However, things didn't go as planned.When Melanie hurriedly accompanied Cyrus to the garden that cultivated emerald vines, they were informed that someone had bought it all at a high price."All of them?"Cyrus became anxious, his beard bristling with anger.The shopkeeper nodded. "I'm truly sorry, Elder Gibson.""If you wanted a higher price, I could've paid! Any price would have been acceptable. But how could you not leave a single one for me? We've known each other for so many years! This is deliberate humiliation!" Cyrus raged.The shopkeeper looked distressed. "This year's situation is truly exceptional. The buyer has a significant background. They insisted on purchasing all of them, leaving none for you. I couldn't possibly keep any aside..."Melanie held Cyrus back from erupting further as she asked, "Sir, can you at least tell us who the buyer is? We might be able to contact them privately."The shopkeeper shook his head. "I genuinely don't know who it is. I'm not lyin
During the season when emerald vines blossomed, it was the hottest time in Willowfort. Various heat-loving flowers bloomed enthusiastically, igniting the passions of the people.Nobles and celebrities from around the world were eager to come here during this season to hold gatherings.To match the fervent atmosphere, Melanie chose to wear a stunning red gown to the ball.The moment she entered, she immediately caught the attention of many. Though a newcomer to the ball, her beauty and elegance were unparalleled, causing whispers about her identity to spread.As Melanie scanned the surroundings, contemplating where to start searching for clues about the emerald vine, a voice full of provocation came from behind her. "Isn't this my dear cousin? It's been a while!""Lena?"Melanie turned around in surprise to see Lena. Her dress was full of intricate and beautiful elements, and she exuded an overwhelming aura."It hasn't been that long. Didn't you walk off in a huff from me at th
Melanie was taken aback as she turned around.Why was Jeffrey here?Wasn't this Willowfort?Staring at each other, the covert glints between Jeffrey and Nathan's eyes made Melanie feel as if she were still in Harbor City."You know Miss Melanie, President Morgan?" Nathan's lips still held a hint of a smile.However, Jeffrey's face turned ashen with a hint of disdain. "I do, more than you'd think."With that, Jeffrey reached out and pulled Melanie away, not caring that Nathan could hear him. "Don't make perfume for him."As Melanie followed closely behind Jeffrey, she asked, "Aren't you afraid he'll figure out our relationship?""Not afraid," Jeffrey replied coldly.What he truly feared was Melanie's involvement with Nathan.Once they reached a secluded balcony, Jeffrey released her hand. "Remember my words. Stay away from that man.""I understand."This time, Melanie was more compliant.Nathan seemed like a thorn in Jeffrey's heart. Since he feared the pain of that thorn,
Melanie raised her glass and leaned casually against the bar counter, reflecting on Cyrus's call and her experiences upon entering the ballroom.Two individuals had raised her suspicions—Lena, who mysteriously knew her intentions, and Nathan, who had also inquired about the emerald vines.Suddenly, a group of women nearby erupted in whispers. "Did you all see the news?""What happened?""Just now, Morgan Group acquired the Trade Center in Willowfort!""Really? That's a massive move! Morgan Group is incredibly wealthy!"As they chatted, their gazes involuntarily shifted toward Jeffrey, who stood nearby. His demeanor was so regal that he seemed almost ethereal. Marrying him would mean endless luxury. One could never exhaust his wealth!"I've heard that as soon as Morgan Group acquired it, Jeffrey swiftly replaced the previous management. He's decisive and impressive!"The women continued to gossip, clearly smitten.However, one woman interjected with a note of caution. "A man li
Jeffrey was stunned.He watched in disbelief as Melanie was led away right before his eyes by another man, the two seamlessly making their way onto the dance floor. The man introduced himself, chatting animatedly while Melanie responded with approving smiles.Jeffrey's eyes narrowed. Throughout his life, everything he desired was almost within his grasp.Yet, at this moment, his own woman had publicly turned him down!Just then, a woman stepped in front of him, obstructing his view of them. When Jeffrey looked up, he found Lena standing there!He calmed down and extended his hand to Lena.Lena was absolutely flabbergasted!Nearly on the verge of tears, she eagerly took his hand.Lena had come over initially to taunt Jeffrey for being upset with Melanie. She wanted to drive a wedge further between Melanie and Morgan Group. So, Lena was surprised by this unexpected attention.Taking Lena's hand firmly, Jeffrey led her onto the dance floor. As they danced, his gaze seemed fixed o
The ball had reached its climax.In the center of the dance floor, men and women reveled in their joy. Inside the VIP lounge, Lena found Nathan's female subordinate and asked, "I've done everything you asked me to tonight. Am I free now?""Free?" The female subordinate sneered, "And what exactly have you accomplished?""Mr. Nathan told me to spread rumors about Jeffrey to the other female guests, deliberately causing them to gossip and influencing President Morgan's attitude towards Melanie. Didn’t you see it? Melanie, that foolish woman, chose someone else to dance with instead of President Morgan. In the end, President Morgan came to dance with me!"Lena argued logically, "I don't owe Mr. Nathan anything. We were mutually benefiting from each other. Now that I don't want to be involved with him anymore. I am free!""People that Mr. Nathan favors don’t have the right to leave on their own," the subordinate coldly remarked."Ridiculous!"Lena cheered herself on inwardly. Though
While Lena dialed Daniel's number, her heart was still pounding irregularly with excitement.She relayed the unexpected encounter at the ball to Daniel. On the other end, Daniel and Lily listened and practically danced with joy!"Excellent!" Daniel exclaimed enthusiastically, "Rest assured, I'll make the arrangements immediately! You won't be embarrassed by tomorrow's banquet!""It's not just about not embarrassing me. It's about not embarrassing President Morgan," Lena replied, her tone playful and full of pride."Exactly," Daniel echoed in excitement, "I’ll transfer some money to you soon. Buy yourself some high-end clothes and jewelry. We can't let President Morgan look bad in front of his friends."After hanging up, Lily was both shocked and delighted. She asked, "Lena… really managed to catch Jeffrey's eyes?""We're meeting for dinner tomorrow. What's there to doubt?" Daniel shot a skeptical glance at Lily. "President Morgan not only agreed to dine but also entrusted me with
Jeffrey had been uncertain about Melanie's current feelings until now.During the ball, Melanie proposed a collaboration between them. They kept their distance, each gathering information about the emerald vines—Melanie focused on the male guests while Jeffrey focused on the female ones.However, the gossiping women at the ball had aggravated the situation, making it seem as if they were genuinely distant.But now, Jeffrey could be certain she was deliberately avoiding him, clearly affected by what people were saying.Watching her lonely silhouette on the balcony, Jeffrey couldn't decipher his feelings.She seemed concerned about rumors suggesting he had a childhood sweetheart or that she was a mere replacement in his heart. The more uncontrollable he felt about these sentiments, the more conflicted he became."Aren't you cold?"After a pause, Jeffrey joined her on the balcony, intending to offer her his coat. But before he could, she brushed his hand away. "I'm not cold."A sh
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.