"What’s so unbelievable about it? Do you think men are going to announce their affairs to the public? My husband used to be full of tricks... which rich man doesn’t have a few birds around him?" She hadn’t remembered this until her neighbor had casually mentioned it earlier. As soon as Stephanie sat down, disrupting their gossip, it came back to her.Without hesitation, she kept going, "Besides, I’ve always thought it was suspicious. That Schwartz family kid and Britney were in an open relationship for so many years, and then, just before the wedding, they switched the bride. Don’t you think there’s something fishy going on there?"The other woman listened and seemed to find some logic in what was being said.Stephanie saw that the women had left and relaxed her grip on the cup, taking a deep breath before walking over to Jamiya."Stephanie..." Jamiya had overheard the conversation from her seat not far away. The women’s voices had grown louder, clearly done on purpose, showing no fea
“Britney, let’s go sit over there for a while.”Diana walked over, following Quinten. They could only listen to others talk, so it was better to spend this time with their daughter.“Aren’t you going to stay with Dad?” Britney asked, though she was already walking with Diana to a nearby spot. Quinten rarely brought Diana to social gatherings—not because he didn’t want her to go, but because he didn’t want her to get too involved in the complicated people and matters. Moreover, business banquets were often tiresome, and he worried she’d get bored. It was easier for her to relax at home.“I see him every day; right now, it’s more important to spend time with my daughter.” Diana, dressed gracefully, didn’t overdo it with makeup, but her elegance as a middle-aged woman was undeniable. At the engagement party, she turned heads, with some of the men stealing glances at her.At that moment, a plainly dressed middle-aged woman approached, exuding warmth. “Diana, that fish you made last time a
If she wanted to tell her something, then there was no need to keep her guessing. Besides, Britney really had no interest in playing games with Stephanie.At that moment, the restroom was empty, with only Britney and Stephanie standing face-to-face, and Stephanie looked like the ultimate victor.“Do you really think it’s that simple for Franklin to marry Karsyn?” Under the warm orange light, the smile at the corner of Stephanie’s lips became even more sinister. “In Franklin’s eyes, Karsyn is nothing more than a pawn in a power struggle! You have to admit, Franklin is really deep. He’s been laying the groundwork for this game for a long time!”When Britney furrowed her brows, Stephanie felt an immense sense of satisfaction.She continued, “Do you know why Franklin suddenly started dating Karsyn?”Britney remained silent but watched her intently, knowing Stephanie would eventually spill the details.“It’s because Alexzander gave Franklin certain conditions and benefits, and that’s why F
Stephanie stood still, still shaken by the forceful side of Britney she had just witnessed. Gripping the marble washstand tightly, this wasn’t the first time she had been intimidated by Britney’s overwhelming aura.This woman—how dare she still be so arrogant?Stephanie chose this moment to test Britney’s resolve. She wanted to see whether Britney would choose to cause a scene at the engagement party, making sure the ceremony couldn’t proceed, or whether she would watch helplessly as her good friend, Karsyn, invested her feelings in the calculating Franklin.Either outcome would benefit Stephanie.If the engagement ceremony couldn’t go forward, it would be a huge blow to Franklin during the campaign. Although she didn’t want Manuel to rise to power, if Franklin succeeded in marrying Karsyn, it would affect Conrad’s position in the Schwartz family. Compared to the benefits Karsyn brought to the Schwartz family, Stephanie’s own worth seemed almost insignificant, and there was a real cha
"Manuel…"Manuel was called aside by Lu Daniel, seemingly to discuss something important in private.Britney stood where she was, waiting for him."Britney, aren’t you and Karsyn the best of friends? A friendship so enviable, right? But look at you now—just so-so…"Stephanie walked over, her tone laced with sarcasm.Britney understood her underlying message. At this critical moment, Stephanie was clearly not being kind by telling her this. She hoped Britney would ruin the engagement banquet, making things difficult for Franklin with Alexzander. If Franklin suffered a setback, Alexzander would stop favoring him.A faint smile curled on Britney's lips as she feigned ignorance. "You almost sound like you care about Karsyn. Should I thank you on her behalf?"Stephanie snorted. "Then I'll just wait and see what happens to Karsyn!""What happens to me? You green tea bitch!"The guests had mostly left, and Karsyn, now free, lifted her gown and, with the help of a staff member, made her way t
It wasn’t something that could be explained in a short time, and even if it was, given Karsyn’s way of thinking, she might not understand. Even if she did, she probably wouldn’t believe it.Otherwise, Britney would have told her long before the engagement ceremony.Karsyn’s expression was on the verge of tears. On such an important night, she had been looking forward to a passionate time with Franklin. But hearing Britney speak so seriously, her natural submissiveness to her took over, and she could only obey."Alright...""Otherwise, you’ll definitely regret it!" Britney emphasized once again.Karsyn stopped questioning further and nodded obediently, like a little chick pecking at rice. "I’ll listen to you."Only then did Britney feel at ease and leave with Manuel.Karsyn remained where she was, silently crying out—was she really supposed to spend her engagement night going home alone to see her dad instead?After bidding farewell to Glenn, who was standing at the entrance seeing off
