Melanie concealed the hostility in her eyes and pretended to ask, “What happened? Why are you guys here?”“I came here to wake you up! Today is your engagement ceremony. You need to wake up early to get your makeup done!”Lily squeezed past her as she rushed into her room. Her eyes darted around before fixing her gaze on the huge bed in her room. There were some messy clothes on her bed, and the blanket appeared puffed up.“Come on. Let’s clean this place up. The makeup artist will be here very soon,” Lily walked toward the bed as she spoke.Seeing this, Melanie followed closely behind her. “I’ll do it myself.”“Let me help you!”How could Lily give up this opportunity to expose her? She rushed to the bedside and lifted the blanket from the bed without hesitation!Melanie’s blanket was thrown to the floor. However, when Lily saw her bed, she was shocked.The bed was clean. There was no man on Melanie’s bed.Lily hunched up her shoulders and glanced at Daniel, who was also doub
"Hah!"The directors of Jones Enterprise left hurriedly, leaving behind a warning. "We will settle this score sooner rather than later!"Daniel was pale and dejected. Even Bryan's parents were sighing repeatedly.They knew the kind of man their son was. The moment they saw Bryan and Lena's reaction upon entering the room, they knew what had happened.What was Lena compared to Melanie? Lena was merely a girl from the Joneses' branch family. Hence, it was essential to console Melanie.Bryan understood the hint from his parents and hurriedly stepped forward to explain. "Mel, please believe me. We didn't do anything last night."Melanie pushed Bryan's hand away, crying as she attempted to leave. Bryan's mother held her back, saying, "Sweetie, we're about to hold the engagement ceremony. You can't leave now.""Bryan cheated on me, and he can't even explain it properly. Are you trying to force me to marry him?"Her determined gaze left Bryan's mother with no argument. She turned away
The next day was the pageant for the International Socialites Gala.Last night, Melanie had slept peacefully. Her skin was glowing this morning. She carefully applied her makeup and had breakfast with Eliza."Melanie, I've transferred half of my shares to you. You will be a board member of the Jones Enterprise from now on," her mother said, before pausing to inquire, "Which department do you plan to oversee when you join the company?""I’ll start from the weakest portfolio in Jones Enterprise—I'd like to take charge of the research and development for the new perfume line," Melanie replied. She presented the proposal she had been working on to Eliza. "Here's the new perfume product line I've been planning. I've gotten it looked over by professionals. What do you think?"Eliza skimmed through the proposal and her eyes lit up. "I trust you. With your abilities and talent, you can bring that portfolio back to life."With her mother's approval, Melanie smiled from the bottom of her
"Oh! Isn't she Melanie Jones, the heiress of the declining Joneses? She’s the one whose fiancé was stolen by Lena Jones! Is she really this naive or just putting on a show by coming here to aid Lena?"Two unknown celebrities led the mockery, quickly joined by others.Melanie remained composed. Before she could respond, someone stepped up to defend her."How can you say that? Melanie is my cousin! When you criticize her, you're criticizing me!"Lena, with a sweet and innocent appearance, navigated through the crowd and took Melanie's hand. She whispered in Melanie's ear, "Mel, I knew you wouldn't be mad at me. Last night was just a huge misunderstanding. There was nothing between me and Bryan."Melanie turned to Lena, her lips curved into a sarcastic smile. "Is that so?"Lena's eyes glittered. She continued, "Of course, Mel! There are too many people here. Let's talk later. But I'm grateful that you've already secured an international endorsement deal for me this morning."Melani
"Are you among the judges later?" Melanie asked.Stephen grinned mischievously. "Although I won't be there, my uncle is here today. He'll be handing you your pass. Does that make it more prestigious?"Melanie took a step back, not appreciating Stephen's tone.Stephen did not linger further. He said, "I should get going!"Stephen was the second young master of the Morgan Group, and his words must carry some weight when it came to selecting the contestants. Melanie's open interaction with him made others envious.As Stephen left, mocking voices began to fill the air."A cripple aiming for the socialite gathering? She must be deeply affected by her fiancé's affair. It's that or she's lost her mind!""I heard that Melanie used her charms to promote Lena in the past. Now, she's gone all out for her own sake. Maybe there's something between her and Stephen…""Come on! Stephen wouldn't even glance at her!"Melanie could not stand the ridicule any longer. She turned around and spilled
Melanie maintained a professional smile as she gazed at the judges' panel. One of the figures among the judges was a man named Mr. Hans. She remembered him as the father of Lena's friend—the girl Melanie slapped at the bachelorette party. Melanie anticipated that the man might try to make things difficult for her.Unfazed, she projected her prepared materials onto the screen."Here's my resume. I've tailored it for my participation at the International Socialites Gala," Melanie said calmly.Slide by slide, her presentation showcased her achievements."I started learning the piano, arts, and music from a young age. I also learned how to dance from the age of nine and excelled in various genres, especially ballet."This is the certificate I received from the Royal Academy of Dance at the age of fourteen for achieving the highest level in ballet."And these are photos from my performances in renowned ballet productions."Melanie presented her accomplishments confidently, but it was
“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
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.