A sudden pang of bitterness surged through me.It felt like I had been unexpectedly pricked by something.I pointed towards the door, my voice was cold. "Get out!""Charlotte, who spoiled you with this terrible attitude? Can't you speak properly?""Did you speak properly?"I glared at him, indignant. "Why are you criticizing me? What about your fiancee? Don't you need to be with her? Why do you have time to come find me?""You’re still so defensive even after you’re drunk."He pressed his tongue against his cheek, and after a brief laugh, he seemed resigned. He half-squatted in front of me, his tone softening."Fine, it was my fault for not speaking to you properly in my moment of desperation. I accept the punishment.""What punishment?" I asked instinctivelyHe cocked his brows and said, "Another kiss from you?"Only then did I realize his ears were flushed red.I shook my head, trying to clear the alcohol-induced haze, and looked at him as clearly as I could. "Why are you
He handed me the box and said indifferently. "Take a look."It was some cream to help with the bruise.When I saw the large words on the box, I wanted to find a hole to hide in. I hurriedly stood up. "Just give me the medicine. I'll apply it myself after I take a shower."If it weren't for him, I would have forgotten I had just fallen."Alright."He smiled with a hint of mischief, his lips curved. "I've already had the waiter bring Jane up. If you can't reach the area yourself, you can ask her for help."From the start, he had considered that the place I fell was quite private.Maybe I had overthought his intentions.The more I thought about it, the angrier and more embarrassed I became. I shoved him out of the room and slammed the door shut.He held the door open with one hand and suddenly, as he did last night, pinched my face. His voice was charming. "Charlotte, Happy New Year."As he spoke, the sounds of fireworks outside echoed, adding to the festive atmosphere. The bril
I tried to comfort her. "Maybe she's a bit introverted? Since there's still plenty of time, spending more time together should help.""I still feel something is off." Madam Shaw seemed a bit regretful. "She used to be quite a little tyrant when she was young. No matter how much she has changed, she shouldn't be this timid..."As I was about to respond, Madam Shaw sighed. "Well, let's not dwell on that. It's still a joyous occasion. You're still in Jeswood, right?"I answered honestly, "Yes, I am.""That's great! I'll arrange for a driver to pick you up." Madam Shaw said with a smile, "We're planning a welcome banquet for Lily tonight. You must come and join us. The clothes that you’ve designed for Madam Smith and me have been quite the talk among us. Many people have been asking where they were ordered from. This is a perfect opportunity for you to introduce yourself. I'm sure you won't have to worry about business for the entire year!""Alright, thank you!"I hesitated a bit but
But had I got to feel guilty about?I didn’t do anything wrong from start to finish.Thinking of this, I lifted my gaze toward their direction. After Lily threw herself at him, he hesitated slightly, seeming a bit uncomfortable, and also worried about upsetting Lily.He grasped her arm, creating some distance between them. His tone remained as indifferent as ever, without any emotion. "Slow down.""But I’ve missed you."Lily looked up at him, blinking her eyes, her pale cheeks cautious and timid, like a little white rabbit. "You left so early yesterday. I haven't seen you for almost 20 hours."So precise down to the hour.I composed myself, curving the corners of my lips. I noticed Frank's gaze fall on me again. Seeing me composed and emotionless seemed to anger him a bit.He released Lily's hand, flashed a roguish smile, and walked over to greet the two elderly ladies before lazily sitting down on the sofa opposite me.Madam Smith gave him a reproachful look. "You brat, you s
The Lily in front of me right now was even more of a threat than Jessica.I didn’t want to get myself involved."Why don't you go do a paternity test too?""Charlotte, answer me.""Want to run away again?"The atmosphere in the hall remained superficially relaxed, while my phone kept buzzing with messages.I frowned and set Frank's chat to "Do Not Disturb."Even with Lily standing right here, he still thought I might be Lily."Ms. Wilson, you’ve just divorced and your phone is already buzzing with messages."Mrs. Shaw noticed the commotion on my side and spoke acidly, "You're quick to find a new partner."Frank clicked his tongue, clearly about to lose his temper.I didn't want to get entangled with him at this juncture. I took the initiative to speak. "Generally, it's not as fast as Bethany. I just got divorced, and she's already engaged to and broken up with my ex-husband!""You!" Mrs. Shaw glared at me viciously.She was doing it deliberately.Deliberately trying to em
"Ahem..."Jane saw that I could handle it and didn’t want to cause me any trouble, so she had remained silent.At that moment, Frank's words made her choke.Mrs. Shaw could be sharp-tongued and nasty towards me. But towards Frank, she was mute, embarrassed, and red-faced, clearly concerned about Madam Smith's presence and not daring to act too harshly."You brat!" Even though Madam Smith usually indulged Frank, she had to maintain decorum and glared at him. "Who taught you to speak like that?""You did, Grandma." Frank seemed indifferent. "I was just bringing justice where it’s needed."Madam Smith was so angry she glared at him but had no words to retort.Everyone present could hear that Mrs. Shaw was clearly looking for trouble, and her words were excessively sharp.As the topic seemed to be shifting, the usually quiet and timid Lily said in an innocent voice, "But Frank, my mother isn't wrong either. Girls should cherish themselves and be loyal..."Jane immediately got an
