Zoe had no idea that Mason’s mind went to a dark place. She took care of their kids as if everything was normal. Her delicate face was filled with affection as the morning light shone on her. Any man who set sight on her would want to have her as their wife for the rest of their life. Yanni was warm and loving. She ate her breakfast enthusiastically. Jamie, on the other hand, was much colder and aloof. He was close to two years old now. He could have breakfast without any help, but it didn’t seem like he was savoring his food. Instead, it looked more like he was mechanically completing a task.Picking up a glass of milk, Zoe drank half of it and said warmly, “You were like this too, Mason. You ate everything mechanically and never took a moment to savor its taste.”“I’m the same now.” Then, he lowered his voice. “I’d much rather savor something more delicious!”Yanni dug into her casserole and asked with a crisp voice, “What do you mean, Dad?”Zoe kicked him in the shin under
In fact, he knew that Zoe was pissed off, but he just didn’t want her to see how pathetic he looked when he got out of the car. He loved it when she took care of him, but he hated himself for being so reliant on her. Zoe stood on the balcony on the second floor, staring at him quietly. This was the first time he had acted uncomfortable around her ever since she had made her Brookesville comeback. In the past, he had always flirted with her to some extent, no matter how cutting his remarks may have sounded. However, it was different today. Mason was just sitting in the car. He might not have seemed different from before, but, deep down, she knew he had changed completely on the inside. He was a proud man, but he couldn’t move either of his legs nor his right arm. It must’ve eaten him up inside!Midnight came and Zoe had just taken a bath. She was sitting in front of the makeup table in the guest room, applying skincare, when someone grabbed her arm. Then, she saw Mason in the mir
Rosemary’s newly bought mansion was more than three thousand square feet. It was renovated in the French classic architecture style. Very classy, indeed.She was entertaining her guests with her new boyfriend, glasses in their hands. She looked very happy tonight. Zoe came over and she poked her head out to see behind her back. “Why isn’t Mason here?”Giving her friend the presents she prepared, Zoe smiled lightly and said, “He’s working at home”Rosemary had always had a way with words. She said in a sophisticated tone, “That’s because you did a good job with him! Mason was never big on social situations and he had virtually no scandals in the high society circle. This isn’t something you see every day.”At the next moment, she spoke in a hushed voice. “Gabriela has gotten married! Do you think that means Mason has finally cut ties with her now?”Rubbing Rosemary’s hands gently, Zoe said, “It’s all in the past. Let’s not dwell on it.”Rosemary complimented her for that. Both o
The doorman, who was standing by the door, asked him respectfully, “Shall I announce your arrival, Mr. Mason?”The party…What the doorman said triggered him. He mocked himself and said, “That won’t be necessary!”At the next moment, he wheeled himself out of there frantically. He went fast at it. Never had he hated himself so much. This was the first time he felt as if he was a clown, a loser… How ridiculous it was that he thought he’d surprise her at the party. He thought he’d finally show her that she gave him enough courage to come to the party like any ordinary person would.The whole thing was absurd!How dare he think he was the same as anybody else?What part of him was normal now, for crying out loud?He didn’t even dare to go to the party because he was so worried about how the others would look at him. He was also worried that the other guests would ask her that question.What was she doing with a man like that?Zoe ran out and caught a car driving off in the
Zoe responded to him in an equally soft voice, “What do you want me to say?”Mason pulled her closer and tightened his grip so much that he almost hurt her. “You’re supposed to ask me why I didn’t go into the mansion!”“Well. Why didn’t you?” Before he could respond, she said, “You didn’t used to be this difficult, Mason! You have the freedom to attend the party or otherwise. I can’t be minding your feelings all the time. I can’t spend all my time guessing if what I do is going to make you upset! It’s just going to wear us out if we do it that way.”There. She finally said it!However, she regretted it a little afterward. She said meekly, “Mason…”He didn’t give her the chance to regret her words.Releasing her hand, he turned his back to the window and allowed the dark thoughts to overtake his mind. His voice was even softer than the gentle night. “It’s very hard to love you sometimes, Zoe!”She was just standing right in front of him. All it took was a step and she could’v
David apologized to Zoe from the bottom of his heart. In his mind, he had broken a promise because he fell in love with that young girl. Holding the documents, she said joyfully, “This information is what mattered most to me, David! I’ll chalk anything else up to fate!”“You got that right! It is fate!” David smiled dryly, even a little bitterly, but he didn’t say anything. After dinner, he walked with her to the parking lot.Zoe was wearing a pair of high heels and she didn’t notice a hole on the ground. She staggered a little when she stepped into it.Almost without thinking, David held her waist, trying to support her. Touching her jogged his memory and threw him to the past, which was evident by the affection in his eyes. He said, “I hope the information I gave you is going to help Mason recover a little faster.”Smiling warmly, she said, “Thank you, David. See you soon.”David opened the car door for her like the gentleman that he was. A night breeze blew past him and he
Mason rejected her advice.Looking at her quietly, he said, “I’m perfectly calm now. I don’t need your pity, Zoe, and I certainly don’t appreciate being treated like a charity case. I want you to leave!”She froze where she stood and asked him softly, “Why would you say something like this?!”He didn’t respond to her immediately. Instead, he stared at her intensely. After a long time, he took a cigarette out of his front pocket with trembling fingers and lit it with his one good hand.Instead of smoking it, he lowered his head and watched as the wisps of smoke lingered in the air.After a long time, he said meekly, “Haven’t you always wanted to know if I was aware that you were pregnant with Jamie a couple of years back? Well, I was! Ava gave me your pregnancy test result on the day you left. “She told me that you were pregnant and that you were flying back to Silvercrest. She also said that I should chase after you and win you back… Do you know how I felt at that moment, Zoe?
