I didn't want to be constantly worried, so I agreed obediently, "Okay, I understand."Yasmin said softly, "Alright, get some rest. Pregnant women shouldn't stay up late.""You too," I replied.After hanging up, I had just put down my phone when I heard the sound of the door opening. I immediately headed toward the door, while Jane and Grandma exchanged glances.Grandma said, "Come with me to see the flowers I've been growing."Jane played along. "Sure."The person who came back was, of course, Frank.I opened my arms to hug him, but he stopped me by pressing down on my shoulders, saying, "I'm dirty. I need to shower first."That didn't sound right. Even though I was pregnant and he was worried about germs affecting the baby, he had been out running errands, not working at a construction site. How dirty could he be?Just as I was about to ask, a small black medicine bottle appeared in front of me.My eyes lit up. "The antidote?""Yep."He cocked his brows with an air of arro
Frank laughed. Given that we had to consider Grandma and Jane, he decided to end the topic, stopping the conversation in the room just a wall away.Seeing that it was best to drop the subject, I picked up the medicine bottle he had left on the coffee table. "I'm going to give the antidote to Grandma.""Okay."Seeing him nod, I stood up and headed towards Grandma's room, only to find him following. "Let's go together," he suggested.Jane was playing cards with Grandma. When Frank and I entered, we saw Grandma happily collecting a large pile of cards, looking as delighted as a child who had received candy.At that moment, I felt that no matter what sacrifices were made, as long as Grandma could live healthily and happily, it was all worth it.I lifted the small medicine bottle and, feeling relieved, said, "Grandma, Frank brought the antidote for you."Jane looked at the bottle. "Is it really the antidote? Don't tell me Jack tampered with it again…"I hadn't thought about that.
When we arrived at the hospital, Prof. Kilburn was already waiting.After we got Grandma settled into the examination room, Dr. Travis arrived at the hospital as well. I hurried over, saying, "Thank you for coming all this way at such an hour."Dr. Travis waved his hand. "It's no trouble. Studying medicine is all about curing and saving people. Doing this is just my duty."Dr. Travis and Prof. Kilburn entered the examination room together. Frank helped me sit down. "Are you feeling unwell?"I shook my head. "No."Frank gently rubbed my back, soothing me. "That's good."I knew that seeing Grandma spitting out blood must have made him worry. After all, he had brought back the antidote, and despite multiple confirmations, it was still unsettling.I held his hand and looked into his eyes. "Frank, Grandma will be fine. The medicine you brought back won’t have any problems."Frank seemed to silently breathe a sigh of relief. "Even after Grandma has spat out blood, you still trust me
Grandma chuckled lightly. "I know, I know.""Okay." I then turned to Frank. "Let's go home. First, let's drop Jane off."Unexpectedly, Jane waved her hand. "I'll stay here. I have nothing to do, so I'll stay at the hospital with Grandma. That way, you won't have to worry about not being able to eat or sleep properly at home, affecting the growth and development of my goddaughter."I couldn't help but laugh. "You’re exaggerating.""If I say it's necessary, it is." Jane pushed me out of the ward. "It's getting late. Go home, take a bath, and get a good night's sleep. Remember to bring me my food tomorrow afternoon!""Alright, I'll bring them for you," I agreed, feeling a bit touched. "Thank you, Jane."I knew that asking me to bring lunch was just a way to help me feel more at ease.Jane pretended to be unhappy. "What? Now that you have a man, you're being distant with your best friend?"I quickly denied, "No, not at all!"Jane cocked her brows. "Since it's not the case, why don
Grandma's face turned cold. "Don't call me 'Mom.' I don't have a son like you."Ben, naturally, wasn't eager to face rejection. But he couldn't avoid coming.After all, he was still fixated on Grandma's assets, fearing they might end up in my hands.He forced a smile. "Mom, I know you're not in good health. I specially bought many valuable supplements to see you.""I don't need them. Take your things and get lost.""Mom, no matter what, I'm still your biological son. I’m part of the Shaw family, and the Shaw family cannot be handed over to outsiders."‘Outsiders?’Grandma was so angry she almost laughed. "Who do you mean by 'outsiders'?""Lily is also a member of the Shaw family.""If we're talking about outsiders, it seems your wife and child are the real outsiders."Ben suppressed his anger. "Bethany may not be related by blood, but she's been adopted and has been with us for many years. There's a bond. If you deny her, what will others say about the Shaw family?"Grandma
