But there were many people who felt it was a shame. My mom was famously talented, a naturally gifted actress who became well-known from a supporting role. She gained a lot of favor from the audience. Many waited for years to hear about her return, and now that she was withdrawing again, her fans had been hoping for her comeback. Moreover, my mom's injuries had mostly healed, so they wouldn’t affect her ability to act or attend events. But she doesn't want to show her face at all. "I want to try a different approach. I've slowly started handing over the company's matters to Joanne, and now I just want more time to spend with you and Sparrow." Jane went to book a venue for Charlotte's birthday and for Sparrow to be introduced to everyone. The place she found was special because the main hall connected to a small hall. No worries about crowds, during the main event, the small hall would still have a view. Just as she was about to pay the deposit, she received
"No need for 'buts.'" Frank patted my head. "A favor is a favor. He helped us, and I'll remember this debt of gratitude, but it can't serve as a shield for him hurting your friend."I didn't have an opinion about Zachary that was this extreme. I just wanted to know what he really meant for Jane. He had been so cold before, speaking harshly, why was he suddenly playing this childish game now? "Why can't he just say it directly?" Frank opened his phone and showed me a picture. "108 Ways to Pursue a Girl" I tugged at the corner of my mouth. "What is this?" Frank raised his chin slightly. "It means just what it says." I put down the phone, thinking a bit. "Does he want to pursue Jane?" "That's one way to understand it." I felt a bit speechless. "But can't he just state his intentions first before taking action? Feigning illness really isn't charming at all." Frank put some food on my plate. "Eat first, you need energy to get angry." I chewed the food hard, incredul
It took a while to finally find a place that was satisfactory in every way. As long as it didn’t rain, it would be perfect. She was exhausted, her back aching, as soon as she got home. She then collapsed onto the sofa, not wanting to do anything. But after lying down for a while, she still got up to remove my makeup. While she was applying a face mask, her phone on the coffee table kept ringing. She picked it up and sneered after seeing the caller ID. She wasn’t going to answer and even blacklisted him. On the other end, Zachary felt helpless. He waited all day, but Jane hadn't sent him a single message. Did she really not care about him at all? Was she really going to treat him like a stranger, even less than a regular friend? He pressed on his aching forehead and sent her a message. "Tomorrow at 4 PM, Half-Mount Teahouse, I have something to tell you." Jane didn't receive the message. Text messages were different from WhatsApp. One wouldn’t r
As I stepped out the door, I saw Jane's car. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting." I smiled as I got in. Jane started the engine, her smile ambiguous. "No problem." I buckled my seatbelt, feeling a bit shy about the topic, especially since it involved me. I changed the subject and asked, "Tell me honestly, have you really given up on Zachary?" Jane raised her hand in a vow. "I couldn't be more serious, I'm more genuine than pearls." There were some things I decided not to say. Once I figured out what Zachary really meant, I could address it then. Zachary had waited at the Half-Mount Teahouse all day. But he didn't see Jane. Earl Grey tea was supposed to cool him down, but it only made him more agitated. If he had known, he might as well have gone to a bar. But he felt a bar wasn't a proper place for serious conversations. Now, he found himself in a bit of a mess. "Drinking tea alone?" Just hearing that lazy, irritating voice, Zachary knew who
Jane said, "I knew you would love it, so hurry and try it on." I put on the dress layer by layer. I thought the waistline would be tight, so I took a breath and asked Jane to button it for me first. Once I borrowed the dress, I could slim down a bit before the wedding day, and it would fit perfectly. But surprisingly, I didn't feel any urgency. "It fits quite well, it doesn't seem like any alterations are needed. You can loosen the bust area a bit later." Jane turned me toward the mirror, clearly amazed. "It really suits you! You look beautiful!" Looking at my reflection, I felt satisfied, this was the dress I had always wanted. As for the suit, I knew without Frank trying it on that it would look great on him. "I don't think it needs alterations. The bust area looks a bit tight now, but it will loosen up soon." Jane understood and opened the door, calling for the host. The host came in, eyes brightening. "It looks like it was made just for you." The
Now they had even bought the place next door, were they planning to build a playground? But my focus wasn’t on that. What struck me was my mom saying she wanted to move out to give Frank and me space. I had noticed her strange expression when I left today. But I was in a rush and didn't think to ask more. Now, it felt even more awkward to bring it up. Jane helped me out, saying, "It really is important to have your own space, no matter the relationship. I think it's crucial. Buying the place next door is perfect. I can come play with the kid, and if it gets late, I can just stay over. Plus, I can chat with Ms. Jackson about gossip—sounds great!" My mom laughed. "Those gossips won't fill your stomach, I don't understand why you like hearing them." Jane cocked her brows. "It's entertaining." My mom shook her head affectionately. "Fine, during dinner tonight, I'll tell you a couple of stories for some entertainment." Jane stepped back and whispered to me, "Do
Charlie sat down next to Jane and called the bartender for drinks. "I really have nothing to say to him, it's way more interesting to drink with a beautiful woman."Jane just wanted some alone time, to be precise, she didn't want to drink with Charlie. It felt so uninteresting.Charlie didn't sense Jane's annoyance at all, he was busy sharing in their group chat. "Two days of accidental encounters—what else could it be but fate?" He paired it with a picture of Jane drinking.Frank was too busy to check his phone at that moment. Zachary, however, glanced at it. Recognizing Jane's familiar background, he stood up to leave, but when he reached the private room's door, he turned back. It was clear she wanted to draw a line between them, why should he chase after someone who didn't want him?Jane found the drinking uncomfortable and made an excuse to slip away. Back home, she felt restless and opened another bottle of wine. Out of boredom, she scrolled through Twitt
Not far away was Zachary… and the rumored first love. I couldn't help but frown, "Alana, can you keep Jane company for a bit? I need to..." Alana gave me an OK gesture and went to find Jane. She even blocked Jane's line of sight. I quickly went to find Frank. Frank had already seen and walked towards Zachary. "What a good brother I have," he said sarcastically. "On my family's big day, you're here to ruin the fun." Zachary hadn't spoken yet when Charlie chimed in, "No, how is it ruining the fun? There are no other ex-girlfriends of Zachary here." Zachary shot him a sidelong glance. "Shut up." Charlie looked quite aggrieved, "I was speaking up for you." Zachary couldn't be bothered to respond to him and looked at Frank, his gaze actually crossing over him to Jane. Frank stepped aside, completely blocking his view. Zachary knew what Frank meant by a big day. It wasn't just the birthday party, it was also the day for his proposal. He said, "I won't r
"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