It was the middle of the night when Mason pulled his car over in front of an apartment. The snow was falling heavily and Eira, who was waiting for him downstairs, was particularly agitated. The moment she saw him, she leaped into his arms and couldn’t help but murmur, “I’m so scared, Mr. Mason! Wendy took four sleeping pills. I thought she would die right there and then…”He closed the car door with his backhand, lowered his head, and stared at the young lady in his arms. She did cross the line, but he didn’t scowl at her. Instead, he merely pushed her away lightly. “Is she okay now?”Eira raised her eyes and looked at him. There were tears in her puppy-like eyes. Biting her lips, she said, “Her family made it here. They’re trying to comfort her now. So, it might not be a good time to visit her in the dorm.”Then, she looked both shy and uneasy. She was still hesitating when he opened the door to the passenger seat and said nonchalantly, “Get in the car!”She couldn’t read Mason.
Mason didn’t push her away immediately. Instead, he lowered his head and looked at her. She resembled Zoe a little and reminded him of when his wife was a young lady. She, too, had snuck up on him, hugged him, and said with a jovial voice, “I love you, Mason. Will you be my boyfriend? I’m packed full of qualities you want, I swear!”Then, she proceeded to name the qualities, only to find that she was drawing a blank. After a brief moment, he pushed Eira away and said lightly, “I’m a married man!”Rejected, Eira’s face turned red as she bit her lips and murmured, “I know my place! I won’t come between you and your family. I won’t ask for much the way Lilith did, either. I’m content with what you give me.”She was contented with him accompanying her a little, just like he did tonight.In fact, she didn’t have to put everything out there. Mason was perfectly aware of her crush on him. He could choose to ignore her, but he came eventually.However, she had made all of this meaningle
Zoe was lying on the bed in the Lockwood Hospital. The doctors managed to pull her back from the dead, but she was still very weak and needed to stay in the hospital for further observation. Standing by the window, Mason watched the gathered snow on top of the tree branches. The doctor said softly from behind him, “Ms. Zoe took more than twenty sleeping pills. It was probably a suicide attempt brought on by her postpartum depression. I suggest you let her go through the psychotherapy and keep her away from the source of her distress. That should help her kick off the depression sooner.”After a brief moment, he responded lightly, “Okay.”Then, the doctor left.Turning around, Mason looked at Zoe who was lying quietly on the bed. He hadn’t stopped trembling since he found her unconscious in their bedroom. She almost died. If he had come home half an hour later, then she might very well have crossed over onto the other side and Yanni would’ve been motherless.All of a sudden, t
They couldn’t agree on plans for Yanni’s future.In the end, Mason didn’t agree to her terms. He looked at Zoe intensely, but there was no lingering affection in his eyes. In fact, it had only been four months since he said he wanted to make it up to her.After he left, she carried her frail body to the restroom, supported herself on the sink, and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked so weak and miserable.Mason wouldn’t set her free. She didn’t know how long she’d last this time or how long she could stay by Yanni’s side……A few days later, Zoe was discharged from the hospital and allowed to go home. She tried to kill herself again. This time, she slit her wrist!Blood was everywhere on the bathroom floor. It was being washed away by an endless stream of hot water from the faucet. Zoe was lying over the bathtub. There were more deep slashes across her wrist, which already had scars to begin with.She was sent to the hospital again and, this time, Mason had to transfuse
Mason couldn’t sleep. The blood in the bedroom had been cleaned up a long time ago, but he could smell the coppery stench in the air, reminding him of the tragedy that took place a mere few hours ago.He and Zoe had finally come to the end of the line.Yanni cried for hours. He couldn't calm her down until past midnight. Then, he passed her to Deborah to take care of her.The night was dark and quiet when he went into the study. He was smoking on the couch and wisps of light green smoke lingered in the air. It was all around him, giving him a hazy, surreal look.It seemed, incidentally, that there were a lot of painful memories for Zoe here in the study. He had done some unspeakable, humiliating things to her when he forced himself on her. Then, there was the time when he slapped her because of the vinyl. She grew cold to him after that.If there was a specific time he would point at and say, “This is where it started going downhill,” it would be that slap.He tried to salvage th
That was only to be expected. After all, they had been married for several years. She had been on the receiving end of his heartlessness for far too many times. What made her agree with his terms? Well. She was doing it for her baby!Right now, she was in no condition to raise any child. Yanni was growing slowly, but steadily. That meant she was capable of fear as well. Given her sorry state, she was afraid she’d subject her baby to fear and emotional trauma at such a young age.She loved her baby daughter so much that she was thinking about her well-being when she was just this young.Zoe was fully aware that she was betting on her own life if she went to such a place. She was vulnerable there and Lisa might not let her off that easily. With that said, she was still willing to take the risk for the sake of her baby.She responded in a trembling voice, “Okay.” She didn’t look at him, though. She didn’t want to see his heartless expression, much less think about the fact that sh
Mason started having insomnia again ever since Zoe left.He kept seeing her in his dreams. They loved each other back then. He’d much rather hold on to their happy memories. That would make him feel slightly better about himself.However, he didn’t visit her.The doctors told him that Zoe was cooperating with the treatment very much. She read books and wrote diaries in the villa. Her emotions were much more stable and she was on the road to recovery.All’s well that ends well, he thought to himself.…Yanni kept crying at the top of her lungs. Perhaps she missed her mother after not seeing her for a long time.Mason looked after her in the night and took her with him to the office in the day. Ava helped him with the baby. At this moment, she was carrying Yanni in her arms and comforting her patiently. Feeding the baby with formula, she said softly, “A baby needs her mother! It’s going to affect her health if you keep letting her cry like this.” She sobbed a little before conti
Eira felt so ashamed, she could just die.“Get out of here. Don’t make me call the security guards,” he said.She responded tearfully, “I knew it. Deep down, you still love Ms. Zoe.”Now, why would he tell her anything about him and Zoe?At the next moment, he asked Ava to come to his office, take Eira away, and deal with her.Eira was bewildered as she was being taken away. What did she do wrong? Why wouldn’t Mason want her? She was Lilith’s cousin and she resembled Zoe a little. Ava pressed the elevator button and said with a blank expression, “Flirting with a man like Mr. Mason is like playing with fire, Ms. Eira! You have to have something to make him fall in love with you!“Do you have immaculate beauty? No. You can’t even hold a candle to Ms. Zoe. How about talents? Nothing there, either. You are innocent as a lamb in this cruel reality and you expect Mr. Mason to wipe your butt every time!“He would’ve made you his mistress if he had any intention to keep you. Get it th
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