Zoe rested her gaze on his feet. After a brief moment, she said softly, “It’s snowing out here. So, it’s probably not a good idea for you to drive by yourself. I’ll ask my chauffeur to give you a ride home instead.”He stared right into her eyes and asked, “Are you concerned about me?”Mason had the advantage of being handsome. Top that off with the naked lust in his eyes, no lady in the world could say no to him. Zoe was no exception to that rule. However, she put on a blank face and said, “I’m worried that you might get into a car crash. Stop flattering yourself, Mason.”With that said, he knew better than anyone if he was flattering himself or if it was just plain truth. Zoe loved him.He didn’t waste another second with words. Instead, he pulled her right into the car and held her tight in his arms. A thud could be heard as he closed the car door lightly.The snowflakes continued to dance in the air.It was warm and cozy in the car. The cramped space was filled with t
Mason was pissed off now. He snorted and said, “Guess what? I’m always chock full of lust.”Putting on the coat, she got out of the car. Holding the car door, she looked at his dashing features and said purposefully, “You're a sexual deviant! You’d better get it checked!”Then, she called her chauffeur to come over. She trained her gaze on him while they waited and he didn’t try to drive away either. In fact, he was merely toying with her earlier. Deep down, he respected her very much. Once her chauffeur came over, he moved over to the passenger seat and said to Zoe, who was standing outside, “Happy New Year, Zoe!”Giving him a sidelong glance, she turned and left. However, the moment she turned around, she felt as if somewhere deep in the far corner her heart, which was also her most vulnerable part, had crumbled. Mia saw her coming in and asked, “Did the chauffeur send him home?”The thought of what happened earlier made her feel shameful. So, she responded softly, “Y
Lisa knew that Zoe would never forgive her for the rest of her life. With that said, she knew that Zoe was merciful enough towards her for not sending her to prison. Perhaps it was because they used to have some sort of connection in her teenage years.It was the middle of the night and Lisa cried her lungs out in the black limousine.Mason was standing on the steps and looking at her car in silence. He could just guess that his mother was crying or weeping in there. However, he didn’t go over and try to soothe her. Instead, he walked back into his manor. Everyone had their own emotional baggage, but no one else could’ve helped her with it. She’d have to deal with it on her own terms.…It was the second day of the New Year. Mason decided he’d visit Westley because it seemed like his father was suffering from some health issues.He parked his car in front of the apartment, but he didn’t go upstairs with his gifts before he finished smoking a cigarette. He had bought the ap
Lila stared into his eyes. She was beautiful, but in a different way from Lisa, who looked more elegant while she was more free-spirited. She asked him, “Are you worried about Mason or my sister?”Westley didn’t manage to find his voice for a long time. “I’m afraid Mason has already…”She had loved him for the longest time, but she had never confessed to him. Now that he had gone ahead and said half of it, she decided she’d just come out and say it. “Are you trying to say Mason realized that I have a thing for you?”What she said spooked him real good. He was an honest man who adhered closely to the moral principles he held so dear to his heart. So, his mind was drawing a blank when Lila so flagrantly pushed him for an answer to her feelings. He ran the thought in his head for a long time before deciding to turn her down gently. “I’m a married man, for Heaven’s sake! More to the point, I’ve never thought of you that way, Lila. I’ve always seen you as nothing more than Lisa’s
In the end, however, Zoe still rejected him. She said, “We’re not at the point where we could watch a movie together! Stop asking me out!”He asked, “Well, then. What are we to each other now?”Refusing to answer the question, she hung up on him. Only then did she realize her burning face and feel deeply embarrassed. After all, they had just done some unspeakable things in his car last night. It was afternoon and the sun was shining brightly.Leaning on the couch on the second floor, she read her book cozily while Yanni and Jamie played next to her. About half an hour later, she heard the sound of a car pulling into her yard. She didn’t pay it any mind. Moments later, her servant, Paloma, knocked on the study door before coming in. “Mr. Mason’s here, Ms. Zoe. He said he’s here to hang out with the kids. What should I do?”Before Zoe could say anything, Yanni gasped and cried out happily, “Dad’s here!”Not only did she race downstairs, but she also carried Jamie with her.
Zoe felt a little awkward as she chatted with Aiden. Tried as she might, but she just couldn’t ignore Mason. He was sitting right next to her. It didn’t help that he was leaning very close to her too. She could even smell his aftershave.Aiden, on the other hand, remained unaffected and continued to chat cheerfully with them.He was treating Mason quite warmly as well. It seemed he had completely thought of him as her husband. It was only made more obvious when Mason asked the waiter, who had just served her a glass of champagne, “Give her a glass of juice, please.”It might not have seemed out of the ordinary, but it spoke of his protective and possessive mind. Everyone on the spot saw it too. It was clear that Mason still cherished her, even if they were already divorced. Aside from that, some of them muttered about how he had done the impossible. They were baffled that he could stand on his own two feet again. Some guests murmured,“Now that Mason has hit full recovery, some
She must’ve been out of her mind! Zoe thought to herself.It was over between them, but she just couldn’t reject him every time he teased her. His flirting skills were so superb that she’d inevitably succumb to it.Raising her eyes, she looked at herself in the mirror. She had to keep a clear head.After a brief moment, she left the restroom and was about to return to the ceremony hall when she heard a couple chatting. What was intriguing was that she recognized their voices. Poking her head out of the corner, she saw them.As expected, it was Ella and Leslie!Bumping into him was the last thing on Ella’s mind. As far as she was concerned, he was merely a ghost from her past. She used to hate him to the core.However, Farley had saved her from the endless pit of hatred. He might’ve passed away, but that did nothing to take away his love for her.They finally met each other after such a long time. Now, both of them were no longer young or naive. Leslie proceeded to light a ci
Leslie walked over and hugged her from behind. He didn’t do anything else. All he did was hold her tight and murmured, “I’m sorry, Ella! Can we please go back to the way things were?”Zoe had been peeping on them for a good while now. It was time she went over, she thought to herself.At that moment, someone pulled her back. She staggered and fell into someone’s warm embrace. It was Mason.Lowering his head, he leaned into her ear and whispered, “Let them sort it out themselves! Don’t worry. Ella can look after herself.”She tried to break free, but she couldn’t. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Let me go!”His face felt a little warm. Looking at her angry face, he said softly, “I told your chauffeur to go home. As you know, I have a few liquors in me. I’m going to need you to drive me home.”She wasn’t having any of it. Then, he added, “It’s snowing out there. I just might have a car crash if I drive now.”He was just impossible.She squirmed a little and broke free this t
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
Zion could sense Gwen’s cautiousness and chuckled softly. Then, he cupped her face and planted a firm kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. We agreed to save that for our wedding night. Besides, I just drank last night, so I probably wouldn’t be much use. I want your first time to be special, so I’ll make sure I’m well-prepared.” Gwen’s cheeks turned crimson. She buried her face in his chest, mumbling, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” How peculiar! Back then, even though they were together, their relationship had always been proper and restrained. But now, here they were, sharing a bed, their bodies so intimately close it was both thrilling and embarrassing. Gwen had never experienced this before. Zion seemed to understand her thoughts. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I haven’t either. Before the wedding night, I’ll make sure to study hard.” Gwen didn’t dare ask how he planned to “study,” though she had a pretty good idea—i
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