As soon as the limousine disappeared from their sight, Kim looked at Noah and asked, “Ms. Courtney won twenty million dollars in a single night. She must’ve been in a wonderful mood.”Noah stood in the dark of night. Lowering his head, he lit a cigarette.He took several drags and wisps of light-green smoke lingered in the air. Sneering, he said, “She wouldn’t have won the twenty million dollars if she didn’t want to help me.”What he didn’t tell Kim was that he set Courtney up back when he wanted to make a connection to Graham. He arranged for a dashing, young college student to sleep with her and took a video of them doing it. He still had the video. That college student had to be twenty-seven years old now. He had an office job during the day. At night, however, he’d serve her and be her plaything. They had slept with each other just once, but he managed to hold onto her. Noah had to admit, that was quite impressive!The neon lights on the street flickered and illuminated
“Noah managed to rally Graham to his side and do his dirty work.“I have to say that he’s extraordinarily cunning! He must have some dirt on Courtney. I’m willing to bet that he knows about some humiliating secrets. So, she had no choice but to persuade her husband to take Noah’s side.”…It just so happened that Noah was looking their way. Gwynn turned her head sideways. She said to Marisol, “He has always been ruthless.”The latter nodded, agreeing with her sentiment. At that moment, a server came in with a sumptuous fruit platter. She laid it down on the coffee table and said, “This is from Mr. Noah. I’ll also bring some snacks over in a minute.”Gwynn wanted to reject it, but Marisol accepted it. Once the server left, the latter said, “You’ll be playing into his ego if you reject it! It’s best to act as if you’re unfazed in situations like this. Make him guess what you’re thinking. Send a message to him that paltry gestures such as this are nothing in your eyes. After al
Noah didn’t do anything to her. Her lean wrists were tied up and she was helplessly in his embrace. She couldn’t move at all, nor did she have any intention to call for her help. Her sleeping gown was pulled open, after all.He lay on top of her. There was a glint in his eyes as he stared at her with the glow from the moonlight. After a long time, he leaned into her chest. He was a tall, burly man while Gwynn was slender and petite. That didn’t stop him from leaning on her shoulder. He wouldn’t have shown this vulnerable side of him under normal circumstances. However, he was intensely fearful now. He had always been confident and sure of himself. The way he saw it, Gwynn could never leave him for real regardless of how much she fought back. After all, he wielded power and influence. There are a lot of ways for him to restrict her freedom.Still, life threw him a curve ball. Seemingly out of the blue, she found her real father and family: Archibald and the Templetons.The ol
After a brief moment, Noah said, “Where would you like to meet?”Archibald chuckled faintly. “Let’s do it at my villa. I don’t like to talk about my family affairs at work. Moreover, people could be listening in to our conversation. We certainly don’t want that!”Noah hung up the phone. Lowering his head, he cupped his face and asked Kim. “I’ve lost the battle, haven’t I?”Kim didn’t say anything for a long time.Leaning back on the leather chair, he looked at her and said, “Everyone’s being respectful and fearful of Archibald! Why would anyone stand up to him and take my side publicly? I actually think they’re all secretly selling away my company’s stocks!”Then, he added, “See to it that every stock they sold is bought back under my name. Use my personal funds!”She didn’t think it was a good idea. He lit a cigarette. “I’ve lost my pride. I can’t lose my company! I have no use for my wealth. The Sanders Group is the only thing that matters now. I have to save it even if it’
Noah smiled dryly in response. After all, history was always written by the victors!Archibald was truly a formidable and cunning opponent. He had crushed Noah with constant pressure for a whole month. Now, it seemed the old man was going to dangle a reward in front of him!As expected, the old man wanted him to divorce Gwynn. Then, he’d be rewarded with a large-scale renewable energy project in the northern part of the country. This single project could very well revive his dying company.He listened to Archibald patiently. Then, he said softly, “I’ll agree to divorce Gwynn! However, I respectfully reject your offer of the project! I was able to rebuild my company from the ground up after I got out of jail. I can do it all over again.”Archibald looked at him sharply. Sneering, he said, “Do you think you’re still a young man?!”He ignored the sarcasm in the old man’s tone. He stood up slowly. The fact was that he had thought long and hard about it before he came here. He
The next afternoon, Noah was already at the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau by the time Gwynn arrived. He was smoking in the car. He didn’t put any hair gel on his hair and his clothes weren’t as fresh as they were last night. His eyes were bloodshot, giving him a miserable look. He stared at her through the window, his eyes filled with nothing but longing.After a long time, he extended his arm and opened the car door. Then, he walked into the building with her. She said softly, “Honestly, we don’t have to show up in person! You have a lawyer for this. He’s the one who has been handling things for us!” He stared at her profoundly. Perhaps it was because they were about to sign the divorce papers. In any case, she seemed so delighted to be talking to him. He was kind of surprised that she spoke this much too. He had begged her to talk to him in the past. Hell, he even tried to force words out of her by thrusting into her roughly when they were in bed, but she just wouldn’t
