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
But at the last two steps, Sean let go of him.He stretched his wrist, which had been twisted, and turned to go upstairs.Sean blocked the stairs with a smile. "Mr. Collins, your blind date is already here. If I drag you downstairs, you'll be embarrassed."Zachary stayed silent for a few seconds, then turned and walked down the last two steps, heading into the living room.His father wasn't there. His grandparents were seated on a two-person sofa, and Rebecca sat on the central long sofa, with three people beside her. He glanced past them without looking closely.Not wanting to sit on the single sofa, he leaned against the stairs and stood.Rebecca smiled apologetically, stood up, and dragged Zachary to sit beside a young woman."This is Lexi Sanchez, the granddaughter of your grandfather's comrade-in-arms. You two used to set off fireworks together when you were kids."Zachary didn't even look at her, replying coldly, "When we were kids, all the children in the compound set of
Zachary didn't respond.He reached for another cigarette, preparing to light it.Lexi stretched her hand out, but he shifted his body to avoid her."You really have no taste. No wonder you were dumped."Zachary's brows lowered slightly, and he sat down on the sofa, exhaling a puff of white smoke.Lexi was very angry.But when she turned to see him sitting on the sofa, his legs casually crossed, and an air of inexplicable decadence around him, her anger faded a little.With his handsome face and indifferent demeanor, he was enough to attract attention.The thing about him was that, once someone developed feelings for him, even flaws they couldn't tolerate before would become bearable.Lexi didn't go over to snatch the cigarette from his hand.But despite liking Zachary, she still didn’t like the smell of cigarettes.Standing at the foot of the bed, she looked at him and said, "Marry me."Zachary only sneered.Lexi, unbothered, continued, "You don't want to keep being forced
"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
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
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 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
She just wanted to escape from this place and hide somewhere safe.Because of this, the familiar light pear blossom fragrance on Westley's body made her neither push him away nor leave his embrace.In fact, she even held onto him a little tighter.Sensing her reliance on him, Westley held her even closer, as if he wanted to merge her into his very bones.They were almost at the car when the younger man rushed forward to block their way.Westley's cold, piercing gaze fell on the younger man's ankle.He immediately realized that this scumbag had been faking his injury."Buck," he said.Buck appeared instantly and pinned the younger man to the ground.The younger man, however, was unbothered. "There's no way Westley would appear in a place like this. And dressed so casually? You couldn't possibly be the famous head of the Howard family. Trying to impose as Westley? You've reached the end of your rope."When Westley was in a good mood, he might have humored a fool like this.But
It was the 21st century, yet there were still such retards around.This was the first time she had encountered someone blatantly staging an accident.And, if she wasn't mistaken, the person in front of her was the leader of this boy band.Some people's voices were naturally gifted—either deep and resonant or low and attractive.It was difficult for others to imitate.Take Westley, for example.His rich, mellow voice had been honed through years of practicing a London accent.It also had something to do with the experiences he had accumulated over the years.When she was younger, it was hard not to be drawn to Westley.Because of this, she never liked younger men.Especially those who hit every one of her triggers."You're quite bold. You've shown me the diversity of species. Are you trying to rip me off? Dream on." Jordan pointed to her shoulder. "A camera. I recorded everything you just did. If you don't want to lose your fanbase, you'd better get lost right now."The youn
The woman knew very well what would happen to her best friend.She wasn't saying these things to defend her friend, though.She had never liked Jordan.Not only was she jealous of Jordan's protection from Oliver, but now, Jordan had also become the famous Mrs. Howard.Why should Jordan, just because she was a little prettier, get such preferential treatment?She had known Oliver first and had liked him for a long time.But the moment Jordan appeared, she received all of Oliver's affection.How could she accept that?But she couldn't afford to offend the Howard family.After throwing out a few insults, she left.Jasmine was rendered speechless. "Who does she think she is?"Jordan didn't waste her time with people like this.To her, they were just driven by jealousy.They were timid, and it was easy to dismiss them.But Westley, now that was truly giving her a headache.Now, almost everyone knew about her marriage to Westley.It was so annoying.Jasmine thought Jordan ha
