"Who?" I asked, feeling puzzled.He sneered. "Jack."I was rendered speechlessI frowned, genuinely unsure what he was thinking. "Ryan, are you here trying to get proof that I'm cheating on you?"It would be truly unreasonable if he was.His eyes darkened, his lips pressed thin, and he quietly uttered the words, "No, I'm not.""Then why are you here?"Ryan didn't answer. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks, exuding a desolate aura.The night breeze blew, sending chills down my back. I then said helplessly, "If you're not going to say anything, I'm going to close the door."He then said after a long pause, "I've missed you."My heart skipped a beat.I was completely gobsmacked.He had said many flirtatious things to me before, mostly teasing, never heartfelt.A lot of the time, I had hoped he would say something from the bottom of his heart.When we were in bed, I would wrap my arms around his neck and say, "I love you. I've missed you."But all I got was in ret
The air seemed to have froze and my heart began to race.It was as if I still looked forward to get an explanation from him.After a moment of silence, Ryan asked in a cold voice, "Do you really want a divorce that badly?"The mixture of feelings in my heart caused me to find it difficult to breathe. I raised my head and looked at the blinding lights in the living room and blinked. I was on the edge of having a mental breakdown, but I still said ruthlessly, "Yes, that badly."I wanted to cut ties with him at least before my belly began to show.There was no way that I was going to gamble with a child in my womb.Behind me, the man remained silent. The sound of the door closing was his response.It felt as though all strength had been drained from me as I slowly slid down the shoe cabinet, staring blankly at the ceiling.In an instant, my heart felt empty and began to ache.That night, my pregnancy hadn't been able to affect my sleep at all. I lay in bed and couldn't fall aslee
"Is that it?""That's it."I cocked my brows "You don't like him at all?""Maybe a little" Jane answered. She then smiled mockingly. "But that doesn't mean anything. My mom said that she married my dad because they loved each other.""Even so, they would still aim for each other's heads when they got into a fight. How could there possibly be feelings that would last forever in this world?"I knew she didn't believe in love. She didn't even believe in love from parents or relatives.When her father failed in doing business, he began drinking, gambling, and assaulting his wife and daughter.Her mother disappeared without a trace, leaving her to grow up with that unreliable father of hers. This caused her to be frequently beaten by her father.I was afraid she would be upset, so I changed the subject and asked with a smile, "Then why have you been so good to me all these years?"Jane rolled her eyes. "Who was the one crying on the rooftop in the dead of winter, and begged me not
Her words almost caused me to explode with anger.Ryan had spoiled her so much that she had no shame whatsoever.I curved my lips into a sneer and said, "Are you a member of the Frost family? Last time I remember, your dad had to beg Grandpa to allow you to have Frost as your surname. I don’t think you’re accepted into the Frost family since Grandpa hasn’t given the word yet. According to you, then I have more reason to say that this car belongs to me, because I am Ryan's lawfully wedded wife."I spoke deliberately, watching her expression change bit by bit, and a sense of satisfaction surged within me.Jessica gritted her teeth. "The two of you are getting divorced soon!""But we’re not divorced just yet, are we? As long as we're still married, I have more right to claim ownership of this car than you." I smirked."You have no shame!" She was furious as she glared at me fiercely. "If you’re going to divorce him then do it already! Why the hell are you still married to Ryan then?
