“That’s correct.” Jeffrey Morgan’s voice resonated in the room.The statement finally put an end to Mr. Hans' need to impress. He adjusted his suit and thought, ‘We might finally secure that investment from Morgan Group next quarter!’“Miss Melanie.”At that moment, Jeffrey spoke again, addressing Melanie, “Prep yourself. You’ll be attending the International Socialites Gala with representatives from Morgan Group.”What?Mr. Hans had initially nodded along but his smile had now frozen in place. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. Mr. Hans stammered, "Mr. Morgan, a-are you confirming your selection?"Jeffrey’s voice turned cold, and he inquired, "What? Do you think I have poor judgment? Or that I’m blind?""N-no, I-I dare not..."Mr. Hans trembled in fear, no longer concerned about his company's growth. He was solely thinking about how to save his own skin.The other judges in the room exchanged uncertain glances, realizing that not speaking up earlier had been a stroke of luc
The crowd fell silent as realization hit. No one dared challenge the person who had just secured the prestigious spot. They also kept their eyes off the event organizer, but more importantly, they avoided crossing paths with Melanie, who had just secured a significant victory. Instead, they turned their disdainful gazes toward Lena and vent their frustration through sarcastic remarks.However, some quick-thinking, opportunistic folks swiftly changed their allegiance to Melanie. They rushed over to flatter her with congratulatory words, but Melanie had no interest in these fickle admirers. She simply walked away with her cane in hand to the elevator.As she reached the end of the corridor, someone caught up with her from behind and said, "Miss Melanie, we will send you the invitation to the International Socialites Gala as soon as possible. In addition, we will need you to provide a medical report."The employee from Morgan Group continued, emphasizing further, "You understand, we wa
Things were going awry with the cheating pair.A rising star's secret rendezvous with her cousin's fiancé and getting pregnant before marriage. What a juicy piece of news!After leaving the nurse's station, Melanie took out her phone and saw a message from Annie Snow: [By the way, the Wests have been claiming that your engagement to Bryan remains intact and that it'll be held again in a week. What now?]Melanie replied: [Don't worry.]She quickly typed a message, [Tomorrow, I'll have the entire world know that if I marry Bryan West, I'll be the dumbest person on Earth!]Annie asked with anticipation. [Does this mean we're in for a show tomorrow?][Exactly! But I'll need your help.] Melanie replied: [Where are you? Let's meet.]The two found a spot at a nearby coffee shop and spent half an hour coordinating their plans.In the end, Melanie handed Annie the access card to Bryan's office, a card he had given her in the past.Annie clutched the access card tightly, her anticipatio
It was good that Lena was here. It saved Melanie the trouble of looking for her.Melanie walked past the reporters and overheard their questions."Lena, Melanie Jones is your manager and your cousin. Why is she competing with you for a spot at the International Socialites Gala? Are you not getting along?""How was she selected by the judges? Is there some foul play involved?"Lena, with an innocent expression, exclaimed, "No way! It must be a misunderstanding. Melanie isn't like that. She's a capable person with great ideas. Over the past two years, she's the one who's sealed all of my business deals. She even manages things in Jones Enterprise. She's amazing.""Are you saying Melanie Jones has the support of Jones Enterprise and knows how to get things done behind the scenes?" The reporters interpreted Lena's implications perfectly.Lena covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to have made a slip of the tongue. Her assistant stepped in to protect her, saying, "Please stop as
"It's indeed not enough." Mr. Reynolds' objective tone shifted the intense atmosphere in the boardroom."The chairman transferred half of her shares to Miss Melanie, and the share transfer was effective as of yesterday. So, this vote doesn't have a majority.""It can't be!"Daniel, filled with anger and embarrassment, stood up without regard for his image and shouted at Eliza, "My older brother said Melanie shouldn't enter the company! This is the Joneses' legacy! We can't have everything belong to just you and your daughter!""Jones Enterprise was built from the ground up by my father. Allowing you into the company was a gesture of brotherly love. After his passing, inheritance laws state that Jones Enterprise belongs to my mother and I. It does not belong to the family. You mustn't mix them up, Uncle Daniel," Melanie replied.Melanie stood tall, maintaining her composure, and turned to address the group. She said, "The agenda of today's meeting is to discuss how to reverse the l
"What am I then?"At that moment, someone entered the room. To everyone's astonishment, it was indeed Stephen Morgan!All the board members stood up in awe, their faces full of respect. In their eyes, Stephen was not just a popular young actor; he was also the second young master of the Morgan Group.No one could have anticipated that Melanie had managed to bring him here."Mr. Morgan, please don't misunderstand. I wasn't referring to you." Daniel hurriedly apologized, forcing a smile.Lena quickly fixed her appearance to greet Stephen.However, Stephen paid no attention to them and simply turned to Melanie. He said, "I think your proposal is good. I'll sign it.""Great!" Melanie's lips curled into a satisfied smile.However, Stephen deliberately wrinkled his nose in disdain and looked at Daniel. "But this room is too stuffy. Let's change to someplace else."Melanie extended her hand and said, "In that case, let's move next door to discuss the details and sign the contract."
As Bryan and Lena entered, Melanie immediately caught a familiar scent of perfume. It was the same one she used.She could not help but smirk. Melanie recalled how after she had questioned Bryan twice about the scent of a woman's perfume on him, Lena tried to deceive her by asking her about her perfume, claiming that she liked it too. Since then, Lena had been using the same perfume as Melanie, making it convenient for Lena to engage in an affair with Bryan.Lena, unaware of Melanie's thoughts, approached her with a conciliatory tone. "Mel, I've invited Bryan today to set things straight. Let's not hold any grudges."Melanie responded sarcastically, "I obtained the invite for the International Socialites Gala. Is that not something you'll hold a grudge over?"Lena waved her hands and feigned a smile. "Of course not, I'm genuinely happy for you."At that moment, Bryan approached and embraced Melanie in an overbearing manner, exclaiming, "Mel, being intoxicated was the cause of th
In Bryan West's office, hidden cameras were already in place. All the footage streamed to Melanie's smartphone in a grid pattern. She instructed the driver to send her home.Not long after, Annie's people disguised as paparazzi arrived and positioned themselves outside the West Corp's building, just as Lena Jones peered out from Bryan's office window.Lena panicked and dialed Bryan's number on her phone.On the other end, Melanie picked up the phone and answered the call."Babe, I'm trapped at the West Corp. You have to come and..."Before Lena could finish her sentence, Melanie pressed the play button on her computer, playing a pre-recorded conversation Annie had prepared for Lena to hear."Whose call is that, Bryan?""It doesn't matter. You're the one I'm focused on.""Really?""Of course.""You know, I see you hanging around Lena often. I thought you liked her type.""That's impossible. She's a celebrity. And she's friendly with many men. You, on the other hand, are elega
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.