I had never seen him before. But I had heard Ryan speak with him on the phone twice. They seemed to have a life-and-death friendship, and Ryan trusted him and Ian."Alright, do as you wish." I nodded thoughtfully. "We should go and get the divorce certificate the day after tomorrow. Please remember to arrange the time."His dark eyes flickered, and he gave a self-deprecating smile with a hint of bitterness. "Are you counting the days until you're done with me?""Something like that," I answered without hesitation.Ryan's long lashes cast shadows over his eyes, and his thin lips were pressed into a straight line. "Fine, I'll do as you say.""It's not about doing as I say." I corrected him. "Ryan, this is something we've already agreed on. There's no such thing as one side following the other."He looked at me quietly, and after a short pause, he sighed. "Was I always like this in front of you?""Like what? Do you mean indifferent, perfunctory, or hypocritical?" I took a sip of co
Something wasn’t right. I wasn’t going to believe in such coincidences.I grabbed the car keys and was about to leave when Ryan grabbed my wrist. "Where are you going? I'll take you.""To somewhere with a signal."Before I went out, I looked at him. "What's going on with that live broadcast from earlier in the afternoon? Why can't I find any records online?"Ryan's eyes flashed for a moment. "Many live broadcasts won’t be replayed.""Impossible."Previously, when Frank attended a public event, his video was edited and shared by many girls. For this live broadcast, not even a single clip could be found online.It was as if it had never been broadcasted.I suddenly realized something, and my fingertips began trembling. "Ryan, that live broadcast was fake, right? Something really happened to Frank, didn't it?""Charlotte...""Don't call me that. Just answer me!" I backed away, unable to control my voice as I demanded, "Why are you lying to me? Why didn't you tell me if something
Before he could finish speaking, the phone slipped from my hand.My hands were trembling uncontrollably as I stood by the window for a long time, until Ryan left and the Rolls-Royce drove out of the Frost family's residence.I watched until the taillights disappeared from view.After 20 minutes, I finally opened the bedside drawer, took out a fruit knife, and made a cut on my wrist.The blood was warm and glaring.But not deep, so I wouldn't die.I walked out barefoot, twisted open the door, and went downstairs. Albert came over. "Mrs. Frost, Mr. Frost instructed..."He was startled by the blood oozing out of my wrist."Albert, I don't want to make things difficult for you."I seemed to feel no pain, grabbing my car keys. "Let those bodyguards let me out, or else, Ryan will come back and only find a corpse."Albert's eyes were full of concern as he followed me to the car and hurriedly opened the door. "Why are you doing this... Ryan only means well...""Mean well?" I sat dow
Holding the phone, my thoughts were inexplicably drawn back to a time long ago.Some fragments, both unfamiliar and familiar, surged into my memory."Frank! You clearly said you'd come to my house for breakfast today, but you overslept again!""Frank, it hurts so much! Quick, carry me!""Frank, they all say we have an engagement. What is an engagement?""Frank, pick that one, the big orange!""Frank...""Do you even have any sense? Is arriving exactly on time considered late?""Who told you to run so fast? Get on.""It means I will marry you.""I know, I know, little princess.""Lily! Do you have any manners? You should show me, your brother, more respect!"I was sobbing uncontrollably. "Frank, I don't have a grandpa anymore. Grandma said everyone will leave, and no one can stay with Lily forever."He patiently comforted me. "I will, Lily. I'll be with you forever."I blinked my eyes. "Frank, you're like a gentleman today."He arrogantly raised his chin and corrected me
"And actually, I support your staying in Frankes," he said.I pursed my lips slightly. "Why?""I have a friend in Frankes who is a top psychology expert. Charlotte, she can definitely help cure your depression.""Jack, I told you, the medicine belongs to Jane..."I didn't want to admit it.Jack reached out and touched the fresh scar on my wrist. "First you slit your wrists, then you ran into the lake. Clearly, you don't value your life and have no desire to live. You still want to hide this from me?""I..." I turned my head to look out the window. "I don't even know what's going on..."I couldn't control my thoughts.Even my own body was beyond my control.Actually, there had been signs of this a long time ago.It just became more obvious during the month after returning from Jeswood to Jelaston.It was Jane who noticed the problem and forcibly took me to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with severe depression.If it hadn't been for needing to confirm Frank's situation i
Two years later, Jelaston Airport.I stepped out in flat shoes, pushing my suitcase, and was greeted with a big hug from Jane."Ms. Wilson, you’ve finally decided to come back?""Are you trying to strangle me?"I smiled wryly. "I just missed you, so I came back."Jane actually visited me in Frankes whenever she had time. The last time we met was only two weeks ago.On the way home, while driving, she said, "During the period when you first went missing, Ryan was like a madman. He couldn't believe you had just vanished into thin air. He almost wanted to dig up all of Jelaston and drain the lake."I smiled. "You've mentioned this many times.""I'm just saying." Jane sighed. "But Ryan and Jack kept it under wraps. Very few people knew you were in trouble."Aside from Jane and Jack, everyone else thought I was still by Ryan's side, living comfortably as Mrs. Frost.And Megan, not long after Frank's accident, returned to the Smith Group, fighting for power with that illegitimate s
