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
Even though it wasn’t as exquisite as a fancy restaurant, it was still delicious.“But Charlotte, I plan to break up with Zachary.” Zachary returned to the Collins family, and Nina was just walking downstairs. He glanced at her and silently headed to his room. Nina seemed flustered, as if she almost stumbled down the stairs. He didn’t reach out, but she grabbed his arm. After steadying herself, she exclaimed in panic, “You scared me! Thank goodness you’re back, Zachary. Otherwise, our child might be lost.” Zachary remained indifferent. Since that night at the hotel, he found it increasingly hard to understand Nina, nor did he intend to. In any case, he definitely wouldn’t give her any chances to act out. After a long silence, he recalled what Frank had suggested. “Nina, do you want to marry me?” Nina was stunned, unable to believe her ears. Clearly, Zachary had pretended to be ill just to see Jane. She had been trying to find a way, and now he suddenly propos
Right now, taking a risky move was the best way to break the deadlock. But… Charlotte put down her phone and asked Jane, “Are you serious? You just said someone stood by your side, and you were happy. Why are you saying this now? What you mean by breaking up—do you mean a permanent breakup or just a temporary separation until he handles things with Nina?” Jane wanted to have a drink, but she couldn’t because of the medication. She took a sip of water and said, “It’s a breakup. I can’t reach the Collins family. Having been there is enough for me. I don’t want him to sever ties with his family because of me. My biological father, though he has severed ties, we still have a father-daughter relationship. In the future, Zachary will go into politics. My father could become his liability. So, if I can’t help him, I shouldn’t hold him back.” Charlotte felt heartbroken. Frank had recorded these words in Madam Collins' room and sent them to Charlotte. She had intended to keep it f
Jordan and Whitney chatted casually.Most of the time, it was Jordan doing the talking while Whitney listened.After covering enough about the wedding, they talked about Jordan's work over the past few years.She also mentioned the tangled feelings and past with Westley.When she got to that part, she grew a little curious. "Whitney, before you married Caleb, did you ever like anyone?"Whitney shook her head."What about a secret crush?""Not even that."Whitney rarely talked to others about her past.Zachary only knew because he had looked into her and thought she was perfectly suited to be a pawn.And she had needed to become that pawn—to completely sever ties with her past, achieve her goals, and fulfill her ambitions."I was too busy studying and working to think about anything else."Jordan sensed she didn't want to go further, so she didn't press.Just then, Jane called, saying she and Charlotte would arrive soon and join them for lunch.She relayed the message to W
"We had a meal together before, and I noticed you always seemed to like sweet dishes, so I tried buying some. I was worried it might not suit your taste.""It does, it does." Jordan took a bite of the pudding. "It's delicious. But did you buy anything you like to eat?"Whitney said, "I already had breakfast. I can't eat anymore."Jordan offered a suggestion, "Why not try a bite of this sponge cake? It's a specialty here in Nelana."Whitney really couldn't eat any more. She had a small appetite, a condition built up over the years.If she ate a full meal, she couldn't eat snacks afterward. And if she ate snacks, she would lose her appetite for meals.She had a small stomach.But seeing Jordan looking at her so expectantly, she still picked up a piece of sponge cake and took a bite."It's very good."Jordan smiled and took a big bite of the sponge cake herself."Whitney, you're so good at picking food! This is great!"The old house was a bit remote, but it had a rooftop terrac
Jordan said Whitney would be coming over later.Westley hadn't expected that the first one to get out of bed would actually be Whitney."Just the two of you?" he asked."For now, yes."Jordan glanced at her phone. In the group chat, it was just her and Whitney talking—no response yet from Jane or Charlotte.She more or less knew why Jane hadn't responded, but Charlotte too?Still, it didn't really matter. There weren't any specific plans for today anyway.She hadn't known Whitney was coming, so it was a nice surprise."Maybe my sister will text me around noon. We can decide what to do then.""You." She pointed at Westley. "You are not allowed to show up in front of me again after breakfast."Westley nodded. "Got it."After buying food, Whitney told Caleb, "I'm going to find Jordan. You can go handle your stuff. I'll be staying at her place until the wedding."Caleb leaned against the elevator wall, his voice low and lazy. "You're telling me what to do?"Whitney wasn't in a
