Jack either didn't catch the implication, or he didn't want to dwell on the matter. He just smiled. "No big deal. Why don't you guys go wash your hands? Dinner is ready."Jack was also a great cook, and the table was filled with dishes that were great in looks, fragrance, and taste. It would make anyone's mouth water.Both Tom and Jane couldn't stop praising Jack.I couldn't help but compliment, "Jack, your dishes look amazing!""Go ahead and have a bite. See if it suits your taste."Jack brought out the last two dishes from the kitchen, and placed a plate of spicy shrimp in front of me, with a warm smile. "You should love this."I was a little surprised.Except for Jane, everyone assumed my taste was as bland as Ryan's. However, before I could say anything, Ryan chimed in coldly, "She can't handle spicy food. Although you were quite close during college, you still don't understand her taste...""Mr. Frost." Jane tried to defend me with a smile on her face. "Who have you been p
The two of them also prepared gifts for me. Jack also handed me an exquisite gift box. "Hope you like it.""Thank you, Jack," I thanked him with a smile.Seeing a delicately unique dress inside the box, I was a bit surprised and looked at him, "Did you design this?""Yeah, just this one." Jack smiled."Jack is so thoughtful!"After Jane finished praising them, she intentionally teased Ryan, "Mr. Frost, since you came to attend the housewarming party, I'm sure you brought a gift too, right?"I wanted to interrupt, but was stopped by Jane.Even before I stepped into the house, I didn't know they had prepared a housewarming party for me, so how could Ryan have prepared a gift in advance?Ryan fixed his dark eyes on me and reached into his suit pocket, taking out a velvet square box and placing it in front of me.He concealed the surge of emotions in his eyes, and the curve of his lips seemed shallow. "I couldn't find the opportunity to give it to you before, but it seems like now
Thinking back, I found such a thought ridiculous.On my wedding night, I was left alone. Several times on my birthday, my husband was absent. The gifts I longed for were given to others. Even on the day of my prenatal checkup, my husband went to accompany someone else.Now that we reached the point of divorce, he couldn't accept it when my friends came to throw me a housewarming party. I smirked and looked down at him. "If you don't leave, I'll call Jessica."He wouldn't be able to handle the situation if Jessica came over.Ryan suddenly tightened his grip around my waist, resting his forehead on my chest, his voice was hoarse. "Charlotte, I never wanted things to turn out like this, really." With him like this, my heart couldn't help but soften.At that moment when I wanted to speak, his phone, casually placed on the dining table, rang.The caller ID displayed "Jessica".Such a sight sent shivers down my back and I immediately became sober. I pushed him away. "You've got a ca
"Do you really want to thank me?" Jack walked to the car, pushed Tom into the back seat, leaned against the car, and looked at me with a smile and lowered eyes.I nodded. "Of course.""Then promise me, don't always say 'thank you' to me in the future." This remark had a slightly unusual flavor. Before I could figure out what he meant, he added with a smile, "It makes things too formal."I chuckled. "Alright, got it."He got into the car as well and then said, "I'm leaving, you should head back upstairs now."When I went upstairs, the living room was empty. Ryan wasn't there. I felt my heart sank for a moment. But just for a moment. Leaving silently was his style. It was probably another "urgent matter" from Jessica's side.Back in the bedroom, I gently patted Jane. "Jane, wake up. I'll help you change into pajamas so you can sleep more comfortably.""Mm." Jane moaned slightly, and upon seeing me, she reached out to hug me, letting me take off her top. She then murmured, "Charlot
Her words might have had some effect on me if she said them a while ago, but now that I had accepted facts like "Ryan had never had any feelings for me", I no longer had the urge to question her. I just looked at her calmly and said, "You seem to have everything under control, so why bother harassing me every day?"She came to my office early in the morning and made it seem like she was the wife and was interrogating the mistress. Seeing my indifferent reaction, Jessica became a little anxious. Without waiting for me to ask, she spoke triumphantly, "It's because of me."She leaned forward on my desk as if looking at a defeated opponent. "Charlotte, if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have married you! You wouldn't even have had the chance to set foot in their house!"After hearing those words, I clenched my fists and an indescribable feeling arose in my heart, causing it to race.She curved her red lips in satisfaction, and crossed her arms over her chest. "It was Grandpa who used
