Diana was formally trained in design and had six years of work experience. She had no problem passing the initial interview. However, when she received the call from the HR department of the Frost Group, she sighed with relief. "Okay, I will definitely be on time for the second interview at your company."She had been worried that Ryan might use his position to obstruct her.In truth, she hadn't intended to apply to the Frost Group. However, the Frost Group offered the best salary and benefits, and it was rare to find a position that suited her so well.What she needed most right now was money.Although Ryan had arranged for her mother's transfer and all expenses related to her surgery and hospitalization, heart disease required a long period of recovery after discharge.Everywhere needed money.She could only hope that Ryan, being the president, wouldn't concern himself with such a position."Diana..." When she returned to the ward after the call, her mother, who had just wok
"I'll move, I'll move!"Jane didn't even finish her breakfast and jumped up enthusiastically. "Frank is so wealthy, I'm deeply grateful...""No need to be grateful," Frank said meaningfully. "Consider it an early wedding gift for you and Zachary."Jane was rendered speechless."What?" I was stunned, realizing that Frank wouldn't say something without reason, and quickly looked at Jane. "You and Zachary? What's going on?"How could I, who should be in the loop about my best friend's major life events, not know this before Frank?Jane cleared her throat. "It's not... what you think."She felt that she couldn’t even get Zachary to have the slightest feelings for her.Frank understood. "Zachary is hard to pursue, right?""Did he tell you?" asked Jane.Frank smiled. "Charlie came to my place last night and drank all night."This was implying that Charlie had mentioned it.Jane closed her eyes. "I haven't done anything with him. We've already made things clear."I caught the key
Julie's grandson had a fever, so she took the day off to go to the hospital.The entire house was especially quiet under the sunset's afterglow, and even his heartbeat seemed incredibly clear.The atmosphere was thick with a growing sense of intimacy, like creeping vines wrapping around us. I felt my breathing become tense and nudged him, "You must be hungry. I'll go make dinner...""Yes, I'm hungry."Frank's brown eyes were filled with a burning intensity. The next moment, his long, strong hand gently cupped the back of my head, and his body silently pressed closer to mine. The position became increasingly intimate, with the ambiguity spreading like layers being peeled away.My heart pounded wildly!The tip of my nose was surrounded by a refreshing, cool minty scent, and the man's low voice murmured, "But I don't want to eat."As he spoke, his breathing grew deeper and slower. When he lowered his head, his warm lips touched mine. I felt like I was electrocuted.His kisses were
He chuckled. "Charlotte, do you know how long you've been absent from my life?""How long?""Not counting the time before I found you." Frank didn't even pause, his tone haughty. "You've been absent for another 758 days. In those 758 days, I am no longer the person I used to be."I was initially touched, but upon hearing the last part, I asked, "What do you mean?""I've learned to cook now."He tilted his chiseled jaw, pressed me down onto the sofa, and calmly said, "Wait for the meal."With that, he went into the kitchen.I lay on the sofa backrest, initially worried, but seeing through the glass door that his movements were indeed skilled and smooth, I relaxed.I found a more comfortable position and watched his every move.My heart was so full, I wished time could just stop at that moment.The man was wearing a hand-tailored white shirt, with the sleeves casually rolled up, exposing his beautifully defined wrist bones and muscular forearms. The shirt's hem was tucked into
Frank's tall figure stiffened slightly before he let out a chuckle. The sound of running water from the faucet filled the room as he washed off the soap on his hands, wiped away the water stains, and turned around to pull me into his arms.The man lowered his head slightly, his eyes shining as he looked at me, and pinched my face. "Charlotte, it's because I'm not strong enough that I feel uneasy. It has nothing to do with you."I wrapped my arms around his neck and said earnestly, "You've already done a great job!""Charlotte..." He gently rubbed my face with his thumb, a trace of self-reproach crossing his eyes. "If I had truly done well enough, you wouldn't have been kidnapped when you were young, and two years ago, Luke wouldn't have found you and forced you back to Ryan.""How old were you when I was kidnapped?"I looked up at him, trying to ease his guilt. "And as for Luke finding me... in the end, none of these things are your fault."His fingertip rested on the corner of m
Moreover, whether or not she'll be kicked out was a matter for the future. But as soon as Charlotte returned, she would at least be given half of the Shaw family's asset.But all of this was originally hers!Why should that bitch Charlotte take it away?Mrs. Shaw looked at her helplessly. "Are you scared now?""Aren't you afraid?""Is being afraid useful?"A hint of ruthlessness appeared in Mrs. Shaw's eyes, as if she already had a countermeasure. "As long as you listen well, I promise you, not only will you not get less, but you'll get more in the end."Bethany was puzzled. "More?"Where could there be more?Mrs. Shaw's lips curved into a confident smile, her eye wrinkles hiding a bit of calculation. "You'll know soon enough."Bethany felt reassured. "Have you arranged everything?""What about the sanatorium... do we still need to think of a way to intervene?""No need!"Mrs. Shaw poured her another cup of tea and handed it to her. "Is it such a big deal? Is it worth gett
Last time, because she learned about my background, things ended on a sour note.So, when Yasmin called and brought up this topic, I was a bit surprised. After a moment of hesitation, I answered honestly, "It's a silver pendant, a rabbit silver pendant."On the other end of the line, Yasmin seemed a bit excited. "A rabbit silver pendant?""Yes." I confirmed it and explained, "I've worn that silver pendant since I was young. Two years ago, I had an accident, and the pendant went missing."Curious, I asked, "Ms. Jackson, why do you suddenly want to know about this?""I..." Yasmin seemed to be calming herself, organizing her words. Finally, she asked, "I also wanted to ask if you have some time now. I'd like to discuss something with you in person.""I do." I thought for a moment and agreed to meet up. I had a vague premonition that whatever Yasmin wanted to talk about was deeply connected to me.Yasmin tentatively asked, "Where do you live? Is it convenient if I come over?""Huh?
