Grace's heart felt whole as she held the warm milk and looked at Xander. "Xander, I didn't expect you to be so talented. When did you start learning to cook?" She was surprised that, despite knowing him for so many years, she was unaware of the hidden skills he possessed. Xander replied calmly, "I learned it long ago. It just happened to come in handy today." The most important thing was that she had finally gotten the chance to taste his cooking. Xander looked down with a smile. "If you like it, I can cook for you more often." Grace agreed without hesitation, "Yes, please! That would be wonderful."… After breakfast, Xander dropped Grace off at Amirate Corporation.After getting out of the car, she waved to Xander and watched him leave before entering the office. To her surprise, as soon as she entered, Caleb caught her. "Gracie!" Caleb approached her quickly, his eyes scanning her, making Grace feel puzzled. She asked, "What are you looking for?" "Be honest. Why
"Gracie, you must have been busy with work recently," Elizabeth said. Grace smiled softly and said, "It's alright. The company is on the right track now." "Good. That's good," Elizabeth said. But her words were followed by a few coughs, which made Grace frown slightly. "Grandma, are you feeling unwell?" "It's nothing, just the usual." Grace couldn't help but worry. During her three years with the Hawkins family, Elizabeth had always been kind to her and a source of comfort for her. "Have you seen a doctor?" "Yes, I have. Don't worry about me. I called because I haven't seen you for a while and wanted to talk to you." "It's okay. I'll come to see you after work."Elizabeth was delighted by that. "Really? That would be wonderful! The house has been quite empty lately. If you could come to see me, nothing could make me happier." "Grandma, don't say that. You've always been like family to me." Hearing this, Elizabeth's eyes welled up with tears. "You're always so thoug
The assistant quickly handed over the information to Samuel. "I found it, Mr. Walker. The Eastwood property was bought by the newly established Landon Group." "Huh? They are a new company and had such audacity to snap up such an important piece of land?" Samuel was surprised and asked, "Did you find out anything else?" "Mr. Walker, Landon Group isn't as simple as it seems. It appears that this company has connections with the former Quine Group and Hawkins family." "The Hawkins family? Benjamin Hawkins?" "Exactly!" "It seems I was right. Even Benjamin thinks this land is valuable. Grace really is blind for not taking on this project." "Indeed, Mr. Walker! Ms. Lewis seems to have missed the mark this time. Although Landon Group has acquired the land, it's too much for them to handle alone." Samuel laughed and said, "This is the perfect opportunity. Contact the owner of Landon Group and arrange a meeting." "Mr. Walker, there's no time to waste. I've already contacted Ms
"Waiter, I'll get black coffee for me, no sugar," Samuel ordered. Soon, the coffee was brought to him. He took a leisurely sip. "Your choice of coffee shop is commendable, Ms. Landon. The coffee has a rich flavor and tastes great." Smiling, Jessica replied, "Then I must invite you for coffee more often in the future." "That sounds like a good idea." The two went back and forth, neither willing to concede. Jessica had initially thought Samuel would be easy to manipulate, but she was somewhat surprised by his resilience. However, she wasn't easily fooled either.As they finished their coffee, Jessica stood up and suggested, "Mr. Walker, it seems we have nothing left to discuss. Shall we call it a day?" Samuel smiled and slowly put down his coffee cup. "Ms. Landon, let's not be hasty. Don't you agree?" "Oh? Do you have any advice?" Samuel said calmly, "Since we're discussing a partnership, mutual trust is the first step. From your behavior just now, it seems you don't
Only after Jessica had left did Samuel wave at the assistant standing not far away."Anything you need me to help with, Director Walker?"Samuel asked, "How much in current assets do I have?""At the moment, you have about a hundred million dollars in current assets. That, together with your real estate assets and your stocks in Amirate Corporation, are worth about 50 million dollars."Samuel considered it seriously. Should he place a bet on this game of chess?If he were to do it, he would have to bet everything he owned on it. If he did not, he would miss out on such a good opportunity, and he didn't want that. "Do you think the real estate market will continue to perform as well as it is now?"The assistant said without hesitation, "Why would you need to worry about the future of the real estate market, Director Walker? Real estate has always been and will always be a profit-earning business that will never incur losses."Samuel nodded in agreement. Speaking from years of
"Grace, you're here!" Grace looked at Elizabeth, who was standing outside with an excited look on her face, and chose to ignore the familiar silhouette behind her. She opened the door and got out with a smile. "Grandma!"Elizabeth was overjoyed. She went forward and gripped Grace's arm. "You're finally here after so long!"She pulled Gracie into the house as they chatted, completely ignoring Benjamin, who had just parked his car in front of the house. Benjamin had seen the other car parked in the yard from afar. He thought that he had gotten it wrong at first, until Grace got out of the car and Elizabeth came forward to welcome her. A small smile appeared on his face. As Benjamin got out of the car, a housekeeper came over. "Mr. Hawkins, you're back."Benjamin replied affirmatively. He had the housekeeper carry the things he had bought into the house before walking in the door. In the living room, Elizabeth asked Grace questions in concern. The two women seemed to be ch
