Zoe stared at him for a long time. She didn’t turn around until her eyes hurt from the crying.The moment she turned around, she donned her identity as Mason’s wife. Walking into the resplendent lobby, she made her way to the elevator. She didn’t turn back and see what was behind her, afraid that she’d regret her decision once she did.The reception hall was wide enough to seat a hundred guests. It was filled with people from high society. Leslie wasn’t here, but Langston and his parents were here to pay respect on his behalf. Nellie wasn’t happy about it, but she put a smile on her face and drank with everyone. At that moment, the door to the reception hall opened and they could the loud, crisp voice of a heel clicking on the floor.Everyone directed their gaze at the door. Wearing a dress fashioned after the revenge dress of Diana, the Princess of Wales, she took slow steps toward Langston’s table and shoved any waiters who tried to stop her.A moment later, she was standin
Langston had no intention of offending Mason. The Schmidts and the Lynches could join forces and they still wouldn’t be a match for him. He was a prodigy in the business world and was known for being ruthless in Brookesville!He had no choice but to say to Zoe, “Name your terms!”Zoe was no fool herself. She knew this was the best she could get. All she could fight for Ella was some compensation!She said gently, “There are two terms!”“Firstly, the Schmidts must assign a team of medical professionals to treat Ella and clear her name to the general public. Tell everyone that she was pregnant with Leslie’s baby and that she was no mistress. Instead, she had a legitimate relationship with him!“Secondly, I want you to financially compensate Ella again!”Leslie’s mother was not happy with this. “Didn’t she already get fifty million dollars? What more do you want?”Zoe retorted, “If you lost your baby and your hearing for good, and I offered you fifty million dollars as compensation
Lowering her gaze, she saw that she was in a compromising pose. Their bodies were tightly pressed against each other. Beneath her silk skirt, her legs were hanging by his sides. Mason’s deep-colored long pants cast a stark contrast against her fair skin. It was an erotic sight.Her eyelids fluttered. “I’m not in the mood.” Then, she begged him a little, “How about another day?”Leaning back on the seat lazily, he looked at her intently. She leaned backward a little as he touched her face and asked, “Are you scared?”Before she could answer, he held the back of her neck and pushed her toward him. She thought he was going for a kiss, so she parted her lips and decided to let him do it.Little did she know he’d exert more pressure on his hand. She was perplexed and raised her eyes to look at him. His eyes were so deep and there was a hint of dominance in his eyes. Truth be told, he looked sexy when he was like this. She believed that if he asked for it, a lot of ladies would do anyt
Both of them were quiet when they were done having sex. Perhaps it was because they were no longer married or because it had been a long time since they last did it. Either way, they didn’t feel at ease with each other.Putting on her clothes, she said softly, “I feel a little sticky. I need to take a shower.” That made things a little more awkward.Mason was so eager earlier that he forgot to wear a condom. Of course, it felt good, but it also meant she was going to need a longer time to clean it up. Coughing lightly, he said, “I’ll wait for you outside.” Then, he went out. The cleaner will clean up the bed and the place. He was a man, so he didn’t care about that. However, she couldn’t bear to leave it like that. She changed a new bedsheet and stuffed the previous one into a bag, labeling it so Ava would send it to the laundromat. After that, she hopped in the shower.The warm water cascading on her slender figure reminded her of the sex earlier. He was much gentler than he
Ella was still lying motionless on her bed when dawn came.Burying her face into Ella’s hands, Zoe murmured, “Wake up, Ella! No one’s going to be mean to you ever again. You can live a good life. There’s no need to worry about people finding out about your past and looking down on you! You can even have your own babies if you want.“Wake up, please? I beg you! Wake up and show me that my sacrifices are worth it!”Waiting endlessly without knowing if things would get better was a soul-crushing experience.It was morning when the doctor officially said the situation was looking bleak. If Ella didn’t wake up in the next four hours, then she might be in a persistent vegetative state and never wake up from it.She might never wake up…The thought of it was too much. Zoe felt immense pain in her heart and she was having trouble breathing. Dashing to the restroom, she held the sink as she dry-heaved, spitting bile. Then, she slumped onto the restroom floor.Curling up, she covered her
Zoe knew what was on her friend’s mind. Looking at Ella, she said with a tearful smile, “Why wouldn’t this be worth it? I’d do anything for you. So, make sure you recover well and fast!”That brought tears to Ella’s eyes. Zoe hugged her tightly and murmured, “You have no idea the days I’ve had. I thought I'd go mad!”Ella was feeling extremely weak, but she summoned every ounce of strength left in her and hugged Zoe back.…Ella had some food before the doctor examined her.Zoe decided to give her some space. Exiting Ella’s ward, she walked to the end of the long hallway and paused to look out the window at the bright, sunny day outside. Then, she let out a sigh of relief at last.Ella woke up. She didn’t beat herself up. Instead, she was brave enough to carry on with her life. However, she couldn’t help but feel a lump in her throat when she thought about the unborn baby. It was a hard pill to swallow. Ella might be able to get pregnant again somehow, but it’d never be the s
