Frank kissed her ear softly, his voice charming. “We’re home now. How do you want to hit me? I’ll be at your service.”Jane naturally knew Frank had arrived. The couple hadn't seen each other that evening, and she guessed they were getting cozy, so she wasn’t in a hurry to bring Charlotte back.She focused on the medication, and just as she felt a bit drowsy, the ward door was pushed open.She thought it was Charlotte returning, greeting with a smile. “I thought you’d only come back at lunchtime…”What came into view was a face that, despite showing signs of age, was well-kept.She straightened up a bit. “Madam Collins. Would you like some water?” Jane reached out, intending to pour a glass of water.Madam Collins approached and stopped her with a gesture. “No need.”Then she sat down in a nearby chair. “Don’t be nervous. I just want to chat with you.”Jane enjoyed chatting with people and could strike up a conversation with anyone. But facing Zachary’s grandmother made h
When she first pursued Zachary, Jane intended to indulge in the moment. Who would have thought that she would truly become attached and want to fight for it now?“Madam Collins, I won’t sugarcoat things or speak in grand terms. I acknowledge that I failed to guard against Nina, that’s on me. As for me and Zachary, we’re inseparable at this stage, so you need not bother trying to persuade me. The future is uncertain, we can’t predict what will happen next. I only want to focus on the present. I can’t help him with his career, but I won’t create trouble for him either. I won’t force him into uncomfortable situations like Nina did.”At that point, Jane paused.When she spoke again, her tone was incredibly serious.“Madam Collins, if in the future someone holds a gun to my head and threatens Zachary, you can rest assured that I won’t let him be in a difficult position. Beyond that, I have nothing more to say. My head hurts, so you’re free to go.”Madam Collins studied Jane for a whi
Zachary naturally believed such words. He knew they weren’t just useless threats. But ever since he decided to be with Jane, he had anticipated this situation.He steadied his emotions and calmly said, “Grandma, if that day really comes, and you put Jane in danger, then my ties with the Collins family will be severed completely.”“I’ll make it clear. I will only be with her. You know what I mean.”Zachary’s words caused Madam Collins to be hospitalized in the end. However, it wasn’t too serious, she insisted on being hospitalized in the same room as Sir Collins. Regardless of the truth, given the current situation, Zachary couldn’t continue to oppose them.Though his family was strict, they didn’t constantly scold him. When things reached a deadlock like this, it was also for Jane’s safety. But it hadn’t come to that point yet.Charlotte returned to accompany Jane.Frank stayed behind to prevent any unexpected situations.When Eric arrived that night, he saw Zachary
Rebecca finally spoke up. “Zachary, we’re not forcing you. We’ve asked before if you wanted to take your time and carefully consider which path to take, and we’ve allowed you to do so for many years. But this leniency doesn’t mean you should fall in love with a woman and go against us. It’s meant for you to make the choices you should. You have to bear the responsibilities of the Collins family, that’s destined from the day you were born and it can’t be changed.”Zachary remained silent after hearing these words. They weren’t wrong, and neither was he. It was a deadlock.Madam Collins spoke again. “The Collins family has been passed down through generations to ensure its continued glory. We’ve put all our effort into raising you, and all our sacrifices were meant to see a return. You were meant to marry a woman from a powerful background, to share the responsibilities of the Collins family, and to contribute just as we have—that’s what you’re supposed to do. Allowing you to date
The two of them couldn't come to any conclusion about the matter.Charlotte helped Jane lie down. "Your head still hurts, so don’t think about it for now. It seems like a deadlock, and stressing over it won't help. At the very least, you should take care of yourself in a situation like this."Jane lay on the hospital bed, stretching her limbs and sighing. "This isn’t something I can just bear on my own. It's strange, isn’t it? I know my background will cause Zachary trouble, yet I still ended up truly falling for him."Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. Charlotte turned to see Frank and nodded to Jane before getting up to leave the room.She closed the door behind her and looked up at Frank. "How did it go on your side?"Frank replied, "Nothing yet. I suggested they put this on hold and deal with Nina first.""Did they agree? Not exactly, but they didn’t oppose it either. I just dropped Zachary off at the car, and they’ll be home soon."Charlotte nodded. "That’s good to
In the ward, Zachary peeled an orange for Jane. For half a day, they had said nothing. Yet they understood everything. Zachary carefully peeled the orange, removing the white pith as well. He fed one piece after another to Jane. After finishing one orange, he offered her some water. Only then did he speak, “What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy some for you.” Jane couldn’t shake her head yet, so she waved her hand. “You should go back.” They locked gazes for a moment, then Zachary leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry.” Jane hugged him and patted his back. “You don’t need to say sorry.” “It’s not about Nina.” That referred to the words of his grandmother. Jane realized this and asked, “Were you at the door when your grandmother came?” “Yes.” “So you heard everything.” “Yes.” Zachary gently embraced her but then tightened his arms, wishing he could merge with her completely. “I told them I would stand by you.” Jane laughed. “That’s enough for
