It was to pick me up and take me home.Those words made my eyes water.After all these years.It seemed like no one had ever said that to me before.He was the first.I struggled to keep my eyes wide open, holding back the tears, and looked up at him. "Frank, if I'm not really Lily, can we still be friends?"I found myself harboring a somewhat absurd desire to cling to this bit of warmth.Even if it was just to be friends.Even if we could just be friends.Frank cocked his brows and smiled at me and said casually, "Not possible."I stumbled back to my room.I sat on the sofa, thinking for a while, before realizing I hadn't even figured out whether his response was to the first or the second part of my question.Was it that it was impossible for me not to be Lily?Or was it impossible for us to still be friends?"Hey, just got back?"Jane had just come out of the shower, wiping her hair with a towel.I snapped out of my thoughts and nodded. "Yeah."She applied a face ma
I had previously asked my aunt about my background several times, but each time, the matter was left unresolved. Asking now, she would still not tell me anything.Jane agreed. She leaned back on the sofa, thinking for a while before turning to me with sparkling eyes. "So, you're the one Frank was betrothed to, the legendary little fiancee of his?""Pfft, ahem..."I was drinking water when she suddenly said this, causing me to spit it out and choke badly.I coughed for a while.She laughed and handed me several tissues. "Why are you so nervous?""Who's nervous?""The betrothed fiancee of Frank is nervous." She shook her head and laughed.For two consecutive days, I was somewhat distracted. Just thinking about that paternity test, which could determine my future and negate my past 26 years of life, was overwhelming.It could erase every moment of my parents' love in my memories.I had no sense of security.It felt like I had gone from being a person with roots and a foundation
The urgency and anger that had marked Mrs. Shaw's expression two nights ago were replaced by a light, mocking smile."The report was supposed to come out today. Where is it?""Coming right up." Frank tossed out those two words.Mrs. Shaw turned to me with a sneer. "Ms. Wilson, when the report comes out, I have just one request, never set foot in the Shaw family's house again! You've caused chaos in this household.""Shut up!" shouted Madam Shaw, then gave me a reassuring glance. "Charlotte, don't feel burdened. I’m here with you.""Okay."Hearing those final three words, I felt an inexplicable sense of relief. It was as if no matter what happened, I wouldn't be facing it alone. Even if I truly was Lily and returned to the Shaw family, I would still have Grandma.Mrs. Shaw sneered disdainfully. "Mom, don't waste your efforts with such sentimental nonsense. She can't possibly be Lily.""You're so sure. Have you already seen the results?" asked Frank, sounding somewhat puzzled.M
"Yes, ma’am," the butler responded promptly.Clearly, this "Lily" was indeed a fake.“Lily” panicked. Her dark eyes glistened with tears as she glanced at me, then at Madam Shaw and Bethany. Finally, she collapsed to her knees in front of Frank."Mr. Smith, please spare me!!""I shouldn't have been so deluded, shouldn't have tried to pass myself off as someone else..."Frank, who usually had little patience for others, frowned. "Go beg whoever sent you here.""I..."As her eyes wandered to look elsewhere, Madam Shaw barked, "Flint, hurry up and get her out of here! Mom, if it were up to me, I'd say get rid of her and send her back where she came from."Madam Shaw's eyes narrowed with sharp intent, but she did not respond directly to the woman's pleas. She only looked at Frank."Frank, I assume the report from overseas is already available?""It's out and will be here soon."Frank nodded and checked his watch. "Five minutes.""Good." Madam Shaw sighed in relief.During the
Frank quickly caught Madam Shaw and said to the butler, "Flint, do we have an ambulance?""Yes, it's already at the gate."Flint had already called the medical team when he saw Madam Shaw spitting blood. They were initially prepared for any emergencies concerning “Lily”.Unexpectedly, it was now put to use.Madam Shaw was taken to the ambulance, and I rode in Frank's car to the hospital.By the time we arrived, Madam Shaw had already been taken into the emergency room.My emotions were complex. I wanted to cry but couldn't. More than anything, I felt panic and fear.The sound of hurried footsteps approached.Members of the Shaw family had also arrived.Bethany rushed over and forcefully shoved me aside, her face filled with hatred."Charlotte, what more do you want to do? You're just a disaster!"I steadied myself and looked at her coldly, "It's my grandmother who's in trouble. What I do is none of your business."Perhaps I had hesitated before, but at this moment, I had no
This was the Shaw family's own hospital. The doctor quickly approached Mr. Shaw and said, "Mr. Shaw, Madam Shaw's condition is not a recurrence of an old illness but rather poisoning.""Poisoning?" Mr. Shaw's face changed dramatically.The expressions on Frank's and my faces also darkened.Grandma hadn't gone anywhere these past few days. She had just stayed at the Shaw family's residence waiting for results.And now, she had been poisoned at the Shaw family's residence..."What kind of poison is it? What is Grandma's current condition?" asked Frank."It's still being tested. For now, we can only confirm that it is toxic and will rapidly damage the nervous system and liver and kidneys," the doctor replied. "Moreover, according to the senior experts in the lab, if the antidote is administered within half an hour, it shouldn't cause major issues. But Madam Shaw is already beyond that time frame. Although she was brought here in time and there's no immediate threat to her life, she
Upon hearing this, Frank's lips curved into a faint smile. His brown eyes fixed on me, and he said softly, yet each word was clear, with a slight rise at the end, "Yes, you are Lily, my fiancee."It was a confirmation, a declaration."Frank..."My thoughts were complex, but a sense of relief arose. "Thank you for never, ever giving up on me."He was always there when I needed him, finding ways to help even when someone else took my place. Everyone else had abandoned me, but he hadn't.He took me to a private restaurant near the Shaw family's residence.The waiter led us to a private room.I realized that the people dining were not just Frank and me.There was also Flint.When he saw us enter, Flint suddenly stood up, looking straight at me. The man, nearly 60, was crying.I saw that he was holding the paternity test report from the foreign hospital.Flint must have read it."Miss Lily!"Hearing this address, I was startled. It wasn't due to unfamiliarity but familiarity.
