still unconscious at this moment. Who sent this photo? Ross entered shortly after, answering his question. He heard Ross tell Frank. "The Winston family took her." The Winston family was the Collins family's greatest enemy. And the enemies who had nearly taken Jane's life in Heliafield were the most loyal followers of the Winston family. Thinking b
Charlotte patted her head. "First, make a video call to that little girl." Jane quickly found her phone and opened the landlord's WhatsApp. As soon as the call connected, the little girl appeared on screen, her eyes red. Tears were still visible on her face. The landlord was sitting next to her, waiting, not having gone to sleep. Jane apologized, "Sorry to disturb your rest." "Don't say that." The landlord gently patted her daughter's head. "I'm just happy you're alright." Jane smiled at the little girl. "Thanks to Celine, I'm fine." The little girl leaned closer to the screen. "Jane, you're lying. Your lips are swollen." Jane cleared her throat. "I ate something spicy earlier." She quickly added to prevent the little girl from saying anything else, "Alright, go to sleep now. We'll talk more when you get out of school. Jane went through a lot today, and she's tired too." The little girl, very understanding, handed the phone to her mother and went to bed
The captain laughed. "Don't think that just because we're from abroad, we don't understand anything.""Young lady, if you want to buy some time, then I'll play along with you. But if you're hoping for someone to rescue you, I advise you to give up on that thought. This is the border. Domestic ships can't get through here."Well, you don't know Frank.There's no one who can stop him from going where he wants to go.Jane tried her best to suppress her fear. "Sir, I have all kinds of tricks. If I can make you guys happy, can you spare my life?"She reached out, grabbed the captain's belt, and moved closer."As long as you don't kill me, you'll be my savior. I'll be yours from now on and let you have your fun with me. Is that okay?"Although Jane hadn't dressed herself up recently.But her facial features were stunning. Those fox-like eyes with a smile in them were even more alluring.The captain kept swallowing saliva. Apparently, he was attracted.However, they had already rece
They were anxious, not just because of the situation, but because they feared Zachary would go mad and go abroad with Jane. Frank glanced at their expressions and immediately understood that they were aware of Lexi's plan to send Jane abroad. "I suggest that while Zachary is looking for Jane, you should take care of the Sanchez family's matters. Otherwise, when Zachary comes back, there will be hell to pay." Jane ate the meal the waiter brought and then felt drowsy. She fell into a light sleep, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already half past nine. She remembered the things she had told the little girl before leaving and quickly grabbed her phone to call. But just then, the door was suddenly kicked open. Several adult men stormed in and grabbed her, dragging her outside. "What are you doing?" They had originally planned to reach the border, but unexpectedly, a violent storm had forced a slight course change. This delay allowed the effects of th
Lexi said, "The plane will leave traces. By then, Zachary will find you. The ship will change at the border and private sea areas. Once she changes ships, it will be hard to track." Jane remembered when Jack had taken Charlotte away before. She felt a sense of unease. After all, Lexi wasn't someone she could fully trust. "I didn't expect you to be so timid." Lexi noticed Jane's worry. "I thought someone with your background, who dared to pursue someone as different as Zachary, and even date him, would have extraordinary courage." But wasn't Jane regretting it now? Otherwise, why would she be running away? She decided not to care anymore. With a firm heart, she boarded the ship. Lexi smiled in satisfaction, but then a cold glint appeared in her eyes as she spoke to the captain. "When we reach the border, throw her into the sea and feed her to the sharks." No matter where she went, as long as Zachary wanted to find her, it was just a matter of time.
Lexi was so angry that she wanted to smash something. She got up and walked away, with each step of her high heels hitting the ground, the sound echoing her immense fury. The more difficult it was to conquer, the more determined she became to conquer it! Zachary went directly back to the Collins family home. The Collins family members were somewhat uneasy. When they saw him come back alone, they were both shocked and suspicious. "Did Lexi not come back with you?" asked Rebecca. Zachary did not respond and walked upstairs with long strides. Rebecca, along with Sir Collins and Madam Collins, exchanged gazes, all feeling something was off. It was strange that Zachary had actually returned to the Collins family. "Sean." Rebecca saw someone else entering behind him and immediately asked, "Did you follow him the whole time? Did you notice anything unusual?" Sean bent slightly, his face carrying a polite smile as he respectfully replied, "No abnormalities w
The situation between Zachary and Jane's relationship had not been made public. It was normal for the employees at the company not to know about it. Zachary did not answer when people congratulated him, and Lexi stood silently by his side, not saying anything either. But to those around them, their actions were as good as an admission.Some people even offered their congratulations, but Zachary didn't acknowledge them. He didn't go upstairs. Instead, he turned and left the building. This time, he didn't even get into Lexi's car. The smell inside the car was too overwhelming, making him dizzy.Lexi followed him, and they entered a nearby cafe. He didn't go straight to Jane's place, but Lexi knew that was just a way of hiding his true intentions. However, she wasn't concerned. After all, the Collins family would never approve of him being with Jane. She just needed to give him a bit of time to play along."Mr. Collins, aren't you going to consider my suggestion?" Lexi asked with a sli
The shock from the Collins family was too much for her. She wouldn't take the initiative, nor would she have the courage to continue with him.So what other way did he have?He'd tried both soft and hard tactics, yet this situation was still more complicated than advanced mathematics.The next day.Lexi invited Zachary out.But the Collins family hesitated.Rebecca said, "Why don't you two spend some more time getting to know each other at home first?"Lexi smiled. "Mrs. Collins, I know what you're worried about, but that woman is no longer in Jeswood."Rebecca was aware of this.After all, they had been keeping an eye on Jane's movements. They even knew where she was staying.It was surprising that Lexi had just returned a day ago, yet she had already figured it out.This kind of method and family background was exactly what the Collins family needed.It was also what Zachary needed."I've erased all traces. Even if he wants to find her today, he won't be able to, and it