Although K had been affiliated with Jack for many years, he was still over 20 years older and could read some of his thoughts.K had always known that Jack was ruthless, but he wasn’t sure just how deeply he felt about Ms. Wilson. He wondered when Jack’s patience would completely wear thin and when he would use direct methods instead of weaving a complex web as he was doing now.Jack put the medicine bottle into his suit pocket and stood up under K’s probing gaze. “I’m leaving.”K asked, “What about the next steps?”“Your priority…” Jack glanced towards the courtyard and coldly reminded him. “Is to immediately move your people to another location.”“Move?” K frowned. “The Smith family has already searched this place. It’s much safer here than anywhere else.”Jack tossed the remaining half of his cigar into the ashtray and said with displeasure, “Do you think Frank is easy to deal with?”“Do you think he can’t think of things you can?”With that, Jack checked the time and warned
“Alright.”Later, Grandma was moved from the emergency room to a VIP ward. Her face was pale, but she was conscious.Before I could get close, Yasmin, Alex, and Yale had arrived.“Charlotte!”When Yasmin heard the news, she rushed over, her eyes red with anxiety. Seeing me, she hugged me tightly, “You scared me! Why didn’t you contact me when something happened? You put yourself at risk—what if something had happened to you? What would I have done?”“Mom…” I clenched my fists. I had been used to facing everything alone before and wasn’t quite used to asking for help. “I’m sorry. I was so anxious at the time that I didn’t think it through.”“Foolish girl!”Yasmin released me, gently wiped away her tears, and gave me a serious warning, “In the future, don’t do this again, understand?”My eyes felt warm, and I nodded vigorously. “Okay!”I then looked somewhat guiltily at Alex, “Uncle Alex…”“What are you feeling guilty about? I won’t have a go at you.”After introducing me to Y
Undoubtedly, the message was from K.Frank took the phone from me and made a return call— No answer.I took back the phone and went to the balcony to dial Simone's number.Hearing my voice, Simone seemed in a bad mood and was even a bit surprised. “Charlotte, you’re still alive…”Her voice suddenly stopped. “Why are you calling me?”It was a feigned question.I had no intention of beating around the bush. I said, “Simone, I know you want to fight for the Shaw family’s inheritance for Bethany. Fine, I promise you, I will give all of the portion from Grandma’s will that is meant for me to Bethany. Is that acceptable?”“Oh?” Upon hearing this, Simone seemed pleased and replied languidly, “Are you negotiating with me, or are you… asking me?”I looked at Grandma, who was quietly sleeping, and suppressed my anger. “You can think of it as whatever you like. I only need the antidote right now. Simone, if something really happens to Grandma, it won’t be good for you either, right?”The
Frank didn’t move, just looked at me with lowered eyes and a stern expression. “Charlotte, are you trying to scare me to death?”“I’m sorry.” I knew he was referring to what happened earlier. I reached out and hooked his little finger, gently shaking it. “It was wrong of me. Frank, even now, I’m still a bit shaken by it.”“Now you’re scared?”“Yeah... scared.” I looked up at him, pressing my lips together. “At the moment the gun fired, the only thought in my mind was, if I died, what would you do...”Before I could finish, he abruptly pulled me into his embrace and rested his chin on the top of my head. “At least you have a bit of a conscience. Since you know, you must not be so impulsive again.”“Alright.” I nuzzled against his chest and suddenly asked curiously, “So, if I really did die, what would you...”He abruptly pinched my face and interrupted me with a cold expression. “Don’t ask such ominous questions.”His eyes fixed on me, he instructed, “I’ll send you Alan’s number.
