Hearing Esme's mocking tone, Jean realized she and Joyce hadn't gotten along. Jean raised her head and said, "How do you know that? Even if I won't be his wife for long, at least I was his wife once. What about you? You don't even have the chance, Ms. Page. Isn't that more laughable?" Esme got angry at her words. She looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, with all her hackles up. "Joyce Michaels! I haven't seen you for three years, but you're as infuriating as ever! It should've been you hurt in that accident, not your sister!"Jean froze. Her expression shifted into fear. When the accident happened three years ago, the Michaels family had kept it quiet. This way, Jean could assume Joyce's identity and marry Tyler in her place. Esme's knowledge about the accident surprised Jean. She grew suspicious. "You … knew my sister?"Jean had always kept a low profile, even in her own home. She observed Esme carefully. Esme realized that she had misspoken as well and s
As Tyler spoke, he grabbed Jean and dragged her into the ward. He pinned her against the bed, pulling her sleeves up so the doctor could draw her blood. Jean gritted her teeth and struggled. "Let go of me, Tyler!"Esme was stunned for a moment. Then, malice flashed through her eyes as she went up and helped Tyler to restrain Jean. She took the opportunity to exact her revenge. The doctor brought his tools hurriedly. Jean felt a prick on her arm, along with the coldness of the needle.Esme watched excitedly as Jean's blood flowed into the syringe. Her grip on Jean's hand tightened. "Tyler won't hurt you as long as you stay still, Ms. Michaels. You were the one who agreed to donate your blood to my sister. That's why Tyler agreed to give you the life you have now. Why are you going back on your word?" Hearing this, Jean felt alarmed. She formed a guess in her head. Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. She calmed down and said to Tyler seriously, "Let me go."Tyler's gr
As soon as Jean stepped through the doors, she felt dizzy. Mrs. Jones was doing her chores. She noticed Jean and immediately came up and supported her so she wouldn't fall. "Are you feeling unwell, Miss?"Mrs. Jones had accompanied Jean to the Larson family when she married Tyler. Even though she was supposed to help her, she was a spy sent to keep an eye on Jean.Dorothy had never trusted her even though she was the one who had told her to impersonate Joyce and marry Tyler. Jean pulled away from Mrs. Jones and said coldly, "I'm fine." She sounded calm and collected, as she always did.Mrs. Jones looked at her pale face and smiled awkwardly. "You don't look well, Miss. Is it because you're about to have your period?"Jean froze, but she soon regained her composure. She hadn't expected Mrs. Jones to keep track of her period for the past three years. "Maybe. My stomach feels a little upset. I'm going upstairs to rest. Let me know when dinner's ready." After saying that, Jean
Half an hour later, the security guards finished searching the staff quarters. They returned to the living room. "We did not find your lost jewelry, Madam."Jean raised an eyebrow.Mrs. Jones hastily said, "Miss, did you drop it somewhere and forget about it? Let me help you find it. It wouldn't be good to accuse someone—"Before she could finish, one of the maids, who Mrs. Jones had scolded before, spoke up. "You haven't checked Mrs. Jones' room." Mrs. Jones' expression changed. She turned to the maid who had spoken and said loudly, "What are you saying? I came to the Larson family with the Miss! Why would I steal her things?" The maid glared back at her. "How would I know? Your room's the only one that hasn't been searched."For the past three years, Mrs. Jones acted like she was better than the other staff. It was all because she was sent with Jean when she married Tyler. As a consequence, she had offended quite a lot of people. Jean was glad to see things play out the w
"What are you trying to do, Jean?" Dorothy asked as soon as the maid left Jean's room. She looked at Jean with loathing. "How does firing Mrs. Jones benefit you?"Jean was used to her mother's attitude toward her. Calmly, she sat up and said, "Mom, I thought you had something important to talk to me about. Is this just about a thieving housekeeper? I didn't fire Mrs. Jones. She was the one who stole and broke Tyler's rules."Oakside Villa had rules that were set by Tyler. Dorothy knew that, thanks to all the information Mrs. Jones had given her. She stared at Jean's calm expression and gritted her teeth. "Couldn't you stop him?"Jean's expression didn't change at all. She continued staring at Dorothy. "You might not know this, Mom, but Tyler is seeing another woman he brought home from abroad. Plenty of people are out there waiting for my downfall. They want something they can use against me. Are you sure you want someone like Mrs. Jones around me, around Joyce?"Dorothy frow
Tyler stood at the bedroom entrance with a taut face as he stared at Dorothy. "For a while now."Dorothy freaked out a little more upon hearing the answer. Jean quickly walked up to her mom and said calmly, "Mom, go home. I'll visit Jean when I have the time."Dorothy composed herself and nodded as she walked past Tyler. She went down from the second floor and felt relieved when Tyler didn't call out to her. Maybe he didn't hear their conversation, and she was nervous for nothing. She hurriedly left Oakside Villa without even looking back. Jean watched Dorothy leave. Then, she turned to Tyler with a smile. "I thought you wouldn't come home for a while." He stared at the demure woman with a sharp and curious gaze. She pursed her lips and handled his scorching gaze with calmness. She asked, "What's going on?"She didn't know if Tyler had overheard her conversation with Dorothy. But she couldn't look suspicious to Tyler after how Dorothy behaved strangely. Tyler was always wary a
