Rose? She wore a simple white shirt paired with jeans, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. As it was the first time Zac saw her in person, a hint of astonishment flickered in his eyes.After returning to the country for four years, he mingled with the socialites in Aquastead.Nevertheless, he had never come across her. Instead, Jonathan, who came from Regalia, noticed her. He sighed with regret; he dared not covet the woman Jonathan had set his eyes on.He glanced at his phone. Jonathan had replied to the invitation message he sent just now."I'm up to something. I can't make it," Zac responded straightforwardly.Zac was seething with anger. He had worked overtime to complete the tasks assigned by Lucas and rushed back from Leafshire, just to catch up on the latest gossip about his romantic encounters.Yet, he didn't give him the chance to do so. His gaze turned toward Rose while editing the message swiftly."It seems like I've spotted your little beauty, Rose." Then, he
Rose responded without even lifting an eyelid, "He has something to attend to. He won't be coming."Jamie's face immediately darkened. He had intentionally called the people on the spot to establish dominance over Rose's new husband. Now that he was not coming, his arrangement would be in vain."What could be more important than meeting a father-in-law? Call him now and ask him to come over," Jamie ordered.Rose seemed to ignore his command as she continued eating her meal.Suddenly, Maya chuckled as she said, "Could it be that my brother-in-law can't bear to show his face? Is this the reason Rose doesn't want him to come? Oh! He isn't some old geezer, is he? Does he know about the night you went to Nightfall Lounge for excitement? Let's say if my brother-in-law were an old geezer, you'd be better off marrying that handsome guy at Nightfall Lounge that night!" Rose had just taken a bite of lobster when her movements suddenly froze.She did marry the guy from Nightfall Lounge. Ho
"Oh! Rose, I never thought you'd stoop so low as to be with a …" Maya said excitedly as her face filled with mockery.She was seizing the opportunity to humiliate Rose. However, before she could finish her sentence, Rose slapped her across the face."Ah!" She covered her face. "Rose, you …""This slap has been a long time coming. If it weren't for you that night …"Rose stared coldly at Maya. Her presence was overwhelming. A hint of guilt flashed in Maya's eyes. It seemed she was afraid Rose would reveal what happened that night when she drugged her. Then, she preemptively threatened, "Rose, my boyfriend is the manager of the Finch Group. He was highly regarded by Mr. Finch. If you dare to hit me, don't be surprised if my boyfriend asks Mr. Finch to deal with your family."Upon hearing this, Jamie immediately moved to strike Rose. Before he could land a blow, Jonathan grabbed his wrist.A touch of irony appeared on Rose's lips as she observed the situation. A single threat was
The words "my husband" sounded particularly sweet coming from her mouth. Jonathan was momentarily stunned."I have nothing left … I've been cast out of my family, and I've given you all the money. You're the only one I have."Rose seemed genuinely aggrieved. Jonathan recalled what had happened at Gourmet Haven. She had endured all the humiliation and bullying, but she had stood up for him in the end.He retrieved the idea of pushing her away as he said, "If you want to get back at them, I can help you."He rarely lent his hand to others. Nevertheless, in light of her defense of him, he could make an exception.After a while, the person in his arms still didn't respond. He furrowed his brows as he looked down, only to find that she had fallen asleep.Her face was against his chest, and there was drool at the corner of her mouth."So filthy!"Jonathan was full of disgust. However, he still picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. Once inside, he regretted his decision.T
Rose felt her scalp tingle under his intense gaze. Could she say it directly?"Nothing …" she chuckled awkwardly and fled.After fiddling with the printer for a while, she returned to Jonathan with a contract in hand."This is our marriage agreement. We didn't have the chance to draft it before, so let's do it now."Jonathan took a glance at the contract. It clearly stated that their marriage was a transaction, and they would divorce without any ties after one month.Besides, she also promised to clear the debt of more than four million she owed him before the divorce.Jonathan couldn't help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction as he asked, "One month? Are you sure you can pay off more than four million in one month?"Rose patted her chest confidently."Of course! One month is enough. Hurry up and sign it."The National Jewelry Design Award was just one month away. Once she secured the championship and inherited Celeste Jewels, the transaction would come to an end.Jonathan di
Inside Finch Building, the heads were all on edge after the impromptu video conference held last night. They were expecting bloodshed to hit the company today.However, Jonathan arrived with an unusually smiley face.Everyone was left bewildered, including Finley. Since he left work early yesterday, he wondered what had happened in his absence that made Jonathan so happy."Mr. Finch, this is a letter and documents we received this morning."Finley placed the items on the desk. He wanted to question him to clear up his confusion, but he dared not to. As Jonathan casually flipped through the documents, his gaze focused on an anonymous letter.He opened the envelope and saw a photo, which captured the scene in the hotel room yesterday morning. Initially, he wanted to investigate the source of this photo. However, he noticed that in the photo, Rose looked anxious on the bed—she was probably worrying about him.He raised his brows, and an inadvertent smile formed on his face.On th
Having acquired some money, Rose promptly booked a hotel room for the night.As Jonathan returned to Zenwood Gardens at midnight, he found the house completely vacant. Rose hadn't returned yet. Jonathan immediately called her as he was worried that she might be in danger.After a few rings, he heard Rose's drowsy voice from the other end as she said, "Hello? Who is this?""Where are you?" Jonathan asked in a deep, low voice.Rose's mind took a few seconds to digest his words as she was still groggy from sleep. She couldn't grasp what was happening."I'm at a hotel. Who are you?"With that, she promptly hung up the phone and went back to sleep.Jonathan stared at his phone with a dark expression. Only then did he realize that she had only stayed for one night here, yet he had come to regard this place as their home.However, she was right. After all, he was nobody to her. Both of them were just participants in a contractual marriage. They would go their separate ways in a month.