"Yep, guess who?""The popular young star recently?""No, no, think bolder.""Bolder?""Yasmin Jackson!""What?"I was taken aback, "Jane, you've managed to network into that circle now?"Yasmin Jackson, one of the four top actresses in the entertainment industry. She became over 20 years ago. Her family background was quite impressive, but no one has dug up anything substantial over the years. Some say it was either fake news or her background was so extraordinary that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to find anything.After taking a break from acting a few years ago and moving behind the scenes, she had become a significant player in the entertainment industry. Every appearance she made was as talked-about as any top celebrity."This isn't my connections." Jane shook her head, laughing. "It was Yasmin who saw the dress you designed for last month's fashion week and liked it. She had her agent contact me, asking if I could make an exception and reserve a private custom slot f
As I reached out to knock on the car window, a bodyguard quickly stood in front of me."Hello, ma'am! This is a private vehicle.""I know." I pointed inside the car. "I know him."The front passenger window lowered, and another bodyguard said, "I’m sorry, our employer doesn't know you.""He doesn't know me?" I asked."Yes, you might have mistaken him for someone else!"As the bodyguard spoke, the driver followed orders, stepped on the gas, and the black Continental slowly drove away.Other vehicles quickly followed.I stood there, stunned for a while.Frank didn't recognize me anymore...Or was that not Frank?Suppressing my doubts, I turned and went back to Grandma's room to ask the caregiver."Was the Mr. Smith who came earlier here for the first time?""Probably not, but it wasn't my shift," the caregiver replied. "He seemed quite familiar with the ward facilities when he arrived.""What did Grandma call him?" I asked."She just held his hand and wouldn't let go. Late
Jordan hadn't decided yet. "Do you have any particular places you'd like to visit?"Jane said, "Then let's go shopping."She turned to Charlotte. "Can you walk?""I’m fine. If we get tired, we can find a place to sit and rest."Jane then looked at Whitney and asked if she wanted to go.Whitney nodded.The four girls made a quick decision and set off.Ross was eating an apple when he saw them coming out together. He immediately asked, "Mrs. Collins, where are you going? Do you need me to give you a lift?"Jane looked at the car behind him and noticed there were no other cars."Take us to the biggest shopping center.""Okay."The MPV was large, and with just Ross as the driver, it was more than enough for the four of them to sit comfortably."Ma’am, there are yogurts and snacks next to you, all your favorites."Jane glanced at it and said, "Remember to tell Zachary that it’s too late to apologize after making a mistake."Ross would only repeat the exact words to Zachary, an
Ross agreed and turned to leave.Jane kicked the door open with her foot, then stepped onto the balcony, and Whitney quickly came to help.After setting the breakfast down, she noticed something was wrong.Jane and Charlotte exchanged a glance.Jane asked in confusion, "Why are there things in here that neither Charlotte nor I like to eat?""It seems that Zachary and Frank were a bit careless."Whitney quickly said, "I can eat what you don't like."She wasn't picky about food, it was just that she used to not have enough to eat, so she had always eaten less and stayed thin.Jane hadn't heard Ross mention that Caleb had come.She said, "Don't you think Caleb specifically bought this for you?"Whitney was puzzled.Charlotte pointed and said, "The things we like to eat were all prepared by Frank and Zachary. They wouldn't purposely prepare things we don't eat. So, what do you think the extra food is for?"Whitney was momentarily stunned.She thought it was because Jane had or
Whitney washed up and went straight to bed.She didn't have the habit of playing on her phone before bed.Before coming to Nelana, all her work had been handed over.If something urgent came up, someone would call her.So she didn't check her phone, and thus missed Caleb's message.Caleb was on the hotel balcony, with his phone placed on the small coffee table.He held a glass of wine, swaying it absentmindedly.His gaze, however, remained fixed on the phone.But even when it got to dawn, there was no reply from Whitney.The man curved his lips slightly and lit a cigarette.He leaned against the balcony railing, waiting for the sun to rise.Whitney woke up in the morning, went to wash up, and after she finished, took a book from her luggage and went to sit on the swing on the balcony to read.As she passed the kitchen, she made herself a cup of coffee.She didn't like to move much, most of her time was spent on improving herself.She tried to learn as much as possible.S
