"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
Alana took a sip of water, feeling comfortable as she sighed. "Charlotte is also concerned about you." "I know." Jane nodded. "You go sit down and rest, I still need to chat with the clients here." "Okay, go do what you have to." I was still a bit worried about Jane, even somewhat distracted while cutting the cake. It was Frank who steadied my hand. However, the situation I was worried about didn't happen. Jane and Zachary were sitting very far apart. There were many people and an aisle in between them. They were each talking to others. But just as the cake was being served, Jane suddenly stood up, startling me. I looked over at Zachary, and he stood up as well. They both started walking towards me. I hurriedly tried to tug on Frank's shirt, but my hand met air. Frank was no longer beside me. "Jane..." I feared Jane might do something impulsive. Just as I was about to speak, I saw Jane take the microphone and cover my mouth. Zachary had a
"Jane, don't argue with Zachary. This time, I am staying here voluntarily," said Jordan."I’ve made a bet with Westley, and there will be a resolution in the end."Jane nodded. "I can let you handle this matter yourself, but you have to promise me that you won’t let yourself get hurt, and you won’t just keep sacrificing yourself. If it becomes unbearable, give it up. I’ll always be here to support you."Jordan nodded. "Okay."The two sisters chatted for a long time, and only when Jane started to feel sleepy did they end the video call.Jordan handed the phone to Buck and closed the door to her room.Buck was left standing there.He felt like he had been completely abandoned, as if everything around him had fallen apart.Anyway, as a sandwich in the middle, he was already crushed, so it didn’t matter anymore.For several days, Jordan got up to eat, and the food was always food prepared by the chef.She hadn’t seen Westley around.She couldn’t really say how she felt. She just
"He is faking his psychological illness," Jordan rebutted.Even if he had one, it had nothing to do with her.Even she didn’t have any psychological issues, how could someone with such a strong mind like Westley have any psychological issues?He shouldn’t blame her for everything.Having seen enough, she turned around and walked away.But Carter called her back. "He once took good care of you, and you're going to be this heartless?"Jordan wasn’t familiar with Carter. He was usually a man of few words with a cold personality.If she greeted him, he wouldn’t respond. If she talked too much, she might get an icy look in return.She really didn’t expect that one day, he would try to mediate between her and Westley."You should focus more on your own matters," she said.His own love life was a mess, so what right did he have to interfere in hers?Jordan’s emotions were written all over her face, she didn’t hide them.Carter could guess how she was feeling just by looking at her
Jane didn’t care about Westley. Even if he was feeling it now, it was too late for regrets.If he hadn’t acted the way he did, Jordan wouldn’t have suffered so much.Moreover, he had once ignored her cries for help, so now he shouldn’t blame Jordan for his injuries.“How’s my sister?” she asked.Roy replied, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Collins, Ms. Hickey is doing fine. Except for the lack of freedom, there are no other restrictions.”“When can I have a video call with her?”Roy thought for a moment. “Since Mr. Howard is now delirious, I can make the arrangements.”“Thank you,” said Jane.“It’s no trouble, it’s my job.”After hanging up the phone, Jane looked at Zachary and asked, “What do you think?”Zachary moved the phone a little farther away to avoid radiation.After finishing the massage, he helped her lie down and said, “I’m thinking what you’re thinking.”Jane gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re slick.”Zachary smirked and bent down to kiss her forehead.“Get some rest.”