Zoe didn’t cry or weep. After all, she was the mother of two children now. As she said, once she left, she was never coming back. She’d still look after Mason, but she’d keep a distance from him.Her silver Rolls-Royce pulled out of his manor slowly.Mason was sitting in the study. He watched quietly as her car drove off into the distance. She left!He was so harsh to her that she actually left! Truth be told, he knew just how cruel he had been to her last night. He intended to light up a cigarette, but his hand was trembling so much that he couldn’t do it. In a fit of fury, he snapped it in half.Then, he wheeled himself to the guest room. The place was all cleaned up and tidied as if she had never been there. Returning to the master bedroom, he realized she had changed the bedsheet. There was a lingering warm smell of ironed clothes in the fitting room. He used to love that smell. On top of that, his medicines were lined up neatly.There was a thin necklace on top of a
Zion maintained a respectful demeanor and immediately greeted, “Mr. Noah.” Noah, however, didn’t make things difficult for him. He gave a light cough, which could be considered acknowledgment. Then, turning to his youngest daughter, he said, “Go upstairs first. Your mother’s been waiting for you all night; she probably has something to say to you.” Gwen hesitated and didn’t move at first. Zion gently nudged her, his voice soft, “You should go.” Only then did Gwen start to move. But before heading upstairs, she walked over to Noah. As the youngest daughter and the most adept at charming her way out of trouble, she hugged her father. Only then, with visible reluctance, did she head upstairs. Her father’s anger dissipated by more than half after the hug. Watching her go, Noah turned his attention to Zion, his tone calm but firm: “Have a seat. Let’s talk.” Zion immediately sat down and, with practiced ease, poured Noah a cup of tea. Noah feigned irritation and remarked, “
But Gwen was not satisfied.With reddened eyes, she pitifully asked again, "Are you married? Is there someone else by your side? Do you still love me?"As she asked, she was more persistent than before, yet it made the man's heart ache even more.Zion remembered that when they parted ways, Gwen was still an innocent, naive girl. Now, however, she was willing to ask such direct and revealing questions. The braver she became, the more pain he felt in his heart.Zion no longer teased her. He looked into her eyes and answered seriously."No, I'm not married. There's no one else by my side. Her leg healed, and she got married earlier this year. And yes, I still love you. Very much."...Gwen's eyes turned even redder.Her voice trembled as she said, "That doesn't mean I have to be with you. I'm still mad at you."Zion took a step forward and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. It had been five years, and now she had become a teary little kitten. He remembered how
At that moment, Gwen was completely flustered. She didn’t understand what Zion meant, nor did she understand why he was deliberately getting close to her. She wanted to ask, but before she could, Zion had already led her out of the car. The restaurant arranged by the school leadership was nearby, just off campus. Gwen had been there with Zion before, but not in a private room. Returning to an old haunt brought a sense of nostalgia. Zion walked side by side with Gwen. He was six-foot tall, and she was about five-foot-five. They made for a strikingly good-looking pair. Considering their history, the school leaders naturally couldn’t resist teasing them a bit. Gwen felt slightly uncomfortable and replied, "We were young and foolish." Over the years, Zion had grown seasoned in the business world, exuding an effortless charm. He responded with a light smile, "I wonder if we can pick up where we left off—still holding a grudge?" As soon as those words were said, the schoo
After running away in a flurry that night, Gwen retreated into her home, avoiding the world outside for several days. Her father, Noah, meanwhile, busied himself with his new hobby of keeping turtles—purchased on a whim after his wife, Gwynn, teased him for being too old. In an attempt to prove his youth, Noah even released the turtles back into the wild one evening, making a point of marking one with the name "Zion" on its shell in a bold act of petty revenge. Gwynn, ever the pragmatist, found the gesture immature and pointless, but it brought him a fleeting sense of satisfaction. Gwen, however, was unaware of the antics her father had indulged in. All she knew was that her father had been unusually concerned during her self-imposed seclusion, urging her to get out and take a break. Noah's insistence that she shouldn’t remain cooped up at home was an attempt to draw her back into the world, to reconnect with life. But she couldn’t shake the weight of everything that had transp
