In this situation, receiving Julian's call made Noel feel somewhat negligent. He apologized, "I'm sorry, sir, but Mrs. Jarvis didn't agree. She said she wouldn't interfere in any matters related to the Fulcher family."This was becoming even more strange. Based on Julian's understanding of Sue, despite her resentment, she wouldn’t stay silent after Diana had kneeled.It seemed like she initially planned to tell Diana something, only to have a change of heart later.Julian felt he might have touched on the crucial point of the matter. "Noel.""Yes?""When did Jim appear at the Jarvis family?""I couldn't get inside then, so I don't know the details. It was probably right after Sue wounded Mrs. Fulcher’s forehead." Noel remembered this clearly, because Cecilia had witnessed Diana's head injury. She knew Noel cared about Julian and everything related to the Fulcher family. Besides, it had been a long time since the Cecilia had slapped Diana. Cecilia had already let go of any
Now that Julian was worried, Noel couldn't rest well either, even at this late hour. Cecilia asked, "You were born for Julian? If so, what about me?"Why was he such a devoted servant to Julian? And why did a wealthy heiress like her fall for such a humble servant?Cecilia held his hand. They were hiding beneath her courtyard wall, and she was unwilling to let him leave. She didn't want Noel to be preoccupied with Julian while they were together; she wanted him to think about her. Alas, Noel was a man of few words.He looked at Cecilia. Then, he thought about Sue's attitude and his own inability to marry Cecilia to this day. He abruptly pushed Cecilia's hand away. "Ms. Jarvis, please have some self-respect."Cecilia was nearly livid when she heard this. She had worked so hard to avoid her mother and the house staff, sneaking out like a thief just to spend more time with Noel. However, he became completely detached after he answered Julian's phone call.He told her to behav
Cecilia muttered, "You're not cold? Fine! I hope you freeze to death on this summer night!" What a stupid man! She never wanted to see him again!As Cecilia turned to leave, Noel quickly grabbed her arm. "Ms. Jarvis!"This blockhead seemed to have realized she was upset, and was trying to stop her from leaving.Cecilia was delighted, though she still showed an angry expression."What is it?" She intentionally turned her body away, not in a hurry to look back, hoping he would coax her.As long as he managed to coax her, she wouldn't return home for now. After all, it wasn't easy to slip away like this. She hoped to experience a breakthrough with him tonight. She wanted to know what it felt like to have her boyfriend kiss her on the cheek.The more she thought about it, the more she felt a thrilling sensation she hadn't experienced in all these years. She had always been too obedient. After meeting Noel, this was her first time going against her family. It was also the second
However, she couldn't use her family's information network to help him while her own love life was in turmoil. If anything went wrong, it wouldn't just affect her, but also her entire family—the same family that adored her."That’ll put you in a difficult situation, right?" Noel rubbed his hands, feeling awkward.It was really strange. He wasn't cold earlier, but now, he felt like stomping his feet on the ground to keep warm."If I made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. You don't have to worry about it," Noel said, trying to ease the situation. He was grasping at straws.He pushed Cecilia inside the gate and said, "You should go inside. It's cold out here."He didn't say he couldn't bear to part with her, nor did he request a hug, even though he wanted one.Cecilia watched his retreating figure, increasingly convinced that this wasn't what dating should feel like. It was almost less passionate than when they were in the early stages of courtship. Back then, she would have occas
Diana didn't like the taste, but she kept eating it in big bites."There are no tricks or secrets." Diana took a few bites and shared her so-called love experience with Cecilia. "He just likes me."When she thought about her relationship with Julian, they had actually skipped the dating phase and went straight into marriage. If Kayla hadn't interfered at the time, they probably would have adapted very well from beginning to end. Her answer only served to irritate Cecilia."Diana!" Cecilia didn't seem very pleased with this. "So, are you saying Noel doesn't like me enough? He doesn't even want to kiss and hug me, and now, he's even thinking of using me to complete Julian's assigned task!""I don't think it's bad enough to say he's using you...'" Diana slowly put on her shoes, threw on a coat, and then headed towards the balcony. "Why don't you think that when Noel made this request, he no longer sees you as the Jarvis family's heiress, but as one of his own?"With a single senten
Diana remained silent for a while.Julian thought he might have said something wrong and quickly laid down, allowing her to rest comfortably in his arms. He occasionally poked her petite nose, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you suddenly feeling upset?""It's nothing." Diana nuzzled in his arms cutely. "I just suddenly thought about my parents."Perhaps it was due to her being pregnant again. This time, with her husband by her side, a child to look forward to, and friends like Nina as her support, it seemed like Diana now had everything she didn't have before. "...And Simon."The man she met briefly during the new year, and hadn't seen since.Julian smiled. "Do you miss him?""Yeah," Diana admitted. Before Julian's eyes could darken, she quickly pecked his face and continued, "I do miss him, but only as a friend, or even a sister-in-law."Humans were emotional creatures. Even now, Diana's feelings about Simon were still quite complicated.Julian responded with a low hum. At