"My back hurts so much..." She nestled in Ryan's arms, crying as she complained, "I just asked about her progress at work, and she pushed me... Ryan, can't you just let her be the director? Everyone else supports her too. I really don't want to work in this kind of environment anymore."Listening to her, I couldn't help but admire her skill at making up lies. I almost burst out laughing, but then I met Ryan's scrutinizing gaze."Is that so?" His voice was icy, sending a chill down my spine.I chuckled self-deprecatingly. "If I say it's not true, would you believe me?""Ryan..."Jessica's eyes welled up with tears, her delicate fingers tugging at his collar. This suit was one I personally designed and tailored for him. It was a gift I gave him for Valentine's Day this year.He didn't answer my question. Instead, he just lowered his gaze to the woman in his arms, furrowing his brow. He seemed impatient but concerned as he said, "You're not a child. Crying like this after a fall? Le
I was startled by the sudden noise. Only then did I touch my ears. The blood had already dried and some red scabs came off. The touch brought back a twinge of pain to my ears.My ears were bleeding and I didn’t even notice.Jane patted my hand. "Why are you so stubborn? Doesn't it hurt?"With that, she took out an iodine cotton swab from her bag, tied my hair up, and carefully disinfected my ears. "How did this happen?""Jessica tried to pull my earrings off." I briefly explained the situation to her.Jane cursed angrily, "Who the hell does she think she is? I swear to god she’s a nosy bitch. She loves sticking her nose into other people’s businesses. She even wants to take things that don’t belong to her. What a thief.""Why do you always know how to curse people?" After Jane’s bombardment, my gloomy mood from earlier in the day lifted a little.Jane glared at me. "With a friend like you, I have to learn how to curse.""Oh."I waited for Jane to take care of my ears. The
It wasn't worth the trouble.Jane forced herself to calm down. "Alright then. Let's make the payment and leave. I don't want to see them."After making the payment, the salesperson led us to the front of the store to see the car.After being in repairs for so many days, all the traces of the car crash disappeared. It looked just like a brand-new car."Wait a sec. I need to use the bathroom."With that said, Jane rushed to the toilets.I smiled and decided to wait for her in the car.As soon as I got in, I heard someone order with a beautiful voice, "I want that car!"Whatever car she liked had nothing to do with me.I closed the door and planned on leaving as soon as Jane returned.What I didn't expect was that a salesperson came knocking on my window first.I lowered the window a little and asked impatiently, "What is it?""Hello, one of our customers wants to take a look at your car. Will that be alright?""I don't just want to take a look at it. I want to buy it," Jessi
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
The landlord nodded understandingly. "You young people do have a lot of new ideas."They chatted casually and soon reached the large square.The stage had already been set up.They had arrived early, but there were already a lot of people gathered.Jane commented, "It's quite formal."The landlord proudly replied, "This isn't just a community event, there are even celebrities."Jane became a little curious and wanted to see what celebrities were here.It turned out to be an R-list boy band, along with a few elderly artists.Well, it was still a big stage.She watched for a while, but soon lost interest. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom.Under the cover of night, she wandered around.She spotted a small shop and bought a bag of cheese-flavored chips to eat.This kind of life, she thought, couldn't last long. She hoped Zachary would hurry up and get married, so he would stop bothering her."Jane..." Jane was lost in thought when the voice startled her, almost caus
