Albert said, “It’s Ms. Kayla. She wanted to give Madam some milk to help her sleep, but… Not only was Madam sarcastic in her tone, but she also refused to open her door. Miss Kayla stubbornly stood outside the door, refusing to leave. She genuinely treats Madam very well.” When Julian heard this, he immediately stood up and headed toward the bedroom, dark clouds looming over his head. When he reached the second floor, he heard Diana’s voice through the door. “It sounds terrible. Kayla, can you please leave?” “Diana Winnington!” Julian pulled Kayla behind him and kicked the door hard. “How rude of you!” Kayla was kind-hearted enough to give her milk before bed, yet she sounded so cold! He never knew her to be so mean-spirited! Diana was stunned. Was Julian here? Why was she even surprised? She should’ve known that every time Kayla extended goodwill to her, the latter would certainly make sure that Julian knew about it. It was her fault for not being careful with her wo
Julian nodded as he looked at the door. There was a dent in the door. Even if Diana hadn’t opened the door just now, he would really have managed to blast the door open with two more kicks. But in fact… He could’ve just asked Albert for the key. The thought didn’t come to mind earlier, as his mind was filled with anger. Since when did he become so easily angered? Was it because Diana had gone too far? With that thought in mind, he looked at Kayla, whose eyes were downcast. He ordered Diana again, “Drink up the milk Kayla brought for you.” As for how she had mocked Kayla’s throat, he would be magnanimous and forget about it. He knew that Diana would never apologize to Kayla. If he were to mention it again, it would only make Kayla more concerned about her throat’s condition. She would become even more upset. He decided it was enough to insist that Diana drink the milk. Kayla might feel better upon seeing Diana accept her kind intentions. Yet, Diana remained compl
If she could have his baby, that would be even better. “Kayla…” Julian began. Kayla placed her finger over his lips. “Julian, I know you treasure me and my reputation, but now… Who else in Richburgh doesn’t know that I’m yours?” They were even living under one roof, for crying out loud! What’s more, with James’s deliberate spreading of the news, their relationship had become household knowledge. “Though I want to give you my virginity on our wedding night…” She lowered her head shyly, and Julian couldn’t see her face. When she looked up again, she said with a pleading gaze, “I just…feel very upset having been misunderstood by Diana, and I just want you to be by my side today.” Julian didn’t reject her. “I’ll stay by your bedside,” His eyes were crystal clear, and he looked almost untouchable with the moonlight shining from behind him. Kayla was mesmerized at the sight of him and gaped at him speechlessly. Julian did exactly as he said he would and stayed by her bedsid
The kitchen might not have prepared her share, anyway. She thought it better to head out for breakfast. She didn’t want to spend the entire day with them. She hadn’t completely let go of Julian in her heart, and was unable to disregard him completely. “I’m heading out for breakfast.” With that, Diana walked toward the door. Just then, Albert called for her. “Madam, are you not having breakfast?” “Yeah, I’m not.” She remembered clearly the kitchen servants’ attitude toward her. Why would she stick around and be an eyesore? Albert said regretfully, “Sigh, what a pity! The kitchen staff began preparing your breakfast at four in the morning, and they put in all the effort just so you would eat well. The food’s still kept warm on the stove. If you let their effort go to waste…” Why did he sound just like Kayla in victimizing himself? Just yesterday, she faced the wrath of the kitchen servants. Things had been so awkward. Yet, in front of Julian, why did Albert make her s
Before marrying Julian, Diana actually knew how to cook. However, he had unreasonably spoiled her to the point of becoming unable to take care of herself. Recently, however, she began developing an interest in doing something new, and cooking simple dishes wasn’t a problem. Especially breakfast dishes. However, the breakfast dishes she was familiar with tended to be dishes that Julian used to prepare for her. Fortunately, although Fanny did not usually cook for herself, her kitchen was well-stocked. Diana decided to make some eggs and brew coffee. In no time, she called out for Fanny. “Time for breakfast!” Fanny didn’t intend to stand on ceremony with Diana. Right after she was done washing up, she headed over and enjoyed the food. “Tastes good, but not as good as your fashion design skills.” What incisive comments! Was that praise or an insult? Not that Diana minded. The main thing on her mind was whether Fanny was going to cooperate with her. Right until now, she
“As long as you control your figure well, it’s possible to prevent your stomach from growing too big.” “Will the fetus lack nutrition?” “No, the fetus absorbs nutrients from the mother. If it lacks nutrients, there will be indicators in your regular prenatal check-ups,” Cherise said. “Scientifically speaking, regular prenatal check-ups are the most important.” She looked at Diana with a strange look, “Are you pregnant?” Diana almost choked on the soup. “No, I’m not.” Of course, she dared not admit it. The fewer people who knew about her pregnancy, the better. Cherise didn’t push her suspicions. “I had frequent but smaller meals in the day and consumed more protein and fibrous food. These are always good options for maintaining your figure.” She gently bumped Fanny. “On this, you should really learn from our Fanny.” Her figure management was absolutely savage. “I’ll get Fanny to share with you a copy of a recipe book written by a nutritionist before you go,” Cherise sa
Diana had no reason at all to reject this deal. Firstly, Fanny offered her a job, one that allowed her to earn a name for herself quickly. Secondly, Fanny’s regular monthly orders would serve to bolster her savings in preparation for her coming baby. Fanny… Probably really liked her design. Diana was filled with pride at the thought of how Cherise talked about D&J. She was in such a good mood that she hummed a little song all the way back to the villa. Julian stood on the second floor, looking at her coldly as she walked in. “Come back earlier next time, and don’t stay out all day. Grandma would accuse me of not keeping you company if she were to find out.” Diana didn’t expect him to speak up, much less see him come back from work so early. From the looks of where he was at… Had he been waiting for her? Probably not. Diana nodded in response before asking, “Where’s Kayla?” “What’s the meaning of this?” Julian’s brows furrowed as he scolded her. “You can’t wait for
Diana was worried she had busted her cover and that Julian could tell she was pregnant. “Hmm.” She nodded and quickly added, “It’s all your fault for cultivating such a bad habit. You used to come home from work late and bring supper back home. I’ve gotten used to it.” Her words effectively shut Julian up. “You…” It was a rare sight to see a man as cold as her words riled him up. His heart felt like it was stabbed by something. “Go and rest.” Seeing that he was no longer looking at her, Diana heaved a sigh of relief. “Okay.” But when she went upstairs, she belatedly realized that…she had accidentally brought up the past. The feelings and affections she had suppressed in herself surfaced once again and almost drowned her. Diana forced herself not to think about those memories. “They’re nothing but illusions. Julian treated you so well because he saw you as a replacement. There’s nothing to yearn for at all.” She warned herself again and again. After snacking on some
“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