“Huh?”The teammate followed him. "Why? Didn’t you do what Mr. Howard instructed? Why do you still need to receive a punishment?"The captain crossed his hands behind his head, speaking casually. "Oh, because I hurt Mrs. Howard's hair."The team member was rendered speechless.‘Is that even reasonable?’After not eating well at the Collins family’s place, they returned to Jane’s house. Zachary went straight to the kitchen and started making food for her.Jane followed him and tied his apron."Just make some sandwiches."Zachary hummed in response. "Wait outside."Jane went out to check her emails and sort out her recent work.But she found there was no internet.The internet was connected via her phone, and as long as her phone wasn’t turned off, the internet couldn’t be disconnected. She called the telecom provider to inquire.The result was that the line had been actively cut off.She found the gateway and saw that the network cable had been unplugged.She plugged the c
Jane remembered.She might forget many things, but she would never forget this.She took the cup and had a sip.Her voice, hoarse from crying, said, "It hasn’t changed."Charlotte gently patted her head and said in a soft voice, "When I saw Jasper that day, I thought, I can’t let your scars be reopened, I can’t let you face that bloody, dark past again. I also had Frank and Zachary hide everything from you, to protect you. But now, I think, exposing it might not be a bad thing. Sometimes, facing it head-on is the only way to truly move on."Zachary rushed back to the Collins family in Jeswood, and at first, he had the same thought.After threatening the Collins family, stopping the Winston family from posting the video wasn’t hard.But this situation wasn’t a solution in the long run.Life was long, and you never knew when something might resurface.Facing it head-on might not be a bad thing.He lit a cigarette on the balcony, and his phone rang."Man, I’ve been working so h
Charlotte was the person who understood Jane the most in the world.But Zachary still couldn’t fully relax. However, he didn’t press the issue and simply said, "Hmm, seems like your best friend means more to you. Her words are more comforting than mine."Jane patted his face. "Well, you at least have to say something first.""Didn't I say anything?" Zachary held her hand and kissed it. "I’ve said all my life’s words to you."While waiting for Frank at the airport, Charlotte was suddenly embraced by someone."Charlotte."Charlotte smiled and was about to speak when she noticed the approaching Westley.‘Now he’s worried. What’s he been doing these past couple of years?’ wondered Charlotte."Charlotte, did Jane send you to pick me up?""My wife definitely came to pick me up."Charlotte cocked her brows and saw the broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted man walking toward her.His usual casual smile spread across his lips as he reached out and pulled her into his arms."What are you
Jane immediately called Jordan back."Have you arrived in Jeswood?"Jordan's voice had a hint of resentment. "I’ve been here for hours, waiting for you at the hotel. I’m starving.""And there's this old man constantly staring at me—so annoying."‘Westley is here too?’Jane felt a little guilty. "It's my fault. I'll come pick you up for dinner now. Send me the name of the hotel."After hanging up, Jane received Jordan's message. She stood up and called to Zachary. "Let's go, Mr. Collins."As the car drove to the hotel, she asked him, "Is Westley here for work or something else?"Zachary grunted dismissively. "Neither."‘So he came here just to follow Jordan.’Jane nodded and then poked Zachary’s side cheek with her delicate finger."Mr. Collins, make sure to cherish this last meal with me."Zachary held her hand and responded obediently, "Alright."When they arrived at the hotel, Jordan was already waiting outside.Zachary got out of the car and made space for her."Thank
People who had been in high positions for a long time were impressive, and even when they were jealous, they kept it low-key and restrained."Why are you standing there? Are you planning to serve us dinner?"Frank teased, and Zachary pulled out the chair next to him, tapping his fingers twice."Sit down."Westley realized that he was now isolated.But he still pulled out a chair and sat behind Jordan.Frank stood up, moved Charlotte and her chair aside by two seats, and then sat next to her.Westley found an opportunity and successfully sat beside Jordan.He tilted his head and exchanged an unspoken glance with Frank.Frank smiled lazily. "You owe me a favor."Westley felt that it was a debt that could never be repaid.The Winston family.Luthor followed Zachary back to Jeswood.He first secretly sent a message to the Collins family, waiting for their response.But the Collins family did not give any reply for a long time.Zachary and Jane were still deeply in love, nest
"When Jane was so upset, how could you bring up breaking up?"Zachary's lips twitched slightly, and he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to continue the act."I can't have any stains on my record right now. Jane, if you love me, let me go.""I..."Jane was interrupted again by Jordan."You!" She stomped her foot in anger, no longer caring about anything else, and pointed at Zachary’s nose, saying furiously, "I never imagined you were this kind of person! When you saved me, I thought you were a man of good character. But for the sake of your future, you gave up the person you loved! You're just like Westley, both of you are despicable!"The innocent Westley, who was being unjustly blamed, could only stare in disbelief. The veins on Zachary's forehead were twitching, and he almost couldn't keep up the act."This is between me and Jane."Jane pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears and whispered to Charlotte, "Ahem, I feel so guilty."Charlotte hugged Jane, seemingly offering
Frank gave Westley a nudge, "Aren’t you going to take her back yet? It’s a good opportunity, don’t waste it."Westley's mind slowly started to turn, until everything connected into a clear line."So this is..."Frank interrupted him with a look.They were being watched.Westley understood what Frank had meant by "owing a favor."While Zachary and Jane were acting, Jordan, feeling heartbroken for Jane, would naturally expect Westley to step in and comfort her, offering his help.This way, Jordan would have a change of heart.Even if she still thought he and Zachary were birds of a feather, their current fiery relationship would improve.With that, it would only be a matter of time before she forgave him."Let’s go."Frank noticed that Westley’s steps were noticeably lighter.He wrapped an arm around Zachary’s shoulder and got into another car.Now, it was time for him to start playing the "good friend.""Let’s have a drink."Once they were in the car, Raymond reported the
Jane hurriedly stepped forward.She wasn’t doing it to help Westley.It was because Jordan was acting this way because of her.But she wasn’t really breaking up with Zachary.If there were serious problems between them because of her, she would be the one to blame."Well, Mr. Howard, it’s not convenient for you to come up to my place. Jordan will stay with me tonight. If there’s anything, you can talk about it tomorrow."As she spoke, she secretly gave Westley a look behind Jordan’s back.Westley understood.But he didn’t think Jane would say anything kind to help him repair his relationship with Jordan.After a moment of silence, he turned and left.Because even if he explained things to Jordan, she might not believe him.The reason for this breakup drama needed to come from the people involved.It would be better for him to talk about it later.Once they entered the house, Jane kicked off her shoes, not even bothering to put on slippers, and rushed to draw the curtains i
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