Seeing Ben's glum expression, Simone knew that the fool hadn't fared well. She was aware of Frank's temperament, and with Bethany in his hands, he was unlikely to be lenient.She was anxious and desperate, yet had to force herself to remain calm and speak gently to Ben. "Did Mom upset you again?"She handed him a glass of water. "She's getting old now, so don't hold it against her too much."Ben took the water with a grim face and drank it in one go, still feeling the frustration inside him.Simone continued, "But as your own mother, it's not right for her to completely disregard your feelings…""And besides, the Shaw family should rightfully be yours to take over. I wouldn't complain if it weren't for the fact that if it goes to Charlotte… She's so close to her biological mother, and not at all close to you. She probably already knows about our betrayal of Yasmin. When she really takes control of the Shaw family, it won't be difficult for her to kick us out and seek revenge for h
Kevin continued after a short pause, "But it's very risky."Simone's face twisted with anger. "I'm not afraid of risks."Compared to the risks, she feared even more that all her hard work would be ruined in an instant. Back then, she had sacrificed her dignity to take everything from Yasmin, climbing step by step to where she was now. She absolutely could not let Yasmin's daughter take everything back from her.In the following days, Frank was extremely busy, working around the clock. I often struggled to stay awake on the sofa in the living room, waiting for him to come home, but couldn't resist the early pregnancy fatigue and would eventually fall asleep.When I woke up again, I was already in bed. And once again, the space next to me was empty.Originally, due to the instigation of Mr. Smith, the board of directors at the Smith Group would frequently cause problems, requiring Frank's attention. Now, he also needed to allocate some of his energy to help me with the Shaw family’s
The person on the other end of the line didn't say anything more and hung up the phone.Unexpectedly, as I finished my wash and came out of the room, I saw Grandma anxiously hurrying out the door."Grandma, where are you going?" I called out to her and, as I approached, noticed her face was extremely pale. I was alarmed, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?""I need to go to the hospital," Grandma answered hurriedly, forgetting to change her shoes as she opened the door and went out.I didn't think about anything else and quickly followed. "Grandma!"Frank had been busy lately and, with the issues at the Shaw family, there were bound to be some problems. So, he had left a bodyguard with me."I'll go with you. Don't worry." I called the bodyguard and helped Grandma into the car."Go to the First Infirmary," said Grandma.Suddenly, I remembered the call I had received earlier. "Grandma, did the hospital call you and say Ben had an accident?"Grandma nodded. "There was no one t
“Let’s go back to the the Howard family’s residence.”“It’s too late, I don’t want to disturb them.”Jordan gritted her teeth. “Then let’s go to your house. It’s so big, we can each take a room and not disturb each other.”Westley calmly took a sip of tea. “It’s not very convenient.”Jordan’s temper flared. “Let’s just stay in a hotel!”Westley replied, “There are too many people watching me in Nelana. I don’t want to be misunderstood.”Jane and Charlotte exchanged a look.They both understood each other’s thoughts.Before, they had thought Westley was calculating and manipulative.He had always been clever at using tricks to handle Jordan.Now, they realized it wasn’t just that.This man had a thick skin—he could say anything without blinking.But they didn’t fully understand Westley’s intentions.He clearly had the chance to spend time alone with Jordan, perhaps to explain some things and clear the air.Yet he kept refusing.If he felt it was inconvenient, if he didn’t
At that moment, someone under Westley came to report.“Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Howard flew to Jeswood. They’re likely going back to celebrate Mr. Collins and Mrs. Collins’ wedding.”Westley immediately booked a flight as well.When Jordan saw Jane, she started venting her frustrations.As she spoke, her voice gradually faded, and she apologized, “I’m sorry. It’s your big day, and here I am talking about this.”Jane poured her a cup of tea. “It’s alright, I understand. I invited you to celebrate, which is sudden of me, considering you’re in the middle of a divorce.”Jordan shook her head. “I could use the good vibes. Hopefully, it’ll help me get the divorce finalized smoothly.”Zachary and Frank exchanged glances, wisely choosing not to get involved in the conversation.What they didn’t expect was for Westley to show up at such a critical moment.He even handed Zachary a gift. “Congratulations.”Zachary instinctively looked at Jane and saw her smiling faintly. His scalp tingled wi
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’