Tyler smirked at Jean. "A woman who suggested divorce is now talking about securing her status. You think I'm easily fooled?"Jean felt her heart racing under his gaze. Feeling dizzy, she stumbled backward and gripped the wall. A wave of nausea hit her. Enduring the discomfort, she hissed, "Yes! I'd like a divorce! But I decided to stay with you only because I can take advantage of the title of Mrs. Larson!" His eyes were devoid of warmth. Jean bit her lips with a look of determination. "You need my blood to save a life, and I need your reputation for my social standing. We can continue with this arrangement while leading separate lives. Doesn't that sound nice to you?"He shot her a frosty look. "You'd better remember what you said today." She gave him a light nod. "I will.""If so, come to the hospital tomorrow morning for blood donation."Her face paled upon hearing that. She had just donated blood that day. Donating again could affect her baby. "No," she refused, gritti
Jean clenched her fists tightly and stared at her reflection for a long time. She came to a decision and left the bathroom. She decided that she could not carry Tyler's baby.The next day, Chris picked her up at the villa according to Tyler's plan. "Madam, Mr. Larson wanted me to pick you up." She took a sip of the milk without much expression at the dining table. Then, she placed the glass on the table and rose from her chair. "Let's go." She sounded at peace. There wasn't a hint of protest. Chris was surprised by the sight of the untouched breakfast. A maid also chimed in, "Madam, you haven't eaten anything since last night. Why don't you leave after having breakfast?" She shook her head. "It's fine. I don't feel like eating."She walked out of the villa without turning back. Chris hurried after her and held the car door for her. Once she sat in the back, he closed the door and started the car.Jean was quietly staring out of the window during the drive. She suddenly asked
Even though Lukas was now back together with her, Jenny could clearly feel that their relationship could never return to the way it had been in the past. After spending some time with Lukas, Jenny felt that Lukas' heart no longer belonged to her.Once Conner and Robin were done packing up Alina's belongings at the hospital, they made their way to Robin's car. Robin drove them to her apartment. Upon seeing where they were heading, Conner said to Robin softly, "Roo, I won't be going back to your apartment."Upon hearing this, Robin looked confused. Before she could ask why, Conner added softly, "I want to return to Swiree."Robin was taken aback for a moment. Then, she replied, "Dad, you really don't need to rush back home."Conner had already sold the family business in Swiree when Alina was hospitalized in Henkel. As such, Robin had not expected to hear Conner tell her that he wanted to return to Swiree."Just stay here," Robin said.Upon hearing that, Conner sighed softly and
After Alina passed away, her body was taken to the funeral home the next morning.Alina had instructed Conner to keep her funeral simple after her death.After Alina was hospitalized, Conner showed her a grave site according to her wishes.A van from the funeral home came to the hospital the next morning to take Alina's body to the funeral home.Upon hearing the news, Jean and Tyler rushed to the hospital and accompanied Robin there.On the way to the funeral home, Tyler tried to call Terence. However, Terence did not answer.Tyler had to call Wilson to inform Terence of what had happened.Only a handful of relatives and friends attended the funeral to pay their respects to Alina.With Jean and Tyler's help, Alina's funeral wasn't much trouble to set up.Terence received the news of Alina's death in the afternoon. Only then did he rush to the funeral home.When Terence arrived, Alina's remains had already been cremated and placed in an urn.He walked over to Robin. When he s
Robin's call managed to go through, but no one answered her call even after a long while.Robin gradually tightened the grip she had on her phone. She tried to maintain her composure while holding the phone.After what seemed like ages, Terence finally answered her call."Roo, why are you still up?"Terence's gentle voice came through in the end. His tone was tinged with a hint of exhaustion.Upon hearing his voice, Robin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.Seeing that Terence had ended up answering her call, she supposed there weren't any problems to worry about."Yeah, I haven't gone to sleep yet. I'm still—"Robin was about to tell Terence that she was still at the hospital.However, Terence quickly interjected, "I'm still at the hospital now."Upon hearing Terence's words, Robin unconsciously tightened her grip on her phone. Her heart quivered in fear for a moment.She suddenly felt insecure.Robin hummed in acknowledgment and asked, "Is Ms. Blake not doing well?"Robi