Leslie felt as if someone stabbed him in the heart.He kept holding her and tried to stop her from speaking or leaving him.He’d take any moment he could with her.…Ella roared, “I don’t need your stupid hotel.” She tore up the ownership transfer agreement. “Get the hell out!”Then, she said, “I don’t love you and you’re not even worth my hatred!”Leslie looked like a lost soul when he came out of her ward. His shirt was bloodied. It was a frightening sight.Nellie was standing right outside. She saw him coming out and sneered, “Missing the bitch again, aren’t you? You’re the one who made her who she is today, Leslie. If you hadn’t been so obsessed with her…”He slapped her across the face. Then, he choked her and pinned her to the wall. Nellie couldn’t breathe. Her face started turning purple and her arms thrashed about, trying to pull his arm off her neck. However, that didn’t stop her from speaking foolishly.“How is she better than me? I'm a Lynch, and she's nothing mor
He was swamped with work, but he still took her on a luxury trip for a week. It was something of a honeymoon!Once they went back to Brookesville, Mason dived into his multi-billion dollar project and started working late. He’d even have meetings for entire nights and not even come back home.It was the weekend now, and Mason managed to come home from work on time. The black Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled into the manor. Caught in the evening light, it glinted and looked resplendent.Layla opened the car door for him and told him what they were going to have for dinner. He got out of the car, looking a little worn out, and asked her casually, “Is Zoe home?”She smiled and said, “She’s been home all day! She's busy upstairs the whole morning!”He chuckled in response.Mason looked very handsome when he was happy. Even Layla couldn’t resist looking at him. More to the point, he may have been very busy for the past few days, but still, he was very happy. It was probably because Zoe wa
In the presidential suite, the newlywed night was fiery, filled with affection and intimacy. The wedding banquet was still bustling with excitement.There was a special guest, who quietly arrived and hoped to leave just as quietly. He was afraid to disturb her mood and feared that if she saw him, she might not be pleased. However, despite his best efforts, they still crossed paths in the hallway.Gael stood quietly, watching Yanni. She had just taken Ella to the restroom, as she wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone. Besides Ella, there was another small girl with her, probably one of the twins she had with Keaton. The other twin was her brother.The twins were named Shay Bright and Drew Bright. Ella adored her younger siblings. Whenever she came home from school, she would always spend some time playing with them first. At night, she would sneak her little sister into her room and cuddle her to sleep, treating her like a little doll.At first, Yanni was quite worried, but she lat
In the early morning, the first rays of sunlight bathed the earth, signaling a joyous occasion at the Sanders family home. The youngest daughter of Noah and Gwynn was finally getting married. Even more delightful, she was marrying her childhood love. Dressed in a headpiece and red bridal gown, she was as beautiful as could be, the most stunning woman Zion had ever seen.The Quarto family was busy with preparations. Although they were not extremely wealthy, Jordyn was a capable family head with a good reputation. He handled both inside and outside affairs with finesse and charm. To everyone’s surprise, he got along very well with Mason.However, Noah had some reservations. “Don't you have any relatives of your own, Mason?”Mason didn’t engage with his criticism. Together with Zoe, they helped with the wedding arrangements. A traditional Chinese wedding was far more elaborate than a Western one, but thankfully, the families had enough help to avoid any chaotic moments.During the d
That night, Jamie and Paityn returned home with their daughter Carol. As soon as they arrived, Carol went to do her homework, while Paityn went to check on their youngest son, Colten Lockwood. The housekeeper was taking care of him and, upon hearing footsteps, turned her head and softly said, "Madam, you're back? He hasn't woken up at all, he's such a good boy."Paityn smiled lightly and signaled for the housekeeper to go downstairs and rest.When the door closed, she looked down at the sleeping Colten. The little one, only eight months old, resembled his father completely; almost like a miniature copy of Jamie. Even Carol, at times, would look at her brother’s face and marvel: "It’s really a masterpiece from God!"Jamie replied, "You even know what a masterpiece is?"Carol teased, "A husband’s looks are the wife’s glory!"Paityn quietly said to Jamie, “She must have seen a supermodel runway show."Jamie immediately asked, "Did she like it?"Paityn didn't answer, just smiled.