Julian didn't want to give Diana false hope. He knew that deep inside, she still wished to have family who cared about her.If he denied the blood relationship between her and James, it would be equivalent to giving Diana hope that her biological parents were different individuals who might love her."What if, what? Why aren't you saying anything?" Diana pressed."What if, at Professor Lemmington's funeral tomorrow, we suddenly see James?" Julian asked."How would that be possible?" Diana chuckled, and hit him playfully. "They didn't even want Kayla. How could they possibly come to Professor Lemmington's funeral just to see me?""You're right," Julian laughed. "Go to sleep. Your parents are definitely not like that."Since they left quietly in the past and discarded her when she was a child, it was impossible that they would suddenly appear just because Diana mentioned them.Diana also laughed after hearing this. Her voice was soft as she said, "It seems like you understand them
"It's still unclear," Julian said, thinking about the pill. "They say she died from testing the drug, but Enzo..."Enzo wasn't involved in drug manufacturing, so why was Anna testing drugs for someone? The answer behind it was almost obvious. Diana knew Julian was about to mention Jim again. She immediately silenced him by covering his mouth. "Go to sleep. Don't think about insulting Professor Hughes."Julian replied, "What about Enzo? Is he just going to kneel downstairs forever?""Yeah, let him kneel," Diana said. "The direction he's facing while kneeling points at the Lemmingtons’ house."So let him atone for one more night.However, Enzo couldn't kneel all night.Julian had a very accurate biological clock, and woke up at five o'clock every day. He had set the alarm for six o'clock last night specifically for Diana. As for himself, he woke up at five and went straight downstairs after getting ready.Julian had considered it. Diana was pregnant now, and some things migh
“Life is all about reconciliation.” Decades passed in the blink of an eye. Diana’s children had all grown up.Kate and Isaac had both passed away. Even Diana’s old friends, Fanny and Oliver, had left the world too.Fanny was never able to get pregnant again after that rainy night. She had gradually let go of her desire to get pregnant under Oliver’s persuasion.They stayed relentlessly by each other’s side, albeit childless. Over the years, having experienced all that life had to offer and being each other’s best friend, Oliver died on a peaceful night, never awaking again.Fanny held his hand while sending him off, and closed her eyes forever as well.Diana had seen too many people off in her lifetime.She had grown old herself, too. She could see her life slowly ebbing away.“Julian, I’m so happy to have lived my life with you.” She had transformed from a disgraced young woman to Mrs. Fulcher, respected by all in Richburgh. Julian even took care of her in person when she
He blurted those words instinctively.He had been waiting so long for a pair of daughters, yet when the doctor came over, he saw a pair of sons instead.Diana thought the hospital must have made a mistake and kicked up a fuss, insisting that she had a pair of daughters. She insisted for them to check the footage from the surveillance camera to see if there was a mix-up. The culprit, Julian, could only stand guiltily at a corner and mumble, “Actually…sons are fine too.”As long as it was their children, it didn’t matter whether they were girls or boys. Either way, Diana was the only woman he loved his entire life. Even his love for his only daughter Betty didn’t match up to that.After witnessing Diana giving birth, Julian’s love for Diana went up a notch, to the point of paranoia.For the rest of their lives, he made sure to never let her worry or touch cold water.He took great care of her.Kate finally appeared two years after Diana gave birth.When the mother and daughter
Nina mentioned the Jenningses. “The Jennings family is gone overnight, just like that.”Diana wasn’t shocked.She guessed that Julian had wanted to do that for a while. Not just for her and to seek justice for the Lemmington family, but also for Simon.Although Julian never allowed Simon to call him his brother, he had wanted to annihilate everything that was involved with the Hughes family since Simon’s death.Him making his move on the Jenningses indicated that the time had come.“Congratulations,” Diana said to Nina. “Has Vans come back to you?”“No,” Nina said with a shake of her head. “Lina Jennings isn’t the only thing standing in between us. We have problems of our own to overcome.”Diana sighed. “I think Marcus is pretty good.”She felt relaxed and comfortable around him.Even if Vans came round and worked with Julian to bring down the Jenningses, and had no feelings whatsoever for Lina, Diana wasn’t exactly eager to be with him.As if they had telepathy with each oth
“He doesn’t need to be jailed,” Fanny said, confused. “One word from him, and his lawyers will be able to exonerate him. I just don’t understand why he’d rather go to jail.”“He wants to pay for his father’s sins,” Diana said with a sigh.Fanny didn’t know what to think of that. Was Oliver innocent, or not? He even went to such great lengths to stop her.Yet, the moment she declared that she would never compromise and would rather be under the protection of Diana than to be involved with Oliver, he clearly looked like he was in a daze.Diana noticed that Fanny hardly smiled over the past few days, and rubbed her hand comfortingly. “He just wants a clean start with you.”Fanny’s heart shook. She couldn’t sleep the entire night.The next morning, she told Diana, “Today’s the day of his trial and sentencing. I want to see him.”Diana asked Julian to send a few bodyguards with Fanny on her trip there.When she returned, she looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoul
Fanny bet that he wouldn’t dare.That was equivalent to eliminating all chances he stood with Diana.Julian witnessed the scene unfolding before him. Instead of getting frustrated, he stood quietly there, ready to protect Diana, as he watched Fanny and Oliver fight it out with each other.Oliver was confused. “Why not?”He glanced at Diana, and went on, “I did like Diana in the past, but I have since given up on those feelings for her. Fanny Smith, is your heart made of stone? Can’t you tell who the woman I like is after all this time?”Fanny was stunned, feeling suffocated as if something was stuck in her throat. “Don’t tell me it’s me.”Oliver was dumbfounded. Who else could he be talking about? The stars in the sky?Fanny felt indignant under his glare. “If you like me, why did you say that I’m just a child-bearing tool for you?”“If I didn’t say that, would I be able to keep you confined in the villa? Would I be able to dash all your hopes and make you feel hopeless?”