In front of him, I could just be myself, if it was Charlotte or Lily.Upon hearing this, Yasmin fell silent for a moment, took off her sunglasses, and her eyes were actually glistening with tears. The curve of her lips seemed to carry a hint of bitterness. "In the end, it's because your biological parents were so failures that you had to endure so much hardship..."I was a bit at a loss. "Ms. Jackson, what's wrong?""Charlotte..." Yasmin choked up for a moment, took out a jewelry box from her bag, and opened it to show me its contents. "The silver pendant you lost, is this it?"Seeing the transparent rabbit silver pendant, I was both surprised and overjoyed. "How did it end up with you? I thought I would never find it again..."Suddenly, Yasmin hugged me tightly!I was stunned, and a possible answer appeared in my mind...Unable to believe it, my eyes filled with tears. "Ms. Jackson...""Charlotte, if I said that I am your mother, who failed you, would you..."Yasmin, usually
‘I’ve already taken my pants off and you’re just going to leave it at that?’She thought this must have been intentional on Westley's part.She raised her leg and kicked him, then turned around, pulling the blanket away, her back clearly showing a trace of resentment.Westley didn't mind, pulling both her and the blanket into his arms.He chuckled softly in her ear."Your reaction right now makes me think you're dissatisfied."The deliberate pause was even more teasing.Jordan immediately elbowed him.But because she was tangled in the blanket, she couldn't put much strength into it.The muffled laugh of the man in her ear clearly mocked her, making her even angrier.Her emotions flared up too quickly, and tears started falling.Westley felt the wetness on his arm, it was hot.He quickly sat up.He knew about her tendency to lose control of her tears, but seeing her cry still made his heart ache.He gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb and whis
"You can't possibly have nowhere to stay."Westley turned her around and found her eyes tightly closed.He laughed softly. "You used to try everything to see what’s in front of you right now, so what's wrong now?"Jordan had been influenced by dramas and novels back then.Because she was protected by the Howard family and watched over by Westley, there were no other men around her except for him.Even if there were, she couldn't see their abs.So at that time, she could only secretly look when he was training or at moments when he would take off his clothes.Leanne had also helped her a lot.When she was young, he saved her when she was hospitalized.He injured his shoulder, and he had to take off his clothes to apply medicine.During those days, she insisted on taking care of him and saw a lot.But all of this ended before she turned 18.It was like playing house, no one took it seriously.Later, she never had the chance to see Westley’s body again.Now, she couldn't loo
Westley's eyes flashed with a deep, meaningful smile.He replied calmly, "How did I trick you? I'm just being very sincere. I was just asking about the things from before. I didn't mean anything. If you're overthinking, then... Are you feeling guilty?"Jordan retorted immediately, "I'm not guilty!"Then, she weakly explained, "I didn't do anything wrong. My confession was real, and the words I said to your mom were for you. Later, I didn't contact you because your attitude toward me wasn't good. I didn't dare to reach out. So, it's all your fault."Westley laughed. "Alright, it's all my fault."He released her and stood up, heading toward the bathroom.Jordan stood frozen, not knowing why the conversation ended so abruptly.They didn't really reach any conclusion.But that wasn't the point. She followed him to the bathroom door and knocked."Westley, are you taking a shower?"There was no response. She pressed her ear to the door and thought she could hear water running.Alt
"I..."Jordan leaned on his shoulder, her voice soft. "Can you just say it?""Okay."Westley was easy to talk to. "You said that after giving it some thought, you might have mistaken your feelings for me. You might have confused sibling love with romantic love. Actually, maybe you don't really like me. That was the gist of it. The exact words, it's been so long, I don't remember."Jordan didn't believe that he didn't remember.If he didn't hold a grudge, he wouldn't have treated her the way he did afterward.He didn't even send her a message.Even when the Howard family invited them back for dinner, he had his subordinates contact her."You really are petty."Westley chuckled, pulling her even closer.He kissed the corner of her lips. "Yep, I'm petty. For the things I owe you, I'll apologize and make it up to you, but for the things I've done right, I'll remember them and make you pay me back."Jordan quickly grabbed his wrist, her speech speeding up."Westley, I can explai
