Gladys looked at the new clothes and said, “Just the right size, Mr. Noah! Lorian’s going to be three years old soon and Holly is over a year old. She can walk a few steps now! The only thing is that she doesn’t like to talk. It’s a good thing Lorian loves playing with her.”At the next moment, the babysitter brought both of the kids over.The little boy dived into Noah’s arms. “Daddy!”Noah held his son’s little feet. A lump formed in his throat. It had been half a year since he last saw Lorian. His little boy had grown taller and tougher. He looked like a big boy now. Holly, on the other hand, had just learned how to walk. So, she was wobbling in her steps. Mimicking her brother, she dived at Noah’s legs, held them, and said, “Dada.” She repeated it several times in a row, surprising him slightly. After a brief moment, he reached out and carried her in his arms. The little girl was teething. Lowering her head, she nibbled on his arms. They were ripped and firm. She liked t
There was nothing but pain and heartbreak in their history.As for the future… Well, why would they have any shared future in any way, shape, or form?Both of them stood in the evening light for a long time. In the end, Noah smiled faintly and said, “I’ll be going, then.”Casting another profound glance at her, he turned around and opened his car door. Then, he drove out of the driveway and left the villa. On the other hand, Gwynn was frozen to where she stood for a long time. It was extremely cold out here, but it actually slipped her mind to tug her cashmere scarf. Lorian ran over, hugged her feet, and asked, “Are you crying, mommy?”Bending down, she carried her son in her arms. Then, she buried her face on his small shoulder to prevent him from seeing her teary eyes. Her voice was a little broken when she said, “I wasn’t crying. Dust got into my eyes. That’s all.”Cupping her face, he said, “Here. I’ll blow it out for you, Mom.”Tears slid down from her eyes. …Noah
Holly was slipping in and out of consciousness. Her eyes were shut because she was suffering from a fever. Her face was pale.Her eyebrows fluttered as she subconsciously called out to Gwynn, who was holding her tiny hands and calling out her name tenderly. It pained Gwynn to see her baby girl like this. Holly wasn’t just an adopted kid to her. The baby girl was also the only thing Maddox and Hailey left in the world. She’d never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life if anything happened to Holly. Her face was filled with uneasiness. She couldn’t resist lowering her head and planting a kiss on her baby girl’s forehead. Noah was standing by the door and watching this moment quietly. Gladys saw him. Wiping her tears, she said, “Mr. Noah’s here, Ms. Gwynn.”The old servant didn’t realize her tone was much softer when she spoke to him, as if Gwynn and he were still a married couple. With that said, nobody had the mood to correct her in a moment like this. Gw
At the next moment, the doctor said sternly, “There’s no way your bone marrow would be compatible if you aren’t related to her by blood.”“Just do it!”Noah looked at Gwynn.She murmured, “I’ll do it too.”Anders and Marisol also expressed their willingness to run the compatibility test. Although Holly wasn’t related to the Templeton family by blood, Gwynn thought of the little girl as her own. That meant Holly was part of their family nonetheless.In the end, even Archibald and Saul volunteered themselves for the test. It’d take them three days to wait for the results!The doctor advised them that they couldn’t afford to waste another second. There was an extremely slim chance that it’d work. The best move was for them to travel to Silvercrest and convince Holly’s blood relatives to do the compatibility test.The night rolled on and it began to pour relentlessly. Gwynn stood by the window in the ward and watched as the rainwater collected on the surface of the leaves outsid
Gwynn parted her lips. She wanted to say something, but she decided she didn’t need to explain anything to Grayson. So, she withdrew her hand and said gently, “Let’s break up. We’re not right for each other!”At the next moment, she stood and moved to leave the coffee shop. That stunned him a little. Then, he rose, chased after her, and grabbed her hand again. He was caught in the moment and blurted out his inner thoughts, “I didn’t say anything wrong! I’ve always lowered myself to your level and accommodated your needs.“It’s true. Both of us were married, but only one of us has a kid dragging our feet and that’s you! You have two kids, for crying out loud! I think you know what choice to make if you know what’s good for you.”She responded calmly, “I’m breaking up with you.”His expression grew cold. “You’re going to regret this, Gwynn.”Shaking his hand off, she walked briskly toward her car. She opened the car door and got in. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. After all, sh
Gwynn raised her head and looked at him. She spoke with trembling lips. “It’s none of your business.”She tried to shake him off, but he was much stronger than her and easily overcame her struggle. She couldn’t move as he stared at her with unblinking eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but she thought she saw a subtle hope in them.Then, she lowered her gaze. She knew what he was getting at. So, she thought she might as well put the cards on the table. “Yeah. I’ve broken up with him! However, it has nothing to do with us because there’s nothing left between us. I can never love you again, Noah!”Silence hung over the elevator. His heavy breathing was the only thing audible in there. He fixed his gaze on her, the muscles on his hand were visibly tensed up through his shirt. The tension between them was so thick he could cut it with a machete. That was when Anderson, who had gone quite far ahead and turned back, popped up at the elevator and said, “We’re here.”Bot
Back when Maddox died tragically, Gwynn had only seen his parents once. She did so in a hasty manner too because she took a flight straight to Birkenfeld immediately after that. So many years had come and gone before they met each other again.After she went down on her knees, veins popped out on Noah’s head. He clenched his fist and said, “It isn’t your fault, Gwynn!” She ignored him. Instead, she looked at the old couple and bowed her head to the ground. “I know I’ve done wrong by Maddox multiple times in the past! However, I know both him and Hailey would want Holly to pull through this safely. Please, I beg of you. Save Holly. Do it for Maddox.”The old couple wept pitifully. Naturally, they wanted to save the little girl. However, it was obvious that they couldn’t make the call because the entire family was in uproar.Eluned stepped forward. She cast a cold, condescending glare at Gwynn. “What makes you think you can bring up his name? Maddox’s hands wouldn’t have bee
“No!”Maddox’s mother cried out sternly. Then, she went over to Noah and slapped him fiercely. Taking the knife away from him, she hugged him tightly and burst into tears. “Maddox would never have wanted this if he was still alive! He was such a pure, kind-hearted man. He’d never ask for anyone to cut off three fingers for his sake.“Maddox would never have done that! He’d only look after his daughter from heaven, keeping her safe for the rest of her life.“What is cutting Noah’s fingers going to achieve?“That wouldn’t bring him back.“That certainly wouldn’t save my granddaughter.”…Maddox’s mother brought her head to the floor and cried her heart out. “Please, everyone! You have to do the compatibility test for Holly! Think of it as doing it for Maddox. We have to save his daughter!“My husband and I are old and could move on to a better place anytime. We’re more than ready to move on from our hatred. After all, in life we can only go forward!”Then, she faced everyone a
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