Oliver would never let her go. “Fanny Smith, don’t even think about leaving me in this life!”That was when Diana and Julian hurriedly made their way.Sean located Oliver very accurately. Diana saw the scene unfolding before her, and couldn’t help but recall everything that happened in Jacroaof. She hurriedly told Noel to take Sean outside and wait. She couldn’t afford to gamble on Sean’s safety. She didn’t want Sean exposed to any form of danger right under her nose.Her actions made Oliver tense. “Diana, do you think I’ve gone mad?” He grabbed Fanny’s hand, as if he was holding onto the most precious treasure in the world.Diana didn’t answer him, but she threw her bag that Julian was helping her carry toward Fanny.She was exerting so much force for a pregnant lady, looking as if she wanted to fight with Fanny.Even Julian didn’t know what Diana was trying to do, not to mention Fanny herself.By the time he snapped back to attention and wanted to stop Diana from doing s
However, Fanny must let go of her hatred and past grudges first.The mention of children made Fanny waver. The hatred in her eyes grew even more intense. “Oliver Channing! The cheek of you to mention children!” What gave him the right to say that?!“We agreed,” Oliver said. He didn’t find anything wrong with that. “Fanny, if you want to leave that villa and be free once more, you must give birth to a child of ours.”“What about the child I lost just a few days ago?” Fanny demanded. She found him unreasonable. “Over the past few days, have you ever thought of him, or felt like you let him down? We haven’t even resolved the issues between us, and you want me to get pregnant again. Are you really ready to be a father?!”“I want you to get pregnant again?” Oliver said as he drew closer to her. His eyes were dark, looking as if he wanted to crush Fanny and put her in his pocket. “Weren’t you the one who tried to seduce me by wearing a revealing dress in my house? Fanny Smith, do
Julian stopped talking to the butler, but he was already making plans in his heart.He returned to the study, and told Diana, “Fanny and Oliver have been fighting for a long time, and it might be over something that might potentially destroy their relationship.”In fact… “Fanny might no longer love Oliver right now.”However, the fact that Oliver faked her death and confined her was enough to show that he still cared for her.If he realized that Fanny no longer loved him, he might do something even crazier.“Let’s hurry up and save her, then!” Diana said.“Wait,” Julian said calmly, “I’m not done with my prediction.”“What?”“Oliver really doesn’t like you now.” Julian’s mood lifted as he arrived at his final conclusion. “We can step in to help Fanny.”Diana was dumbfounded.She had thought that Julian went to such great lengths to analyze the situation for the sake of saving another. To think that his possessiveness took over, and he prioritized figuring out Oliver’s feeli
The three of them entered the study.None of them expected to see a portrait of Diana right in the middle of the study.The portrait was most likely drawn by copying a photo. In the portrait, Diana was eating something with a smile. It looked like the day when Diana encountered a pervert on the train and Oliver stepped in to help her and treated her to a meal.Did she smile so tenderly at him at that time?“You couldn’t have smiled so happily at that time when we were fighting over Kayla.”It was a portrait, not a photo. It was likely that the owner of this portrait added his own interpretation and features when he commissioned this portrait.“He still has feelings for you,” Julian said coldly.He no longer wanted to interfere with the affairs of the Channings.However, Diana disagreed. “If he really had feelings for me, he wouldn’t hang my portrait up so boldly right here.”The fact that Oliver could display the portrait for all to see proved that his feelings for Diana were