She tried to keep her mind clear, reminding herself not to let this man cloud her rational thoughts.Damn it, all he ever did was seduce her…Closing the bathroom door, Britney leaned against it and patted her flushed cheeks. She cursed herself inwardly—shameless! Absolutely shameless!Why did the night always bring thoughts of certain "X" and "O" activities?Undressing made him a beast, but keeping his clothes on didn’t necessarily make him a gentleman—he could very well be a wolf in sheep’s clothing…Once the bathtub was filled, Britney shed her clothes and sank into the warm water.Wrapped in the soothing warmth, she felt completely relaxed, momentarily forgetting how infuriating a certain someone had been just moments ago.The water's embrace cleared her mind.Meanwhile, Manuel glanced at the now-empty bed and smirked. Even after all this time, his little Britney was still shy about such matters.However, that only meant tonight, someone would not be sleeping peacefully.As the te
"Madam, why don’t you eat first?" Parker reminded her.Britney was sitting on the sofa watching TV. Hearing this, she glanced at the time—almost nine o’clock, and he still wasn’t back.Did something happen?"I’ll call Manuel first." As she spoke, she picked up her phone and dialed his number.But before the call could go through, a familiar ringtone sounded from behind her.Turning around, she saw that tall, lean figure standing at the doorway. Immediately, she hung up the phone, placed it back on the coffee table, and stood up with delight. "You're back."Manuel’s lips curled into a smile the moment he saw that sweet, enchanting face. He gave a soft hum in response, his sharp gaze sweeping over her as if seeing right through everything. His handsome brows furrowed slightly. "What’s this? You haven’t eaten yet?"Parker, as if guilty of something, quickly scurried into the kitchen."Sorry, I promised to be back before dinner, but I only just made it now." Seeing Parker's guilty reactio
Skyler had fallen asleep, but her mind remained alert. After all, Raiden had left a psychological scar on her today.As soon as Raiden mentioned being hungry, she couldn't help but complain to herself. He hadn't felt hungry earlier, and now, suddenly, he was.But despite the resentment in her heart, she didn’t dare voice it. After all, he was the young master, and she was just a servant..."Should I heat it up for you?" Since this "ancestor" had called for her, it was clear he wouldn’t do it himself. And it was late, so the other family members had likely already gone to sleep.Sure enough, the young master kicked his feet and said, "Should I do it myself?" If he was going to do it himself, why bother calling her? The real reason was that he couldn’t sleep and, seeing her sleep soundly beside him, a psychological urge stirred within him.If he couldn’t sleep, neither should she. It was a kind of unhealthy mentality.He wanted to wake her up
Skyler finally had the chance to observe the entire room. The decor was simple yet refined.A large sky-blue bed, a desk with a desktop LCD computer, and some model decorations—all expensive just at a glance. It matched his unruly personality well. However, it was clear he didn’t come home often; everything here still looked brand new."Where are you sleeping? Why are you asking me?"Since his father let her move in, he must have arranged a place for her."Do you have an extra blanket? I’ll sleep on the floor."The bed was big enough for two people, and she had slept with him before—otherwise, how would she have gotten pregnant? But at this moment, she didn’t dare sleep with him. She hadn’t forgotten the way he had looked downstairs, as if he wanted to devour her alive.She didn’t dare provoke him again, afraid that if she shared a bed with him, she might not even know how she died.She knew t
"Do you think you've found yourself a backer now? Is that why you feel so important?"Raiden’s tone was full of sarcasm.He looked exactly like a little kid afraid of losing his father's love.It’s often said that women mature faster than men, and Skyler was one of those women. She could see exactly what Raiden was upset about, and a smile tugged at her lips."No, Mr.Calderon! My biggest backer is you," Skyler admitted her mistake.Like hell he’d believe that! The innocence she had before was completely gone now.Raiden let out a cold snort and sneered, "Skyler, I didn't expect your appetite to be this big. First, you took my house, and now, in the blink of an eye, you've managed to squeeze a fortune out of my dad. Did your brain suddenly become enlightened? You’re making money at an impressive speed!""Mr.Calderon, I did go back on my word in this matter. I’m sorry! Here’s the key to the house you
Every parent, when talking about their child, always wears the kindest smile. Frankie was no exception. And when he thought about the fact that he would soon become a grandfather, his mood improved even more.Feeling good, he couldn’t help but chat a little more with Skyler.As Frankie flipped through old photos of Raiden’s childhood and talked about his younger days, Skyler truly saw how adorable he had been as a child.Uncle Calderon wasn’t lying—Mr.Calderon had been handsome since he was little.Big eyes, double eyelids, a high nose bridge, rosy lips, pearly white teeth, and fair skin—all combined with that charmingly arrogant expression…Skyler subconsciously placed her hand on her belly, wondering if the baby inside would be just as good-looking. If it were a girl and took after Mr.Calderon, she certainly wouldn’t be unattractive."Master, dinner is ready!" a servant came forward and announced.