“Keep an eye on her?” Frank scoffed, “You only realized she was in your bed after waking up at noon, so what about before you woke up?” Zachary only remembered that he fell asleep around three in the morning. He woke up at noon. He frowned slightly. “Is that enough time?” “Doctors on night duty can handle this kind of situation,” replied Frank. “She knew we were on our honeymoon in Heliafield, so if she had a plan, she would have arranged it in advance. Artificial insemination is always the sooner the better.” Zachary still couldn’t figure it out. “Roy is on the floor below. If Nina went out, he would have noticed.” Frank watched Zachary without saying anything, instead handing him a tablet. “What’s this?” “See for yourself.” As Zachary scanned the text on the screen, disbelief grew within him. “You’re saying she took my… and put it into herself? How could that be possible?” He couldn’t believe it at all. Frank also found this possibility disturbing, but some th
Frank's gaze turned colder. “If after the wedding she finds a way to get rid of the child, then it’s not yours. If not, it’s definitely yours.” Zachary chuckled in frustration. “Let me ask you this. in the same situation, would you use this method?” Frank leaned lazily against the chair, his casual tone striking a nerve. “I wouldn’t let that situation happen.” At the hospital, Jane finished her IV and was discharged. She didn’t want to stay in the hospital, who knew if someone would come to talk to her again? Returning to her little home improved her mood, perhaps she would recover better there. “Have you started cooking?” Charlotte poured her a glass of water and noticed the kitchen equipment had increased significantly, and the fridge was fully stocked. “If I remember correctly, you don’t know how to cook at all.” “You really know how to flatter me, don’t you?” Jane leaned against the doorframe, sipping yogurt. “Zachary cooks, and I wash the dishes.” Charlotte loo
Zachary helped her into the car and asked what she wanted to eat.Jane blinked at him wildly.He understood.Nothing was better than gossiping and eating.Zachary had someone ask around."They'll definitely get you the latest and most authentic gossip. Now, let's fill your stomach with real food first."Jane leaned closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder, and kissed his firm jaw.Zachary sighed. "No junk food."Jane replied, "But I really want to eat fried chicken."Zachary couldn't tolerate the greasy smell.Due to his stomach issues, he couldn't eat much, so he never paid attention to it.His sense of smell was more sensitive than those who were constantly around such strange smells.Moreover, junk food was bad for both her and the baby.There was no need for it."Anything you say today won't work."Jane knew how Zachary was going to react. "You don't have to be with me. I'll go eat it myself. I must eat it, otherwise, I'll be in a bad mood, and the baby will f
Miranda looked at the blooming flowers in the yard and the pear tree that Jordan liked the most, which was now bearing fruit.In the past, no matter how busy Westley was, he would always accompany Jordan to pick pears when the pear tree bore fruit.When Jordan was a child, she was mischievous and would deliberately boss Westley around, directing him left and right.She would even pretend she couldn't hold the pear and let it fall on his head.She would then apologize in a fake manner and then laugh happily and take a big bite of the pear, savoring it with satisfaction.Westley never got angry and always indulged her with gentle affection.At that time, Miranda watched with great delight and secretly told Jordan's grandfather that they should arrange an engagement for them.But for some unknown reason, after Jordan turned eighteen, things between the two of them began to change.Even when they later took matters into their own hands and arranged for them to get married, they sti
Five hours later, under the cover of night, Leanne arrived at Westley's hospital bed.She placed the local specialties she had brought from Newcarton on the cabinet beside him.Westley glanced towards the door.He didn't see the person he had hoped for, but he didn't ask.Instead, it was Leanne who took the initiative to speak. "She didn't come, but she asked me to bring you a message."Westley pursed his lips slightly, his instincts told him that it wasn't going to be anything pleasant.Seeing his silence, Leanne wasn't in a hurry. She picked up an apple and began peeling it.Time passed slowly.After peeling the apple, Leanne offered it to Westley, but he refused, so she ate it herself.After eating the apple, she felt hungry and asked Buck to buy her something to eat.Only then did Westley speak up. "Buck?"Leanne nodded, "Yes, your subordinate, Buck."The coldness in Westley's eyes slowly deepened.Leanne, however, smiled, "Westley, I remember, back when Jordan was alm