Robin's response was in no way problematic.From her response, it was clear how cautious and serious she was when dealing with matters of the heart.Brian sighed and looked at Robin deeply.However, Robin deliberately avoided Brian's gaze at this moment.She didn't want him to waste his time on her. Robin certainly didn't want Brian's friendship with Terence to be negatively affected because of her.Seeing that Robin was deliberately avoiding his gaze, Brian curled his lips into a small smile and said softly, "You don't need to be so wary of me. I'm not going to force you to help me."I'm glad to see that you're going steady with Terence. I'm looking forward to attending your guys' wedding."Upon hearing this, Robin pursed her lips lightly. She let out a calm smile and replied, "Well, then you'll have to spend quite some time waiting."Brian turned to look at Robin. He had a tender expression on his face as he said, "Don't worry, I know Terence very well. I'm certain he'll marr
Robin couldn't help looking surprised upon seeing Brian dressed in formal attire. He looked somewhat weary."Mr. Collins," Robin greeted.Brian nodded slightly in response and walked over to her side.He whispered, "I heard that Aunt Alina isn't doing very well, so I came to check on you guys. Don't be too upset if you can help it."Upon hearing this, Robin pursed her lips. She replied in a soft voice, "I already expected this to happen, so I'm not too upset by it. I just feel a bit helpless at the moment."Although Robin had already anticipated this outcome, she couldn't change it.Robin sighed as a hint of grief filled her eyes.Brian walked over to sit beside her. His tone was gentle as he said, "Death is inevitable for everyone, after all. People either die from old age or sickness. Try to take it easy."Aunt Alina probably wouldn't want you to be so upset either."Robin nodded and turned her gaze toward Brian. When she noticed that was wearing a suit, she asked, "Where we
During her conversation with Alina, Robin had already tried her best to keep her emotions under control. She did not expect Alina to get so worked up.Robin simply didn't want Alina to use her past as an example to educate Robin.After all, everybody was living a different life.Robin would never settle for second best.Robin sat quietly as the doctor continued talking. But she didn't hear a word he said. Noticing Robin's low spirits, Conner said softly to her after the doctor left, "Roo, don't burden yourself with all this. This day was bound to come sooner or later."Although Conner was trying to comfort Robin, his voice was hoarse and contained a hint of melancholy that he failed to conceal.Robin took a deep breath. With her reddened, teary eyes, she told Conner, "I shouldn't have argued with her knowing she was sick. With her current state, it's my fault that I insisted on my point."Conner sighed with a hint of helplessness in his expression. He avoided Robin's eyes and
Robin took a deep breath and said softly, "Don't worry about Chandler. Terence will handle it."After all, Chandler raised Terence like a son despite not being blood-related. The bond between them was too strong for Terence to ignore."Just focus on getting better."Alina went silent for a while. Robin chose not to say anything further either.She wanted to end the discussion in Alina's silence. But to her surprise, Alina uttered hesitantly after a long pause, "No, Terence will not care about Chandler."If Terence helps Chandler out, Weiss Group will face setbacks. Terence prioritizes his interests above all else. He won't care about Chandler. I…"Robin watched Alina getting worked up as she continued talking. Robin couldn't help but feel bad.However, she couldn't pinpoint her feelings. Did she feel bad because after all these years, Alina still cared about Chandler? Or was it because Conner's effort was being overlooked by Alina?Even though Chandler was her biological father
Conner had been working tirelessly to take care of the family. Even now that Alina fell ill, he cared for her selflessly."I should go back and check on your mom. If not, she'll wake up and find herself alone."Robin felt bad watching Conner's silhouette. She and Conner went back to the ward together. Sure enough, Alina was already awake.Robin sat on the couch and felt a mix of emotions as she watched Conner care for Alina devotedly.Alina had finished her medicine for the day, and Conner needed to get her the newly prescribed medicine from the pharmacy. So, Robin stayed back to keep Alina company.Robin kept her gaze fixed on Alina's weary face and asked softly, "Mom, do you want me to end up like you?"Alina paused for a moment after listening to Robin as a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes. Clearly, she did not understand the meaning of Robin's words.Robin took a deep breath to control her own emotions and continued softly, "I was referring to finding a man who takes
Terence was waiting at a traffic light, so his surroundings were noisy. As Robin's voice was very soft, Terence couldn't quite make out what she was saying. "I'm heading to the hospital to check on her now. How are things with your mom?" Terence repeated his question to Robin again. Robin went silent. She had already decided to be with Terence, and he had also publicly clarified that nothing was happening between him and Monica. So, it would be childish of her to ask the question again because he had already made things clear. Robin's lips were pressed together, and her expression had reverted back to normal. She said, "She's fine here. Don't worry about it." She then murmured softly under her breath, "I'll call you back later. Drive safely." As soon as she finished talking, she immediately ended the call. Terence didn't give it much thought after Robin ended the call. He turned the engine on and drove off to the hospital to visit Monica. Robin stood in the cor