On the second floor, Gwen was trying on her wedding dress for tomorrow. Just as Zion had wished, it was a traditional Zutriysteinian wedding.The red wedding gown was crafted by the top artisans from Zutriystein, elegant and dignified. The headpiece she wore was adorned with wild pearls; each gem was carefully embedded, and the headpiece alone cost tens of millions. A substantial amount of money had been spent.The woman in the mirror was stunningly beautiful. Gwen gently touched her headpiece and muttered to herself, "Zion really doesn’t mind spending money on this little hobby of his."Gwynn, as a mother, patted her head. "This little girl really doesn’t know when to keep quiet, but luckily, she’s married well and is right here beside me..."She had given a generous wedding gift, exactly the same as when Holly got married. Like Holly, Gwen didn’t want any shares of the Sanders Group. The money that Zion earned was enough to support both of them and his small hobbies.Meanwhile
Ignacio said, "We can’t take care of both of you."Holly was at a loss for words.Lucius was at that lively age, but he was raised by his father and had good manners. When he saw Ocelotte, he respectfully greeted him, saying, "Second Uncle."Ocelotte patted his little head, thinking that the boy seemed sturdier than his own children, possibly because Molly was too fragile. He made a mental note to make sure Yeager got some extra nutrients when he went back.The black Rolls-Royce Phantom sped down the highway, getting them back to the Qiao family mansion before evening.The Sanders family’s sons had all moved out, leaving only Gwen still living at home. Holly, who rarely came back, was also staying at the house. She didn’t refuse, planning to stay for a few days before heading to Silvercrest to visit her biological parents and pay respects.The car pulled into the Sanders Residence, and the house was lit up brightly.In the courtyard parking area, luxury cars were parked everywhe
In the evening, Gwen was preparing to leave work.In the parking lot, she spotted Zion’s car, but it was empty. Just then, a school leader passed by and said to her, “Zion came to school. There’s a donation ceremony happening in the auditorium. You should go check it out. "Then, you two can head home together afterward. On a cold day like this, a nice dinner would be perfect. What a cozy idea!”Gwen playfully replied, “You really know how to enjoy life.”The leader, holding a bag of groceries, laughed, “See? Your teacher’s wife has been nagging me since morning to go home and cook while babysitting the grandkids.”Gwen smiled softly, watching him leave.In the sky, clouds glowed orange and yellow, their edges tinged with gold.She carried a thermos as she walked toward the auditorium. Along the way, a few students noticed her and started chirping excitedly, cheekily calling her “Ms. Gwen.”Gwen corrected them, “It’s Ms. Gwen.”The students laughed and teased, “Ms. Gwen! Mr. Z
Gwen stared dazedly at the man.Zion, dressed in a black coat, stood tall in the study, exuding an oppressive aura. He walked toward her and pulled the teary-eyed girl, her face streaked like a little tabby cat, into his arms. One hand gently smoothed her hair as his voice softened to the extreme, "Still saying you didn’t cry."Gwen leaned against his shoulder, mumbling, "You did it on purpose.""Are you at least a little touched?"She pounded on him twice more in response.Zion chuckled lowly, letting the girl vent while his heart ached silently.These past five years had been filled with fear and uncertainty for him. He had been afraid that before he could make a name for himself, Gwen would fall for someone else. If that happened, what could he possibly use to ask her to come back to him?The love story of a poor boy and a rich girl might've existed in novels, but the reality was often harsh.Gwen didn’t care, but he couldn’t bear to let her endure hardship.Now, as they
Zion and Gwen's marriage seemed inevitable, with no one putting up any resistance. Occasionally, Gwen even had a strange illusion.It all went so smoothly that the years of separation seemed like they had never happened, as if she and Zion had always been together. After their reunion, he didn’t even ask her about her life abroad and treated her just as he did before.She was no longer as youthful and tender, but Zion still saw her as if she were a 20-year-old girl. Gwen felt a bit dejected, thinking to herself, he must just like girls around 18-year-old.But unfortunately, the spring river flows eastward and cannot return!Zion only smiled.In winter, the days grew shorter. After work, Gwen arrived at Zion's villa, but he had not yet come home. The two housekeepers had already started preparing dinner.When Gwen got out of the car, she received a call from Zion. Her voice was soft and tender.“When will you be back?”On the other end, Zion checked the time and said, “I’ll be
Zion noticed Gwen gazing at him with those wide, expectant eyes again. With a chuckle, he reached into the pocket of his trench coat, pulled out a sleek wallet, and carefully extracted a platinum card. He placed it in her outstretched hand and said with a smile, “This is my secondary card. There’s no credit limit.” Gwen gasped softly, then teased, “Wow, aren’t you generous? Thank you, Teacher Qin.” Zion gave her a light tap on the head. Not missing a beat, Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned mischievously, “Thank you, my sugar daddy.” Zion’s response was to pull her close, cupping her cheeks as he kissed her fiercely. Though he once carried himself as an educator and now as a refined businessman, he found himself utterly smitten by her playful antics. After the kiss, Zion leaned close to Gwen's ear and murmured something uncharacteristically crude that sent a shiver down her spine. He playfully nipped her nose. “Turns out you’ve got a thing for bad boy