Spencer had not wandered too far. He had walked to the gate of the farmhouse, where he discovered Nancy playing with a dog.The farmhouse owner had a yellow dog. Nancy had finished the chicken soup but had not eaten the meat. She did not want to waste the meat by throwing it away, so she fed it to the dog.After that, the dog would not leave her and kept wagging its tail at Nancy. Nancy squatted and stroked its head.Spencer was used to seeing the fierce and bold side of Nancy. He had rarely seen her looking so gentle and kind. He found this different side of her to be very attractive.Truthfully, he was getting bored of Teresa. Nancy was different from Teresa. She did not mind playing with a dog under the hot sun. The sun shone on her hair, and it looked like she was glowing.Only then did Spencer realize that Nancy would also like cuddling and leaning on her husband's chest and would be very gentle and soft with him. That was a side of her he had never seen.'Yaacob must see th
Eight minutes after Nancy had discovered she was drugged, someone knocked on the door."Nancy, are you in there?" Spencer asked.She gritted her teeth and tried to calm herself down. "What is it?""I saw you left the hall just now. It has been quite a while, and I was worried. So I thought I should come and check on you," Spencer answered."Oh. I'm fine!" Nancy said."Can you open the door and let me see?" Spencer asked.Nancy did not know if it was because she had liked him before or if the drug was taking effect, but she had never felt so annoyed with Spencer for nagging her."I don't want to see you now. Just go!" Nancy said directly.That only made Spencer worry more. "Nancy, please. Just let me take a look at you. Are you still mad at me? Was it because I didn't take your side when Teresa wanted to invite the reporters?"We are both outsiders, and it was inappropriate for me to say anything. I actually disagree with Teresa, and I know you are really thinking of your grand
Spencer had refused to admit that he still had feelings for Nancy, but, in the end, he had agreed to help Teresa cover up the truth.Based on Nancy's personality, she would never let it rest when she woke up. And if Yaacob heard about it, he would easily find out Teresa had drugged her.Teresa's career hung on the line, and as a public figure, she could not afford another scandal. If word got out, her career as a celebrity would end.She had tried to list the downsides of Spencer telling the truth, and she had begged and pleaded until Spencer had finally relented.If Spencer told Nancy that they had slept together, Nancy would never expose the truth and would hide it forever.Spencer felt guilty. He could hear Nancy weeping inside the room. She had never cried so hard, not even when she had been forced into marriage.Spencer could not take it anymore, and he did not know how to face her, so he just walked away, feeling sorry for her.In the evening, Nancy insisted on leaving. Sh
Yaacob never let this type of message bother him, so he deleted it immediately. Then he sat on the sofa to look at his work emails on his laptop. Twenty minutes later, Nancy still had not exited the bathroom, so he knocked on the door again."If you're not coming out, I'm coming in now. Don't think you can run away by taking a shower," Yaacob joked.However, Nancy's voice did not sound right. "Yaacob… I feel so uncomfortable…"Yaacob quickly opened the door and saw Nancy sitting in the bathtub. Her cheeks were very red."What happened?" Yaacob strode over and placed his hand on her forehead."I don't know… My head is spinning!" Nancy said."You have a fever!" Yaacob reached for the towel and carried her out of the bathroom.He used the thermometer to check her body temperature. It was nearly 102 degrees Fahrenheit.At the farmhouse, Nancy had already begun feeling uncomfortable. She had tried to cool herself off by sitting in a tub of cold water. Spencer had tried to give her f
Nancy's ringtone woke her up. It kept ringing like it was a fire alarm. She tucked her hand underneath the pillow to search for her phone.She was still in a daze when she answered the call and heard Yvonne's anxious voice."Nancy! Wake up! You've made the headlines!" Yvonne said,"I'm already part of the past. What reason could the reporters have to write about me?" Nancy asked tiredly."No! The reporter took a photo of you and Spencer together. Are you two back together?" Yvonne asked."What?" Nancy was baffled."What is wrong with you? Why do you still have hopes and feelings for Spencer, that jerk? Isn't Yaacob a lot better?" Yvonne scolded anxiously.Finally, Nancy understood.Everything started with the newspaper headlines. Now, the scandal was trending on the internet. Someone even found photos of them together at Andrew's funeral and Spencer sending Nancy back to Athepolis.The news circulating was that Nancy and Spencer had rekindled their past romance and that she ha
Nancy felt Yaacob standing beside her. Unconsciously, she lowered her head even more.That was strange. She could handle the pressure from Lady Getson's interrogation, but she felt like she was about to have a meltdown now Yaacob was back. She felt so guilty that her body started shivering uncontrollably."Are you talking about the scandal reported in the news? It's fake!" Yaacob said simply, interrupting Rosa's complaining. That made everyone stop gossiping."So. You know. The internet has identified Nancy in that photo, and they also found one of Spencer sending her back. How could that be fake?" Rosa could not believe what Yaacob was saying."I was busy with work, so I couldn't pick Nancy up that day. There are only two shuttle buses that go from her hometown to Athenapolis per day. She was stuck there and had to come back with Spencer. Is that a problem?" Yaacob asked."I… " Rosa did not know what to say.Rosa had been trying to get Yaacob on her side so they could reprimand