"Westley, are you okay?"In the video, the background behind Leanne was a vast, endless desert.Among the yellow sand, there was a soft pink figure, holding a camera and taking pictures."Don’t worry, Westley. I’ll take care of everything for you. I heard that if you don't take care of your illness, you'll only end up as a eunuch. If that's the case, don't blame me for advising you to divorce, after all, I see Jordan as a sister. I can't stand seeing her without happiness."The word "happiness" was purposely emphasized by her.Westley watched with a dark expression, but he couldn't bring himself to end the video call.He muted the sound and just watched the serious yet playful figure on the screen.Jax stood at the door of the ward, relieved when he didn't hear his boss call him.As long as Miss Howard had a solution, it was fine.In Newcarton, in the desert.Leanne took several pictures of Jordan, snapping away.Jordan knew exactly who she would send them to, but she didn't
Then the call was hung up.He guessed that, within three hours, his boss would definitely arrive.Sure enough, when he was sending Jordan to the airport, he ran into the hurriedly arriving Westley.Jordan didn't want to stay there any longer, and after sending the photos, she immediately planned to leave.Westley's appearance didn't surprise her much.Buck followed along, so he knew she had expected it."How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"Westley grabbed Jordan's hand and thoroughly checked her over.When he saw the red marks on her wrist, his gaze immediately turned cold.Buck quickly said, "It's been dealt with. He won't get away with it."However, Westley still had a very grim expression. He pulled Jordan toward the VIP lounge.Jordan didn't want to go and forcefully tried to shake him off.But she didn't expect that the restraint she could never break free from before was now easily shaken off.She watched in disbelief as Westley collapsed, his abdomen soaked in bloo
Jordan felt disgusted.It was typical for the man to act so arrogantly."What's going on?" The designer, who had been sending the models off the stage, noticed that the crowd had gathered.He finally made his way through the crowd to the center of the circle.As soon as he saw the man, his expression immediately changed. He smiled obsequiously and said, "Who upset you?"The man raised his hand and pointed at Jordan. "Did you bring her here?"The designer followed the direction of his finger and looked over.Upon seeing Jordan, he immediately understood.This man from the Howard family was known for liking beautiful women, which was why he had invested in the fashion show.In the past, he had turned a blind eye to his investments, but now that it was Jordan, he had to think twice.After all, Jordan was not only a well-known photographer, but also a disciple of Oliver.The Sykes family was not on the same level as the Howard family, but it was still not something he could affo
Upon hearing the name, Buck sneered.He was nowhere near as powerful as Zachary.Buck couldn’t believe how arrogant they were being with only a little bit of power.He immediately struck with a swift move.The man winced in pain and released his grip.Buck shielded Jordan behind him.The models on stage began to exit.The standoff caught people's attention.They heard a man cursing loudly, "Damn, you dare hit me? I'll make you regret this, whether you believe it or not!""I don't believe it."Buck couldn't be bothered to waste time on such an idiot. He took out his phone and made a call.More people from the audience at the show started gathering around.Some recognized the man and whispered to each other, "Isn't that a member of the Howard family?""I heard he's the brother-in-law of the head of Howard family's."Buck had excellent hearing. When he caught this conversation, he recalled the man's name. It turned out the person was from a branch of the Howard family, kept
Jordan had nothing more to say and could only show her work to the designer.At the front desk, Buck found the best viewing spot. This way, he could immediately send updates to Westley about Jordan’s situation.At the back of the stage, Jordan took a few simple photos first.The models gathered around and saw the photos she had taken.The casual shots showed her impressive skills."Does you own a studio or a company, Miss?""A company.""Then, Miss, can I book you now? When I get married, I hope you can do the whole process of my wedding photoshoot."Jordan politely declined, "Wedding photos are not my main area of work. I can't take this job, but I can recommend photographers for you."One of the models asked, "What about personal portraits?"Jordan wasn't into those either. "Sorry, most of the time I photograph animals and red carpet events. I don't have time for personal portraits."Suddenly, someone picked up Jordan's work badge."I thought you looked familiar. You're t
Westley ordered Buck to follow Jordan.Jordan apologized to Jane, "Jane, I'll make it up to you after I'm done."Jane envied her, being able to stay busy with work.She got up to help her tidy up. "Alright, go ahead, be careful on the road.""Okay, you take care and rest more, Jane," said Jordan, putting on her bag."Got it." Jane saw her off.Charlotte said, "I'll head back, I'll take her to the airport."She already knew everything.Jordan was sick, she had said herself she wasn't working.No matter how urgent the job, no matter how close they were as friends, there would always be a solution. There wasn't just one photographer in this world.Although Jordan's talent was unmatched by most people, it was too coincidental.After Zachary finished his call on the balcony, Jordan was about to fly abroad for a shoot.It was hard not to associate this with his influence.She didn't want to stay here and be disliked, so she left.She gave them space.Jane didn't ask anything,