She replied with an emoji, then looked for her girls in the group chat to ask them out for food.Their group chat had a new member now—Whitney.And it was Whitney who replied to her."I'm already eating at the hotel. Do you want to come over, or should I bring something to you later?"Whitney had actually had a good night's sleep.Though it was a bit later than her usual habit, she still managed to get up for breakfast.Before, it was always Caleb who brought breakfast to the bedside and fed her, because she simply couldn't get out of bed.Jordan figured she was probably having breakfast with Caleb and decided not to bother her."No need, I'll just eat something nearby. Your hotel isn't close to me."Whitney replied. "I'm heading over later anyway, but I'll probably be a bit late. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat something first. I'll bring you something else."Jordan. "Thanks."Whitney. "No problem."Caleb noticed her holding her phone, her expression much softer, even t
Caleb was thinking that in the future, he could let her drink a little more.Of course, only when he was around.She looked kind of cute like this."I did say that, but didn't you just say you wanted to thank me?"Whitney felt that alcohol really wasn't a good thing.Even when hanging out with Jane and the others, she decided not to drink too much anymore.The rationality and logic that she was so proud of had completely vanished.She had never been as calm in front of Caleb as she was with others.Besides, there was a power imbalance between her and him.If she were sober, she wouldn't have been able to reject him anyway.Let alone now, when her mind was muddled.But maybe because she was muddled, she dared to say things that she didn’t usually dare to say."I just lost my balance earlier, and you helped me. Even if you don't accept verbal gratitude, that doesn't mean I owe you something this big."Caleb saw she could barely stand, so he held her by the waist to keep her
"But your reaction just now didn’t seem like you knew I was here."Jane tried to pull her leg back, but when she couldn't, she slapped him in frustration."It was called acting, understand? I didn't want you to look embarrassed, so I got those two out of the way first."Zachary rubbed her ankle with his thumb, as if he believed her. "Then should I be thanking you—for being so considerate?"Jane couldn't be bothered to argue. "Let go. I want to drink.""I'll drink with you."Meanwhile, Frank held Charlotte close and asked in a low voice, "Did she really know we were here?"Charlotte nodded. "What do you think? You really think Jane would mess around during her marriage? She might be bold, but she has boundaries. But you guys really are annoying."Frank hooked her chin with his thumb. "I knew it. You're being cold to me because you're sick of me. I've said it so many times, and you still wouldn't admit it."After saying that, he picked her up and walked out of the bar.He hadn'
Charlotte nudged him with her elbow, warning him not to stir things up.Jordan truly didn't dare to stay any longer. "Westley, take me home.""Okay." Westley finally got up. "You all take your time. If it gets too late, don't go back to the old house—just find a place to crash.""But..." Jordan suddenly felt like leaving wasn't such a good idea. "Maybe I'll stay and play a bit more."Westley simply dragged her out."Jane and Zachary...""You can't control what they do, so why bother worrying over nothing?"Jordan was settled into the passenger seat, her seatbelt fastened firmly.She didn't resist, mostly because she felt what Westley said made sense.Jane was way more capable than she was. This kind of minor drama would be easy for her to handle.Plus, with the smart and composed Charlotte around—It was better if she didn't add to the chaos.Once Westley got into the driver's seat, she asked, "Why did you guys show up? Especially you—didn't you say no seeing each other a w
But it was just a polite gesture—if they had been singing inside, they wouldn't have heard her anyway.So after knocking, she pushed the door open and went in.Charlotte and the others followed to take a look.When they saw the scene inside, they gasped.The four men from home were sitting around a cards table, all eyes on the door, each with a different expression.Zachary looked at Jane, who entered first, and said with a smile, "Honey, pick someone you like and give him a kiss."Jane took a step back and bumped into Charlotte's arms.That was when she noticed the big screen beside them—it was showing their own private room."You were watching us?"Zachary tapped the cards on the table with his long fingers, still smiling."If we weren't watching, how would we get to enjoy such an entertaining scene?"They had all been drinking.Whitney didn't hold her liquor well. She was already a little dazed. Although the room was fairly bright, everything seemed a little off to her.
Caleb didn't respond. Instead, he looked at Westley and played a card.Westley won.And it was a big pot as well.He cocked his brows. "Is this your wedding gift to me, Caleb?"Caleb asked, "Your wedding—Dr. Greyson won't be absent, will he? I heard you two are very close. You've been at death's door multiple times, and he's the one who saved you."Westley nodded. "Theoretically, yes. But I'm not sure if he might have some emergency.""Besides, it's not like you, Caleb, can't reach him. You helped him last time. It's impossible he'd ignore you now."Caleb could contact Carter, but if he did, it would mean helping Carter meet Mandy.He had no interest in meddling in romantic matters—too troublesome.But he couldn't get in touch with Tanner at all.Technically, there was no real need for him to attend Westley's wedding.Even if Whitney was invited by Jane, he himself wasn't obligated.He simply wanted to go, hoping to "accidentally" run into Carter.That way, it wouldn't loo