She let her watch as they set off the fireworks. Frank stood by, lighting a large firework. In an instant, the night sky was illuminated. Under the dazzling fireworks, the four girls laughed joyfully. Frank glanced at the black car hidden in the night not far away. The back window of the black car was fully rolled down, and a wisp of white smoke dissipated in the wind. The sound of the wind seemed to carry the man's slightly low but magnetic and pleasant voice. "Jane, Happy New Year." After the New Year, Jane and Charlotte threw themselves into work. Yasmin and Jason decided to take their wedding photos in St. Penalow. At the same time, Zachary got up at nine every morning and worked until five in the evening. But he never really left work at five, always attending drinking sessions. One time, Rebecca happened to catch him leaving a drinking party, being supported by Ross to the car. His hand was pressed against his stomach, clearly showing that h
Eric pondered for a moment. "Then, in early next month, during Zachary's birthday, we'll invite the Greyson family over. At that time, we'll announce the engagement directly." Rebecca was worried. "After what happened with the Sanchez family last time, I think it's better to give him a little more time." Eric replied, "How much time have we given him already? It's no use, we should be more direct." "Then, if we force him too much, Zachary will..." "After his birthday, the position of the head of the Collins family will be passed to him. Are we just going to stand by and watch him marry that woman?" That was definitely not the outcome Rebecca wanted to see. But the alternative wasn't something she was eager to see either. "Let's have them meet at the birthday party first, but don't announce the engagement. If anyone asks, just give a vague answer." "After the birthday, Zachary will need to go on a business trip to Nelana for a while. Let the Greyson family's d
"I wasn't exactly sure, but Jordan said it was because they had different views.""Was it a love marriage, then?""Her grandfather was the deputy officer to her ex-husband's grandfather, and he once shielded the old man from bullets. He was her only relative, so after he passed away, the old man arranged for his grandson to marry her."Jane felt that she was no longer interested in the gossip she was rending. This was much more interesting."And then? Was the bugger unwilling?" After speaking, she realized she had been rude and quickly explained, "I'm just talking normally, Sparrow is here, I won’t swear."Sparrow looked at Jane. "Phew..."Yasmin pinched Sparrow’s little face and took a sip of the hot tea Jason handed her."Her ex-husband really didn’t like her. After they married, he was reassigned to another province. During that time, aside from doing photo shoots, she also went abroad to photograph wildlife. In three years of marriage, they didn’t even see each other’s face.
They stayed at the place where the photos were taken for a while, then the group returned to the hotel.Jane suddenly remembered."Her husband is so rich, and she’s rich too, yet she only gave me a 1% discount!"Yasmin smiled and said, "I didn’t even get a discount at all. Giving you 1% off means we must get along well. When she was young, she was raised by her grandfather in the Howard family. But the Howard family is huge, with many rooms, and there were constant power struggles. Later, she married Westley, but he was often absent, and there weren’t many people backing her up. If she hadn’t become famous early on, she might have suffered financially. She wouldn’t touch the Howard family’s money, so being a bit stingy is understandable."Jane tucked her hands into her sleeves. "Maybe we got along so well because we have similar experiences."Charlotte gave Jane a hug. "It’s all in the past now.""Yes, it’s all in the past."After spending five days in St. Penalow, the group ret
But Zachary’s path was different from Frank’s.He couldn’t be as reckless as Frank.Moreover, Frank had been persecuted many times before reaching this point.Zachary clearly had the option of taking a safer route, with no need to take risks.After all, he was her only son."I’ll go greet the guests, you two chat with Zachary."Frank nodded. After watching Rebecca leave, he walked over to Zachary and clinked his glass with his."Congratulations, birthday boy. You’re a year older"Zachary glanced at him. "We’re the same age.""Not the same. I was born a couple of months later than you, so I age a couple of months slower."Zachary had to continue socializing and ignored him.Frank led Charlotte to the lounge area to sit for a while.He brought her some of her favorite snacks.Charlotte had a few drinks and then needed to go to the restroom.Frank accompanied her.Suddenly, a flash of white appeared around the corner.He remembered that Annie was wearing a white gown that
At the hospital.After confirming that everything was fine, Zachary immediately went to the airport.Frank glanced at the time. "Leaving overnight?"Zachary nodded, a look of exhaustion between his brows.Frank took Charlotte and left the hospital with him, only to see two cars.He asked, "Is Annie going with you?"Zachary nodded again.Frank was confused. "What kind of game is this?""Let's go."Zachary didn't answer, opened the car door, and bent down to sit inside.After the two cars drove off, Charlotte asked, "Last night, did you interfere too much?"Frank touched his chin. "I shouldn't have...""Shouldn't have what?""Can't I tell who he likes?"The two of them went home to pack and then went to their respective companies.Charlotte noticed that Jane's dark circles under her eyes couldn't even be covered by foundation. She asked, "Did you go clubbing last night?"Jane shook her head. "I couldn't sleep, maybe the jet lag still hasn't passed."Charlotte immediately
