When Jim received the call, he glanced at Diana. Quickly lowering the volume of the phone, he sidestepped Diana and walked into the bathroom, asking, "What's going on?" He was frowning as he asked the butler.The butler hastily recounted today's events. Despite that, Jim hadn't anticipated things to escalate this way when he returned home. The front gate had been knocked down, leaving a large dent in the opposite wall. Julian was driving a heavily modified and high-safety off-road vehicle.It seemed like he came prepared.Their friendship had already reached a point of no return. Jim saw no reason to be diplomatic. He said, "Julian, you entrusted Diana to me. It isn’t that simple if you want her back now."Jim would only let her go once she safely delivered the babies. If he lost Diana this time, he would never have the chance to be close to the child inside her.No matter what, Jim wouldn't let go.Seeing Jim reveal his true colors, Julian didn't rush into a confrontat
Julian didn't take a seat. Every moment without seeing Diana made him restless. "If you don't hand over Diana and Betty," Julian warned, "this old manor will soon be razed to the ground."He had said these words before, but this time, everyone could see that he was alone when he got out of the car, and he wasn't carrying any weapons. They couldn't believe that one person could overpower them and destroy the old mansion."Sir, don't talk big," the butler, suppressing the feeling of wanting to submit to Julian, retorted. "You should know this is our master's territory!"Not only that, he had just informed the old madam. Over the years, she had lived a secluded life. Despite that, she possessed powerful pharmaceutical skills, reaching the pinnacle of drug manufacturing. If she appeared, she could drug Julian without anyone noticing. At that time, only they would have the antidote. No matter how domineering Julian was, he would be helpless!Snap! Julian glanced at the butler, a
"It seems you're not that formidable after all."Jim suddenly returned to the calm and collected man he usually was.Julian still hadn't figured out his intentions, indicating that the initiative was still in Jim's hands.Jim smiled casually, giving Julian an indifferent look. "Feel free to burn this house and eliminate anyone you dislike in this family. However, you won't take Diana away from me."Julian was furious. With a wave of his hand, he instructed the helicopter to lower Jim's mother a bit more. The woman, accustomed to working in the laboratory year-round and rarely leaving even for a moment, was now suspended in midair. The sight seemed to terrify her soul; her screams were even louder than the thunderous noise of the helicopter. A fleeting emotion crossed Jim's face, but it quickly disappeared. Julian observed every nuance of his expression, and he knew that the stakes weren't enough. He made a gesture, and soon, Jim's mother was dropped a bit more.Now, her heig
Larry had finished hanging all the wedding decorations. The somewhat dilapidated room, combined with the decorations Cecilia had mentioned earlier, gave the old house a somewhat bright feeling. However, she had no interest in appreciating it. This house was going to become her grave, after all."Is anyone there?" Suddenly, Cecilia heard a familiar voice. It was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was Noel's voice. She hadn't heard it in a long time. Noel?!Cecilia suddenly realized something, and her eyes lit up with anticipation as she looked towards the door. Was he...here to save her?Larry noticed Cecilia's unusual expression, and abruptly turned to her. "Do you know the person outside?" His expression became even more menacing. "Just like Lulu, have you found another man?!"Why were women so good at betrayal?Larry was so angry that his chest trembled. He stopped what he was doing, pretending there was no one in the room.Noel knocked a few times,
Noel was waiting for this moment! He dared not show too much joy, and even appeared somewhat embarrassed. "Will others complain about us knocking on doors like this?" he asked, wearing a hesitant expression.The lady chuckled at him. "I think you've developed some trauma from being rejected when asking to use the restroom. Don't worry, young man. We're all long-time neighbors here. Not many places are rented out, and everyone upstairs and downstairs is like family."She went to the kitchen, and brought out a rolling pin. She weighed it in her hand and then handed it to Noel, who appeared strong and robust. "In case there's a thief, just hit him.""Alright..."The two went downstairs.Knock! Knock!There was another rapid knocking on the door.Larry furrowed his brow, sensing that today wasn't going very smoothly. Fortunately, he hadn't stopped, and the house was now tidied up. Even the wardrobe was adorned with joyful decorations, creating a festive atmosphere. However,
Something was seriously wrong. Not only was there a damp, bloody scent, but there also seemed to be someone crying—a suppressed, subtle sobbing. If Noel hadn't undergone special training before, he wouldn't be able to discern it at all.At this moment, the neighbor had returned with many other neighbors. "Oh my!" Although she didn't know why Larry's door was already open, she assumed he was taking a shower when she heard the sound of water. "No thieves here! I made a big deal out of nothing."She was about to pull Noel out, muttering, "Next time I see Larry, I'll have to apologize to him."However, Noel refused to budge."Hey, what's going on?" The lady tugged a few times, and found that the young man she brought along was unmoving, rooted to the spot."I'm here to save someone," Noel declared. His aura at that moment could rival Julian's, and he appeared very intimidating.While the lady was about to say something, Noel broke free from her grasp. Without waiting for the ot
Noel's face turned cold.He came to rescue her, never intending to ask for money. It wasn't because of her identity, but because she was a human being—just a young woman."Even if it wasn't you, I would’ve come rushing over as soon as I sensed something wrong," Noel said before exiting the car.A few seconds later, the sound of the passenger door opening echoed in the car. He had put some distance between them.Throughout the journey, all she could see was the back of his head—pitch black, with thick hair resembling a forest.She stared for a long time, and her eyes finally welled up with tears.Bastard!She clenched her teeth tightly, forbidding herself to cry out loud.Wake up already!She admonished herself. Noel had never liked her. Otherwise, why would he take money from her family and now speak such words when she was so vulnerable?The car remained silent until it was time to disembark. Only then did Noel turn his head, looking at her. "Cecilia."He stared into he
Her vision darkened, and her head felt dizzy.Looking at them like this, they seem to have reconciled. If that was the case, Cecilia would have known that Sue had lied to her!Sue didn't want to have any rift between her and Cecilia, so she was panicked for a moment. After calming down, she walked towards Noel and asked, "Cecilia, what's going on?"There were tears running down Cecilia’s cheeks. In fact, she didn't know why she was crying. She had no urge to cry on the entire way back to her home.She just kept staring at the back of Noel's head, greedily breathing the air in the same space as him. At that moment, she seemed to have forgotten Larry and how he had forcibly taken off her clothes in the bathroom. She had even forgotten how the man had placed his hands on her lap and rubbed it.She had felt nauseous. She had wanted to throw up. There was also a suffocating feeling that made her heart ache terribly.So, she could only cry.Seeing her daughter crying like this, Su
“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