The next day, when I woke up, the alarm hadn't gone off yet.As soon as I stepped out of my room, the doorbell rang. It was Jane.I felt a bit helpless. “Don’t you have a fingerprint access? Why didn’t you just come in?”“Well, that’s because…”Jane cast an ambiguous glance toward the master bedroom and said, “I was afraid of disturbing you and your man.”“Disturb what? He’s not here,” I explained. Then I asked, “Why did you come so early?”Last night, Frank didn’t return to Region Gardens; he just sent me a WhatsApp message saying that there was an urgent matter with the Smith family that needed his immediate attention. He didn’t tell me any specifics.Jane then remembered the main issue and hurriedly asked, “Was the WhatsApp message you sent me real or not?”“I drank too much last night. When I groggily checked my phone this morning, it startled me awake!”“On my way here, I kept looking at that WhatsApp message, afraid I was dreaming or seeing things.”“Is Christine really
Jane shook her head and quickly declined, “I won’t be going.”I looked at her, thinking she was just being shy, “Why? Jane, come with me…”“One of the most important moments for my best friend, I wouldn’t miss it.” Jane flashed a mysterious smile and said. “But I have other plans.”Suddenly, I had a thought and guessed, “You want to go with Mr. Collins, right?”The Chi family is also a prominent family in Jeswood, and Zachary would certainly receive an invitation.Jane avoided answering, quickly pushing me out the door, “Stop hesitating. Go and see Ms. Jackson!”On the way to the Cloud, I saw that the WhatsApp conversation with Frank was still on last night’s messages. I couldn’t help but send him a message."Have you had breakfast? How is the situation?"There was no reply.As I was about to call him out of concern, a news alert popped up.The Smith Group’s M398 chip, which was patented two months ago, was facing a lawsuit from the patent-holding company, demanding an immedi
“Let me check.”He seemed to be looking at WhatsApp while explaining to me. “I was in a long meeting, and my phone was with Alan. He only brought it into the meeting room when he saw your call.”“Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Don’t be afraid.”Although he was trying to comfort me, I was still worried. “This is targeted at you, right? Did Lucas do this?”“You’re right about the first part.”Frank took a sip of something, and his voice regained some clarity. “But Lucas isn’t stupid enough to do this. He would only engage in actions that harm others without benefiting himself, not something that would damage the enemy while hurting himself.”Frank’s explanation made sense. The chip had been on the market before he returned to the Smith Group, and before that, Lucas had been in charge. Ultimately, this issue falls under Lucas’s responsibility.If Lucas exposed this now, it would certainly create a huge mess for Frank, but it would also eliminate any possibility of Frank ma
“Really?” Ryan’s sharp words were on the tip of his tongue, but seeing her shivering eyelashes and those cool eyes, he was momentarily moved and said, “Come with me.”“What?” Diana didn’t immediately understand, and by the time she looked up, the tall man had already walked away with long strides.She looked uncertainly at Gary, who was still waiting for her. “Mr. Frost…”“You weren’t imagining things.”Gary glanced at the direction where Ryan had gone, feeling a bit sentimental.To make up for his ex-wife was one thing, but now it seemed he was making up for someone who resembled his ex-wife. Just whether this would be a blessing or a curse for the girl in front of him remained to be seen.Diana looked at the coffee in her hands, feeling a bit awkward. Gary waved to the front desk and said, “Have these delivered to the Design Department, and say it’s from Miss West.”Once in the car, Diana didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, desperately trying to calm her breathing.Ryan, how
After finishing the snack, I still had some time left. Seeing that Yasmin seemed hesitant to speak, I couldn't help but smile."Is there something you want to say or ask me?"In terms of being a daughter and a mother, both Yasmin and I are probably novices. It’s inevitable that there’s some awkwardness and unfamiliarity, but I can genuinely feel her desire to give me the best.Yasmin’s eyes were full of affection as she spoke softly, “It’s nothing major. I was just thinking that since you’ll be moving in eventually, how about you choose your room now while there’s still time? This way, I can prepare your bedroom according to your preferences.”A wave of emotion I had never felt before surged within me. Smiling, I said, “No need to choose. I trust you.”“Really?” Yasmin seemed worried that I was being polite. “Don’t be too formal with me. You’re my only daughter…”“It’s not about being formal!” I interrupted with a sigh, taking her hand gently and speaking softly, “I just know tha
“Bethany, is she the daughter they adopted later on?”“Yes.” I nodded. “Simone dotes on her very much, like she was her biological daughter.”Yasmin frowned slightly. “Isn’t she about two years younger than you?”“How did you know?”Hearing my response, Yasmin’s brows curved in a sympathetic manner as she explained, “It’s highly likely that Ben is raising the daughter of Simone’s former lover.”“What?“ Caught off guard, I was stunned. “What do you mean? Bethany is the daughter of Simone’s former lover?”“It’s just a guess.”Yasmin smiled and elaborated, “Simone’s first love was a thug in Jeswood named Kevin Sullivan, I think. Later, when Kevin got into trouble and went to prison, Simone started an affair with Ben.”“Kevin got married not long after he was released, but his wife died during childbirth. Soon after, he got into trouble again, this time for murder. He killed someone with a significant background, which was enough to cost him his life. He fled the country, leaving b
