How strange!Melanie raised an eyebrow as she skimmed through the news.The pictures in the news were a bit blurry, but the woman beside Jacob White did indeed resemble her... This was both amusing and exasperating.It was no wonder John was the face of White Group in recent matters. It turns out his father preferred the company of a mistress over handling official duties.Melanie scrolled through the comments to find that some people were convinced it was Melanie. They noted that even the dress resembled what she wore at the International Socialites Gala interview.Others dismissed it as a joke, mentioning the well-known rivalry between the Jones and White families, finding it unbelievable that the heiress of Jones Enterprise would be the mistress of White Group's chairman."Miss Melanie, could this be a deliberate scheme by White Group?" the assistant asked with concern.Melanie furrowed her brows slightly and said, "I can't see any advantage for them in doing so right now.
With her silver tongue, Melanie quickly acquainted the two proud ladies with each other, even pulling them into a group chat. Annie humorously named the group "Avengers Alliance".With their plan set, Gemma returned home and quietly waited.Following Melanie's strategy, she leaked the news of her previous encounter with Melanie to Grace, intending to make Grace reach out first. Gemma knew she couldn't make the first move. Otherwise, she'd risk making Grace suspicious.However, Gemma only waited a day. A servant hurriedly informed her the next noon, "Miss! Miss Grace is here!"As expected, Melanie's prediction was right.Considering Grace's temperament, she wouldn't make Gemma wait longer than a day. Gemma couldn't help but admire Melanie's foresight."Let her in," Gemma instructed, then she turned to the servant. "Have you memorized the lines I gave you earlier?""Of course, Miss," the servant replied respectfully.Gemma nodded in satisfaction. She had prepared some items o
Gemma looked up. She followed Grace's gaze, her brows furrowing instantly."It's her...""Why would she come to a White Group hotel this late?" The glint in Grace's eyes became sharper.Grace had initially planned to deal with Melanie at the Azure City. It was remote and deserted enough, and she had used her most trusted individuals. Even if the Jones family investigated afterward, they would hardly find any evidence linking back to her. She had thought her plan was foolproof. But against all odds, she heard Melanie had returned unscathed after being rescued by an unknown person!This news left Grace seething.But now, with the recent news of Jacob's alleged affair, Grace felt as if a gateway to a new world had opened up before her. This was undoubtedly another opportunity to bring Melanie down! Even if she couldn't end Melanie's life, she could ruin her reputation. She could ensure Melanie would never show her face in public again!Almost instinctively, Grace followed Mela
After setting everything up, Melanie retreated to a corner near the stairwell and waited.Three minutes later, Mrs. White appeared outside the presidential suite with a dozen burly men. Without hesitation, she ordered them to push open the suite's door forcefully.She roared, "Let's see who the shameless vixen is!"Grace was still inside and searching for Melanie, and she barely had time to react. Suddenly, a bottle filled with an unknown liquid was hurled at her face, drenching her from head to toe. Shocked and panicking, she screamed for help!Hearing the commotion from the bathroom, Jacob hurriedly wrapped a towel around himself and stepped out, only to see Mrs. White. He instinctively asked, "Why are you here?!""What do you think? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed you'd keep such a vixen under my nose!" Mrs. White snapped.With a single gesture, her bodyguards rushed forward. One delivered a swift kick to Grace's knee, forcing her to kneel be
Upon hearing the media gathering at the entrance, Mrs. White restrained herself slightly.Seizing the opportunity, Grace broke free from the bodyguards. She disregarded her disheveled state and dashed away.Mrs. White was furious. She screamed, "Shameless wench! Try and seduce my man again! I'll make sure you regret it!"Melanie was wearing a duckbill cap and stood at the back of the crowd. She watched as Grace stumble and flee. Grace even tripped over a chair near the exit, looking utterly embarrassed."Hurry, disperse the media!" Jacob ordered his subordinates.Still catching her breath, Mrs. White addressed the media, "Why are you still filming us? That shameless woman has fled! Go after her!"Naturally, there were cameras focused on Grace. Numerous reporters trailed behind her. There were even more than those present during her fashion events. Grace hadn't anticipated that the media would appear so quickly when she asked Gemma to call them!The situation seemed increasingl
The one Eliza had invited was actually William?!This revelation left the three young individuals present utterly stunned.To ensure his safety, William promptly stepped forward. He greeted Eliza politely and said, "Madam Jones, this is Mr. Morgan.""Oh!" Eliza hurriedly stood up in respect.No wonder the moment they entered, she noticed the imposing and decisive aura around the man standing in front of William. He was, after all, the President of Morgan Group.However, since Jeffrey had only recently returned to the country, Eliza hadn't formally met him in such settings before."Mr. Morgan, would you like to join us?" Eliza courteously extended the invitation.With a stern face, Jeffrey accepted.The four found themselves seated at a square table in a tense atmosphere.Eliza kept firing questions, but they were all directed at William. She inquired about his origins, how he adjusted to living in Harbor City since he wasn't a local, his family back home, and when he had met
Melanie immediately began preparations to welcome the Lifetime Honorary Chairman upon her discharge from the hospital.The association handed her a detailed list that spanned two full A4 pages.The honorary chairman desired a room with a south-facing balcony, an authentic traditional breakfast, a black business car for transportation, a male driver aged between forty and fifty, and so on. The requirements were incredibly specific.For over a week, Melanie transformed into an administrative powerhouse. She conducted three rounds of interviews just to find qualified drivers.Finally, her persistence and effort paid off. Melanie had everything settled by the evening before the honorary chairman arrived in Harbor City. She arranged transportation and coordinated with the company's administrative team to greet the man at the airport the next morning.That night, Melanie received a call from Annie, who immediately inquired, "Darling, about the news of Grace sneaking into Chairman Wh
"Mr. Gibson is still waiting for his luggage. He sent us ahead to meet with you," one of Cyrus' assistants explained.Melanie and the administrative manager exchanged glances. Sensing their curiosity, the assistant added, "Mr. Gibson's luggage contains precious spices and fragrances, items that no one should handle casually."So, that was what happened.Cyrus seemed eccentric, prioritizing his fragrances above all else.Suddenly, a swarm of journalists appeared seemingly out of nowhere, encircling the group and bombarding the young assistants with questions. "Are you Mr. Gibson's assistants?" "Where is Mr. Gibson? Did he not arrive yet?"The two young assistants looked bewildered. One of them glanced warily at Melanie, "Miss Melanie, did you arrange for the media interviews as well?"Melanie's eyes narrowed. She knew it!John wouldn't remain passive for long.Realizing that the Morgan Group's celebrity wouldn't arrive anytime soon, Melanie tried to clarify, "I genuinely
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.