Upon hearing this, Ryan seemed somewhat stunned and disheartened.After a moment, he looked at me in surprise. “You’re no even going to lie?”“You rarely lied in the past as well,” I smiled and answered calmly. I had heard too much before. He had never been one to deign to deceive.“She ran away from home. I need to go find her.”“She’s divorced. I’m afraid she might do something rash.”“She got into a car accident. I can’t be at ease if I don’t check on her.”Later on, he didn’t even need to give a reason—he would just say, “I need to see her.”It was always, his sister. He couldn’t ignore her.It seemed that as long as there was that one layer of relationship, any little bit of my complaints would be seen as petty, and obstructing him would be almost like committing a crime.It was quite ironic. It seemed to match the saying of “What goes around comes around.”Ryan probably never imagined that such a day would come. He loosened his grip on his cutlery, which clattered ont
“I do.”When it came to serious matters, he was quite earnest, his voice steady, “She said back then that only Bethany and her daughter were behind her actions. Since we couldn’t find out about anyone else, and it wasn’t good to keep her detained, we let her go. What’s up?”“I saw her yesterday.”I didn’t stop what I was doing as I looked up at Frank. “Last year, didn’t Yasmin suddenly announce that she had a daughter? Can you guess who this daughter is?”“It was her?”“Yes, she’s now called Christine.”I felt a bit puzzled.Frank squinted his eyes. “I’ll have someone look into it.”He was never one to drag things out. He immediately made a phone call. The other side acted quickly too.I had just finished massaging his legs when the phone call came back.Frank answered, “Go on.”“Frank, there are no clues about this. It’s just that Yasmin suddenly announced she had a daughter, Christine. The specifics are unclear, probably because someone erased the traces.”“Think of som
The situation became somewhat awkward.Alana hadn't caught on yet. "Have I? How come I don’t remember?"I replied, "Oh? You don't?""I…"Alana cleared her throat, glancing at Frank, her mouth twitching. "Have I?"Frank nodded firmly. "You have.""I have?" asked Alana."Yes.""Right, I have."Alana suddenly realized, smiling at me. "I'm really sorry, I must have a terrible memory. Yes, I did add you on WhatsApp…"She turned to look at Frank. "When did I add her on WhatsApp again?"Frank cocked his brows. "During dinner. Did you forget?""Oh, right." Alana smacked her forehead. "Yes, yes, I even asked Frank for your WhatsApp at the time. I meant to tell you about his leg pain!"Then she asked Frank uncertainly, "Is that right?"Frank gave her an exasperated look.Alana smiled and said meaningfully, "That was my second account, I don't use it much. Let's add each other again?""Sure."We exchanged smiles.After adding WhatsApp, I left Frank's house and headed to the care
When I returned to the care home, Grandma was already asleep. I adjusted the corner of her blanket and gave a few instructions to the caregiver before driving away. I went straight to the hotel to check in.The next morning, after tidying up, I was preparing to go back to the care home to see Grandma when I received a call from Prof. Kilburn's assistant. I answered the call while walking out of the room.On the other end, the assistant sounded a bit frustrated, "Ms. Wilson, didn't you inform your family that the professor would be taking over Madam Shaw's treatment today?""Huh?" I was momentarily stunned. "Is something wrong?"The assistant replied helplessly, "As soon as we arrived this morning, your family showed up and said they would not accept the professor taking responsibility for Madam Shaw's treatment.""My family?" I was slightly puzzled but then realized something. "Is it the Shaw family?""Yes, it seems to be Madam Shaw's daughter-in-law and granddaughter."My exp
The little child looked to be about three or four years old, dressed in trendy clothes, and had an exquisitely carved face. He looked up at me, cuteness radiating from him.But he called me “Aunt”...I couldn't just accept that.I was a bit confused and patted his small head. "Aunt?""Yes! Aunt, my name is Daniel Jackson. You can call me Danny!"The little one was incredibly adorable, introducing himself with a soft, innocent voice and an endearing demeanor.I couldn't help but chuckle and crouch down to speak gently, "Alright, Danny, but…"I paused slightly and looked at Frank. "Danny is your nephew?""Alana's son."Frank lazily lifted his eyes and said nonchalantly, "She's on a flight to Europe tonight. Danny has school, so I'm taking care of him for a while.""Huh?" I glanced at his legs and couldn't help but question, "Are you sure… you can handle a child?"Danny hugged my neck and gave my face several slobbery kisses, saying sweetly, "Aunt, Aunt, you can take care of me
Once again, Frank and I were both awkwardly caught off guard. I tugged at Grandma's arm. "Grandma, about that…""Soon."Frank abruptly interrupted me, speaking to Grandma in a gentle and polite tone, "Grandma, I'll marry her soon. You focus on taking care of yourself. Once you've recovered, we can hold the wedding."I was dumbfounded.The person making this statement didn't even glance at me, as if the matter was completely unrelated to me.Grandma was thrilled, her eyes shining with delight. "Really?""Really," Frank answered with a smile.I changed the subject. "Grandma, let's have breakfast quickly. Prof. Kilburn will be here soon."Judging by the time, Prof. Kilburn was probably finishing his breakfast too. After Bethany and her mother left, I had sent a message to Prof. Kilburn's assistant, informing them that the matter was resolved.I wasn't wrong about the timing. Grandma had just finished breakfast when Prof. Kilburn and his team returned.Since Prof. Kilburn was
