As soon as he turned around, he saw a certain onlooker hiding behind the screen, playfully winking at him.Zachary curved his lips into a smile but kept his gaze straight ahead, walking to the kitchen without saying a word.Jane hadn't finished her snack last night and was too tired after what happened with him. She didn't have the energy to think about anything.Now that she had rested well, everything seemed a bit confusing to her.It was uncomfortable not finishing the gossip.She hugged him from behind and sweetly said, "Who is this? You’re such a talented man. Oh, you’re my boyfriend."Zachary started the stove and added oil to the pan. Hearing her, he didn't respond at all.Jane, feeling playful, continued, "Come on, come on, the incredibly handsome Zachary, the husband who's endlessly good to his wife, surely he wouldn't let me suffer by not finishing the gossip, right?"Zachary shivered slightly. "Speak properly.""I am speaking properly!" she replied coquettishly.Za
Jane wasn't fooled."You just want to help Westley."Zachary laughed, placing some meat on her plate. "It's up to you."Ding-dong.The doorbell rang suddenly.With a mouthful of meat, Jane mumbled, "My place is quite lively recently."Zachary stood up to open the door.At the door stood Raymond."Sir...""You didn't answer your phone or respond to the messages. I had no choice but to..."Zachary's expression remained indifferent. "Get to the point."Raymond glanced behind him, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "The investigation team has arrived."Zachary's eyes flickered slightly, but his voice remained as cold as ever. "Got it."He turned back and walked to Jane, bending down to kiss her briefly. "I have to go on a business trip."Jane didn't ask more, with his job, business trips and meetings were normal. During the early stages of a project, it was understandable for him to be busy."How long?""Not sure yet."Zachary picked up his phone and quickly glanced at
"You can just tell me directly what happened, or rather, what you want to say by coming to see me," said Jane.Madam Collins didn't continue to beat around the bush."Zachary has been taken in for questioning."Jane's fingers curled involuntarily, and a hint of nervousness flashed in her eyes.Madam Collins noticed her small gesture, observing every detail of Jane's reaction."There's no need to pretend to be calm. It's normal for you to feel emotional," she said. "After all, if it weren't for you, Zachary wouldn't have to go through this."Jane couldn't argue with that.Madam Collins continued, "I've known this day would come. Your father's existence is like a ticking time bomb, it was bound to explode sooner or later. I'll say it again. If you truly love Zachary, you should not be a stain on his life. I haven't said this before, but this time I must play the bad cop. Leave Zachary, child. You can name any conditions you want."Jane clenched her fists tightly, her fingertips g
When Raymond saw Madam Collins coming out of the conference room, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. It dawned on him that Jane had deceived him, but now he couldn't even report it."I raised you all to follow Zachary, not to help him mess things up!"Madam Collins's frustration needed an outlet. At her age, if she didn't vent her anger, it would soon send her to the hospital, unable to move a muscle."Look at the mess Zachary is in today. You'll all bear the responsibility. Come home with me and face the consequences!"Raymond knew he couldn't leave."When Mr. Collins returns, whatever punishment you want to give me is fine, but right now, I can't go. Please, calm down."Madam Collins was so angry that her breathing became erratic. "You've gone too far! Do you know who your master is? If it weren't for the Collins family, you'd have died in the slums long ago!"Raymond didn't deny it. He bowed respectfully and said, "I remember the Collins family's kindness, but Madam Coll
Raymond was startled. "Mrs. Collins..."Jane raised her hand to stop him from speaking, looking at Rebecca she said slowly, "If you can meet one condition of mine, I will leave the country immediately."Rebecca saw she had softened and her anger subsided a little. "Go on."Jane said, "If you make Zachary break up with me willingly, I will leave him. How about that?"Rebecca realized she had been tricked and immediately raised her hand.Jane sidestepped to avoid it.Rebecca lost control and sprained her waist."Ouch."Eric hurriedly supported her and was about to speak.But Jane had already taken Raymond and left in large strides.His eyes gradually filled with cruelty.Once in the car, Jane asked Raymond, "Zachary left you as the only one beside me?"Raymond started the car and replied, "Of course not. I'm just the one other people sees."Jane breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I'm at ease. Otherwise, if you were alone, I'd have to worry. What if the Collins family does some
"He's also acting unilaterally, keeping things from me, thinking he's doing this for my own good, not wanting me to worry."Charlotte smiled. "Then I won't advise you."Jane was about to say something when her phone rang.In a hurry, she pulled it out and looked at it, but it wasn't Zachary.She answered, sounding exhausted, "Get to the point."Dominic paused for a moment. "I'm not saying this to nag, but don't be too hard on yourself, still need to pay attention to your health, do what you can."Jane laughed and scolded him, "What's your problem?""I've got something, a big thing.""Spit it out."Dominic chuckled. "Your clothes are ready. So, how about it? Come over and take a look? We only got two sets done, and the time is still tight. But it won't affect the next event. I've already checked the time."Jane immediately sat up straight, her voice gaining strength. "I'll come over right now."Then, she suddenly remembered something."Wait, I have something else to do. How
