“Unreasonable and obstinate?”Archibald sat beneath the light and looked at his only son, his face filled with bitterness and gloom.Rising, he walked out of the study. Moments later, his deep voice traveled into the study. “Didn’t you say I was unreasonable and obstinate, Anders? Well, you’re going to follow me and take a look at your precious son. “I want you to see how twisted he has become! Let’s see how you react when you find out about his appalling confession!”Anders felt a chill down his spine. At that moment, he recalled how Marisol had wept every day for the past few days. There were also doctors visiting their villa now, including a nutritionist and the most reputable psychiatrist in Brookesville. Both of them met Anderson every day. Ironically, he hadn’t even see his son all this while. Archibald opened the door to his grandson’s bedroom. Anderson was lying on the bed. He was much skinnier than before. A couple of warm, friendly doctors were sitting by his sid
Noah wasn’t aware that Gwynn had left Brookesville. He’d go to the Inverleigh Restaurant and wait for her there for a couple of hours every day. He’d watch the evening sun and its orange rays until dusk consumed it all and blanketed the world with infinite darkness. Come hell or high water, he’d still wait for her. However, she had gone overseas. So, how was she supposed to meet with him there?As time went by, he started to think that she had regretted spending an intimate moment with him that night. She was avoiding him because she didn’t want to talk to him about their future. A month came and went. He started to wonder. Shouldn’t Gwynn at least have missed Holly?He had gone to the Templeton villa more than a couple of times. However, the Templetons were too high up for someone like him to reach. He couldn’t even see Archibald, Anders, or Marisol in person.…Summer was drawing to an end. Noah had pushed his liver to its limits. Zoe had to force him to go to Lockwoo
The streets were illuminated by numerous neon lights. The bars lining the lanes were livened up by a lady singer’s husky, melancholy voice, just as it always had.What was different now was that Gwynn and Lorian were no longer here. The street was teeming with people and bustling with chatter, but he was merely standing there by himself, feeling an immense sense of loss.Then, he saw Anderson. He was on a blind date with someone in a high-end restaurant. The lady was elegant and noble. She wasn’t anywhere near as astoundingly beautiful as Gwynn, but she did possess a certain charm and an exceptional gracefulness about her. Both of their parents seemed to be having a good time with each other too. Noah stood outside and watched him quietly. Anderson seemed enthusiastic, but his eyes were devoid of life. Something was very different about him. In the end, he resorted to waiting outside. He was waiting for them to come out of the restaurant. Anders and Marisol were startled
Holly had put twenty-six candles on the birthday cake. The sight of it stirred Noah’s heart. He thought that Holly would forget all about her mother when enough time passed. To his surprise, the little girl kept asking about her mother. She’d ask him where her mother had gone off to and when she was going to come back. After that, time flew by like an arrow. Days, months, even years slipped away. On Gwynn’s twenty-seventh birthday, he took Holly to Silvercrest for a leisure trip. On Gwynn’s twenty-eighth birthday, he bought an office tower for the Sanders Group, and bought back the old villas he used to share with her. It had been three years since she left Brookesville. It was the year when he had regained his former glory in terms of both personal and company wealth. He was in a place where he could compete with the Templetons again. In that same year, Anderson’s wife gave birth to twins. Noah attended the christening celebration party with Holly. He prepared wonderfu
Gwynn’s black umbrella and dress looked like a piece of art in the rain. She was finally back in Brookesville after four years.On day after her return, she was sorting through her old belongings when she abruptly recalled that Noah had invited her for dinner four years ago. He said he needed to talk to her about something important. Today was the anniversary of that day. Back then, she was forced to leave the country. The fact was that she had never forgotten about it. It was just that the incident came out of left field and caught her by surprise. Her reconciliation with Noah paled in comparison to that outrageous incident.She was a little disappointed that she couldn’t have met him. At the same time, she missed him a little. With that said, she didn’t regret her decision in the least. So many years had passed. She actually came to this restaurant to have closure over the person she missed back then. On top of that, she came here to bid farewell to her old self. After al
What Noah said stung Gwynn. Obviously, he misunderstood the situation. It was Gregory on the phone earlier. She ran into him in Seridian and he had looked out for her a few times. They also hung out with each other from time to time. On top of that, he knew about her taking Lorian back to Brookesville. With that said, she didn’t explain herself. As far as she was concerned, her history with Noah was nothing but a distant memory. She remained silent in response. He took that to mean a yes. All of a sudden, the white BMW’s brakes screeched, and it ground to a halt by the side of the road. It was still raining heavily. Dressed in elegant clothes, he looked out the window quietly. The wipers on the windshield swished left and right repeatedly, but it did nothing to clear the visibility.After a brief moment, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. A faint nicotine smell lingered in the car, fusing with the scent of his aftershave and creating a unique, charming odor. He took h
Noah didn’t turn on the light. Instead, he sat by the side of the bed and stared at his son underneath the dim light. After a long time, he reached out and brushed Lorian’s cheeks. The little boy rolled to the side and lay down flat on the bed. His defined nose and innocent eyes reminded him so much of Gwynn back when she was a little over twenty years old. Just like that, his mind was flooded with memories. The pain was so excruciating that it felt like someone stabbed him through the heart. He was still hurting on the inside. He found success and rebuilt his business after four years. Everyone thought he had recovered from the grief and moved on. He even convinced himself that he no longer cared about it that much. However, meeting Gwynn again revealed to him that his heart was actually still torn to shreds!He didn’t stay for too long. She stood by the window when he left, her black dress blending into the surrounding darkness. She saw him going downstairs and getting
The room was filled with the sweet odor of tea, but Archibald could taste nothing but bitterness. Glancing at his beloved daughter, who had been gone for four long years, he asked in a deep voice, “You’ve been back for a few days now. Why didn’t you come home with Lorian?”Gwynn looked at Saul. Saul took the hint and rose, walking far away to check on some books. Averting her eyes, she responded softly, “It isn’t appropriate.”He suppressed his feelings and said, “How is it inappropriate? Anderson is married with kids. That incident is already a thing of the past. No one’s going to bring it up again… “I know you’re mad at me, Gwynn, but I did it for a reason! Come home and stay in the family villa. I’m old now. I want my family to stay with me.”She took her time and drank half of her cup. Shaking her head gently, she said, “I’ll pass. Anderson has got a good life going now. Isn’t this what everyone wanted? Why should I go back and disrupt his otherwise perfect life? Further
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