“You’re right, Noah! You’ve regained your freedom, now that we’re divorced.“Gianna is still waiting for you to go back to her side.”…With that, she shut the car door with a bang, not caring if it might’ve slammed on his fingers in the process.The thought of Gwen brought tears to her eyes. She hated Noah’s guts. At the next moment, her white BMW rushed past him and crushed the jewelry box. He picked it up, brushed off the mangled pieces, and took the pink diamond ring out. The ring was fine, but it was no longer the same ring that fitted snugly on her finger. It was twisted out of shape. He stared at it quietly. His heart hurt more every time it throbbed.…A week later, he left the Sanders Group headquarters in the middle of the night. His once reputable company was facing bankruptcy. There was a stock halt. Noah mortgaged away nearly all of his properties and luxurious cars. That was the only way he could protect the company, even though it was a husk of its for
The soup Gianna brought over was spilled on the lobby floor. Lowering his head, he looked at it for a while before he picked up the soup container and tossed it into the trash can by the door. He didn’t need a woman to take pity on him. After that, he kept drinking himself into a stupor. He’d call out to Gwynn once he woke up from it. Sometimes, he’d even dream about the moment when they met each other for the first time.This time, however, he woke up from his drunken stupor and saw Emma. She was wiping sweat from his forehead. Her head was lowered and she spoke softly, as she usually did. “You kept calling out to ‘Gwynn,’ Mr. Noah. Is she someone you love?”For a minute there, he wasn’t completely sobered up. After a brief moment, he said in a husky voice, “She’s my wife.”She got bold and asked, “Why don’t you go home, then?”He looked dazed when he heard the question. After a while, he pulled out a cigarette from his front pocket, lit it up, and smoked it leisurely.
Originally, Lorian and Tegan were going to return to their own place. Due to Ocelotte's situation, they ended up going back to Sanders Residence together.Lorian parked the car and turned to Tegan, speaking gently: "Later, you should talk to Ocelotte. This kid has grown up and never had another girlfriend. He must have been hurt."Tegan softly responded, "Okay."She thought for a moment and murmured, "It seems like Ocelotte hasn't forgotten her."Lorian placed both hands on the steering wheel, his long fingers lightly brushing it. Then, he smiled. "Even so, he won't admit it. Let them handle it themselves. Ocelotte isn't a child anymore."With that, the couple got out of the car.Ocelotte had already gotten out of the car earlier. Lola was now over a year old, and she wobbled her way over. He bent down and picked up his little niece. Lola kissed Ocelotte's cheek affectionately. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck, looking utterly adored.Lorian and Tegan walked over, an
Late at night, the city’s neon lights began to fade.A luxurious black limousine slowly stopped at the entrance of the club. The car door opened, and a group of people stepped out. There was an extremely beautiful young girl who was surrounded by people in the center. She wore a pure white little dress, and her slender legs glowed white in the light.Ocelotte remembered that he had once held those slender legs as they fucked through the night. He was in the prime of his youth, and they did it for the entire night. Molly!Ocelotte looked at his past lover coldly. No, she should be called a love scammer. She had gotten what she wanted; she had become a famous actress. Meanwhile, Ocelotte no longer believed in love because of Molly's desire for a million dollars. Now, he was disgusted when he saw her pure appearance.…Ocelotte’s gaze was too blatant, which displeased the staff. “Could you please stop taking photos, mister?”Molly's female assistant, Paisley Perez, stepped for
Paityn threw everything aside and fully enjoyed everything Jamie gave her.The sky began to drizzle lightly.Jamie carried her into the car. Through the fogged-up car windows, the faces of the man and the woman became blurred.The diamond ring, resting delicately on Paityn’s neck, swayed gently.…Back in the private room of a top-tier luxurious club, Denny was almost in tears. He clung to Lorian’s arm, pleading, “I beg you, Lorian! Please tell Jamie I didn’t mean it! I don’t have the guts to offend Paityn, I was only trying to help him.”Lorian shoved him away, sneering, “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you today. Go back and clean up your mess at the company, don’t say I didn’t warn you. If I offend Jamie, I’d be in deep trouble, let alone you!“I can’t help you, and I don’t want to, Denny. Have you forgotten that Paityn is my sister-in-law? Consider yourself lucky that I didn't work with Jamie to kill you. Now, get the hell out of here.”…After Denny left, the private room rem
Outside, Jamie still had a temper. He pressed Paityn against the wall and kissed her fiercely in a secluded corner of the club. He took possession of her lips again and again, savoring the rare moment of her compliance.Finally, Jamie ended the kiss after a long while. However, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he kept his forehead against hers. His voice was rough and hoarse. “Why didn’t you resist? Don’t you hate me?”Although Jamie was laced with passion, Paityn, who had spent years with him, understood him. She knew that he cared.Last time, Jamie had blurted out, asking if something had happened between her and Monty. She hadn’t denied it in her anger, but today was different. Today, someone had mocked him publicly.Paityn rested her hand on Jamie’s arm, and spoke softly, “I’ve never slept with anyone else.”…A single sentence for Jamie was like the purest, most elegant music. Suddenly, he pulled Paityn tightly into his arms. He lowered his head to gaze at her delicate face.
