Two months later. The perfume Melanie created, ‘Hypnotic’, became incredibly popular. With the York family’s base in Medonia as the core, the product’s popularity spread worldwide. The York family board of directors’ evaluation of Melanie rose significantly. Even the financial media, which tend to look down on wealthy businessmen, unanimously praised Joseph for his wisdom in choosing his successor. Not only did Melanie have business acumen and skills, but she also knew how to create perfumes. More importantly, ever since Melanie took over the family business, the York family seemed to have regained its former glory after suffering a slump. Thus, numerous media outlets rode on the trend and reported that Melanie was her family’s lucky charm. The family’s shareholders felt proud wherever they went. After all, who would dislike flattery, saying that their money tree had regained its youth? In an interview, a reporter asked Melanie how she managed to gain unanimous approval fro
Melanie’s heart skipped a beat. Not to exaggerate, but she was sweating all over, and she wasn't sure if it was due to shock or delight. Wrapping herself in a blanket, she sat up and composed herself before opening Jefford's message. ‘Are you asleep?’ The message was sent at 11:30 PM. What a flirtatious message. How suggestive! Melanie rolled her eyes in disdain. Jefford left without a word and disappeared for two months. Now, he suddenly reappeared to play games. Did he think she would care? Her fingers tapped away on the screen, speedily typing out a flat response. ‘So you’ve finally shown yourself, Master Jefford. Our agreement hasn't been fulfilled yet. Please complete it when you have time!’ To her surprise, he replied quickly. ‘Sure.’ After that, Jefford disappeared again. Melanie was so angry she couldn't sleep well that night. The next day, with dark circles under her eyes, she snapped at anyone she saw. Everyone avoided provoking her, thinking it
"Where are we going?" Melanie asked, feeling guarded. The driver looked into the rearview mirror and slowed down. "Miss, didn’t you instruct me to wait for you after work and take you to see Mr. Davidson?" "Oh..." Melanie responded and relaxed. She was too nervous, thinking that the driver might have been bribed by Nathan and Leo... This morning, her secretary mentioned that Leo had previously signed an endorsement deal with Wade Davidson. Since Leo had disappeared for so long, it was time to deal with that product line’s endorsement after delaying it all this time. Melanie had arranged to meet with Wade, even choosing a discreet restaurant for the location. This afternoon was so hectic that she had forgotten about it. "Miss, are we still going there?" the driver asked carefully. "Yes." Melanie nodded and glanced down at her protruding belly. When Wade saw her later, well… this belly… uhm… Sure enough. Half an hour later. The car stopped in the parking garage
"Wow! No wonder she looked familiar. She’s famous in the financial magazines, the daughter of the York family!" "A really rich woman! No wonder Wade's career has been smooth lately!" The hiding paparazzi were in an uproar. After snapping tons of photos, the reporters quickly sent the material back to their teams, all eager to grab the headlines. "Everyone, brace yourselves for a busy period. Since Wade is the spokesperson for the York family’s products, there will surely be more to find out about these two!" - Wade escorted Melanie to her car. Once Melanie settled in, she covered her pregnant belly with her coat and handed the big teddy bear back to Wade. "Here." "You keep it," Wade said. "It’s a gift from your fans, so why give it to me?" Melanie insisted on returning the bear. "Thanks." With that, she instructed the driver to drive away. Wade watched as Melanie's car left before reluctantly getting into his MPV... - At Harbor City, Jeffrey and Stephen were h
After simply packing up, Jeffrey boarded the plane because he couldn't wait until evening. Before takeoff, he was huffing as he searched for news about Wade and Melanie on his phone. However, the results showed no relevant news articles. The corner of his eyes twitched. Unable to hold back, he called Melanie. He hadn't dared to call her before in case he couldn’t hold back and revealed his identity. He had kept this secret for too long and didn't want to tell her from afar. It would be too insincere. But now, he couldn't care less. The dial tone rang a few times before the call was answered. “What happened to the news about you and Wade?” he asked bluntly. “What are you talking about?” Melanie asked. “The news about you and Wade...” Jeffrey repeated. Melanie scoffed. He finally called her after all this time, but it was to ask about this. A man's competitive spirit was greater than anything after all. Even if he refused to take responsibility, he didn’t want to se
Ever since Linda lost her grip on power, Harlow had been hiding overseas and feared returning.Even when Leo was met with an accident, and Melanie took over the York family's business under Joseph's arrangement, Harlow didn't dare to show up and say no. That showed how weak and afraid for his life he was.Ever since Linda was sentenced, the forces around her collapsed. Melanie could not think of anyone who would treat Linda's son kindly.Miss Yancey, who had called the shots in the business and fashion industries for twenty years, found herself without any trustworthy friends as soon as she fell from power.It was sad.For this reason, Melanie gave it the benefit of doubt and genuinely worried that the boy was in trouble.After assuming this, Melanie spoke patiently to the boy. "Give your phone to the man next to you. I'll talk to him.""Man?"The boy's voice could be heard. After a moment, a man answered the phone."Hello. May I ask where you are now?" Melanie asked."I'm he