"She should take a good look at herself! She doesn't want to marry me?" Raiden shouted.Who did she think she was? And who was he? Since when did a woman have the right to reject him?Since he was old enough to understand things, he had been surrounded by countless women, all vying for his attention. Which woman didn't want to marry him?Raiden sneered internally. This woman was definitely playing hard to get in front of his father, trying to win his favor so that he would pressure him into marrying her.I didn't see this coming.Skyler, so you dare play tricks on me!Skyler shivered slightly under Raiden’s sharp gaze. Was it a crime now to not want to marry him?Frankie stepped forward and kicked his own son. "And you should take a good look at yourself!"That kick wasn’t light. Raiden gasped in pain and quickly pulled his leg back to clutch it.Damn it!He was almost thirty, yet his old man still kicked him with
When Raiden walked in, he actually found that woman in his house!Without a word, he rushed up to her, grabbed her wrist, and started dragging her outside with large strides."Mr.Calderon, what are you doing?" Caught off guard by his strength, Skyler’s wrist throbbed in pain as she frowned and couldn't help but cry out."Don't ask, just come with me!"As soon as Raiden received a call from the person he had arranged to take Skyler to the hospital, he rushed back immediately.He had sent her to get an abortion, and she was already on the operating table—yet somehow, the old trickster in his family had intercepted her! Just thinking about how the plan was almost completed but was suddenly interrupted made him incredibly frustrated.How could he not know what that old fox was scheming?For the past few years, every time he returned home, the old man would pester him about marriage. Eventually, he got so fed up that he outrigh
Frankie was setting up Skyler, but unfortunately, she was too young and inexperienced to realize it. She had never encountered such schemes before, let alone faced an old fox like Frankie.At first, Skyler had no idea who had decided against her abortion. It wasn’t until she had spoken with Frankie for a while that she finally understood—it was the old master himself who wanted to keep his grandchild.She had already promised Raiden that she would terminate the pregnancy, and she had struggled internally for a long time. But in the end, her heart leaned toward keeping the child.“However, I have three conditions.”“Go ahead, go ahead…” Frankie was so delighted that she had agreed that he would have accepted a hundred conditions if necessary.“First, after the child is born, I want to be able to visit them whenever I wish. But you can rest assured—I will only be visiting the child and will have
Raiden’s Father...Hearing Frankie's words, Skyler couldn't help but look up. He wasn’t like what she had imagined. The middle-aged man in front of her was well-maintained, looking energetic and full of vitality. His smile was warm and friendly. There were indeed some resemblances between him and Raiden—he must have been quite a charming man in his younger years.Seeing her subtly relax, Frankie chuckled, “What do you think? Not quite what you imagined, right?”Having her thoughts seen through so easily, Skyler blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. “It’s a bit different from what I expected,” she admitted.“Sit down and talk. I’m not used to looking up at people while speaking.” Frankie deliberately said this, knowing that otherwise, she wouldn’t sit down.Just as he had anticipated, Skyler realized that standing while talking to someone like this was somewhat impolite. Beside
Skyler looked at the cold, sterile operating table, her steps heavy as she walked over and lay down with the nurse’s help. Staring at her still-flat stomach, she silently whispered to the tiny life inside her, "Baby, I'm sorry."He had been so well-behaved. She had heard that during the first three months of pregnancy, morning sickness was common, sometimes severe enough to make one feel like the world was spinning. Yet, she hadn’t experienced any of that—she felt just like a normal person. She knew her baby must be a very obedient child.Unfortunately, she had no ability to keep him. If she forced his birth, he would only suffer alongside her.So, I’m sorry. It’s because I’m not brave enough…She had never intended to keep this child, but that didn’t mean she had no feelings for him. He was, after all, her own flesh and blood."Miss Oneal, we’re going to administer the anesthesia now. Try to r