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
“Came to check on you.”Zachary handed her the water.After she finished drinking, he took it back and asked, “Do you want more?”Jane shook her head, sat up, and wrapped herself in a blanket. Once her thoughts were clearer, she said, “I’m fine, you can go back.”Zachary looked at her without speaking.Jane also remained silent. After a while, she seemed to understand why Zachary was there.“It was Charlotte who said something, right?”“Yeah, she said you planned to break up with me.”Jane’s lips moved slightly.When she was chatting with Charlotte, she indeed had that thought.But in front of Zachary, she found it hard to express.Still, given the current situation, she felt she needed to make a decision.When one has something, they may not feel how important it is.Trying to lose it for a moment can help face one’s true feelings.Then it would be a choice between completely separating or overcoming obstacles together.“Yeah, I really…”“Put that thought away.”Zac
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
The landlord nodded understandingly. "You young people do have a lot of new ideas."They chatted casually and soon reached the large square.The stage had already been set up.They had arrived early, but there were already a lot of people gathered.Jane commented, "It's quite formal."The landlord proudly replied, "This isn't just a community event, there are even celebrities."Jane became a little curious and wanted to see what celebrities were here.It turned out to be an R-list boy band, along with a few elderly artists.Well, it was still a big stage.She watched for a while, but soon lost interest. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom.Under the cover of night, she wandered around.She spotted a small shop and bought a bag of cheese-flavored chips to eat.This kind of life, she thought, couldn't last long. She hoped Zachary would hurry up and get married, so he would stop bothering her."Jane..." Jane was lost in thought when the voice startled her, almost caus
"Stop dreaming."Lexi, despite her feelings for Zachary, couldn't suppress her anger anymore."You want to marry that woman? That's nothing but wishful thinking."Zachary's gaze was icy, and every word he spoke, from his thin lips, carried a chilling frost."Her name is Jane."Lexi, at this point in her life, had never met a man who not only showed no interest in her but also repeatedly poked at her vulnerabilities."The more you protect her, the more dangerous she becomes. My offer won't change. You'll come to me eventually."With that, she turned, her heels clicking sharply as she walked toward the door."Excuse me, open the door."Sean opened the door.Lexi held her head high as she walked downstairs.Sean was about to close the door when Zachary threw the food outside.He even "thoughtfully" closed the door after that.When Rebecca saw the untouched food that Sean had brought down, she couldn't help but feel some pity."Not eating yet?"She had just praised Lexi for