Watching Jane leave, Charlotte closed the door and turned around, only to bump into a man's chest.She looked up and asked him, "Zachary is really fine, right?"Frank wrapped his arms around her and led her inside. "What could happen? It's all within his expectations."Jane returned to her place, still thinking that Zachary was fine, but she still couldn't sleep.The next morning, she went to the shopping center.On the way, she replied to Charlotte's message about preparing to board her flight."Raymond, does Mr. Collins really not have any preferences?"She wanted to buy Zachary a set of clothes.Since they had been together, she had always been the one being taken care of.It seemed like she hadn't done much for him.This investigation wasn't a good thing, but she hoped that when he came out, he could wear something new, and that in the future, he wouldn't be tainted by these bad things because of her.But as she kept looking, she became more and more indecisive.Raymond
Raymond didn't dare to hide anything and truthfully explained the situation.The phone was instantly hung up. With every beep, he felt like a hammer was striking his heart.By the time he reached the northern helipad, Zachary was already there.He was still wearing the clothes from when he had been taken for questioning.But now they were full of creases, clearly messy.It was obvious he had just gotten home, hadn't seen Jane, and upon hearing the report, he immediately rushed over.However, there were no signs of any helicopter having landed nearby."Wasn't it supposed to be the northern side?"Raymond's lips were trembling. "The helicopter's direction was heading north...""Could they have changed direction midway?" Zachary's voice was as cold as ice.It was sharper than winter winds, painfully piercing."I've already sent people to check the other helipads...""It's raining today, and they were in a hurry to leave. They might not have suddenly changed flight paths, it's
Jordan hadn't decided yet. "Do you have any particular places you'd like to visit?"Jane said, "Then let's go shopping."She turned to Charlotte. "Can you walk?""I’m fine. If we get tired, we can find a place to sit and rest."Jane then looked at Whitney and asked if she wanted to go.Whitney nodded.The four girls made a quick decision and set off.Ross was eating an apple when he saw them coming out together. He immediately asked, "Mrs. Collins, where are you going? Do you need me to give you a lift?"Jane looked at the car behind him and noticed there were no other cars."Take us to the biggest shopping center.""Okay."The MPV was large, and with just Ross as the driver, it was more than enough for the four of them to sit comfortably."Ma’am, there are yogurts and snacks next to you, all your favorites."Jane glanced at it and said, "Remember to tell Zachary that it’s too late to apologize after making a mistake."Ross would only repeat the exact words to Zachary, an
Ross agreed and turned to leave.Jane kicked the door open with her foot, then stepped onto the balcony, and Whitney quickly came to help.After setting the breakfast down, she noticed something was wrong.Jane and Charlotte exchanged a glance.Jane asked in confusion, "Why are there things in here that neither Charlotte nor I like to eat?""It seems that Zachary and Frank were a bit careless."Whitney quickly said, "I can eat what you don't like."She wasn't picky about food, it was just that she used to not have enough to eat, so she had always eaten less and stayed thin.Jane hadn't heard Ross mention that Caleb had come.She said, "Don't you think Caleb specifically bought this for you?"Whitney was puzzled.Charlotte pointed and said, "The things we like to eat were all prepared by Frank and Zachary. They wouldn't purposely prepare things we don't eat. So, what do you think the extra food is for?"Whitney was momentarily stunned.She thought it was because Jane had or
Whitney washed up and went straight to bed.She didn't have the habit of playing on her phone before bed.Before coming to Nelana, all her work had been handed over.If something urgent came up, someone would call her.So she didn't check her phone, and thus missed Caleb's message.Caleb was on the hotel balcony, with his phone placed on the small coffee table.He held a glass of wine, swaying it absentmindedly.His gaze, however, remained fixed on the phone.But even when it got to dawn, there was no reply from Whitney.The man curved his lips slightly and lit a cigarette.He leaned against the balcony railing, waiting for the sun to rise.Whitney woke up in the morning, went to wash up, and after she finished, took a book from her luggage and went to sit on the swing on the balcony to read.As she passed the kitchen, she made herself a cup of coffee.She didn't like to move much, most of her time was spent on improving herself.She tried to learn as much as possible.S
Westley didn't say anything either.Zachary and Frank were a team, he was no match for them in an argument.His relationship with Caleb wasn't that close, so it was impossible for the latter to help him."They're having barbecue for lunch," said Frank, locking his phone. "They just ordered the ingredients."Jordan found two power strips and moved the pot to the balcony."Good thing we have these, otherwise, we wouldn't be able to eat.""Why do you have so many pots left in this house?" asked Whitney."I lived here for a while before," Jordan placed the plates and cutlery down. "I also feel like leaving these things here makes it seem like Grandpa is still around."Whitney apologized.Jordan smiled and reassured her, "It's fine. No need to apologize. From now on, we're good friends."Whitney nodded and smiled in agreement, "Alright.""By the way, Jordan.""What's up, Jane?"Jane said, "Both Zachary and Frank have booked hotels, so they don’t to stay here. It can't fit them
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