I lowered my eyes, still reluctant to accept this reality. It even gave me chills.To prevent me from returning to the Shaw family, she actually poisoned Grandma.Compared to her and Mr. Shaw, I preferred the parents from my childhood memories who would hold me in their palms. But fate played a cruel trick on me. I was just a substitute for someone else.Frank suddenly asked, "Does the hospital still have records from the obstetrics and gynecology department from that time? Were there any familiar faces from the Shaw family who gave birth during those days?"Flint shook his head. "It's too long ago. We can't find that information."After finishing the meal, I still wanted to go back to the hospital. Frank disagreed. "It's unnecessary. That's the Shaw family's hospital, and Grandma will have a professional medical team taking care of her. If you go, you won't be able to help Grandma and will only waste your energy arguing with Bethany.""But..."I was feeling very unsettled. It
"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
She got up just around noon.After thinking for a moment, she decided to go see Westley.Westley wasn't in the bedroom, so she went downstairs to ask the staff.The servant pointed toward the kitchen, and she walked over, finding Westley cutting vegetables.A strip of bandages was wrapped around his exposed wrist.His pale lips and exhausted eyes suggested he was still in poor condition.Yet, he was cooking?Jordan pressed her lips together, her sleep had been poor, and her face didn’t look good either.She stood in place for a few seconds, then turned and walked away.If he didn’t take care of his own body, what business was it of hers?Westley glanced over but didn’t call her, continuing his task.Buck watched the whole scene, worried about Westley’s health, he was still running a fever.“Sir, you should rest. Let me arrange for someone to cook, and I’ll bring it up to you later. And Mrs. Howard... probably won’t care about you... You should take care of your health. Othe
Charlotte nodded. “So does unhygienic mean better taste?”Jane directly spoke to her belly, "Son, you have to treat your mother-in-law well in the future. Mommy won't be able to back you up. Mommy’s useless..."Charlotte raised her hand and poked her forehead. "Alright, stop the act.""You're even bringing the child up. We still don’t know if it's a boy."Jane said, "I want to arrange a marriage alliance with you. My child can sense his mother’s feelings and will surely fulfill his mother's wishes.""That's nonsense." Charlotte went out to buy what she wanted to eat.As soon as she sat in the car, she received a call from Frank."Is Mr. Smith slacking off again?"Frank chuckled. "I’m calling my wife. Is that not allowed anymore?"Charlotte had driven herself. She turned on the air conditioning and was thinking about going shopping. "I’ve got to go now. I'll be home tonight."Frank heard the sound of the engine and asked, "Did you go out?"Charlotte snorted, "You should know
The fireworks were dazzling and brilliant.Westley looked up in a certain direction.At the moment the fireworks bloomed, a figure appeared in the window of that place.Jordan couldn’t sleep because of Westley’s injury.As she tossed and turned in bed, a sudden bright light appeared in front of the window.She walked over to the window, opened it, and saw the fireworks bursting in the night sky.There seemed to be a few figures on the beach.But Westley was tall enough that she could spot him at a glance.At that moment, she forgot to watch the fireworks.It was only when Westley raised his hand and pointed upward that she looked up.She realized that the fireworks formed a few words.“I’m sorry, Jordan.”“Happy birthday.”Jordan had originally planned to spend her birthday with Nathan and Jane.But when she was brought over by Westley, she completely forgot about her birthday.She glanced at the time, and it was exactly midnight.Her birthday had begun.The night sky