He hadn’t been a good enough father to Yanni!The smoke started to sting his eyes, causing tears to well up in his eyes. He didn’t even dare to think if something bad really happened to Yanni. How painful would it be for his baby girl? How would Zoe take it?Forgiveness seemed like a luxury now.All he wanted was for them to be safe and sound. Dawn had just broken when he made a trip to the Beacon of Hope Church. It was an ancient church in the mountains. The place was kept pristine and not a speck of dust could be found.He wasn’t a religious man, but he knelt and prayed for four straight hours, in an attempt to secure a miracle. He ran into a priest who was praying when he was about to descend the mountain. The priest pointed at him and mocked him, “No amount of prayer or donations is going to wash your sins away. The only way you can redeem yourself is by paying your debts in blood!”Then, the priest continued to murmur when he walked away, “There are countless unfaithful m
Ava was disheartened to hear what he said. She wanted to comfort him, but realized that she didn’t know where to begin. Time couldn’t wash away everything. Some wounds would never heal. Instead, they would fester and spread, killing everything around them. You wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at the surface, but the rot had gone in deep.Mason asked her to step outside and give him some space. He lit a cigarette when he was alone, but he snuffed it out the next second. His mind traveled back to a specific moment when Zoe said to him in tears. “You don’t know how to love someone, Mason!”She was right!He didn’t know how to love someone in the past. Nothing mattered more than power and status to him. Family was nothing but an afterthought. It was something he wanted at the spur of the moment. Nothing more. However, he knew what it meant to love someone now. She might be with another man, but he made the will nonetheless. She’d inherit Lockwood Corporation if anything
She couldn’t help but sob. Walking over to her, he grabbed both of her shoulders and called out to her gently, “Zoe!”She didn’t want him to see her when she was this vulnerable. So, she turned her face to the side, but he pulled her into his arms. Not long after, his shirt was damp from Zoe’s tears. They had been separated for a long time and she had finally fallen apart. She finally cried her eyes out into his chest. He was someone she had both loved and hated. She was showing all of her vulnerability before him!He hugged her tightly, giving her the support she needed. At that moment, he’d even give his life to her if that was what she asked of him. He called out to her, “Don’t cry, Zoe. You’re breaking my heart.”Yanni was playing with a ball. She ran in and bumped into them hugging each other. Zoe realized it and immediately pushed him away hastily. Turning around, she straightened up herself and said in a husky voice, “I’m sorry! I lost my composure for a second ther
An awkward silence hung over them. Lowering her head, she looked into his eyes. Truth be told, there was no lust in them. She’d even go so far as to say he looked serious and had his good sense about him tonight. After a brief moment, she responded gently, “Yeah. I stand a good chance of getting pregnant today and tomorrow!”They did need to have another baby as soon as possible. So, there was no room for being shy here. After some thought, she added, “Take a shower first. After that, we’ll…”Mason cut her off by swooping her up and walking towards the private lounge out there. She was concerned she might fall off, so she had her arms wrapped around his neck. She might’ve worn an indifferent expression on her face, but her mind raced back to the night they were married. He had carried her in his arms to the bedroom too. However, she looked timid back then. It was a shame he didn’t treat her gently. The walk couldn’t have been more than several steps, but he experienced all so
Mason didn’t say anything in response. Tightening his grip, he pulled her darling figure closer into his arms. He even started kissing the back of her ear and said in a husky voice, “I can see that. All I want is to give you a hug.”She smiled faintly at what he said. He was well aware of how cold she was toward him. Pressing against her tender body, he murmured, “Let’s be a real couple for the next year, at least!”Never had he thought he’d lower himself in the name of love. He stared at her intently, waiting for her response.Still smiling faintly, she responded, “Sure.”Then, he pinned her on the wall and started kissing her passionately. Taking off her pajamas, he intended to pleasure her and make her feel happy. At this moment, however, Yanni woke up in the bedroom. Rubbing her eyes, she sat upright. Still wearing the same cow print onesie, she groaned cutely, “I need to use the restroom!”His body stiffened immediately, but he was still pinning Zoe on the wall. There
It was two in the afternoon. Zoe drove herself and Yanni to Lockwood Corporation. Sherry was in the car too. Her little girl had insisted on bringing it along.She parked the car and took both of them to the lounge. With the puppy in her arms, Yanni started running ahead of her and raced happily into the wide lounge. Eventually, Sherry crawled on the ground too. It probably knew this was its master’s company because it scampered around with its head held high. A lady wearing a pair of high heels appeared before them and grumbled coldly, “This is a place of work! So, why’s there a kid and a puppy running around? Where are the security guards? Why isn’t anyone taking the puppy away?”It just so happened that Zoe stepped into the lobby and bumped into Eira at the same moment. Eira was dumbfounded when she saw her. Then, she turned around, stared blankly at Yanni, and asked stiffly, “Is this your kid? The one you had with Mr. Mason?”Zoe ignored her and strolled towards Yanni. Tea
Instead, Eira decided to pressure Zoe. “I just can’t forget the moment you tossed the two thousand dollars on the floor all those years ago.”Smiling faintly, Zoe said, “Why, you’re welcome.”What she said made Eira very upset. However, Eira composed herself the next minute. Reaching out, she played with her hair deliberately, attempting to display her sensuality and seductiveness. “Don’t you want to know my history with Mr. Mason?”At this moment, Zoe was frustrated with her games. Stirring the coffee, she said nonchalantly, “You said so yourself. It's history! Is there a need to recount old tales? With that said, I seem to recall that Mason was still married to me back then! “Let’s just say you did do something unseemly with him, that’d make you the bad guy of the story. How do you figure you can brag about it?” Then, she continued in a bleak tone, “If I tell Mason about our conversation, you’ll lose your job instantly!”Eira was here to debrief her work, but it had always be
Time seemed to stand still and everything in the world fell into silence. Both of them were panting rapidly, eager to take things to another level. Now, everything seemed to have frozen. The only thing that remained untouched was what Mason just said.“I'm a jerk who loves you.”Tears filled Zoe’s eyes as she regarded him with a helpless stare and spoke in a trembling voice, “We can do a lot of things together, Mason, but we can never love each other ever again! If you had truly loved me, then why would you have the heart to hurt me over and over? How could you have sacrificed me more than once?!”All the pain he put her through was seared into her mind. She could try, but she’d never be able to forget it for the rest of her life!Mia tried to probe her. Her stepmother thought she’d change her mind and return to Mason again. What she said was true, he was very different. He was very thoughtful now.However, the pain he dealt her still seemed fresh and raw even to this day. She’d
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