Online, the four beauty influencers who had previously collaborated with Vivian unexpectedly turned against her. They claimed that the night before using the perfume, Vivian had invited them to dinner and tampered with their fragrances during the meal.The scandal escalated when they realized something was amiss. Upon analyzing the perfume's ingredients, they found an element known to cause allergic reactions. This ingredient was absent from other samples, leading them to conclude that Vivian was behind the tampering.To make matters worse, the most influential beauty blogger leaked chat records with Vivian. These records confirmed that after the incident, Vivian had continuously encouraged him to manipulate public opinion online, aiming to utterly ruin Jones Enterprise's perfume line.Vivian's motives stemmed from personal revenge. She had initially shot the first commercial for the perfume but was edited out significantly due to her unsatisfactory performance. As a result, view
It would be better if Jeffrey didn't come, Stephen thought as he discreetly pocketed his phone.-Having finished handling the documents on his desk, Jeffrey pondered over Stephen's unusual question earlier. He instructed William, "Find out what Stephen is up to."Soon after, William reported back, "Sir, Mr. Stephen is shooting the second advertisement for Jones Enterprise's perfume today. Moreover... Madam has replaced his co-star."What?Jeffrey furrowed his brows. "Bring me the last advertisement proposal that Jones Enterprise submitted!""Yes, sir!"Without delay, William quickly presented the plan before Jeffrey. Jeffrey's eyes darkened as he reviewed the advertisement plans, which involved a lot of hugging and close contact.He promptly ordered, "We're going to the studio!"-Stephen began filming his solo scenes while Melanie sat in a chair and scrolled through her phone.Online sentiments were overwhelmingly negative toward Vivian.Critics labeled her as jealous a
"Cut!"The photographer called for a break. "Let's take a break. Maybe you're tired, Stephen. Take a moment to refocus."As Stephen stepped out from the glow of the spotlight, he immediately caught William signaling him urgently from the shadows. Stephen hurriedly went over.-In the dressing room, Jeffrey was already waiting.Seeing his uncle's cunning eyes, Stephen was reminded of the vulnerability he felt when stripped bare at the high-society event. Instinctively, he covered his chest with a hand."Uncle Jeffrey? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?" Stephen cautiously asked."If I didn't come, I wouldn't have found out you had the guts to do something like this!" Jeffrey eyed him coldly."Uncle Jeffrey, please don't misunderstand. You saw it earlier! I kept my distance! I didn't even dare to look Aunt in the eyes!" Stephen swore.Jeffrey snorted. At least the boy had some sense! Had he looked, he wouldn't be treated so lightly now!"Take off your clothes," Jeffrey or
"Mr. Nathan!"Seeing the familiar man, Melanie's thoughts quickly returned to her time at the hospital in Azure City. This man had visited her on behalf of the International Socialites Gala.She remembered his name was Nathan Quinn.The eyes of the elegant and humble man before her lit up with surprise. "Miss Melanie, you actually remember me?"Melanie smiled slightly without explaining.The reason she remembered Nathan's name was that Jeffrey seemed particularly concerned about him."So, Miss Melanie, are you here to look around, or do you have your eyes on a particular piece of land?" Nathan asked, exchanging pleasantries."My family is planning to build a new factory, and we do have our eyes on a particular plot," Melanie replied gracefully."I see," Nathan nodded with a smile. "So do I."As they exchanged pleasantries, neither noticed a mother-daughter pair standing in another direction.It was Lena and her mother.After being ousted by Jones Enterprise, then spurned by
The auction began.The first few plots of land presented were highly sought-after. Some had prime locations, some were close to water sources, and others offered great value. All of them sparked intense bidding wars.However, Melanie remained indifferent. Occasionally, she'd glance at updates on her phone. Vivian's talent agency had completely abandoned her, and the internet was filled with criticism against her. Melanie felt she got what she deserved.As the auction neared its end, the final plot of land up for bidding was the one Melanie was interested in.After a brief description by the host, the opening bid was announced at forty million."Forty-five million!" Melanie announced loudly, raising her paddle.Some men turned their heads in surprise. Hers was the first female voice heard in the auction. Everyone seemed satisfied when they saw her appearance, as her looks matched her confident bid."Fifty million," came a voice from another direction.Lily glanced over and
Lena almost choked on her saliva!She had tried so hard to get close to Nathan, and now she found herself near him, only for Melanie to ruin the moment completely!Melanie seemed like her jinx!Lena clenched her fists tightly as Nathan and Melanie moved away. Her lips turned pale from how hard she was biting them.-"Mr. Nathan, thank you for your concession earlier," Melanie said, breaking the silence first.Nathan smiled and shook his head. "Just call me Nathan. Why were you interested in that plot? It doesn't seem to offer much value."Melanie explained about Jones Enterprise's plans for a factory location and then turned the question around, "What about you? Why did you want that piece of land? If I hadn't persisted, you would have had it."Nathan looked down with a smile and paused before he said, "Because... it's a place someone I once loved dearly was fond of.""Oh," Melanie quickly responded, sensing Nathan's hesitation and the pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that
Ten minutes later, Nathan appeared in front of Melanie. "Miss Melanie, why did you suddenly change your mind again?"Melanie smirked and said, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"A glint flashed in Nathan's eyes as he chuckled. "Why don't you tell me both?""The lie is that I couldn't wait to repay you this favor. The truth is, I just found out that there's a business partner at this banquet whom I've been wanting to meet."Observing the charm radiating from Melanie's eyes, Nathan's lips twitched into a meaningful smile.Melanie continued, "But truly, I don't like owing favors to others. So, the lie isn't entirely false."Nathan laughed heartily. "Miss Melanie, you truly are amusing."Melanie's lips curved into a beautiful smile.Nathan gestured with his arm, and Melanie looped her arm through his. Then, they walked side by side toward the banquet hall.Nathan presented the invitation, and the attendant at the entrance checked it. Once done, the attendant politely ushe
Outside the dessert shop, a black Maybach slowly approached the street corner and stopped. The window was halfway lowered, revealing Jeffrey's narrowed eyes on the woman inside the shop.The shimmering tear at the corner of her eye stabbed at his heart, leaving a bitter taste.Was she crying because of him?Reflecting on his words from earlier, he realized he had gone too far.He had always been a man of extreme rationality. How could he have acted so impulsively today, letting his emotions get the better of him and uttering words that hurt both him and her? He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his brows furrowed deeply.Just as he was about to step out and meet her, he received a call from William."President Morgan, your guess was correct. Nathan indeed had someone tamper with the banquet. However, since you took Madam away, he probably ordered them to retreat. We've only found some faint traces. Would you like to come and see for yourself?""I got it. I'm on my way!"End
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.