Who cared? Master Jefford was probably being a prick. Melanie could not help but think this way.Suddenly, she felt her baby kicking in her stomach."Ouch."Melanie moaned briefly.Was her baby giving her a hint?It was too risky. Besides, she was physically inconvenienced. She should not only be thinking about herself… She also had to protect her unborn child."Okay. I agree that you should send someone else there first. However, it would preferably be a woman who does not pose any threat." Melanie finally nodded in agreement."Don't worry. We'll send someone with physical traits similar to yours." Richard sighed in relief."You'd best not."Melanie shook her head after thinking about it. "That kid will notice something isn't right once she gets close. Neither adults nor kids like being lied to.""Alright."Richard felt what Melanie said made sense. He instructed someone to get prepared after agreeing to it."Housekeeper, please get everyone to move faster. The temperature
Melanie panicked.Jefford suddenly showed up in the middle of the night. After entering the room, he did not even say anything. All he did was stare at her stomach…Did he know?She would not have known he was staring at the teddy bear. The longer he stared, the more nervous she felt. This also made her hug the teddy bear tighter.Jeffrey narrowed his eyes.Was she actually hugging it even tighter?"Why are you here?" Melanie asked while trying to hide her guilt.Jeffrey clenched his fists. "Don't you feel warm holding that thing?"He felt an endless source of strength surging through his body, but he had no idea how to release it. He had to either clench his jaw or his fists."I don't feel warm." Melanie squeezed the teddy bear.Jeffrey's mouth twitched. "Then keep holding it!" He looked away."Are you here for business or not?" Melanie was getting anxious."I heard Linda's child ran away after getting scared. What happened next?" Jeffrey was unwilling to look at the teddy
Pleasantly surprised, Melanie turned around to see the man she had been looking for. She never stopped saying his name in her head. He stood right behind her.At that moment, she stopped thinking completely.Without even hesitating, she ran toward him and dove into his arms."Ughh."Jeffrey groaned in pain. He did not dare to press against her stomach. Instead, he arched his back to hold her."Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how I…" She cried so much that she could not speak."Alright, alright. Good girl. Don't cry. I've come back."Jeffrey kept rubbing the back of her head. "Eagle was too neurotic. I've nearly gone mad from dealing with him. I finally got him to regain some of his sanity today… That's how I had the chance to find you…""How did you know where to find me?" Melanie asked."Today is the day of Nathan's trial. I know you'd definitely be in the courtroom," Jeffrey said confidently.Melanie finally calmed down a little. After letting go of him,
"We're not together…"Kenneth's facial expression changed as soon as he saw Melanie.Melanie noticed there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. This was an unsettling feeling for her. "Then where is he? What happened to you guys?"Noticing that she was shaking, Annie and Carson, who had accompanied her to court, rushed forward to assist her."Eagle had a prior arrangement with Nathan. Once Nathan and Leo's plan at the York family's residence was thwarted, Nathan would press a button. Eagle would then receive a code to detonate a bomb. He'd blow us all up," Kenneth explained."Jeffrey was the one who noticed Eagle wasn't in the right state of mind. That's why he informed me to leave with Mr. Oliver. He… Stayed behind to persuade Eagle…" He added."What happened then?" Melanie's voice was shaking."All I knew after that was that the hotel blew up. I waited for him to contact me but he never did. Mr. Oliver and I have been on the run from Nathan's shadowy pursuits. I only managed to sn
Three days later, the trial was officially in session.Leo's attorney was practically defenseless because the York family's allegations of him poisoning Joseph had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Leo was directly sentenced to life in prison.Nathan's attorney, on the other hand, was clever. They tried everything they could to deflect Nathan's allegations.After the presiding judge evaluated the case, he looked up. "Does the plaintiff have any more evidence that the defendant, Nathan, intentionally killed someone?"Hank sat silently at the plaintiff's table.They could only provide evidence of the time when Nathan had tried to murder Hank. However, they had no evidence of Nathan being involved in the explosion on the island this time.Hank looked at Melanie in the audience. She was also frowningThe presiding judge's implication was well understood. Without more evidence, Nathan would not receive a life sentence…"The plaintiff simply does not have sufficient evidence to