Elizabeth nodded happily. She pulled Grace down to sit on the couch. "Wait here for me. I'm going to grab something."Grace was confused. "What is it? I can get it for you.""It's fine. I can do it myself."Elizabeth entered a small side room by her bedroom and came out holding a velvet box. "I have nothing much to give you, Gracie, but here is some jewelry from when I married my husband." Elizabeth opened the velvet box to reveal a diamond necklace. She motioned for Grace to bend down and put the necklace on for her. "This is my gift for you.""Grandma, this is too valuable." Grace refused to take it. Yet Elizabeth insisted on clasping the necklace around Grace's neck. "Don't think of it as something valuable. This is a token of my affection for you. No matter what, you'll always be like a granddaughter to me. It doesn't matter that we aren't related by blood.""Grandma!""It looks good on you!" Elizabeth smiled. "I don't know which lucky man will get to marry you. N
Benjamin tailed Grace's car, keeping a distance between them all the while, until he saw Grace drive safely into Lewis Manor. Only then did he park his car by the curb. From a distance, he could see someone waiting for Grace in the manor. He couldn't see the person's face clearly, but he was sure that it was a man. Was Grace in a new relationship now? Were they living together? Was the man Xander Fulton? Benjamin's heart felt empty, as if something had been taken from him. Even his vision started to blur. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. He didn't understand why he had followed Grace here, and he found it difficult to accept what he was currently witnessing. In the manor, Caleb glanced at the car parked not far away before asking Grace teasingly, "Grace, why didn't you invite that Fulton guy in for a visit?"Grace walked forward and grabbed his arm. "Since when did you become such a gossip, Caleb?"Caleb was just curious. "Did you guys have a fight?""No!""Why were
"Well, it's just that since Mrs. Jarvis introduced me to Ms. Lewis last time, I haven't had the chance to say thanks."The elevator doors opened then, and Dexter left after saying this.…After two hours of emergency treatment, Diana clung to a thread of life. Grace walked out, exhausted, and saw the angry figure of Dexter.Coincidentally, Dexter saw her as well. He turned and called out to her, "Ms. Lewis."Dexter, known for being stern and upright, suddenly smiled, which surprised Grace. "Mr. Hamilton.""You don't need to address me like that outside of work. Just call me by my name."As he had a higher seniority than her, Grace didn't dare be casual. "Are you here visiting a patient?"The weather was nice today. Standing in the sunlight, Grace's complexion was shining, seemingly hovering between youthfulness and freshness. She seemed even more beautiful than the flowers.Dexter suddenly recalled something Orson had said, and his expression darkened momentarily."I must ask
"Mr. Fulton, this.."The guard looked hesitantly at Benjamin lying on the ground and frowned."Isn't this a hospital? He won't die."As Xander said this, he coincidentally met the gaze of a nearby doctor. The doctor flinched and instinctively took a step back."Xander—" Benjamin's call suddenly came from behind as Xander took a step forward."Even if you deal with me, can you handle Alexander?"Benjamin's voice was filled with resentment and self-mockery. He lay flat on his back on the ground, staring at the ceiling. "My elder brother seems to avoid fighting, but if he does, you're no match for him."Xander paused momentarily, then continued to walk away without looking back or responding.Hazel followed closely. "Benjamin doesn't seem to be joking. Could there be a backup plan?""Someone needs to take over to completely deal with the Hawkins family. Let's see if the eldest son of the Hawkins family is willing to step up."As Xander entered the elevator, he coincidentally met
At the entrance, the police saw what was happening and moved to intervene but were stopped. A signal to hold back was given. "Don't worry. Mr. Fulton won't cause any fatalities.""Especially since you dared to make a move against Grace." Xander gave a cold laugh. "She spent a few days in prison, so I'll make sure you repay that a thousand times over.""Xander—"Grace brought this on herself. She even dared to investigate the Hawkins family, to dig into the past of the previous Mrs. Hawkins, to investigate Alexander!" Benjamin endured the pain he felt and was on the verge of a breakdown. "By the way, do you know who Alexander is? And the person he loves the most."Xander's face turned ashen, and he applied more force, causing Benjamin to scream in agony."If you were in my position, you would do the same." Benjamin struggled to speak. "Besides, don't you want Alexander to disappear? Don't you want Grace to be yours and only yours?"Xander remained silent, looking around disdainful
