Noting how calm Toby was, Yvette checked her phone before texting him."You must come back early, Toby. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."Toby read Yvette's message. His gaze stilled as he typed out a curt response."Got it."Once Yvette received his reply, she secretly exhaled in relief and drove off.After finishing her work at the studio, Jean went to Michaels Group for a meeting.By keeping herself busy, she would not need to head back to Teak Villa so soon.Jean was still unused to the lack of Dorian's presence in Teak Villa.She had to keep herself busy to avoid overthinking.During the meeting, Derek suggested casting Glenn in Heroes.Derek's eager recommendation of Glenn made Jean's expression turn cold. She said grimly, "Glenn Sotheby isn't signed to our company. We should be reserving our best projects for our own celebrities."You should really change your habit of siding with outsiders, Mr. Cochran."Jean openly voiced her dissatisfaction.Derek stiffe
Recently, the Larsons had been selling off their assets.Rumors had spread across the entire industry.Some said the Larsons were done for, while others said the family was cashing out their assets before heading abroad to invest their money.All kinds of theories abounded.Timothy knew that Jean was someone who kept her emotions to herself. Thus, when he saw the way she threw herself into her work, he did not feel good about it. "Jean, here's this month's progress report."Timothy passed the monthly progress report to Jean."Got it."Jean took the progress report from him with an impassive expression.She pored over the information, leaving no stone unturned.Timothy was good at running a business. Otherwise, he would not have been able to build Michaels Group up to its present heights.After reading the report, Jean's expression was even more indifferent."Good job," she said unemotionally.Then, she closed the folder and handed it back to Timothy.Jean remarked, "Mr.
Jean had repeated herself. No matter how tough Derek was, his expression changed this time."Ms. Michaels, do you really think I'm scared of you? I personally fostered many celebrities of Michaels Group's media company," he scoffed.Jean coolly replied, "Many of the celebrities under your management left the company eventually. I'm sure you're even more aware of the issue behind that, Mr. Cochran."Derek's expression shifted ever so slightly.Jean picked up the report on her desk and tossed it back to Derek."You don't seem to be aware of your position yet, Mr. Cochran," she commented grimly. "Take your report and get out. Come and see me when you've figured it out."Jean's arrogance made Derek's expression harden. He glared icily at her and took a deep breath before snarling, "Let's hope you never have to regret what you've done today, Jean."She eyed him impassively. His forceful retort did not rattle her.As if nothing had happened, Jean continued to stare calmly at Derek an
Jean was startled to see him, but moments later, she began to smile faintly."Mr. Jacobs."When Toby saw Jean approaching, he smiled and came over to her.Jean was still holding her jacket. Toby glanced at it before taking her briefcase from her and saying, "Put your jacket on first. It's getting cold. You might get sick again."Toby calmly took Jean's briefcase from her. It was as if it had been his job to do it in the first place.At first, Jean was startled, but she soon nodded in agreement.After putting on her jacket, she wanted to take her briefcase back from Toby."You can give it back to me now," she said softly.Yet, Toby did not pass the briefcase back to Jean. He simply said, "You overworked yourself today. I'm sure you're exhausted. I'll help you carry your briefcase. It's not a big deal."Upon hearing that, Jean chuckled and said, "I don't feel that tired."At the very least, she liked this workaholic side of her.Toby chuckled at her reaction. "I never thought
Soon, it was time for Jean to make good on her promise and head back to Jacobs Residence with Toby.During this time, with Toby's help, Jean made all the necessary preparations.She knew she was only putting on a show with Toby. Therefore, during the flight to Dortsham, she did not feel nervous at all.When Coleen found out that Jean and Tyler had married in secret, she told Tyler to bring Jean back to see the family. During the car ride to Larson Residence, all of Jean's limbs had been cold and numb.At the time, Jean did not know about Lilian.Along the way, Tyler had shown her a lot of care as well.Back then, she was truly a coward.As she thought about her past self, she suddenly realized just how many years had passed.Throughout the journey, Jean barely spoke.Toby's eyes fell on Jean. After seeing the way she focused on the view outside the window, he said quietly, "You're doing well so far. Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time."Jean snapped out of her reveri
Jean was indeed nervous. After all, this was a prominent family. Even though her identity was just an act, she couldn't help but feel anxious.If she didn't manage to please Miriam, it would certainly be a significant loss for Toby.Toby held Jean's hand tightly and said in a gentle tone, "Don't worry. I know you can do it."Nodding, Jean entered the Jacobs villa with Toby.The interior of the villa was luxuriously decorated. As Jean was led in by Toby, she noticed that a few people were standing in groups in the courtyard."Hey, isn't that Toby?" one of the guests chirped. "And that person beside him must be today's star—his girlfriend," another said.Toby didn't introduce her, and Jean didn't ask about them. She looked at the two who had spoken with an indifferent gaze. She furrowed her brows when she noticed the mockery in their eyes.It was clear that even though Toby was now in charge of the Jacobs family, these people still didn't take him seriously.Toby walked past th
Jean remained composed despite Finn's words. He knew Jean looked identical to Joyce. It was clear that he was trying to provoke her.Toby glanced at Jean, worried that she might be uncomfortable due to this.However, Jean maintained a calm smile and muttered gently, "Thank you for the praise, Mr. Finn. My sister and I do resemble each other, and many people often mistake us."Upon hearing Finn's words, Miriam studied Jean closely. "Oh, your sister is the pianist, right?"Jean nodded gently. "Yes, Grandma."Miriam clapped her hands. "A pianist! I love listening to music. Can you play the piano?"Jean replied with a smile, "My piano skills are not as good as my sister's, but I can still play."Miriam nodded. "I heard from Tobt that you're currently managing your family's company and pursuing painting as well, right? You're a talented young lady. Our family is lacking someone like you."Despite receiving Miriam's compliment, Jean remained calm and didn't become overjoyed by it.
Miriam smiled excitedly. Toby ordered the maids to bring in the gifts. A few of them were those that Jean picked out. One in particular was an item from Aeston.It was a toy made from woven straw and was hard to come by. Toby had searched far and wide before finally obtaining it from an elderly farmer. These toys were commonly used by locals in their region as entertainment to cure boredom.When the others saw that this toy was made of straw, their faces fell in disdain. Elena Stirling sneered and commented, "I was wondering what it would be. But it's nothing more than this shabby thing? What do you take my family for, Ms. Michaels? This rubbish is hardly worth our time."Elena had remained silent earlier, searching for something to mock. However, now that she saw the simple straw toy Jean had presented, she finally found an opportunity.The Jacobs family was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, considered to be a wealthy household. Jean maintained her composure, o
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