In the lounge, Gwen curled up in Tegan’s embrace, crying silently. Tegan gently stroked her smooth black hair, sighing softly. “If you really like him, I’ll help you talk to him.”Gwen sobbed quietly, “Dad will say you’re being rebellious.”Tegan paused for a moment, then replied, “Your brother will help me, won’t he?”Gwen clung to Tegan, continuing to cry softly. She remembered that today was Yeager’s full moon celebration and decided to cry for just a little while. After all, who hasn’t shed tears in their youth?At that moment, there was a knock at the door. From the sound of it, the person outside had a very refined aura. Tegan immediately guessed who it was; it certainly wasn’t her husband. She gently rubbed Gwen’s head. “I’ll go answer it.”When Tegan opened the door, as expected, it was Zion standing outside. The two locked eyes, and after a moment of silence, Tegan calmly spoke, “You two talk.” Zion nodded.In the quiet lounge, the soft sound of Gwen’s crying fill
The following August. It was the party for Ocelotte and Molly's child. Molly had given birth to a boy, named Yeager Sanders, a name chosen by her eldest brother-in-law, Lorian. She was very fond of the name. As for Lorian and Tegan's youngest son, he was named Fergus Sanders. Yeager and Fergus were the next generation of boys in the Sanders family. However, the first child was still Lola, the one and only little princess. She loved following Gwen around. The little girl was now three and a half years old and about to start kindergarten. On the day of Yeager's party, Gwen was still taking Lola around, but she unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance. It had truly been a long time. Since the year Zion had left for another country, although they had occasionally bumped into each other, they hadn’t had the chance for a proper meeting. How many years had passed? Gwen didn't dare to think about it, nor did she want to calculate. She vaguely felt it had been four
After Yanni finished speaking, the Sanders family stood frozen in shock. It was Gwynn who recovered first, quickly asking Yanni, “How is Molly doing?” Yanni smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Aunt Gwynn. Molly is fine, just a bit overwhelmed. I think the baby came as a surprise. Ocelotte is with her right now.” Before Gwynn could respond, Noah muttered under his breath, “A surprise is great! A surprise is wonderful.” Although the young couple’s relationship was excellent, what parent wouldn’t hope for grandchildren? And with Ocelotte and Molly’s stunning looks, the baby was bound to be exceptional. The mere thought of it had Noah brimming with excitement. He silently speculated that it was definitely going to be an adorable little girl. Definitely just like Molly.After a while, Ocelotte emerged, carrying Molly in his arms. She had regained her strength after sipping some sweetened water but was advised to rest for a few days at home. Moreover, during the first trimeste
Over half a year later, in the golden autumn of October. The film "Scarlet Dreams, Jade Skies", starring Molly, achieved a blockbuster box office success and earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the prestigious Golden Bear Awards. On the night of the ceremony, the entire Sanders family showed up to cheer Molly on. Tegan, worried she might feel pressured, kept comforting her, saying, “It’s okay if you don’t win this time. There’s always next time.” Molly was deeply moved. Tegan had just finished her postpartum recovery and yet still came to support her. Looking at Ocelotte, Molly whispered, “I’ve already won the biggest award of my life, Tegan.” Usually composed, Tegan was amused by her and replied gently, “You’ve been much more lively since hanging out with Ocelotte! Your big brother thinks it’s great. He always praises Ocelotte for being so caring.” Molly felt a little shy and leaned in closer to chat softly with Tegan. Gwen handed over a piece of candy and qu
Molly spent the most joyful holidays of her life.In early spring, she married Ocelotte. Her wedding veil was an impressive three meters long, as the elders said that the longer the veil, the longer the marriage. So, Ocelotte had a three-meter-long veil designed for her.He said he wanted to be with her for three lifetimes and more.As the bells of the church rang, Molly, holding onto Lorian’s arm, slowly walked toward Ocelotte. From that moment on, they were one, bound together not only as a couple but as a family. His loved ones were now hers, and they would share both joy and hardship.The few meters between them felt like the culmination of the four years they had spent together.At the altar, Lorian handed Molly to his younger brother and gave his shoulder a gentle pat. "Take good care of her," he said.Ocelotte took a step forward, gazing at Molly through the delicate veil. Today, she looked like a pure white jasmine flower.Ocelotte gently lifted the veil, wanting her t