I was rendered speechless.He was indeed good at putting the blame on others.I wanted to laugh but the pain on my face prevented me from doing so. "Did you even give me a chance to explain things just now?"Ryan would always become desperate about anything that was related to Jessica."Charlotte...""Alright, your 'sister' is still waiting for you in your car."I didn't want to say anything more to him, so I cut him off and got back into my car.As I closed the door, he grabbed the door handle. "Cover up the mark on your face, don't let Grandpa find out about what happened. Otherwise, he'll definitely..."Each word felt like a dagger to the heart. The pain was excruciating.I didn't have the courage to continue listening, so I slammed the door to prevent myself from hearing any more of what he was saying.Tears welled up in my eyes, I turned my face away hastily, so that he couldn't see the state of me.It was me who had been hit, yet he was worried about Jessica getting in
I smiled and found a seat, picking up the teacup the servant had just brought, and took a sip.The tea was fresh and the fragrance filled the air. It tasted soft and sweet.I smiled. "Grandpa always thinks of us whenever there's something good.""No wonder the old man favors you. You have such a sweet mouth!" Aunt Chloe chuckled.I smiled faintly and didn't say anything else.After chatting for a while, Albert came to invite everyone to the dining table.The seats for the family banquet had been arranged in advance.Grandpa sat in the main seat, with Uncle Luke, Aunt Chloe, and their daughter sitting respectively to his right.On the left were Ryan who had taken over the Frost family, myself, my father-in-law, and Jessica.Everyone's status in the family was clear at one glance.There was nothing Jessica could do even if she wasn't happy with the arrangement.She could make things difficult for me in other places, but at the Frost family's residence, she wouldn't dare do any
"Okay."I sat down beside him and met Grandpa's sharp and clear gaze. It was making me feel increasingly uneasy.In the spacious study, there was only Grandpa, me, and Albert, who was making tea at the side.As expected, Grandpa knew everything. "Are you still going to get divorced?"I didn't know what to say. I felt completely hopeless.There was no use hiding my pregnancy anymore. "Yes... How did you know?"Grandpa sighed, but he wasn't angry about being deceived. "You're independent and stubborn. You might make it seem that you don't really care about him, but have you ever taken your eyes off him before? Today was different, you didn't even give him a glance."There was a hint of regret in Grandpa's voice.After hearing those words, I choked and was at a loss for words.Yes, one couldn't hide one's feelings for someone, even if one cover one's mouth, their feelings could be seen through their eyes.Even Grandpa could see my feelings clearly, but Ryan still thought I liked
"It's exactly what you see in front of you." Grandpa's voice carried a trace of sorrow and regret. "It's our fault. It's the Frost family's fault for Wendy's tragedy. It's my fault that I've not been able to properly discipline my own son."My late mother-in-law had a beautiful name, Wendy Lawson. After hearing Grandpa's words, I was completely dumbstruck. It turned out, my mother-in-law didn't die from hard labor. She was pushed down the stairs when she was in her final weeks of pregnancy.The person who pushed her was none other than Ryan's stepmother, who treated him as her own, and ironically ended up in a coma in an attempt to save him. My mind was in turmoil. How could she treat Ryan so well and yet be the one who killed his biological mother? It didn't make sense at all.Before I could sort everything out in my head, Grandpa continued, "I don't understand why she could be so good to Ryan.""It's all..." Grandpa sneered. "It's all about personal interests.""After Ryan's
The weather was still a bit chilly right after the start of spring. It was the weekend, and there was light rain.In the morning, most of the people on holiday were in bed, playing with their phones.— #Lirad Mine Disaster#This hashtag surged to the top of trending topics at that moment.Luthor could manipulate public opinion, and Zachary could do the same.The former wanted to remove the hashtag from trending, while the latter spent money to keep it at number one.The video from Jasper, on the other hand, didn’t attract much attention anymore.All the focus was on the mine disaster hashtag, and the topic quickly surpassed ten million in views.And it was still growing.Luthor began to feel anxious and called Tim for an update.Tim said that no one had approached the place where the bodies were buried.But Luthor’s tense nerves did not relax because of that.He called a few trusted people.They all said they hadn’t seen anyone from Zachary’s side near the village."Even
"The living could no longer speak, and the only option is to start with the dead. If the autopsy confirms it was an unnatural death, then we can start the investigation. Luthor couldn’t hide everything."Zachary nodded. "You handle it. Solve problems that you come across by yourself.""Yes, Mr. Collins."Meanwhile, Westley overheard and said, "The Winston family is ruthless, and Luthor, as the one in power, is even worse. But his father was useless. Luthor had to clean up his mess many times.""During the mine disaster, Luthor was busy. He was in such a hurry, so it definitely wasn't handled properly."Zachary just hummed in response, sat down on the sofa, and started typing on his phone.Westley thought he was dealing with something, but when he got up to pour some water, he glanced over and realized he was chatting with Jane."What are you doing?" asked Zachary.Jane sent a picture. "Watching TV."Zachary opened it and smiled faintly. "What, learning the indomitable spirit f