When he looked at Yasmin, his throat moved slightly as if he were nervous. “Yasmin, I came uninvited, but there are some things I need to say to you in person.”Without waiting for Yasmin to respond, he continued, disregarding the people around them, speaking slowly and deliberately, “You don’t need to worry about implicating me anymore. Now, the Jackson family is under my control, and I can protect you!”I didn’t know if Yasmin would accept it, but I felt my eyes well up with tears.Probably because I knew this person was my uncle and the person beside him was my mother, I was easily moved by their family affection.Turning my head, I saw Yasmin with reddened eyes, turning away to hold back her tears before she looked back at Alex and said with a hint of annoyance, “When you were little, you cried for me to help change your diaper. Now you say you can protect me?”“Pfft—”Alana almost choked on her drink, unable to stop laughing.Alex cleared his throat but didn’t seem embarras
Alana deliberately teased him, leaning in and raising her eyebrows, “So, don’t you want to get married?”“I have someone I want to marry and am not interested in arranged marriages.”Frank dismissed it lightly, glancing inside the room. “Is Charlotte here?”From his angle, he couldn’t see me behind the door.Seeing Alana’s triumphant smile, I couldn’t help but laugh lightly. Just as I was about to speak, Alana looked at me and said, “Niece, come here quickly. My brother is looking for you.”I could almost imagine the bewildered expression on Frank’s face.I walked over, and Frank took my cool, dry hand. He glanced at Alana and, with a playful smile, asked, “When did Charlotte become your niece?”Before I could speak, Yasmin put her arm around my shoulder and, noticing Alex and his wife teasing him, couldn’t help but laugh. “Because Charlotte is my daughter, what do you think?”“Huh?” Frank immediately straightened up. Before he could delve deeper or confirm the truth of the sta
"She's originally from abroad, it's hard to catch her." Frank waved his hand and said to Zachary, "Take care of it. I'm going to have some fun for a while. Once you're better, you can handle the aftermath." Zachary nodded. After Frank left the hospital room, Zachary told everyone to go home. "I'm fine, just a stomach cramp. It's not serious." Rebecca held his hand, hesitant to speak. Zachary took the initiative and said, "Don't worry. I've already cleared things up with Jane. Even if we run into each other in the future, we won't greet each other. We'll be strangers from now on." Outside the hospital room, Jane withdrew her hand from the door, turning to speak to Charlotte. "No need to go in. He's fine." After getting in the car, Charlotte looked at her. "You should stay at Region Gardens for a while." "Once Zachary and Frank finish dealing with the Sanchez family, you can move back to your own place. The Sanchez family has deep roots, and I'm worried that if
They were eager to see Zachary and hadn't had the chance to speak yet. "Was it Zachary who took Lexi away?" Frank nodded. "He said he would handle it personally, so it should be him handling it." "If the Sanchez family is inconvenient for you, I can take care of it." Just as Eric was about to speak, Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez arrived at the hospital room. They looked quite angry. "Eric, we've known each other for so many years. Even if we can't have a marriage alliance, don't harm my daughter." He unlocked his phone and handed it to Eric. Eric saw the image of Lexi tightly bound. He frowned. Zachary was still unconscious at this moment. Who sent this photo? Ross entered shortly after, answering his question. He heard Ross tell Frank. "The Winston family took her." The Winston family was the Collins family's greatest enemy. And the enemies who had nearly taken Jane's life in Heliafield were the most loyal followers of the Winston family. Thinking b
Charlotte patted her head. "First, make a video call to that little girl." Jane quickly found her phone and opened the landlord's WhatsApp. As soon as the call connected, the little girl appeared on screen, her eyes red. Tears were still visible on her face. The landlord was sitting next to her, waiting, not having gone to sleep. Jane apologized, "Sorry to disturb your rest." "Don't say that." The landlord gently patted her daughter's head. "I'm just happy you're alright." Jane smiled at the little girl. "Thanks to Celine, I'm fine." The little girl leaned closer to the screen. "Jane, you're lying. Your lips are swollen." Jane cleared her throat. "I ate something spicy earlier." She quickly added to prevent the little girl from saying anything else, "Alright, go to sleep now. We'll talk more when you get out of school. Jane went through a lot today, and she's tired too." The little girl, very understanding, handed the phone to her mother and went to bed
