Yanni was discharged from the hospital three days later. They returned to Kirk Manor and lived out the rest of the month peacefully. Both of them looked after Yanni together. When Mason had a social or business outing, he’d take Zoe along with him. It looked like they were an actual married couple.Neither of them brought up their painful history. Instead, they tried to put it past them. He knew this was his last few weeks with the people he loved.He told Zoe that he needed to work late into the night, but he’d make sure he came back home before Yanni’s bedtime. He’d bathe her, put on pyjamas for her, and wrap her in a warm blanket before letting her sleep on his chest. Underneath the warm glow of the night light, he’d tell her fairy tales until she slept. Afterward, he’d return to his study and resume his work. By the time he was done, it was past midnight. Both his wife and daughter were long asleep.It was enough for him to simply lie next to them. That was happiness for him
All of the love and hatred that they shared would cease to exist.This was the first time she leaned on his chest of her own accord. She proceeded to talk to him. Her voice was soft when she said, “Ella and Farley are going to get married at the end of the year. Yanni’s condition will have improved by then. I might take her back to Silvercrest to attend the ceremony. I’m wondering what kind of gift should I prepare for them.”He didn’t say anything about it. Brushing her hair, which was damp from the sweat, he chose to enjoy the quiet for a brief moment. She gave him some time. Her voice was a little strained when she spoke. “Are you going to attend the ceremony as well? Ella told me that you have some business dealings with Farley as of late.”Lowering his head, he stared at her intensely, “Do you want me to go?”Instead of answering his question, she ran her fingers across his dashing features and talked about Rosemary. “Rosemary is going to attend as well. After all, she was
“I’m going to make something warm to drink!”Mason didn’t reject his offer. He watched as his father hurried into the cramped kitchen and went about boiling water clumsily. The night breeze was a tad too strong, causing him to cough intermittently. All of a sudden, Mason asked, “Have you gone to see the doctor?”Westley’s body stiffened. Then, he responded softly, “I’ve had this cough for a long time. It’s no big deal, really! All it takes is some pill and I’ll feel better.”Mason knew he was lying. One look was all he needed to know that this condition had haunted his father for a long time. However, he didn’t press for more information. Instead, he started paging through the books on the couch. Westley proceeded to make some tea once the water was boiled. He was a little uneasy when he gave his son the cup of tea. He even smiled bitterly when he said, “I don’t have any better tea leaves. I’m sorry if you find it distasteful.”Mason took a sip and put the cup down.The old ma
Mason walked over, sat by the bed, and flashed her an affectionate smile. “I went out to take care of some matters. Did you have a nightmare?”Zoe stared right at him wordlessly. She didn’t tell him about her dream. It felt like a bad omen. Then, she took his hands when he laid down on the bed. The warmth of his palms made her feel easier somewhat.It was just as they say, dreams were usually the opposite of reality. It wasn’t going to happen. After all, it was just a dream.Just as she was about to doze off, she thought she heard him murmuring in her ear, saying that if she ended up getting pregnant tonight, then she should name the baby Jamie.Zoe woke up the next morning. She thought about what he murmured over and over again in her mind and decided that it was nothing but a dream. “You’re on edge. That’s all,” he said.That wasn’t how she felt, though. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. What was worse, the feeling was growing stronger
The surgery took a long time, almost sixteen hours. There were some hiccups, but it was ultimately successful. The only thing was, Mason didn’t wake up. He was still lying on the operating table quietly. He didn’t know that the surgery went well for Yanni and that she was sent out of the operating room. He didn’t even know what would happen to him tomorrow. All he could do was lie down wordlessly as the universe meted out its sentence to him unfeelingly. Cecil took off his mask and read the numbers shown on the monitor. It was a frightening sight because it showed that Mason’s vital signs were dropping significantly. He might die at any second. Now, Cecil was a doctor who had seen a lot of deaths in his lifetime. He had grown used to it, but he simply couldn’t accept it when it came to Mason. Leaning close to him, he murmured, “Zoe’s waiting for you! Are you just going to leave her like this?”Mason didn’t respond to him. He simply lay there quietly, his face was as white as
Perhaps the emergency at his branch company in Hucksburgh was a really complicated affair. That didn’t track, though. Mason loved Yanni very much. It was impossible that he’d ignore her texts about their little girl just because things weren’t good at his company.She thought about giving him a call, but, with the way things were between them now, she didn’t dare to do it.Perhaps she should wait, she thought!Mason could just respond to her texts or call her tomorrow itself. Better yet, he could just take a flight back to Brookesville.…Mason was lying on the bed quietly in the Intensive Care Unit. The medical team had extracted nearly half of his bone marrow as well as one-third of his blood from his body, giving it all to his little girl. He sacrificed himself to save Yanni.The fact was that the cross he had gotten from the Beacon of Hope Church didn’t do anything. What made it work was his sacrifice. Back then, he kneeled for four hours before the altar and asked
It was the middle of the night and Mason’s ward was brightly lit. Cecil ran through a full examination for him, but the results didn’t look good. It was true. Mason had woken up, but his vital functions had all but stopped working. His limbs were unresponsive, especially his right hand. All of the nerves in there had basically died.Mason accepted his fate. He might have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His right hand was basically unusable and he’d have to learn to make do with his left hand. To put it bluntly, he was disabled!With that said, he didn’t regret his decision one bit. Lying on the bed, he said calmly, “Yanni’s my daughter, and I’m more than willing to do it! Zoe doesn’t have to know about this, though. After all, we’re no longer married. She has the right to pursue a better life with…”Cecil didn’t let him finish. Instead, he walked right out of the ward. Lisa fell on her knees by the bed and hammered it with her fists. She was crying at the top
Zoe was rooted to the spot. She had anticipated all sorts of reasons behind the radio silence, but this was the last thing she thought could’ve happened. He had treated her with such affection and thoughtfulness. She could swear that he genuinely wanted to reconcile with her. She had to admit that his actions were starting to change her mind. That was why it was such a shocker when Mason told her he was with Gabriela now!Tears started filling up in her eyes. Her rational side told her that she should take Yanni and leave right away. However, since when had people listened to their rational side when it came to love?So, Mason was claiming that he had changed his mind and chosen Gabriela instead.It was just a text message. It was going to take more than that to convince her that it was true. She needed something more concrete. She needed him to tell her personally. So, she called him. This particular phone call seemed unbearably long…All of a sudden, Mason picked up t
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