"The paternity test results are out." I felt a bit helpless.He was confident. "There must be something wrong with the paternity test. Charlotte, maybe I might mistake someone else for her."This "someone else" was clearly a reference to me.He continued in a calm tone, "But I definitely wouldn't fail to recognize her."I pressed my lips together. "That's a matter between you and the Shaw family. Frank, let's keep some distance."I really didn't want to invite trouble.With that, I avoided looking at his expression and pulled Jane into the banquet hall.Though the welcome party was organized on short notice, it was far from perfunctory.The lights were dazzling and the setting opulent, clearly a high-society affair.After taking a drink from the waiter's tray, Jane looked at me, somewhat surprised. "You've never been so ruthless before?""Come on." I smiled helplessly. "Even the dullest person learns from their mistakes. Besides, the situation now is different from before."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Shaw scanned the room and quickly locked eyes with Mr. Shaw, pulling him along to greet the guests.Before long, there was a commotion at the entrance of the banquet hall.Ryan and Ian, walked in with Mr. and Mrs. Shaw and Bethany.Ryan was dressed in a black overcoat, his demeanor dignified and cold, his steps steady, exuding a strong aura of authority.Ian followed half a step behind Ryan, but the two looked very familiar with each other.Given what Mrs. Shaw had said earlier about the guest, it was clear to everyone present who Ryan was.Ryan was the owner of the RF Group.He was the very same Ryan who had been rejected by the Shaw family.In the blink of an eye, he was now being treated as an honored guest by the Shaw family, showing no sign of neglect.Even if they had to grit their teeth, they would have to accept it.The atmosphere was tense and unusual, with no one daring to approach and strike up a conversation easily.The members of the Shaw
"I want to explain."Westley embraced her, lowering his head to whisper, as though they were deeply in love."I won’t repeat the same mistakes again as before, and I won’t make the same mistake multiple times."Jordan shrank her neck, trying to avoid him.His warm breath brushed against her ear, it was ticklish.But she couldn’t break free from him, so she could only try to move away as much as possible."Let go of me first."Westley lowered his head and kissed her ear."Since you’re here, let’s finish what we started."Jordan was unwilling. "You handle your own problems, don’t drag me into your competition with other women."Westley stared at her for a moment, not loosening his arm but pulling her closer."She already holds a grudge against you. It’s safer for you to stay by my side. Oh, by the way, just so you know, she’s a princess."Jordan slapped the cream cake in her hand right onto his face.She couldn’t hide her emotions, anger clearly written on her face.She wan
Jordan finally finished planting all the saplings and now all she had to do was wait for them to bloom.But she probably wouldn’t be able to see the flowers. She hoped the pear trees would grow wildly here."Mrs. Howard." Buck brought her a dress. "Mr. Howard said that there is a party tonight and would like to request your company."Jordan refused without hesitation.Buck added, "There’s also an auction, with many fun and interesting items. Don’t you want to buy gifts for your sister and little nephew?"Mentioning her sister and nephew made Jordan waver.Jane liked interesting things, and Jordan couldn’t easily go out on her own to gather them.And now, she had the opportunity.But she didn’t want to attend the event with Westley."Mrs. Howard, if I were you, I would go."Jordan ignored him. He was on Westley’s side.Buck’s mouth twitched, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "When Mr. Howard broke your heart, you should have asked for more money from him, to get revenge and s
Carter had hit a wall at every turn.He had also been poked at his sore spot, and his long-established cold and distant persona was on the verge of crumbling."Forget about Zachary and the others, after all, they’re not very close. But how long have I known you? You won't help? I even helped you persuade Jordan."Westley didn’t fall for it. "As for you and Mandy, no one can help. I can’t bring her to Nelana now. You can try convincing Zachary, maybe there’s still a chance."Wasn’t that just stating the obvious?Carter said, "If I could get Zachary's help, would I be telling you all this?"Westley replied, "That’s your problem. Who told you to force her? Back then, she was just a young girl, barely an adult. It’s normal for her to be afraid of you and find you disgusting."A flash of sadness appeared in Carter's eyes."I was just too angry back then. It wasn’t intentional...""I’ve said that too." Westley put down the binoculars. "You saw my outcome. Obviously, it was useless."
"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