Before Rick arrived, he had been briefed by Zachary.He had already anticipated the Greyson family’s reaction.So, he only delivered the message and didn’t say another word before leaving.Brandon and Amanda chased after him.Of course, they weren’t regretting their decision, it was more of a warning.“We had a chance to cooperate, it would’ve been a perfect match. The Greyson family has no blemishes that could harm Mr. Collins’s future. But it’s a pity, Mr. Collins chose a woman like that. Not only that, he’s hurt our daughter as well. It’s too late now for him to come to us for help.”Rick left, expressionless, and got into the car.It was an insult to his intelligence to say even one more word to such fools.With nothing to do at home, Jane suggested they play cards.But Jordan was more concerned, saying that in such a crisis, how could they entertain themselves?So the three of them stared at each other for a long while.Charlotte tried to lighten the mood. “How about I
Jane analyzed for her. "Let things escalate . We can clarify things afterwards, and it will be more convincing."Jordan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You have another video that can turn the situation around?"The videos Jane had were all given to Zachary.The video he posted yesterday was almost everything.How he would handle it afterward, she had no idea."I trust Zachary.""He won’t let me get hurt."Jordan burped and said, "I shouldn’t be eating, just watching the both of you feed each other dog food is enough to fill me up."Jane and Charlotte exchanged a smile.The video posted by Luthor stayed hot on the trending list all night.Westley saw that Zachary had been standing by the French windows, smoking one cigarette after another.He asked, "Do you need any help?"The response was simple. "No need."Westley couldn’t quite understand.The video circulating online wasn’t very beneficial towards Jane.When parents beat their children, there was no legal standard to j
Charlotte was about to say something when she heard him speak in a meaningful tone. "It’s very dangerous outside. The safest place is to go home with me."She knew he was never serious for even a day.Charlotte shot him a glance.Frank raised his hand and gently pressed her head."What I said earlier was serious. When a beast is cornered, it might do anything, uncontrollable things. For the next few days, just stay at home."Charlotte glanced toward the living room and asked, "What about Zachary?"Frank understood immediately. "He’s fine."Charlotte nodded. "Thanks again. Go do what you have to. We’re about to eat."Frank raised his eyebrows, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "Do I just get a verbal thank you? We haven’t..."Charlotte quickly covered his mouth and pushed him toward the door.She was about to shut the door.Frank blocked it with his foot and quickly kissed her lips."I like this thank you gift."Before Charlotte could react, the man shut the door beh
At the same time, Zachary received a message."Mr. Collins, Luthor has gone to Lirad."He curved his lips."Reveal the evidence gradually."Raymond replied, "Got it."A lot of things happened on the internet every day.Celebrity gossip always ranked in the top ten.News about people like Jane, the "ungrateful daughter," would usually fade in a day.But because Luthor had paid for publicity, it stayed in the top ten.So, when the evidence was released, netizens were already watching."Plot twist, everyone!""Wow! This isn’t about disciplining a child, this is clearly domestic abuse!""The young lady almost got beaten to death. If it were me, I wouldn’t support such a wicked father either."Only part of the video showing Jane being abused was released as evidence.The rest would wait for the internet to stir up more heat for a while."What are you doing by the window?"Having gotten thirsty from drinking, Westley got up to get some water and was startled by Zachary.He w
In the end, Zachary was escorted out of the bar by Frank and Westley.When they noticed someone taking pictures, they pretended not to see.Once they got into the car, Zachary’s eyes instantly cleared.Frank patted Westley on the shoulder. "The task of taking him home is on you."He had to go back to see his precious daughter. Charlotte definitely wouldn't be coming home tonight.Westley got into the car, and the vehicle slowly pulled away.He rolled down the window and glanced through the rearview mirror.He said to Zachary, "It's already early morning, and they're still watching you. That's some determination."Zachary sneered. "I’m afraid Luthor hasn’t been able to sleep a wink lately."Westley didn’t comment.This was a battle where the entire family was at stake.They followed Zachary all the way to his home, and only then did those people retreat.When they got out of the car, Zachary stopped Westley."You don’t need to come up."But Westley replied, "I’m staying at
Jane didn’t dare to.Zachary was a madman. In this situation, if she caused any trouble, everything would fall apart."But..." Jane continued, "When Zachary ignored me during my pursuit, it was actually normal. After all, he had the right to reject me."Jordan furrowed her brows, clutching the pillow and striking it as if it were Westley. "I hate him. He’s just an old fool."Charlotte went to grab some wine and glasses. There was also the marinated food that Zachary had made in the fridge.She brought them over."If you can’t make sense of it, don’t dwell on it. We hardly get a chance like this. Let’s have a drink."Jordan perked up immediately.Jane put on a movie as background noise.Meanwhile, the people watching outside reported to Luthor."Zachary’s men have left. Only Frank and Westley’s men are with Jane.""We couldn’t see much inside, and with the curtains drawn, we couldn’t catch anything. It’s hard to tell if it's real or fake."Luthor was deep in thought, and Gre
Jane hurriedly stepped forward.She wasn’t doing it to help Westley.It was because Jordan was acting this way because of her.But she wasn’t really breaking up with Zachary.If there were serious problems between them because of her, she would be the one to blame."Well, Mr. Howard, it’s not convenient for you to come up to my place. Jordan will stay with me tonight. If there’s anything, you can talk about it tomorrow."As she spoke, she secretly gave Westley a look behind Jordan’s back.Westley understood.But he didn’t think Jane would say anything kind to help him repair his relationship with Jordan.After a moment of silence, he turned and left.Because even if he explained things to Jordan, she might not believe him.The reason for this breakup drama needed to come from the people involved.It would be better for him to talk about it later.Once they entered the house, Jane kicked off her shoes, not even bothering to put on slippers, and rushed to draw the curtains i