Rose and the man were only in a contractual marriage that would end when the time was up—he had heard it all outside the private room just now. It meant he still had a chance.He did have a crush on Rose; it was since high school when she came to his house with Yvonne for the first time. However, she was too young at the time. He had been waiting for her to grow up.Little did he know that after he went abroad, she ended up being together with Nixon.When he saw those messages from Maya in the high school alumni chat room that day, he didn't believe that Rose would be involved with another man.He was sure something had happened. Hence, he left his work there and immediately came back. Even their encounter on the street that night wasn't a coincidence.He heaved a long sigh. Since Rose and the man were just having a contractual marriage, he would wait for them to end it.The next morning, Rose had just woken up when she received the message regarding the time and location of the
And there was also Miles… He was currently on vacation abroad, which was a time meant for relaxation. If Rose were to die, hearing the news would likely affect his vacation, right?He would definitely rush back for this.It would be a time of sorrow and a time to take on the responsibilities of Young Group once again.He wouldn't know that Harriette played a part in Rose's death. In truth, Harriette only held resentment toward Rose, and even if she were with the Young family, she wouldn't harm Miles.However, when Rose reached this conclusion, she felt particularly uneasy.But she didn't have enough time to figure out why she felt uncomfortable. She thought about Elijah, Clover, Yvonne, Emily…The people she thought about flashed through her mind one by one.…Outside the warehouse, Harriette, in a state of panic, ran out. Once she was in a more populated area, she resumed her act.The doctors and nurses who left the warehouse earlier were no longer there.Harriette was surpr
When Harriette saw the look on Rose's face, she felt stirred up with even more excitement.She was astonished, shocked, and even confused—all these emotions were present except for fear.This made Harriette feel very dissatisfied. Why wasn't Rose afraid?She wanted to instill fear in Rose and make her scared. She even wanted to watch her tremble all over, begging for mercy and pleading for her life…How could she be okay as though nothing was happening at all?In the current situation, Carl has control over Rose. There was no chance Rose would be able to leave the psychiatric facility's warehouse today.So, Harriette decided to stop pretending.She faced Rose, whose eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions. With a gentle smile, she said, "I owe it all to you, Rose!"She passed on Carl's message to Rose, doubling the irony."Harriette, you…" If Rose didn't understand by now, she had to really be clueless.After Rose connected everything together, it became increasingly
That strange feeling in the air today hadn't faded since it began. Rose had the strange urge to find out where it came from. What would the result be?She ignored Henrietta's frantic cries. Her gaze slid past her and fell on Carl. She asked once more, "What do you intend to do?""What do I intend to do?" Carl sneered and continued, "The Finches sent me here to a psychiatric facility."He then chuckled. "Do I look insane to you?"Rose was speechless.Yes, very much so.Carl's heart was filled with genuine hatred. Being sent to the psychiatric facility was Ezra's doing. Ezra clearly wanted him to experience what his mother, Nancy, had suffered back then. During his time here, they injected him with drugs. He knew exactly what those drugs were doing to his body. It was the knowledge that filled him with terror. This was exactly what Ezra wanted. He even felt that he was mentally ill now.Hatred flared in his eyes. "No, I'm not sick. I don't have a mental illness! I don't have a m
Henrietta turned and left after she spoke. But how could Rose feel at ease with letting her search for Carl alone? He was a dangerous person.She had witnessed how dangerous and crazy he was that night. Now that everything he had done was revealed, he had even less qualms. If he hurt Henrietta again… Once she thought of Miles, she immediately followed Henrietta. She tailed her and realized Henrietta was darting aimlessly through the corridors. She peered through the glass door of each room to check inside. Once she was sure the person inside wasn't Carl, she would move on to the next room.Was that how she planned to find him? She had to go through the facility even if she wanted to see Carl. She would at least be able to guarantee her safety that way."Etta…" said Rose. She wanted to stop Henrietta so she could provide her information to the facility to meet Carl. However, just as she called out to Henrietta, she heard Henrietta's hoarse voice. "Carl!"The next instant, Rose
