"You weren’t dating normally from the beginning. Michael, I’m only telling you this because I see you as a friend. Stop wasting time on Jane. Spend time with your grandmother in her final days, and focus on building your career. The future will bring you the happiness that belongs to you." Michael forced a smile, but it was bitter. "Charlotte, I'll remember what you said. We should go now. Frank's eyes are about to kill me." Charlotte said, "You’ve set her up, she used you, and now you're even. Neither of you owes the other anything. I left some money under the pillow in the guest room. Thanking Madam Hall for cooking for us. Even though we only stayed for one night, we still disturbed her. Michael, I wish you all the best." A deep bitterness and pain spread through Michael's heart, but he still showed a perfect smile. "Charlotte, you too. And Jane, I wish you all the best." "Alright." Michael watched as the luxury cars drove away. He opened his palm and stared
They didn't take the main road to the Civil Affairs Bureau. But even on a small road, it shouldn't have been this desolate. It was clear that these people had been waiting for him for a long time. It seemed that the news about him and Jane going to get the marriage certificate must have reached the Collins family the moment they boarded the plane. Zachary's indifferent gaze moved up, briefly landing on the middle-aged man's face. Then he raised the car window. The middle-aged man raised his hand and signaled for the armored vehicles to move aside. Roy drove past. Originally, he should have turned left toward the Civil Affairs Bureau, but he turned the steering wheel to the right. Jane had heard everything, and now she still felt a lingering fear. "Zachary." Zachary turned his head and said, "You don't have a chance to run anymore." Since the temple, Jane had been angry. Now that she was no longer in a temple, she couldn't hold it back any longer. But
Her fingers had turned red, and they were slightly swollen, but the ring still couldn't be removed. Zachary once again held her hand, gently rubbing her middle finger to ease the pain. Jane looked coldly at him. There was no emotional reaction to his careful and considerate gestures. This was not what she wanted. No matter how well he acted, it couldn't hide the domineering arrogance in him. He said he would let her be free, but in reality, he had already tied her down without her realizing it. He had confined her in a cage. She wanted to vent her anger. But then she felt it wasn't necessary anymore. He would just respond with a few words that would make her at a loss for words anyway. She couldn't even be bothered to shake off his hand. The rest of the journey was in silence. This made Roy, in the driver's seat, feel a sense of unease. This suffocating silence was worse than an argument. Perhaps if they argued it would be better. The wor
Jane felt like her wrist was about to be crushed, and tried to pull it out. "Let go, it hurts." But Zachary pulled her closer, holding her tightly in his arms. "Don't think these words of yours will work. They can't control me." His voice was cold and hard, clearly filled with anger. But Jane didn't care. She kept provoking him. "If you were really that capable, you wouldn't have been brought here today. We would already be at the Civil Affair Bureau getting the paperwork done. Zachary, you know it yourself. You're not powerful enough to beat the Collins family." Zachary's voice grew even colder. "I'm doing this for you." "I don't want you to." Jane struggled to get out of his embrace, but when that failed, she stomped on his foot. But Zachary didn't even flinch. Jane's voice turned cold as well. "Stop always saying you're doing things for me. Your family does the same for you, so why don't you accept it? Why do you have to go against them? Sometimes, I ju
Zachary rebutted, "How can I not care? If it weren't for your relationship with Michael's grandmother, I wouldn't have kept her around waiting to match the statements with Michael. Even legally, without matching statements, we can't file a case or convict anyone." Nina was not surprised. She knew Zachary's style very well. But it didn't matter anymore. At that point, there was nothing she could do, but wait for the right moment to escape the country. As long as Zachary didn't send her to prison or kill her, there was always a chance. "Miss Greenwood, even if you don't like Zachary and want to break up with him, please don't use me as a shield. We're both women, can't we be a bit more friendly?" Jane snorted coldly. "When you were setting me up, did you ever think about being 'friendly' to me as a woman?" She replied, "Michael already told me, your little act is completely unnecessary now." Zachary chimed in, "If you don't want to see her, fine. Let Michael come
Jane didn't let out a breath of relief until she passed through the gates of the house. She wiped the cold sweat that had gathered on the tip of her nose. Quickly, she walked toward the main road. She had heard about the power and influence of Zachary's family, and had imagined it in her mind, but seeing it in person was far more shocking than she had anticipated. At that point, she even felt that breaking up with him was the right decision. She was glad she had done it quickly. If she had stayed in a relationship with Zachary any longer, the Collins family would definitely have come for her. Beep— The honking sound startled Jane. Seeing the driver, Alan, her erratic heartbeat gradually settled. "Are you here for business?" "No, I'm here to pick you up." Jane sat in the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt and asking, "Did Mr. Smith send you?" Alan nodded. "Miss Greenwood, it's not safe to stay at your place right now. Please pack your things. I
The windows had also been locked, and there were patrols every day.The front door and the backyard offered no opportunity to escape.He lay on the bed, one hand resting under his head.He stared blankly at the ceiling.Nina had originally planned to take the opportunity to escape, but she failed. She wasn't restricted like Zachary, however.But with her abilities, escaping from the layers of encirclement was no easy task.Moreover, the guards at the gate of the compound had been instructed by the Collins family.The back wall of the yard no longer offered any chance to climb out.It seemed that this time, the Collins family was taking drastic measures.They would not allow Zachary and Jane to contact each other again.Recalling the words Zachary had said earlier.She couldn't help but sneer. ‘She’s the only person you will marry?’They had grown up together, but neither of them had ever loved each other to such an extent.How long had they known each other, really?What
"Grandma is fine. Mrs. Waxon next door is helping me take care of her.""I had an tryout, so I came over. I didn't expect to run into you, Jane."Looking at Michael's happy expression, Jane couldn't bring herself to smile."Michael, about what Charlotte told you...""You don't need to say anything."Michael interrupted her. "From now on, you're just my sister. If you need anything, just call me. I may not have power, but I will do everything I can to protect you."Jane felt a mix of emotions. "There's no need to go that far.""Jane, why did you suddenly come to Leacoston? Are you on a business trip?"Michael changed the subject, but Jane felt she couldn't avoid the conversation."Michael, I think we should maintain some distance. From the moment you started liking me, if I can't return those feelings, then we can't even be friends. When I went to Larecton with you before, it was because I wanted to know the truth about that night in Heliafield. I also needed to relax. There's
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