"Stop dreaming."Lexi, despite her feelings for Zachary, couldn't suppress her anger anymore."You want to marry that woman? That's nothing but wishful thinking."Zachary's gaze was icy, and every word he spoke, from his thin lips, carried a chilling frost."Her name is Jane."Lexi, at this point in her life, had never met a man who not only showed no interest in her but also repeatedly poked at her vulnerabilities."The more you protect her, the more dangerous she becomes. My offer won't change. You'll come to me eventually."With that, she turned, her heels clicking sharply as she walked toward the door."Excuse me, open the door."Sean opened the door.Lexi held her head high as she walked downstairs.Sean was about to close the door when Zachary threw the food outside.He even "thoughtfully" closed the door after that.When Rebecca saw the untouched food that Sean had brought down, she couldn't help but feel some pity."Not eating yet?"She had just praised Lexi for
Zachary didn't respond.He reached for another cigarette, preparing to light it.Lexi stretched her hand out, but he shifted his body to avoid her."You really have no taste. No wonder you were dumped."Zachary's brows lowered slightly, and he sat down on the sofa, exhaling a puff of white smoke.Lexi was very angry.But when she turned to see him sitting on the sofa, his legs casually crossed, and an air of inexplicable decadence around him, her anger faded a little.With his handsome face and indifferent demeanor, he was enough to attract attention.The thing about him was that, once someone developed feelings for him, even flaws they couldn't tolerate before would become bearable.Lexi didn't go over to snatch the cigarette from his hand.But despite liking Zachary, she still didn’t like the smell of cigarettes.Standing at the foot of the bed, she looked at him and said, "Marry me."Zachary only sneered.Lexi, unbothered, continued, "You don't want to keep being forced
But at the last two steps, Sean let go of him.He stretched his wrist, which had been twisted, and turned to go upstairs.Sean blocked the stairs with a smile. "Mr. Collins, your blind date is already here. If I drag you downstairs, you'll be embarrassed."Zachary stayed silent for a few seconds, then turned and walked down the last two steps, heading into the living room.His father wasn't there. His grandparents were seated on a two-person sofa, and Rebecca sat on the central long sofa, with three people beside her. He glanced past them without looking closely.Not wanting to sit on the single sofa, he leaned against the stairs and stood.Rebecca smiled apologetically, stood up, and dragged Zachary to sit beside a young woman."This is Lexi Sanchez, the granddaughter of your grandfather's comrade-in-arms. You two used to set off fireworks together when you were kids."Zachary didn't even look at her, replying coldly, "When we were kids, all the children in the compound set of
"Grandma is fine. Mrs. Waxon next door is helping me take care of her.""I had an tryout, so I came over. I didn't expect to run into you, Jane."Looking at Michael's happy expression, Jane couldn't bring herself to smile."Michael, about what Charlotte told you...""You don't need to say anything."Michael interrupted her. "From now on, you're just my sister. If you need anything, just call me. I may not have power, but I will do everything I can to protect you."Jane felt a mix of emotions. "There's no need to go that far.""Jane, why did you suddenly come to Leacoston? Are you on a business trip?"Michael changed the subject, but Jane felt she couldn't avoid the conversation."Michael, I think we should maintain some distance. From the moment you started liking me, if I can't return those feelings, then we can't even be friends. When I went to Larecton with you before, it was because I wanted to know the truth about that night in Heliafield. I also needed to relax. There's
The windows had also been locked, and there were patrols every day.The front door and the backyard offered no opportunity to escape.He lay on the bed, one hand resting under his head.He stared blankly at the ceiling.Nina had originally planned to take the opportunity to escape, but she failed. She wasn't restricted like Zachary, however.But with her abilities, escaping from the layers of encirclement was no easy task.Moreover, the guards at the gate of the compound had been instructed by the Collins family.The back wall of the yard no longer offered any chance to climb out.It seemed that this time, the Collins family was taking drastic measures.They would not allow Zachary and Jane to contact each other again.Recalling the words Zachary had said earlier.She couldn't help but sneer. ‘She’s the only person you will marry?’They had grown up together, but neither of them had ever loved each other to such an extent.How long had they known each other, really?What