A commotion broke out again outside the hospital room. At the same moment, the medical equipment started beeping urgently. Reina's face turned pale with fright as she threw herself onto Diana. "Di Di! Doctor! Someone come quickly!"In a panic, Grace rushed out and pounded on Cael's office door. "Bed 24, Dr. Simpson! Di Di is not doing well!"Cael immediately hurried over with the nurses.Grace was pushed into a corner by the crowd. She leaned against the wall, her face filled with melancholy. This scene did not escape the eyes of someone hidden in a corner, who also felt a sense of wistfulness.She didn't notice the figure cast long shadows in the light, with her being the sole focus in their view.…Meanwhile, in another building, police stood guard at the hospital room door where Benjamin was confined. His face was haggard and unshaven, and he no longer looked like the well-dressed Benjamin Hawkins.Instead, he resembled a prisoner.Before entering, Xander asked, "What's the
"If it were as usual, working for these wealthy families would keep money in my hands. But after Di Di's incident, our whole family got crushed. Her father wanted to give up, but I couldn't, so we divorced.""When I worked at the Hawkins family, both Mr. Hawkins and Mrs. Hawkins treated me well. Mrs. Hawkins knew about Di Di's situation and kept giving me money, but it was never enough. One day, I accidentally stumbled upon Mr. Hawkins having an affair with Susan…"Reina recalled the past with a look of melancholy on her face. "Susan gave me hush money and promised another payment if I did something for her."Grace had a hunch after hearing this. "She wanted you to frame Mrs. Hawkins, who was pregnant at the time.""I didn't want to." Reina shook her head, clearly pained. "But I have a daughter. I couldn't lose Di Di. I needed that money."Even as a mother herself, she could actually harm Felicia Wilson, Alexander's mother."The Hawkins family is wealthy. If you had told Mrs. Haw
Grace thought about it. So that's what happened."So you had someone beat him up?""I forgot to ask. Which hand did he touch you with?" Xander asked seriously.She thought for a moment. "The left hand? I can't remember exactly.""No problem. Both hands were hit," Xander said casually as if discussing the weather. Grace remembered the content of that video. Orson was clearly heavily injured and beaten mercilessly.Luckily, he got what he deserved. Xander had fiercely avenged her.The coat slipped off, revealing her outfit for the day. Xander glanced at it and said, "You're going out."Grace didn't deny it. She thought of today's matter with Celia. "Benjamin was released for medical treatment. I want to see him."Since it had come to this point, a meeting with him was reasonable.Xander leaned back on the couch, not speaking for a moment, his jaw clenched tight. He seemed to be contemplating something, or perhaps he was angry.Grace couldn't be sure, but she was resolute. "I
An hour later, Xander concluded the negotiations, with the partnership successfully sealed and the contract signed that day.He personally escorted the clients to the elevator and then returned to his office. Hazel approached cautiously with a cup of coffee. "Mr. Fulton.""Speak." Xander didn't look up from his documents."Ms. Lewis came by."He looked up at Hazel, his expression shifting. "Where is she?""She wanted to see you directly, but since the contract wasn't finalized, I didn't dare let her in to disturb you, so I…""I asked where she is."His gaze was icy, cutting her off mid-sentence.Hazel immediately lowered her head. "She's in the lounge."He stood up abruptly and headed straight for the lounge, leaving a stern warning, "If you take matters into your own hands again, resign."Hazel was left stunned.Grace hadn't left. Exhausted from the sleepless night, she lay on Futurelink's large couch, lost in thought.When Xander entered, he saw her fragile figure, as if
"What is it?""Ms. Lewis, I just received news that Orson from the municipal bureau is in trouble…"Grace's expression changed. She had just seen him last night. How could something have happened so suddenly? Her first thought was of Xander.Luke sent her a video.It was night time In the video, the street outside a bar was brightly lit, and neon signs flashed from the tall buildings. The place was bustling with people. The videographer had been capturing the night scene when suddenly, the sound of roaring engines was heard—Orson stepped out of a car, dressed formally, and entered a club discreetly. But within minutes, he was kicked out, landing heavily on the ground.Approaching him were five or six masked men in black, clearly part of an organized group of thugs. Orson screamed in fear, "Who are you?"Two men grabbed him, while the others began beating him badly. His screams echoed through the street, and it was clear they were showing no mercy.Blood pooled on the ground.
With nothing better to do, Grace nodded. "Let's watch."Caleb led her out the door.The leading actress of the film they were heading to was a friend of Caleb's in the industry, which allowed him to visit the set under the guise of catching up. As their car parked at the entrance, they saw a throng of reporters pushing their way inside.Celia wore a hat and mask. She was dragging a suitcase, and she looked disheveled and desperate. "You can't fire me! I'm the second female lead! The film is almost finished! You're breaching the contract!""You caused a scandal. That's the real breach of contract. It's a good thing we're not asking you for damage compensation! Get out, get out!"The staff were shoving her out.Reporters swarmed her. "Celia, how do you respond to the video online?""Is it true you have a sugar daddy?""Celia, Celia!""Shut up!" Celia screamed, her hair a mess. "It's fake, all fake! I'm an actress, how could I do such things?""But the video…"Celia lashed out,