"People are really into these things now. I often see them on live streams," said Jane.Dominic poured her a cup of barley tea. "The houses people want aren’t just any ordinary houses."Jane knew buying a house wasn't easy. It had taken her some time to secure her little place.If it weren't for Charlotte helping her out, she probably wouldn't have gotten it so quickly."Don’t worry. If I like what I see this time, when I go back and combine it with our brand, we'll promote it. You’ll be able to make money and buy a house.""That sounds good. I know how influential your brand is."The two of them chatted happily in the private room.In the room next door, however, the atmosphere was cold and tense.Annie, seemingly unaware, picked up some food for Zachary and even peeled an apple for him."I grew up in Nelana. I have lung issues, so I’m not really suited to Jeswood’s weather.""This restaurant has been around for almost 100 years. It’s a Nelana specialty. Try this, the apples
Before Jane finished speaking, she watched as Zachary slowly stood up on his own.But then he suddenly leaned towards her.She quickly held him up.Zachary rested his head on her shoulder, his breath hot and heavy against her neck, so hot it felt alarming."Wait, weren't the people around you supposed to be sticking with you at all times? How did you end up like this, all alone?"She heard the man's voice, weak and faint."Take me back to the hotel..."Jane was really at her wit's end.He didn't even tell her the name of the hotel. How was she supposed to know where to take him?In the end, with no other choice, she reached into his pocket to find his phone.She searched both side pockets of his pants, but there was no phone.He was only wearing a white shirt, no coat.That meant his phone wasn't on him.No wonder he hadn't contacted his subordinates.But that didn't make sense either—his subordinates were supposed to be with him at all times.Before she could figure it
"I laugh when I get emotional, that's all—no other reason. If I've offended anyone, I'll punish myself with three more glasses of wine."No one really believed Caleb was genuinely moved.It was obvious that under the surface of his smile, there was a trace of mockery.But no one said anything.After all, it wasn't their family's business—there was no need for him to empathize with them.Besides, Caleb really wasn't close to them. It was his first time sharing a meal at the same table.And with his status, even if he was Zachary's brother-in-law, Zachary wouldn't embarrass him publicly.Given the occasion, there was no reason to stir up conflict.Whitney furrowed her brows but still spoke up to offer an apology on Caleb's behalf.Jane quickly said, "We're family, there's no need to be so formal. Caleb was just moved—I understand."Whitney still wanted to say something, but suddenly a large, warm hand rested on her thigh.It moved back and forth slowly, radiating heat.She tu
So at that moment, Westley and Zachary shared a tacit understanding and aligned explanation."We didn't look into it. This matter was a private family issue, and given the situation at the time, it wasn't convenient for us to investigate."Those words, coming from Westley, sounded quite believable.After all, his relationship with Jordan had been very tense at the time.But for Zachary, that excuse wasn't really necessary.Jane looked at him without saying anything.Zachary held her hand and said, "We did get our marriage certificate back then, but I really didn't look into this matter. If you don't believe me, ask Nathan. If I had looked into it, there's no way he wouldn't have noticed."Nathan also felt guilty—revitalizing the Jackson family was his way of making up for the wrongs his father had committed.Later, his unwavering kindness toward them also stemmed from guilt, knowing they had suffered because of his father.Now, of course, he didn't want a joyful day like the w
Back then, the Jackson family's power and status were highly sought after.Initially, when the eldest daughter of the Jackson family married the eldest son of the Westford family, it was considered a perfect match by everyone—a well-matched marriage of equal social standing.The Westford family's business was booming back then.But later, it was the Westford family that resorted to unscrupulous methods for the sake of business."At that time, my uncle was kidnapped shortly after birth and grew up in an ordinary family. He was very pure and kind, not understanding the scheming and deceit of the business world. The Westford family intended to train him, but when it became clear he wasn't up to it, they gave up. But then he fell in love with your mother, and the Westford family thought there was still something to gain from it. As for grandpa, he didn't care about family background, he only looked at character and sincerity. My uncle was highly favored by him, and his relationship wit