Paityn snapped back to reality. She continued washing her hands, and her voice was soft. “I didn’t think about it! You keep bringing up his age, which means you must care quite a bit. Are you feeling powerless now? Has it come to the point of buying time with money?” Jamie continued to smoke his cigarette slowly. It was truly impossible to change Paityn. He couldn’t understand how Humprehy could tolerate her. Was she not so fierce in front of others? Just thinking about it made Jamie feel extremely uncomfortable. In Jamie's mind, he and Paityn had a child together. A man’s inherent nature is often filled with possessiveness towards women. No matter how many times she married—ten or eight times—he always felt that Paityn was still his woman. They were the original couple. The lighting was soft and alluring, with only the sound of flowing water filling the air. Jamie was captivated by her figure. Paityn wore a black form-fitting long dress with a front slit and six exquisite go
Only two or three guests had arrived in the lavish private room, and Jamie was one of them. Tegan was busy, while Lorian doted on Tegan and stayed close by, making sure she wouldn’t tire out even a little. The three men who arrived first were playing cards. Just as Paityn walked in, one of them looked up and casually said, "We need one more player, Paityn. You're just in time to fill the spot." Jamie laid his cards down, and the man quickly corrected himself: "I mean… Ms. Paityn." Another person nudged his arm and winked at Jamie, saying, "She's Jamie's wife." Jamie remained quite reserved, giving a light snort in response: "Grow up." At that moment, Lorian approached with a mug and handed it to Paityn. He chuckled as he said, "Don’t say nonsense; Paityn has a boyfriend, who was a 26-year-old young man." Paityn knew he was being playful and didn’t deny it; she wouldn’t be that timid. She took the cup and thanked him. On the other hand, Jamie looked up at Lorian with an am
After Paityn finished her shower, she dried her wet hair and walked out to the terrace to relax. The night breeze brushed against her face, and she felt very comfortable. To be fair, Carol spent most of the time with the Lockwood family, which made things much easier for her. She often had free time to enjoy tea with Tegan or go shopping. In this regard, Jamie did quite well. However, that was all there was. After the incident with Yara, Paityn thought it over and made the decision to draw a clear line with Jamie. They had different mindsets, and being together would not bring happiness. This time, Paityn had no resentment about the separation; she also wanted to move forward. After two or three months, they indeed no longer had any ambiguity, which she felt was great. Today, Tegan and Lorian introduced Paityn to a young man who was even younger than her at just 26 years old. He was a talented designer with a gentle and kind personality, and he was very attentive and sweet. P
Yara managed to hold back her emotions and took her handbag to say goodbye to Mason and Zoe. Then, she waved at Carol, who generously packed a little of her favorite cookies for Yara.“Thank you,” Yara said softly, holding the bag of cookies.Carol lowered her head and quickly dug into her meal. “Mommy said I need to eat to grow tall and strong. I want to be tall to protect Mommy.”…Yara walked out of the Lockwood Manor. The lawn was lush and green, with a few adorable fireflies flickering about, creating a charming scene. In the distance, tall trees loomed, casting deep shadows. Under the faint moonlight, Jamie stood there smoking. He was in his 30s and at the prime of his life. He was handsome and sharp like a finely honed blade.Yara had imagined many scenarios with him, but she finally realized it was all one-sided. Jamie found her annoying, and so did the Lockwood family. However, they hadn’t been straightforward about it out of courtesy.Yara had her own pride, and now t
Jamie was stunned for quite some time. He couldn’t understand why Paityn would go on a blind date. Didn’t she love him? Why would she seek someone else before things were clear between them?Just as Jamie was about to ask, Jennifer sighed and said, “Paityn said she wants to start a new life. She doesn’t want to feel heartbroken anymore, and she doesn’t want to hang on to the past. She said she wants to take a page out of your book.”Jamie felt a surge of anger. He rubbed his nose defensively, insisting, “Don’t listen to her nonsense, Jennifer. I’m not fooling around with anyone outside.”Jennifer usually had a good impression of Jamie, but what mother wouldn’t side with her daughter? She let out another sigh, “So, you’ve really messed up.”Jamie fell silent. As he settled into the back of the black Cullinan, Carol was busy playing with her blocks in the backseat. The sweet little girl was happily playing by herself. She spoke softly without looking up, “Daddy is angry again.”Jami