Yaacob went to the window to smoke. Meanwhile, Nancy picked up the rubbish bin and began cleaning up the broken glass.The room was silent. The smell of the cigarettes traveled from the window to Nancy. Yaacob had not smoked in front of her for a long time because she had told him she disliked the smell of cigarettes.He was not a heavy smoker, but he had already smoked five cigarettes in that brief period.Nancy wanted to tell him that it was bad to smoke so much, but she could not say a word even after opening her mouth. In the end, she continued cleaning in silence.She cut her finger as she picked up a piece of broken glass. She grunted in pain and took a look at her finger. It was bleeding. She frowned and looked at Yaacob. He was still staring out the window.He must have heard her cry out. If this had happened in the past, he would have told her to stop cleaning and ask the maid for help instead. Then he would help her apply a band-aid to her finger.However, he did nothin
"It only took him two hours to retract Nancy's scandal after I exposed it yesterday morning. Not only did he publish a clarification to defend that woman, but he also didn't hesitate to publish a scandal about himself to divert the public's attention. I can't help but wonder if he's doing this because he wants to protect Nancy or because he wants to punish me," said Teresa."Teresa, don't look too much into it. It might just be that Mr. Shaw didn't want Nancy to go through too much humiliation because they used to be married after all," said Pamela.Teresa scoffed. "So it's okay to humiliate me then? Everyone in the industry knows I'm dating him. He didn't even have the courtesy to tell me before announcing his new relationship. Is he trying to make a laughingstock out of me? Those not in the know might really think I'm not as good as that woman, and he dumped me!"Pamela sighed. "Mr. Shaw did overdo it this time. Also, I wonder what your and his parents' reactions were when they sa
Yaacob stayed in Nancy and Celica's house in Rhea City for a month without leaving.After sending Celica to kindergarten, Yaacob sent Nancy to the company.Nancy always asked him to stop the car two streets away from the company, but that day, Yaacob went a bit further, and she started to get anxious. "Stop the car, quick. Stop going forward. It's the peak hour right now. I can't let anyone see me."Yaacob stopped the car, but he did not unlock the door.He lowered the top of the convertible and asked her, "Is being with me that embarrassing to you?""I'm not with you. This is just a transaction!" Nancy insisted.She could not open the door and noticed that Yaacob had locked it. When she went to unlock it, her hand was pushed down by the man."Don't I make you happy? Is Celica unhappy? Don't you enjoy every night that we're together? You clearly have me in your heart, but why do you keep denying it? Nancy, what happened to your boldness and carefree spirit? Who do you want to im
Nancy had just stopped at Athenapolis to pick up some things she had left with Benson's friends when they had stayed there.She had also wanted to congratulate Rowena and Randall on their marriage and to apologize for not being able to attend their wedding.However, the next day, she could not get up at all.Fearing another intense night like the one before, she decided to book a flight to Rhea City that afternoon.The moment she sat on the plane, Nancy almost collapsed in her seat. Her lower back was aching.When she shut her eyes, her head was inexplicably flooded with certain images.It was like she was under a spell!"Ms., the flight is about to take off. Please switch off your phones," the flight attendant told Nancy.Nancy remembered that she had already turned off her phone.However, she turned around to see Celica looking at her phone unhappily."Sorry."Nancy switched off Celica's phone, but she did not seem happy about it. "Mommy… will Uncle Yaacob call me?""Even
After half a year, Nancy finally returned from America with Celica.Celica held Nancy's hand in one hand and a cat plushie that was almost half her size in another.As soon as they walked out of the VIP channel, Celica's sharp eyes immediately spotted the man who had come to pick them up. She abandoned her plushie as she rushed to him, hands outstretched and waiting to be carried."Uncle Yaacob! Uncle Yaacob!""Celica, don't run so fast!"Nancy could not stop her and could only follow behind, picking up the plushie along with some candy that had dropped from her pocket as she ran.Yaacob hurried forward and immediately scooped Celica up. He smelled the sweet scent of candy."Uncle Yaacob…"Celica hugged Yaacob, nuzzling her head against his. The fine and soft hair that was unique to a child warmed Yaacob's heart.It had been two years, but she had not forgotten him!It seemed like her memory was better than expected. She had probably gotten it from him.Of course, it was als