Jordan was rendered speechless. "You didn't drink tonight. What, are you drunk from fruit juice?"Westley let go of her, changed his shoes, and, as if he were at his own home, casually unbuttoned his shirt and sat down on the sofa."Huh?"Jordan changed her shoes and walked over. She sat at the coffee table in front of him, her face serious as she said, "You'd better tell me the truth!"Westley leaned back against the sofa, his posture casual."What do you want me to confess?""I want you to..."The man suddenly moved closer, and Jordan swallowed her words.She stared wide-eyed at the extraordinarily handsome man in front of her.He had undone four buttons of his shirt, and as he moved, his muscular physique subtly showed through.Her gaze couldn't help but fall inside his collar.Suddenly, she felt her mouth becoming dry."Jordy, you need to take responsibility for your words.""I..."Before she could finish, her waist was grabbed, and before she could react, she was sit
Jordan spoke again as his car was about to drive into the underground car park. "The underground car park is very winding. Just drop me off in front of the building, make a U-turn, and you can leave."But Westley parked in the underground car park, at the parking space that was registered to her.Jordan unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Seeing that he got out too, she didn't think too much about it."Just drop me off here."Westley said calmly, "I'll send you upstairs and watch you go inside.""It's really safe here."Jordan couldn't argue with him. Though she said that, she still let him escort her upstairs.When she used her fingerprint to unlock the door, she said, "It's fine now.""I'll watch you go inside."Seeing his persistence, Jordan unlocked the door and entered.She planned to turn around and say goodbye, but she was suddenly pushed from behind.The sound of the door closing followed, and then she was hugged tightly from behind by the man.Only now d
Jordan thought for a moment, and a line of reasoning gradually became clear."Are you saying Nathan really is my brother?""Not exactly," said Westley. "He's related to you, he's your cousin."Jordan wasn't too surprised. "I see."Westley smiled. "You're much calmer when things happen now, but it still shows on your face. You need more practice."Jordan couldn't hide her emotions. She didn't show too much excitement, but she was still happy."Does my sister know?""Yes."Jordan blinked. "So, you all kept this from me, and I was the last to find out?"Westley pulled her up and headed for the dining room."We can talk while eating, it'll be cold if we wait."Jordan felt a little frustrated. "I'm so dumb."Westley peeled shrimp for her and said, "Nathan wanted to keep it a secret, so it's normal you didn't know.""But you all knew.""I knew because of my personality. You know me, if a stranger appears in front of me or you, I'll do a background check on him. Your sister know
He had someone redo the decoration, and there would always be someone there every day to do the cleaning.Today, he had originally planned to bring her back, cook for her, and had prepared all the ingredients.This wedding house, aside from the time when Jordan came to get the marriage certificate, she hadn't been here since—she went out to study and work.It was completely different from what she remembered.There were also many photos of them.From before the marriage, after the marriage, and even recently.Including the photos she had taken over the years—award-winning ones, those published in magazines, and those that made the trending searches."They're all here. You can look around. I'll call you when the food is ready."Jordan nodded and started to explore.She found a darkroom, which was specifically for developing photos.Inside, many photos hung on the walls.These were all from the three years she and Westley were ignoring each other. They were all of her life and
She wanted to see how he would truly lower his head for her.She also wanted to see if he really liked her.But later, after seeing the golden sea of flowers, he really did a lot to help her take pictures of the sea of clouds.The pink dolphins and fish were considered a blessing.She also witnessed them with him.So, she felt that the matter of pursuing her no longer mattered.She just wanted life to be simpler.She was really tired.She wanted to be happy and carefree.But unexpectedly, now that she didn't care about the pursuit anymore, he started again.It seemed that he would never follow her wishes.That stubbornness of his was something he couldn't change.‘Forget it,’ thought Jordan.She really couldn't be bothered to argue about these things anymore."Let's go." Jordan nodded and sat in the car after he opened the door.Westley walked around the front of the car and sat in the driver's seat, leaning over to fasten her seatbelt.But Jordan fastened it herself.