Westley chuckled.Frank couldn't be bothered to make it complicated. He drank seven sips, and everyone else followed with a sip.Zachary did the same as Frank.However, he paused slightly when it came to Westley, offering them his blessings."Congratulations. And I hope you two will continue to be happy in the future."At that point, Westley couldn't just take a sip anymore.He downed the drink in one go."We've received your promise, my dear brother-in-law."Westley was rendered speechless.Caleb had been watching the show for a long time.Finally, it was his turn."Everyone, how much do you think I, a first-time guest, should drink?"Of course, the answer was to drink more.They all thought the same thing, though their expressions were different.But none of them spoke the truth aloud.Today was a special day for Jane and Zachary, and they were the ones in charge.It should have been them who spoke first.Zachary said, "This is my brother-in-law's first time in Jeswo
At noon, only Whitney admitted that Jane was her sister-in-law. Jane even gave her a little gift.As for Caleb, neither Jane or Zachary cared if he admitted it or not.They thought Whitney had married Caleb for the sake of business.But just now, the two of them were so intimate, unable to part with each other, and even had a visible kiss mark that couldn't be hidden by a turtleneck.Given this relationship, wasn't it reasonable for Caleb to admit that they were his brother-in-law and sister-in-law?However, Caleb didn't really know them well, and they didn't know his personality either. Naturally, he couldn't just say that he recognized them as his in-laws.As for Westley, everyone knew him well.Besides, Westley had married Jane's younger sister, so he should be recognizing them as well."That’s unnecessary, Mr. Hilton," said Zachary. "Jordan is Jane's sister, both of them are from the Jackson family, though they've been separated for years due to some unfortunate circumstanc
"Since Mr. Hilton spoils his wife so much, how about you drink this wine for Whitney instead?"Caleb curved his lips into a smile, picked up his glass, and said, "You’re not going to double the amount if I drink for her, right, Mrs. Smith?"Before Charlotte could speak, Frank intervened.He placed one hand on Charlotte's shoulder, gently swirled his wine glass with the other, his posture relaxed and casual."Since Mr. Hilton is so interested, how can I not satisfy your requests on my turf?"He even brought Zachary into it. "Today is your big day, it's your stage, so set an example by taking the first round."Zachary glanced at him indifferently. He was pretending to be drunk today, but Frank hadn’t gone easy on him.He had originally planned to use water for his drinks, but Frank had switched it back to real alcohol.Now, he was starting trouble again."Oh!" Frank suddenly seemed to remember something. "I forgot, Mr. Collins drank a lot at lunch. I guess the alcohol in his sto
No one had called for dinner yet.She knew that Zachary and Jane were getting married today, so they might be staying in the room for a while.Caleb and Whitney were the ones they thought would be spending time together.So, she first knocked on Charlotte's room.She figured that they wouldn't necessarily want to spend time together right now.But she was wrong.No one answered Charlotte's door.However, Jane sent her a message saying she would get up soon.Then Charlotte also spoke up in their group chat.That was when she came to call Whitney.She guessed that the two should have finished their intimate act by now...Whitney, ignoring the discomfort in her body, used both hands and feet to escape from Caleb's embrace.She first responded to Jordan at the door and then rushed into the bathroom.Caleb came in shortly after.When his bare back pressed against her, Whitney was startled. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"Caleb held her and chuckled. "Honey, have you eve
Westley patted her on the head. "You're asking me about this because you want to help Mandy, or..."Mandy and Jordan hadn't been in touch much over the past few years, but before university, they had a pretty good relationship.When Mandy ran into trouble and went to the north, Jordan was furious.It took him several days to calm her down.But then, unexpectedly, his relationship with her had also fallen apart.Looking back now, he wondered if it was because Carter always treated him and maintained his health, but in doing so, perhaps he had also pushed the love out of his own life.Jordan shook her head. "I won’t interfere with other people’s relationships. I'm just asking out of curiosity."Westley didn't expect that but still told her about the situation."Caleb did indeed relent. He will give Carter a chance to meet with Mandy. And this was something, Zachary, Frank, and I, were all aware of but haven't spoken about it openly. Zachary is pretending to be drunk."Jordan had
Caleb and Zachary had a drink and then left with Whitney.Carter didn't even have time to drink with Zachary and hurriedly followed them.At that moment, Zachary's and the others were here to watch the show.But they didn't expect, when they turned the corner, to see Caleb pinning Whitney against the wall, kissing her.The man's brows and eyes were full of flirtatious charm, and he blocked Whitney's profile, glancing over.He asked, "What's wrong? Haven't you seen a married couple kiss?"There was no sign of Carter anywhere.They didn't want to interrupt the couple's private moment, so Westley and Frank escorted Zachary to his room, then went back to their own rooms with their wives.Jane pretended to wipe Zachary's face and was about to leave.But Zachary grabbed her and pulled her into the bed."Mr. Collins, you're getting more and more skilled at pretending to be drunk."Zachary opened his eyes and kissed her forehead.His hoarse voice carried a hint of weakness."Honey