The staff couldn't give up.This was an order from the Howard family. If she couldn't convince Mrs. Howard to get into first class, her job would be on the line."Sorry, this cannot be refunded. But if you insist on sitting in economy, you can do so at the price of a first-class ticket. It's up to you."Although it wasn't her money, it still felt wasteful.Someone like Westley, who had no shortage of money, wouldn't understand how difficult it was to earn money."Alright, let's go."Jasmine was much more excited than Jordan."Ms. Hickey, this is my first time in first class! When I first saw your work, I loved it, and now, I can be your assistant. I will definitely do my best!"Jordan was troubled and didn't feel like talking much."I'll sleep for a while. Wake me up when we arrive.""Okay."Jasmine had a feeling that the upgrade was done by Westley.She had seen his watch—a limited edition, priceless. It could buy a luxury apartment.He seemed like an employee, but in rea
She became more and more agitated.Her face and neck turned red with anger.Tears began to fall uncontrollably as her emotional distress took over.She wiped her face forcefully and then motioned for him to leave.Westley handed her a piece of tissue, but Jordan didn't take it."Leave."Westley's lips pressed together slightly, and his deep voice carried a strong tone of apology."I acknowledge all the mistakes I've made, all the things I've said. I know that the harm I've caused you can't be fixed in a day, but Jordy, you can hit me, curse me, order me to work like a servant, but asking me to give up on you, that’s something I can't do."Jordan opened the door. Though she didn't say anything, her intention for him to leave was clear.Westley stood in front of her. "The interviewees weren't as good as me. I won't accept you rejecting me because of our personal relationship. I'm starting work now."Jordan couldn't help but laugh angrily. "Westley, do you look like an assistant
"You can't reject me just without even giving me a chance to interview. And I don't accept your reason for rejection, you don’t even know what I’m good at."What professionalism did he have?Westley couldn't even tell the model of a camera.He had received elite education since childhood, and even in his personal life, he never engaged with these entertainment fields.Jordan didn't want to waste time.Even if, hypothetically, she did interview him, what would come of it? Was she really going to keep him as an assistant just because he did a little preparation?"You can leave. It's my studio, and I have the right to decide who I interview and who I don't."Westley just sat down at the door.When the next interviewee arrived, he would tell them that the studio owner didn’t care about what they were good at.He warned them not to waste their time.Jordan pushed him away and led the interviewee inside.Westley stood up and followed her."I've already turned you down, sir. Pleas
After a moment of silence.Oliver signed the resignation letter that she handed over."If you're unhappy in the future, you can still come back.""Jordy, don't feel pressured."Jordan nodded, said nothing, and turned to leave.Since she had decided to open a studio, she immediately started making arrangements.In the end, she chose Nelana as the location.After this trip, she suddenly felt that avoiding Westley all the time was rather pointless.She hadn't done anything wrong, so why was it always her who had to wander around?Even coming back to see her grandfather had to be done cautiously.In the future, she would stay in Nelana, so she could visit her grandfather’s grave more often.She tidied up the old house that her grandfather had left her.The photography studio was opened in a small alley.Over the years, she had gained some fame, so there was no need to set up shop in a busy district to attract business.The studio's name was simple “J”.After tidying up alone
She was still shocked by the fact that he had slept with Diana, and then came another gossip."Whose child is it?""Felix's."Jane couldn't help but clap her hands. "What a drama."Roy said, "Mr. Frost isn't someone who can be easily set up. He might have known exactly what happened that night with that woman. Doing this was probably to put someone's mind at ease."This someone was surely Frank.That was Jane’s guess.The next second, Roy answered, "That way, the person won't keep holding onto the past, and Mrs. Smith can live in peace."He was still thinking of Charlotte.Jane finished the last of her chicken and drank the coke.She leaned back in her chair, habitually patting her little belly.Zachary quickly stopped her with a swift move."It's not because you ate too much and your stomach temporarily bloated, it's the baby."Jane occasionally forgot she was pregnant, mainly because the early morning sickness was replaced by Zachary.With the help of Tanner's medicine,
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