Westley didn't say anything either.Zachary and Frank were a team, he was no match for them in an argument.His relationship with Caleb wasn't that close, so it was impossible for the latter to help him."They're having barbecue for lunch," said Frank, locking his phone. "They just ordered the ingredients."Jordan found two power strips and moved the pot to the balcony."Good thing we have these, otherwise, we wouldn't be able to eat.""Why do you have so many pots left in this house?" asked Whitney."I lived here for a while before," Jordan placed the plates and cutlery down. "I also feel like leaving these things here makes it seem like Grandpa is still around."Whitney apologized.Jordan smiled and reassured her, "It's fine. No need to apologize. From now on, we're good friends."Whitney nodded and smiled in agreement, "Alright.""By the way, Jordan.""What's up, Jane?"Jane said, "Both Zachary and Frank have booked hotels, so they don’t to stay here. It can't fit them
Jordan and Whitney chatted casually.Most of the time, it was Jordan doing the talking while Whitney listened.After covering enough about the wedding, they talked about Jordan's work over the past few years.She also mentioned the tangled feelings and past with Westley.When she got to that part, she grew a little curious. "Whitney, before you married Caleb, did you ever like anyone?"Whitney shook her head."What about a secret crush?""Not even that."Whitney rarely talked to others about her past.Zachary only knew because he had looked into her and thought she was perfectly suited to be a pawn.And she had needed to become that pawn—to completely sever ties with her past, achieve her goals, and fulfill her ambitions."I was too busy studying and working to think about anything else."Jordan sensed she didn't want to go further, so she didn't press.Just then, Jane called, saying she and Charlotte would arrive soon and join them for lunch.She relayed the message to W
"We had a meal together before, and I noticed you always seemed to like sweet dishes, so I tried buying some. I was worried it might not suit your taste.""It does, it does." Jordan took a bite of the pudding. "It's delicious. But did you buy anything you like to eat?"Whitney said, "I already had breakfast. I can't eat anymore."Jordan offered a suggestion, "Why not try a bite of this sponge cake? It's a specialty here in Nelana."Whitney really couldn't eat any more. She had a small appetite, a condition built up over the years.If she ate a full meal, she couldn't eat snacks afterward. And if she ate snacks, she would lose her appetite for meals.She had a small stomach.But seeing Jordan looking at her so expectantly, she still picked up a piece of sponge cake and took a bite."It's very good."Jordan smiled and took a big bite of the sponge cake herself."Whitney, you're so good at picking food! This is great!"The old house was a bit remote, but it had a rooftop terrac
Jordan said Whitney would be coming over later.Westley hadn't expected that the first one to get out of bed would actually be Whitney."Just the two of you?" he asked."For now, yes."Jordan glanced at her phone. In the group chat, it was just her and Whitney talking—no response yet from Jane or Charlotte.She more or less knew why Jane hadn't responded, but Charlotte too?Still, it didn't really matter. There weren't any specific plans for today anyway.She hadn't known Whitney was coming, so it was a nice surprise."Maybe my sister will text me around noon. We can decide what to do then.""You." She pointed at Westley. "You are not allowed to show up in front of me again after breakfast."Westley nodded. "Got it."After buying food, Whitney told Caleb, "I'm going to find Jordan. You can go handle your stuff. I'll be staying at her place until the wedding."Caleb leaned against the elevator wall, his voice low and lazy. "You're telling me what to do?"Whitney wasn't in a
She replied with an emoji, then looked for her girls in the group chat to ask them out for food.Their group chat had a new member now—Whitney.And it was Whitney who replied to her."I'm already eating at the hotel. Do you want to come over, or should I bring something to you later?"Whitney had actually had a good night's sleep.Though it was a bit later than her usual habit, she still managed to get up for breakfast.Before, it was always Caleb who brought breakfast to the bedside and fed her, because she simply couldn't get out of bed.Jordan figured she was probably having breakfast with Caleb and decided not to bother her."No need, I'll just eat something nearby. Your hotel isn't close to me."Whitney replied. "I'm heading over later anyway, but I'll probably be a bit late. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat something first. I'll bring you something else."Jordan. "Thanks."Whitney. "No problem."Caleb noticed her holding her phone, her expression much softer, even t
Caleb was thinking that in the future, he could let her drink a little more.Of course, only when he was around.She looked kind of cute like this."I did say that, but didn't you just say you wanted to thank me?"Whitney felt that alcohol really wasn't a good thing.Even when hanging out with Jane and the others, she decided not to drink too much anymore.The rationality and logic that she was so proud of had completely vanished.She had never been as calm in front of Caleb as she was with others.Besides, there was a power imbalance between her and him.If she were sober, she wouldn't have been able to reject him anyway.Let alone now, when her mind was muddled.But maybe because she was muddled, she dared to say things that she didn’t usually dare to say."I just lost my balance earlier, and you helped me. Even if you don't accept verbal gratitude, that doesn't mean I owe you something this big."Caleb saw she could barely stand, so he held her by the waist to keep her