Rose stopped in her tracks and turned around, surprised to see the person behind her. Anastasia?"Don't…" Anastasia looked anxious. But before she could finish, someone from behind bumped into her, causing her to let go of Rose's hand.The person immediately apologized. "Sorry, I… I'm in a rush." The person looked frightened but quickly stepped into the elevator.As the elevator door was about to close, someone inside asked Rose, "Ms. Shaffer, aren't you coming?"For some reason, Rose entered the elevator."Rose…" Anastasia wanted to stop her, but as she reached out, the elevator door closed, leaving her standing alone.She tried to stop her, but she failed, so what else could she do?Rose… Since Miles left Regalia, Harriette had been behaving herself, but today, she was acting weird. She was about to cause trouble!Anastasia was certain of that. But she didn't know what Harriette was planning to do.In the elevator, Rose felt uneasy. The elevator reached the first floor. Wh
Harriette was warning Anastasia. If she interfered, she would "take care" of her.Anastasia's eyes flickered with surprise, and she swiftly looked away. After that, she quietly left the airport with the two of them.On the way back to the company, Harriette deliberately separated Anastasia from her and Rose. Anastasia took a car on her own, while Harriette and Rose shared one.In the car, Rose couldn't stop thinking about the look Anastasia had given her earlier. She felt that Anastasia had something she wanted to say to her.Rose sensed that ever since Harriette returned, Anastasia had changed entirely. She was no longer as aggressive as before. But despite Anastasia's change, they still didn't interact much.What could she possibly want to say to her?"Rose? Rose?" Harriette called her twice before Rose finally reacted. She was immediately met with Harriette's pout. "Rose, what were you daydreaming about? You weren't listening to me, were you?"Rose didn't respond. She tried t
Harriette was referring to Carl.Miles frowned instantly, as though worried that she might get hurt again.However, Harriette immediately reassured him, "Don't worry, Miles. As long as you're by my side, he won't be able to hurt me again."Miles thought for a moment, and his brows began to relax."Okay." Miles agreed for Harriette to meet Carl."Be good. I'll go visit Rose. She was scared last night too, but luckily nothing happened to her. Otherwise, her fate, as well as Jon's and Ezra's would be very different."Miles didn't hide his concern for Rose in front of Harriette."Go ahead, Miles. I'll visit her later today as well." Harriette said kindly.The moment Miles left the office, the smile on her face instantly faded."Such a shame…" She sighed, lamenting at Rose's luck. It would be ideal for her if something had happened between Ezra and Rose in the greenhouse.If so, Rose would have never had the chance to be with Jonathan, and there wouldn't be so much commotion at th
For a moment, there was only silence from the other end of the line. Lizzie didn't respond to Harriette's question."Madam?" Harriette called out cautiously.It was as if she'd flipped a switch because what came after was Lizzie's sharp questioning. "Did you already know that Rose and Jonathan were married?"Even over the phone, Harriette felt uneasy. "Answer me! Did you know?" Lizzie raised her voice.Harriete gulped. "I only realized later that the person Rose married was Mr. Finch. Madam, I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I just…""Just what?" Lizzie didn't believe that Harriette hadn't hidden the truth intentionally.In the past, Lizzie would have definitely punished Harriette for her dishonesty, but at that moment, there were more pressing matters than punishing Harriette.Lizzie forced down her anger. When she left the Finch Manor the night before, she hadn't returned to Cyrus's residence. Instead, she went to a luxury condominium she had secretly purchased.She'd sp
Jonathan understood what Ezra meant. "No matter what help you need, you can always ask Finley."By the time Rose came back downstairs, the serious expressions that Jonathan and Ezra had previously worn were replaced by smiles.Jonathan was preparing to send Rose to the Youngs, but right after they stepped out, they saw a luxury car parked outside the house, with Elijah standing beside it. Standing far apart, the two men locked eyes.Jonathan looked shocked at first, but the shock quickly disappeared. Elijah had most probably investigated Jonathan inside out, so it made sense that he knew the location of Jonathan's new house.Jonathan took the hint and handed Rose over to Elijah.When Rose reached the office, everyone she met gave her an oddly happy look."Ms. Shaffer, congratulations!""Ms. Shaffer, thank you so much!"Rose felt strange about receiving congratulations. What had happened that people were congratulating her? And thanks? Why were they thanking her?Rose was confu