Carson sighed. It was time to explain everything to Hank…Although Carson had spent a lot of time in Hank's hospital as Professor Marshall, and he would also tend to their men's wounds, as well as discuss a variety of topics with Hank, they had never acknowledged their relationship…Besides, Carson knew Hank hated him.Hank hated him for being heartless to his grandmother back then. That was why Hank changed his last name to Castillo instead of Yule…"Let's take Melanie back to rest. I'll explain the rest to you myself," Carson said. Hank had already figured out half of it."Grandpa, I'm not going back. I'll wait for the news here," Melanie said firmly.There was no sign of Jeffrey's corpse yet. She would wait until the rescue team confirmed that they could not find any corpse.She wanted a clear answer."Okay. I'll get the trailer ready for you. You can lie down inside. You can't afford to hurt your body anymore than you already have. I checked your pulse earlier. It's not loo
Buzz!Melanie's vision turned black. She began falling backward."Melanie! Melanie!"Carson propped her up and called the doctor over.However, Melanie opened her eyes after a few seconds and tried to stand up. "I'm fine… Grandpa, take me there… I want to go to the scene of the explosion…""You're in no state…""I'm fine. I can hold up," Melanie promised."If you don't let me go and see it with my own eyes, I'll be even more paranoid," she added.Carson knew his granddaughter too well. He sighed and frowned before requesting for a ride. He met up with Hank. The two of them accompanied Melanie to look for Jeffrey.Jeffrey, Kenneth, Mr. Oliver, and Eagle waited at the drop-off point near the York family's residence. Nathan had instructed them to not do anything rash.Mr. Oliver and Eagle were still useful to Nathan.Once Nathan acquired Joseph's signature, he would meet up with them.However, the small hotel they were waiting at was already in ruins. There was smoke everywher
'Chief… Frankie?'Leo turned around in surprise. Nathan did the same. They saw Chief Frankie and several Interpol agents walking out from behind a screen in Joseph's room.Melanie was a part of that group!"Aren't you… dead?" Leo pointed at Melanie in shock."Thanks to you, I'll live a long life." Melanie sneered.Chief Frankie waved his hand. The police behind him charged forward to put handcuffs on Leo and Nathan. Leo narrowed his eyes and quickly pressed a button on the remote in his hand."We'll all die together!" He shouted.However, no matter how hard he pressed, nothing happened in the room."What's going on here… Eagle?" Leo's voice was trembling.His hands were cuffed, and the remote control was confiscated by the police."Leo, you are suspected of poisoning Master York and attempting to murder Melanie and others on the island. We are arresting you for premeditated murder!" Chief Frankie uttered calmly."No… No…" Leo struggled but to no avail. He had no idea what wa
At the same time, Melanie and Carson were on a plane with Professor Turner. They soon arrived at Medonia.Carson contacted Hank ahead of time and asked him to pick them up with his men.After the exhausting journey, Melanie's face was pale. She seemed to be in very poor condition. "I've already contacted the maternity hospital for you. You can go there and wait for your delivery. Leave the rest to me.""No…"Melanie shook her head. "I have to go back."Jeffrey was still in Nathan's hands. She would not be able to wait peacefully if she went to the hospital.Carson knew his granddaughter well enough. "Let her go. Professor Turner and I will be with here. We'll be ready for anything."Carson was still disguised as Maximilian. Hank did not know he was Carson. Hank nodded in agreement.“Mr. Castillo, there's something I need to trouble you with.” Melanie said."I heard from Professor Marshall that you're on good terms with the chief of Medonia's Interpol. Can I trouble him to be a
"Wait a minute! Isn't Jefford actually Jeffrey?" Leo asked while running after Nathan.Nathan ignored him and continued to walk forward.Leo did not give up and followed Nathan closely. "Who exactly is Jeffrey to you?""Are you being unreasonable right now? Why are you still so unsure at this point?" Nathan glanced at Leo contemptuously."I'm dealing with serious business. Don't get in my way with your petty romantic affairs!"After saying that, he glared at Leo and exited the cabin.Leo felt chills in his heart, but he could not make Nathan stay…-Jeffrey was tied up on the deck all this time. His body was freezing, and his lips were turning purple from the cold."Hey, President Morgan, fancy seeing you like this!" Nathan laughed grimly when he saw the miserable state Jeffrey was in."Thanks to you, I've been more miserable than this on many occasions. This is nothing." Jeffrey made it sound like a walk in the park."Hehe." Nathan sneered."I know. You've had strong willp
Lynette seemed stunned. She could not help but stand up with the help of the railing on the speedboat. Her eyes turned red as looked at the island burning in the distance. There was a look of disbelief on her face…If they had not evacuated five minutes ago…By now…She would not have even been able to breathe and think…The explosion sent shockwaves across the ocean's surface. The ride became even more bumpy. With sea water splashing against them, they had all become wet."Are you alright?" Carson protected Melanie. He was worried she would not be able to take it.Her stomach did feel awful, but she braced herself and tried not to tense up. Her emotions would affect her baby.When Lynette heard the voices behind her, she turned around to look at Melanie. Her gaze had become much softer than before. "You're not going to give birth on the boat, are you? I'm a woman, but I don't know how to be a midwife!""I won't give birth now. There are still things left to do," Melanie said.