Randall and Rowena went to the same motel they had the last time.The boss remembered them as the ones who had broken his window, but he did not give them a hard time, warmly welcoming them instead.After all, the money that Randall had given him for it had been enough to replace the windows of the whole building. This time, Randall flexed his financial might again. He pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet and put it on the counter. "Boss, we want an entire floor.""Sir, do you want one room or two?""The whole floor!"Hearing what Randall said, Rowena looked at him in amazement. "Why so many rooms?""Have you forgotten how bad the soundproofing is here?" Randall replied.Rowena was speechless.The hotel owner was a veteran of this. He immediately put the money into the counter drawer and said, "Okay, I'll give you a key to a room on the third floor. I'll go knock on every door to clear the floor out right now. I assure you that you'll have an enjoyable night!"Rowena fel
"How absurd!"Randall's words were not meant to demean her. He just felt that it was too dangerous for the child to be there.Rowena, however, felt like she was being blamed for no reason."Why are you in a restaurant with this girl in the middle of the night?" Rowena asked Randall.Randall did not answer. He walked forward to help secure Dorothy before he took the dangerous weapon off her hands."Rowena, you should bring Sandy back for now."Rowena did not move."It's too dangerous for the both of you to be here. Listen to me!" Randall told her.Rowena did not respond. Instead, it was Dorothy who spoke: "Mr. Smith, why do you think she can just come and go as she pleases? I already told my subordinates that not even a fly is allowed out."Even though Rowena had been captured, she knew that they would not be able to walk free if anything happened to her so the man would not touch her so easily."Mrs. Browning, you just wanted to talk with me."Dorothy really liked talking to
Dorothy and Randall found themselves in a standoff. Suddenly, a hushed report from her subordinate reached Dorothy's ears. "Someone's outside, claiming to have information on Mr. Randall.""Who? Could it be that Yaacob has returned earlier than expected?" Dorothy, determined to prevail over Randall that night, insisted, "Don't let him in; I can't believe he would just barge in!""It's not Mr. Randall. It's a woman, accompanied by a child." The subordinate hesitated before providing more details.Rowena, who had given birth just four months ago, had swiftly regained her pre-pregnancy figure. She wore a navy blue striped shirt knotted at the waist, paired with snug jeans, showing no signs of her previous pregnancy. From behind, she looked slender and youthful, resembling a young girl. Yet, in front, she cradled a baby.The infant, only three or four months old, sported a hat with a few wisps of hair peeking out and a pacifier. The child's intelligent eyes darted around, exploring the
Four months later, the impending presidential election heightened the tension in Athenapolis. Harrison, eyeing reelection, aspired to forge an alliance with the Browning family and assimilate the Getson Group.Simultaneously, at this critical juncture, Yaacob had already partnered with Tom. He opted to collaborate with Yaacob after his unsuccessful bid to become part of the Browning family. Both were cunning strategists with centuries of experience, making their alliance arguably the most formidable.Tom, with backing from overseas financial giants, had a complex and mysterious identity. However, his requirements from Yaacob were surprisingly straightforward. He sought to use Yaacob to advance his political standing.On the flip side, Yaacob needed Tom's support to solidify his position within the Getson family, ensuring it remained stable. The previous presidential transition in Athenapolis had resulted in bloodshed and political turmoil, claiming Xander's life.This time, Randall
Lola pondered her predicament, finding her situation undesirable. She was infertile and struggling to establish stability despite numerous relationships. Her benefactor stood idly by as the original wife attacked her, too hesitant to intervene. After that day, Athenapolis no longer offered a solid ground for Lola.Dorothy sternly cautioned Lola, vowing to teach her a lesson whenever they crossed paths. Leaving Mr. Randall did not lead to greener pastures for Lola. She remained destitute. Rowena, the source of her misfortune, was to blame.Life with Randall had been tolerable. He never mistreated her, though love was absent. However, everything changed when Rowena reappeared. Witnessing Rowena's pregnancy with Randall intensified Lola's resentment, fueling an intense hatred. She harbored a fervent wish for Rowena and the unborn child to die!Lola understood that only Rowena's demise could rekindle hope for her. Unfortunately, Lola was uncertain about the vast power imbalance be
Having finally brought Rowena home, Randall became an aspiring intern dad. Opting against hiring a nanny, he naturally assumed the responsibility of caring for his pregnant wife.He would juggle the demands of running the company and handling household matters. Randall appeared fatigued, yet those with keen observation could discern a tired but content expression on his face. Lately, a newfound joy, previously unseen, frequently illuminated his features—the anticipation of becoming a father.During a visit to the hospital, a woman seated beside Rowena observed her pregnant belly and initiated a conversation, "Your belly is quite prominent. When are you due?""In about a month," Rowena replied."That's wonderful! Congratulations! I saw you during one of my check-ups. Is the man accompanying you each time your husband?" Others looked on with envy, expressing, "My husband isn't as involved. No matter how many times I ask, he never joins me for the appointment."Rowena remained silent