The captain laughed. "Don't think that just because we're from abroad, we don't understand anything.""Young lady, if you want to buy some time, then I'll play along with you. But if you're hoping for someone to rescue you, I advise you to give up on that thought. This is the border. Domestic ships can't get through here."Well, you don't know Frank.There's no one who can stop him from going where he wants to go.Jane tried her best to suppress her fear. "Sir, I have all kinds of tricks. If I can make you guys happy, can you spare my life?"She reached out, grabbed the captain's belt, and moved closer."As long as you don't kill me, you'll be my savior. I'll be yours from now on and let you have your fun with me. Is that okay?"Although Jane hadn't dressed herself up recently.But her facial features were stunning. Those fox-like eyes with a smile in them were even more alluring.The captain kept swallowing saliva. Apparently, he was attracted.However, they had already rece
They were anxious, not just because of the situation, but because they feared Zachary would go mad and go abroad with Jane. Frank glanced at their expressions and immediately understood that they were aware of Lexi's plan to send Jane abroad. "I suggest that while Zachary is looking for Jane, you should take care of the Sanchez family's matters. Otherwise, when Zachary comes back, there will be hell to pay." Jane ate the meal the waiter brought and then felt drowsy. She fell into a light sleep, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already half past nine. She remembered the things she had told the little girl before leaving and quickly grabbed her phone to call. But just then, the door was suddenly kicked open. Several adult men stormed in and grabbed her, dragging her outside. "What are you doing?" They had originally planned to reach the border, but unexpectedly, a violent storm had forced a slight course change. This delay allowed the effects of th
Lexi said, "The plane will leave traces. By then, Zachary will find you. The ship will change at the border and private sea areas. Once she changes ships, it will be hard to track." Jane remembered when Jack had taken Charlotte away before. She felt a sense of unease. After all, Lexi wasn't someone she could fully trust. "I didn't expect you to be so timid." Lexi noticed Jane's worry. "I thought someone with your background, who dared to pursue someone as different as Zachary, and even date him, would have extraordinary courage." But wasn't Jane regretting it now? Otherwise, why would she be running away? She decided not to care anymore. With a firm heart, she boarded the ship. Lexi smiled in satisfaction, but then a cold glint appeared in her eyes as she spoke to the captain. "When we reach the border, throw her into the sea and feed her to the sharks." No matter where she went, as long as Zachary wanted to find her, it was just a matter of time.
Lexi was so angry that she wanted to smash something. She got up and walked away, with each step of her high heels hitting the ground, the sound echoing her immense fury. The more difficult it was to conquer, the more determined she became to conquer it! Zachary went directly back to the Collins family home. The Collins family members were somewhat uneasy. When they saw him come back alone, they were both shocked and suspicious. "Did Lexi not come back with you?" asked Rebecca. Zachary did not respond and walked upstairs with long strides. Rebecca, along with Sir Collins and Madam Collins, exchanged gazes, all feeling something was off. It was strange that Zachary had actually returned to the Collins family. "Sean." Rebecca saw someone else entering behind him and immediately asked, "Did you follow him the whole time? Did you notice anything unusual?" Sean bent slightly, his face carrying a polite smile as he respectfully replied, "No abnormalities w
The situation between Zachary and Jane's relationship had not been made public. It was normal for the employees at the company not to know about it. Zachary did not answer when people congratulated him, and Lexi stood silently by his side, not saying anything either. But to those around them, their actions were as good as an admission.Some people even offered their congratulations, but Zachary didn't acknowledge them. He didn't go upstairs. Instead, he turned and left the building. This time, he didn't even get into Lexi's car. The smell inside the car was too overwhelming, making him dizzy.Lexi followed him, and they entered a nearby cafe. He didn't go straight to Jane's place, but Lexi knew that was just a way of hiding his true intentions. However, she wasn't concerned. After all, the Collins family would never approve of him being with Jane. She just needed to give him a bit of time to play along."Mr. Collins, aren't you going to consider my suggestion?" Lexi asked with a sli
The shock from the Collins family was too much for her. She wouldn't take the initiative, nor would she have the courage to continue with him.So what other way did he have?He'd tried both soft and hard tactics, yet this situation was still more complicated than advanced mathematics.The next day.Lexi invited Zachary out.But the Collins family hesitated.Rebecca said, "Why don't you two spend some more time getting to know each other at home first?"Lexi smiled. "Mrs. Collins, I know what you're worried about, but that woman is no longer in Jeswood."Rebecca was aware of this.After all, they had been keeping an eye on Jane's movements. They even knew where she was staying.It was surprising that Lexi had just returned a day ago, yet she had already figured it out.This kind of method and family background was exactly what the Collins family needed.It was also what Zachary needed."I've erased all traces. Even if he wants to find her today, he won't be able to, and it