Alana, unable to resist, said, "You've probably had a tough time these past two years too, haven't you?"I was taken aback. "How did you know?""I guessed." She smiled helplessly, appearing like a thoughtful older sister. "Although we haven't interacted much, I can tell you're not the kind of woman who plays both sides.""Giving up on him back then must have been unavoidable, right?" It was a question, but her tone was certain.I wasn't surprised that she could guess this.Alana was the type who, despite seeming carefree, was actually very perceptive and attentive to details. In short, the Smith family seemed to be quite perceptive people.I had no reason to lie to her, so I nodded and admitted, "Yes, Frank's father came to find me. And then, Ryan… also promised that if I went back with him, he would help Frank.""You've had a hard time."Alana sounded a bit rueful, "It's a pity that Luke used such dirty tactics, almost causing Frank to suffer a setback. Actually, he did suff
She softened her gaze and asked, "And you? How is your depression…""I'm off medication now." I smiled. "I found a psychologist in Frankes through a friend, and I've been receiving treatment there for the past two years. The results have been quite good."At least, even when I recall past events or see people from back then, I no longer panic, tremble, or have suicidal thoughts.After returning to Jelaston, the night I unexpectedly saw Ryan at the hotel, my sleep had still been fairly good."That's great." Alana sighed in relief, glanced at the time, and said, "I should head to the airport now. I'll find a chance to explain things to him and give him a psychological preparation."She stood up, pointed to the room where Danny was, and said helplessly, "As for my son, you might need to take care of him a bit more during this time. Frank doesn't have the patience for him.""It's fine. I like kids too." I smiled as I walked her to the door. "Since Danny is still at home, I won't see
It was the habit of someone accustomed to a high position."What’s wrong?" the man asked, his deep voice carrying a clear warmth."Look at you, acting so cheap. If you’re happy, just smile. Why pretend?"Frank, after all, was now happily settled.Seeing others in turmoil, he liked to tease them."No wonder you can’t win your wife back."Westley was rendered speechless.Jordan, not wanting to join the topic, quickly ran off.Frank joked, "See? Your wife just ran off again."Westley clenched his molars tightly.One by one, these happy people were taking turns mocking him."If you’re not going to help, at least don’t make things worse."Frank clicked his tongue and said, "Wow, the resentment is strong."Charlotte, holding Frank’s arm, tried to smooth things over. "That’s enough, Mr. Smith. Stop making fun of others."Westley was rendered speechless.‘Thanks. Appreciate that...’Charlotte added, "And stop mentioning Zachary’s pregnancy symptoms—it’s a sign of love."Frank
“These are all the photos of landscapes and animals you’ve taken over the years?”“Yes, I didn’t have anything else to gift, but I thought the baby could experience these through pictures while young and then go see them in person when older.”“You’re so thoughtful! I’ll thank you on behalf of this little embryo, Auntie.”Jane genuinely liked it. After flipping through the album, she instinctively tried to pass it to someone nearby but then remembered that Zachary had gotten out of the car when Jordan got in. He was now riding in the vehicle behind them.She placed the album into the front passenger seat’s storage compartment and then started chatting with Jordan about her recent experiences.Jordan said, “Not much, really. Things went pretty smoothly overall. I gave all the photos to the media. I hope it can raise awareness and help save more girls. That place was hell on earth for them.”Jane nodded. “You did an amazing job.”After her praise, she asked, “What do you want to e
The Collins family’s expressions all changed.Although Madam Collins had spoken so casually, deep down, she was certainly still displeased about Zachary marrying Jane.She had simply seen the deeper truth. Zachary was resolute about Jane.She also understood that Zachary was no longer someone they could control.But when this was bluntly laid bare, her chest still tightened.“What do you mean by that?” Rebecca pressed.Sean merely replied, “That’s all I can say. And that’s because of the bond we share as former master and servant. After all, now I must follow Mr. Collins’s orders.”The room fell into a prolonged silence.Madam Collins broke it with a soft chuckle.She looked at Rebecca and said, “You said he doesn’t acknowledge you as his mother, yet he could have quietly gone off to register the marriage without us knowing, but instead, he let Sean inform us.”Rebecca didn’t immediately react.Madam Collins clarified, “He specifically instructed Sean to pass the news to you