"Mrs. Howard—"Buck watched helplessly as Jordan jumped into the sea.Before he could rush over, a figure was even faster than him."Sir!"Westley dived into the water, found Jordan, and dragged her to the shore.When Jordan was pulled onto the shore, she was still a bit dazed.Wasn't she just swimming? Why was there so much fuss?Buck gestured for people to bring a stretcher, lifted Westley onto it, and hurried back.Buck also called for the maids to help Jordan back.Jordan wiped her face, pushed the maid aside, and twisted the water out of her hair. "What happened?"Buck was anxious to check on Westley, but he couldn’t stop watching Jordan, worried she might jump into the sea again and trying to think of other ways to prevent it."Mr. Howard was saving you.""Why?" Jordan was confused. "I didn’t drown. What’s the need to save me?"Buck recalled what he had seen earlier. It seemed like... swimming?"Weren’t you... jumping into the sea?""Yes." Jordan didn’t notice Buck
"Nathan, you should head back and deal with your own matters. Let's not interfere with Jordan's matters anymore."Nathan didn’t expect Jane to say this. He paused for a moment before speaking. "You know better than I do what Westley has done. How can we just ignore it? Jordan is still young and hasn’t experienced much in terms of relationships. She lacks experience, what if she falls again..."Jane knew what he was talking about and comforted him. "Don’t worry. Jordan may have experienced little in terms of relationships, but she’s not a foolish girl. She knows how to handle things."Nathan asked, "Is it because there’s something Westley knows?""No, it’s because we can't let Westley continue making a scene. This matter still needs to be handled by the person involved."Nathan didn’t say anything more and told Jane not to worry. When it was close to her delivery, he would come back.Jane agreed and hung up the phone.She threw the phone onto the counter and hugged Zachary from b
Charlotte raised her hand and gently patted Jane’s shoulder."I understand, after all, she's your sister. But I think Jordan is very smart and capable, she can take care of herself. You can worry, but at the same time, take care of your own health. Then, when she comes back, you can love her properly."Jordan walked around the island.There was a helipad on the mountain with two helicopters.Out at sea, there was a large cruise ship docked.But she didn’t know how to pilot any of them, so there was no way to escape.In the end, she decided to just accept things as they were.If there was a problem, she would deal with it. If not, she’d wait."Mrs. Howard, Jasmine is looking for you."When Jordan returned to the villa, Buck handed her a phone.Hearing Jasmine’s name, she took it."Jasmine.""I'm relieved you're okay," said Jasmine, letting out a sigh of relief, then apologizing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have drunk so much.""It’s not your fault."Since Westley had a plan to
She got up just around noon.After thinking for a moment, she decided to go see Westley.Westley wasn't in the bedroom, so she went downstairs to ask the staff.The servant pointed toward the kitchen, and she walked over, finding Westley cutting vegetables.A strip of bandages was wrapped around his exposed wrist.His pale lips and exhausted eyes suggested he was still in poor condition.Yet, he was cooking?Jordan pressed her lips together, her sleep had been poor, and her face didn’t look good either.She stood in place for a few seconds, then turned and walked away.If he didn’t take care of his own body, what business was it of hers?Westley glanced over but didn’t call her, continuing his task.Buck watched the whole scene, worried about Westley’s health, he was still running a fever.“Sir, you should rest. Let me arrange for someone to cook, and I’ll bring it up to you later. And Mrs. Howard... probably won’t care about you... You should take care of your health. Othe
Charlotte nodded. “So does unhygienic mean better taste?”Jane directly spoke to her belly, "Son, you have to treat your mother-in-law well in the future. Mommy won't be able to back you up. Mommy’s useless..."Charlotte raised her hand and poked her forehead. "Alright, stop the act.""You're even bringing the child up. We still don’t know if it's a boy."Jane said, "I want to arrange a marriage alliance with you. My child can sense his mother’s feelings and will surely fulfill his mother's wishes.""That's nonsense." Charlotte went out to buy what she wanted to eat.As soon as she sat in the car, she received a call from Frank."Is Mr. Smith slacking off again?"Frank chuckled. "I’m calling my wife. Is that not allowed anymore?"Charlotte had driven herself. She turned on the air conditioning and was thinking about going shopping. "I’ve got to go now. I'll be home tonight."Frank heard the sound of the engine and asked, "Did you go out?"Charlotte snorted, "You should know
The fireworks were dazzling and brilliant.Westley looked up in a certain direction.At the moment the fireworks bloomed, a figure appeared in the window of that place.Jordan couldn’t sleep because of Westley’s injury.As she tossed and turned in bed, a sudden bright light appeared in front of the window.She walked over to the window, opened it, and saw the fireworks bursting in the night sky.There seemed to be a few figures on the beach.But Westley was tall enough that she could spot him at a glance.At that moment, she forgot to watch the fireworks.It was only when Westley raised his hand and pointed upward that she looked up.She realized that the fireworks formed a few words.“I’m sorry, Jordan.”“Happy birthday.”Jordan had originally planned to spend her birthday with Nathan and Jane.But when she was brought over by Westley, she completely forgot about her birthday.She glanced at the time, and it was exactly midnight.Her birthday had begun.The night sky