Ella looked affectionate and serene whenever she talked about Farley and his daughter. Staring at her friend quietly, Zoe fell into deep thought. Ella had changed completely. She had become someone akin to Rosemary, capable and independent. She was happy that Ella turned out like this. Now that she had brought up Rosemary, Ella insisted that they had to ask her out for some coffee or something. Zoe knew, deep down, that her friend wanted to meet up with Rosemary because she was a friend of Farley’s. Ella wanted to hear Rosemary talk about her late husband so that, in a way, he’d be able to live on in this world. Then, she left Ella’s apartment. She couldn’t help but feel sad about Farley. He was such a decent man that it was painful to think that they had lost him. She hated how unfair and indifferent the universe was.With that said, she couldn’t do anything about it. It was evening when she went to The One Gourmet’s office building. There was a pile of work waiting for h
Zoe made her way into her villa. It was as warm as spring here. Several of her servants filed down the stairs and greeted her warmly when they saw her. “Mr. Mason sent over a lot of gifts. We’ve moved all of them to the private lounge on the second floor! Please go over them when you have the chance. Ms. Zoe.”Her servants had always worked hard. So, she didn’t have the heart to reprimand them. “Okay.” She responded lightly and climbed the stairs. Opening the bedroom door, she saw a mountain of delicate gift boxes, each of them came with a gift card too. She counted and found that there were a total of thirty-one gifts in there. Mason had given her thirty-one gifts because she was thirty-one years old now.Taking off her coat, she sat on the wool carpet and unwrapped her gifts. Some of them were exquisite pieces of jewelry while some others were limited edition handbags. There was also silk sleepwear and skincare in there. As she unwrapped the last box of gifts, she saw a Pat
The night was as gentle and mellow as it could be. Mason’s voice sounded exceptionally seductive on this beautiful night. “It’s hard to please you, Zoe.”She didn’t respond to that. All she did was lie down on the pillow and listen to his light breathing. She didn’t say or do anything. Instead, she resorted to wasting her time and life away, holding the phone…With that said, Mason was keeping her company on the other end of the phone. So, was she really wasting her time here?Not long after, she actually fell asleep!At the other end of the phone, he was sitting in the study as he looked out the window and into the night. He knew Zoe felt wronged because he humiliated and chased her away the last time he was still in a wheelchair. She was a proud lady. How was she supposed to be okay with that and reconcile with him, just like that?They might've slept with each other last night, but he knew Zoe too well to be thinking that she’d reconcile with him because they had sex severa
Saül asked solemnly, “Is it because of Mason?”He had put his feelers out and confirmed that Zoe was no longer attached to Mason. Moreover, he put a lot of thought into it before he started making his moves on her. He was no longer a young man. That was why he gave himself enough time to be sure that he wanted a wife like Zoe.She was exquisite and charming, exactly his type. Zoe shook her head, “It’s not entirely about him, Saül! Please believe me when I say I have reasons of my own for this decision.”Staring at her for quite some time, he finally confirmed that she wasn’t joking, nor was she playing hard to get.What a shame, Saül thought to himself. Despite his personal feelings, he maintained his composure and said, “If that’s the case, I hope you’ll do me the honor of having this dinner with me! We can seize this opportunity and talk about the details of the collaboration.”She didn’t make something out of his invitation. The fact was that she loved dealing with smart,
Mason had spoken the truth.She did come here for a blind date. However, she couldn’t have predicted that it’d be Saül. With that said, she wasn’t about to appear weak before Mason. Leaning on the car window, she said coldly, “So what if it was a blind date? We’re no one to each other, Mason. You don’t have the right to stop me from going on dates!”Instead of responding to her, he was content with staring at her quietly.After a long time, Zoe intended to get out of the car. At the next moment, she heard a soft click. Mason had locked her in once again. She turned to the side and looked at him. She still couldn’t read his face. He was staring right at her when he said, “We have an agreement, Zoe. We could ask each other out if we want to have sex! What’s the matter? Did it slip your mind?”Zoe was both mortified and upset at what he said. They might’ve been married and slept with each other countless times in the past, but she still couldn’t take it every time he blatantly t
Holding Zoe’s body gently, Mason grinded into her sensually, showering her with kisses at the same time. Naturally, she was turned on. On top of that, she was moved. However, she could feel that something was flowing out of her when Mason was about to put it in. It was wet and sticky as it coursed through her inner thigh. At the next moment, her voice was broken when she said mortifyingly, “I’m on my period!”That stunned Mason. Then, his face turned red. This was the last thing he had expected to happen. What was worse, it had been such a long time since she stayed in his manor that there were no longer any sanitary pads around here. The next thing he knew, it started pouring outside. It wouldn’t make sense for him to go out and buy some now.She said softly, “Send me home now.”There was no way he would let that happen. Running his hand across her shoulder affectionately, he responded, “I’ll go downstairs and ask them. Perhaps Layla and the others have it.”She wanted t
Mason wasn’t sure how he should feel about this.The last time he was at Westley’s apartment, he knew just how much Lila loved his father. He hadn’t even dealt with her and here came a fresh set of problems.Dewetta was accusing Westley of groping her. The whole thing escalated and they were brought to the police department. Needless to say, it hurt the company’s reputation.He had no choice but to deal with it himself. Even Zoe was surprised at the revelation. Glancing at the heavy rain outside, she pondered a little and said, “Have Luke take you there. Otherwise, I’m coming with you!”His legs might’ve recovered fully, but she was worried about him because of the terrible weather.They stared at each other in the mirror for a long time. Then, he said softly, “I’ll ask Luke to take me there. Your period has just started. You should rest. After all, you’ve always been rather frail.”It was brief, but the affections in his words were unmistakable. Truth be told, she was still
Dewetta was completely dumbfounded.All of a sudden, she felt a shiver down her spine. Her eyes darted between Mason and Westley in disbelief. They actually looked very much like each other. It was just that their bearing was different.Surrounded by wisps of smoke, Mason said, “Bingo! He’s my father! Also, he has a wife! He’ll have to divorce my mother if he wants to marry someone else! I’m aware that you’re quite the ambitious one in the company, Dewetta. Is that why you want to be my stepmother?”At that moment, her face had turned pale, almost devoid of color.She then recalled that she still had the groping angle. Wasn’t it true that the security camera couldn’t capture them?Leaning over, Mason snuffed out his cigarette and said nonchalantly, “It’s fine! Go ahead and press charges. Lockwood Corporation is going to send its legal team for this case. At the same time, they’ll make sure everyone knows about this incident.“Believe me when I say you won’t be able to land anothe
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