At the hospital.Rebecca listened to Sean's report.When she heard that Zachary had come to the hospital, she immediately panicked. "I knew that woman was bad luck! Ever since Zachary got together with her, he's been plagued with all sorts of misfortune and illness!"Eric hesitated before speaking. "Zachary went to see the doctor because of morning sickness?""What?"Rebecca couldn't believe her ears. "Do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds?"Sean chimed in, "It’s true."Rebecca was rendered speechless.Sean explained, "I consulted with an expert. This kind of situation is rare but does happen. If a husband deeply loves his wife, seeing her suffer during pregnancy can cause him to experience symptoms like morning sickness."At that moment, Rebecca felt like a beehive had exploded in her ears.All she could hear was a loud buzzing noise.It took her a long moment to recover before she scoffed."He’s such a good husband, isn’t he? I risked my life to give birth to him an
Jane leaned in for a sniff. "Smells so good."Zachary’s worries were unnecessary, she only took a few bites before losing interest.The rest ended up in his stomach.Which then found its way to the toilet, and finally, down the drain.After Zachary rinsed his mouth, Jane peeled an orange for him. "Try this, see if it helps."Zachary ate the orange directly from her hand.It was so sour it made his teeth ache.Still, it seemed to provide some relief.Jane poured him some water."You don’t need to take care of me, I can handle myself.""And I can handle myself too," Jane retorted. "Why are you always doing things for me, then?""It’s different—you’re pregnant."Zachary drank a sip of the water, mostly because she had poured it."I’m just throwing up a little," said Jane.She had experienced it before—constant retching, even with nothing left in her stomach. That kind of discomfort was hard to endure.His voice was hoarse by now, which showed just how bad it had gotten.At
However, the test results showed nothing wrong.Even after being in a coma for those days, his body remained strong thanks to the nutritional IV.As long as he avoided alcohol and irritating foods, his gastritis wouldn't flare up.It certainly wouldn't become severe enough to cause this kind of reaction.Yet Zachary's vomiting was even more intense than her pregnancy nausea.Even though there was nothing left to throw up—not even stomach acid—if he kept going, he might end up vomiting bile.It really didn’t seem like the symptoms of someone perfectly healthy.So Jane contacted Tanner.After hearing her description, Tanner chuckled.Jane felt as though Tanner was gloating."Isn’t this great? He’s throwing up for you, so you can feel a bit better."Jane was taken aback.Over the time she had spent taking Zachary to the doctor, she truly hadn’t felt any discomfort herself.She had thought it was because she hadn’t eaten much, so her symptoms were temporarily subsiding."Dr.
Jane washed her face, took a moment to gather herself, then straightened up and hugged him."Stop reflecting on yourself already, hearing it makes my pregnancy symptoms worse."The tactic worked well, as she didn’t hear any more apologies from him afterward."I feel like eating an orange. Could you peel one for me?"Zachary immediately carried her to the sofa, tucked a blanket over her, and sat beside her to peel the orange.He meticulously removed every single white thread from the orange segments.Resting her chin on her hand, Jane watched him and teased, "You’re treating me even better now that I’m pregnant. Do you love the baby more than me?"Without hesitation, Zachary replied, "It’s because pregnancy is hard on you. If you hadn’t agreed to have the baby, I wouldn’t have kept—"Before he could finish, Jane kicked him, silencing him.He handed her the peeled orange.Jane couldn’t taste her mood anymore, so she focused on eating the orange.Zachary felt his teeth ache jus
"I envy his fiancee so much!""You women are so shallow. Just because he’s buying some raviolis, you think he’s humbled himself for love. Why don’t you think about this—he’s the son of an affluent family. If he hadn’t picked someone from such a poor background, why would he come to this rundown place to buy these commoner foods?"As soon as the man finished speaking, he felt a sharp, cold gaze land on him.The people who had been enthusiastically discussing with him moments earlier suddenly avoided looking at him.But Zachary merely glanced at him.His raviolis were already packed, and he was eager to bring them back for Jane.He didn’t linger long, nor did he feel the need to waste his words on clueless fools like these.Besides, even if he explained, they probably wouldn’t understand—or even care.Meanwhile, Jane had been leaning against the car window, watching Zachary the whole time. When she saw him walking back, she opened the car door for him.“Hurry, get in.”Zachary
They were heading back to their cozy little nest.On the way, her phone rang. When she saw the caller ID, she slapped Zachary’s thigh.“Oh no!”Zachary looked confused.“I forgot about Jordan!”Jordan had mentioned that she would be filming, and Westley had been by her side the entire time to protect her.Jane, preoccupied with her own matters, had assumed that with Westley around, nothing would go wrong.Her return to the country had been a last-minute decision, and she had left in a hurry.She was also dealing with the discomfort of her pregnancy.All the emotions and tasks piling up caused her to completely forget.Sure enough, when she answered the call, Jordan’s voice was full of grievance.“Aren’t we good friends?”“Yes, yes, we are,” Jane replied with an awkward cough. “Something urgent came up, so... I’m sorry.”Jordan, however, was gracious. “I understand your situation is special. Just treat me to a meal to make up for it. I’ll be flying to Jeswood soon.”“Alrig