Simone and Bethany headed to the address given by K. It was an old villa district with a high occupancy rate, making it easy for Alan and his team to be noticed if they came to investigate.As they got out of the car, Bethany frowned in disgust. “Does that person live here?”Such villa districts, from the perspective of these wealthy second-generation individuals, were beneath their notice, especially for Bethany, who was used to luxury and had grown up in the Shaw family’s residence.Simone was initially a bit dispirited, but upon hearing Bethany’s comment, she snapped out of it and said helplessly, “It’s a matter of necessity, isn’t it for you? Frank is currently searching for him everywhere. This is the safest option.”“Oh.” Bethany nodded dismissively and followed her inside.K had instructed his subordinates in the courtyard to confirm their identities before letting them in.Being an old neighborhood and a house that had been unoccupied for a long time, there was an inevita
Simone's face turned pale, and she was flustered!At that moment, there was no longer any doubt. Charlotte, that vile woman, had deliberately called her to claim she was willing to give up the inheritance in exchange for the antidote. In reality, she knew full well that there were people behind Simone, and this move was simply to draw them out!Simone gritted her teeth. She should have known that no one would pass up such a chance to rise to the top.She had been trying to understand how powerful blood relations could be, but she never expected that Charlotte had no intention of giving up at all. It was all just a trap!Frank’s thin lips curled into a smirk. “Your mind isn’t suited for overthinking things, and you shouldn’t project your own perspective onto others.”“Charlotte called you because she truly intended to give up everything for Madam Shaw.”“But Mrs. Shaw, you must know that I...” Frank casually surveyed the room with a cold expression, yet his tone carried an almost
Frank cocked his brows and pressed, “Do you want to keep him company?”Simone had always been a bit intimidated by Frank’s arrogant demeanor. She instinctively took a step back, saying, “Since you know the antidote isn’t something he can just give you, why make things difficult for us?”Frank was nonchalant. “That’s not my concern.”“Alan, take them away.”At Frank’s command, K reached for his weapon, intending to resist, but he saw that Alan wasn’t coming towards him. Instead, Alan walked over to the sofa and lifted the unconscious Bethany.K raised his gun and shouted, “What are you planning to do with her?”“Frank!” Simone, increasingly panicked and disoriented, tried to reclaim Bethany but was kicked aside by Alan. “What do you want to do?”Frank straightened up, brushed off the dust from his clothes with his elegant fingers. “When you see the antidote, come find me for her.”“You…” Simone knew he meant what he said and could only grit her teeth, warning him. “You mustn’t l
Upon hearing this, Frank didn't even raise an eyebrow, as if it was entirely expected. He merely nodded slightly to indicate he understood and continued walking toward the roadside.Alan quickly followed, methodically planning the next steps. “Should I have them follow him?”“No need.”“No need?”Alan usually kept up with Frank’s pace, but this time he felt a bit out of his depth. “Frank, he must be going to meet the person behind the scenes, right? Shouldn’t we use this opportunity to follow him?”As he spoke, he ran to the front of the car, opened the rear door, then walked around the front and got into the driver’s seat. After starting the car, he finally heard Frank’s calm voice: “Kevin might fall into the same trap twice out of panic, but the person behind him isn’t so foolish. They might be even more cunning than he realizes.”Alan turned on the turn signal and merged into traffic while contemplating, “So you’re saying that following him would only bring us harm with no ben
Zachary had already planned for today.He didn’t take Westley’s words to heart.He assumed Frank would explain things to Charlotte.Who knew Charlotte actually accompanied Jordan to Nelana?“It’s not that, it’s just a coincidence.”Jane chatted with Charlotte and asked about Jordan’s situation.Charlotte said, “Westley didn’t show up, so the young girl is very angry right now. I’m taking her to get some photos taken.”“Then after you’re done, come back. How can I celebrate without you here?”Nelana and Jeswood weren’t far from each other. Charlotte checked the time and agreed.“If you’re hungry, just eat something first. Don’t keep waiting. Once I’m on the plane, I’ll let you know. You can roughly estimate the timing.”“Alright!”Jane hung up the phone and looped her arm around Zachary’s. “I want to eat a strawberry cake.”Zachary helped her into the car and instructed Ross to drive to a cake shop.He got out of the car himself to buy it.As Jane ate, she asked, “So if We
“I don’t care! I must go back and put on some makeup!” Jane declared.Ross, who would rather face Zachary’s wrath than make Jane unhappy, immediately prepared to turn the car around.But Zachary stopped him. “Keep driving.”He gently patted Jane’s back to calm her down.“I know you’re excited about getting the certificate, but don’t get so worked up—think about the baby.”Was that what he thought this was about?Jane grabbed Zachary’s ear. “Are you getting old and becoming deaf? I said turn the car around! If you keep pretending not to hear me, don’t even think about me taking a photo with you to get the certificate when we get there!”In the end, Zachary had no choice but to compromise.Jane hadn’t done her makeup in a while. With the sudden pregnancy, she hadn’t had the time to prepare maternity-safe cosmetics.So they went to the mall, where she bought what she needed and applied a full, flawless makeup look.Feeling beautiful and confident, she finally went to the Civil A
Jordan planned to return to Nelana right after breakfast.Yasmin tried to persuade her to stay a few more days.But she was eager to return and finalize her divorce.Charlotte decided to accompany her since she hadn’t had the chance to visit Dominic and look at the finished products after Jane’s recent accident.Frank wanted to tag along, but Charlotte stopped him. “You stay here and handle things.”Frank sneered. “You’re just tired of me and keep coming up with reasons to stay apart.”Charlotte had been hearing this from him a lot lately and was immune to it by now.She patted his shoulder, linked arms with Jordan, and walked away.Frank was rendered speechless‘Fine.’Westley had never drunk so much alcohol before.Although he wasn’t completely wasted, there were still some things he remembered clearly.However, his headache was intense.Buck brought him some water, asked about his schedule, and reported on the events of the night before.Westley paused while drinking t
She could say nothing more.Moreover, even if she said something, it would be useless.Zachary achieved his goal and turned to leave.After the door to the ward closed, Rebecca picked up a piece of yellowing apple to eat.The old lady of the Collins family sighed, “We didn’t raise him in vain.”Rebecca wiped away tears, she still couldn’t bring herself to like Jane.But Zachary was her only son. At this point, there was nothing she could do to stop him.She could only look the other way and let it go.She said to Eric, “Jeswood is too cold. Take me to Clisfield. This is what you’ve promised me.”Spring had already arrived in Jeswood, it wasn’t cold at all.But Eric still immediately arranged for tickets to be booked.There were still several months before Zachary and Jane’s wedding.In the meantime, she could relax and gradually come to terms with things as time passed.Eric looked at the elderly couple. “Mom, Dad, come with us. The weather there is warm year-round.”Zach
If this were Jane, just a single cough would send him into a panic.Rebecca felt that Zachary now cared more about Jane than her.“Even if Jasper isn’t her biological father, how can you be so sure her real parents are good people? What if...”Zachary finished slicing the apple into small pieces, placed them on a plate, and handed it to his mother.His tone was unhurried. “I can accept anything. As I said before—I will marry no one but her.”Rebecca didn’t take the plate, so Zachary set it aside.The apple, left untouched, began to oxidize and turn brown.Zachary lightly tapped the apple with the fruit knife and said, “There are more than one path in front of me.”Rebecca opened her mouth to speak, but Zachary interrupted her.He pulled out a photo and handed it to her.“The Collins family doesn’t only have me for the official route. There is a sister who can take my place.”Rebecca was stunned. “What sister?”Zachary produced a document. “A recently acknowledged goddaughte
“I forgive you, I forgive you.” Jane ruffled his hair. “Such juicy gossip is worth forgiving. But I’m warning you, don’t try to trick me again next time.”Zachary raised his hand. “I promise.”Jane was satisfied. She ate her fill, felt sleepy, and went to bed.Zachary tucked her in carefully and planted a kiss on her forehead.“I’m heading to the hospital.”“Okay.”At midnight, Raymond released the results of the paternity test.Originally, not many people were paying attention to Jasper’s situation anymore.After all, so much happens every day, and with Zachary’s maneuvering, the buzz had already died down.But as soon as the paternity test result was revealed, it caused an uproar.“I knew it. With the way he was behaving, how could the child be his? And yet, he dared to make such a fuss.”“All those people defending Jasper should apologize!”“Unbelievable. This scum is still alive and even dared to go online to play the victim. If I ever see him, I’ll make sure to give hi
Jane felt that Zachary had too many tricks up his sleeve.Moreover, she felt that it was better not to fully trust men.There was no such thing as absolute honesty.Even she couldn’t achieve that herself.Jane leaned back against the sofa, looking into his eyes.Her stare made Zachary feel a chill down his spine. He cleared his throat and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”Jane gave a sarcastic smile.Zachary was rendered speechless.He tactically glanced at his watch and asked, “Are you sleepy?”“Nope.”“Hungry?”“Nope.”Jane raised her hand and patted his face. “Playing tricks on me?”This feeling was like looking at himself.For a moment, Zachary didn’t know how to react.The corners of his lips twitched slightly as he said, “I’m just trying to discuss things with you.”“Oh, okay.” Jane nodded. “I believe you.”He realized he was wrong—he shouldn’t have tried to help Westley.Zachary hugged her, trying to appease her. “He deserves it. From now on, I won’
Jane found it both infuriating and funny. “Well, he deserved it.”Zachary agreed with her and said, “Westley did try to distance himself from her, but during the years from her university to her career, he kept an eye on her the entire time.Especially because Jordan never dated anyone, he kept wondering whether she truly liked him as a person or if it was because he hadn’t acted cold enough.”“The dramatic part is that when Jordan turned 20, Sir Howard fell gravely ill and insisted that they get married. Back then, Westley saw the excitement and joy in Jordan’s eyes. So, he drafted an agreement that stated they would divorce after Sir Howard passed away. After they registered their marriage, he went to work in another city and didn’t return to the Howard family for three years.”Jane clicked her tongue several times. “His grandfather was gravely ill, and he didn’t even go to see him?”“There were people reporting the situation to him. His grandfather’s illness was a foregone conc
Zachary curved his lips into a faint smile. “You’re so nosy. Why didn’t you become a journalist? Going into fashion seems like such a waste of talent. Maybe you could have got rid of a lot of scumbags.”Jane slapped him lightly. “That’s not what I want to hear.”Zachary honestly didn’t know much about Tanner’s situation.He wasn’t particularly close to the Greyson family—Westley probably knew more of the details than he did.“All I know is that things didn’t end on a good note. For the specifics, you’d have to ask Westley.”Jane stared at him intently, her gaze unwavering.Her stare finally made Zachary a bit uncomfortable.“What?”Jane crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and said, “Are you thinking I’ll go ask Westley? That way, he can use this as leverage to make me help him with Jordan?”Zachary massage his temples. “You do know me pretty well.”Jane lifted her chin proudly. “Of course.”Zachary reached out and hooked her chin lightly with his finger. “It’s not about mak