"Spencer, I saw this store when I was driving by yesterday. There's this incredibly beautiful yellow dress in the window. I want it so much!" Teresa's eyes sparkled, her voice gentle and feminine, filled with longing. She grabbed Spencer's sleeve and tugged it, the way a child might beg for candy. Her face was bright, hopeful, and irresistible. Spencer looked at her with a smile, his gaze softening as he said, "You could have it sent directly to our home. Why even bother coming to the store?" "But it's not the same! I love shopping with you. I only buy things if you say they look good on me!" Teresa's voice was authoritative yet playful, full of the youthful zest of a woman demanding her boyfriend's company while shopping. Her tone was so sweet it could melt a man's heart, making one want to reach out and pat her head as if she were a pretty little cat, and that was exactly what Spencer did. Nancy turned away, unwilling to watch their flirting. Perhaps this was how a normal r
"What do you want with me?" Nancy's voice was as frigid as the chill in the air. Her eyes met Spencer's, and all she could see was a replay of the past month. The car accident, the hospital bed, the narrow escape from death, and then the divorce papers. His signature was already there, but he was nowhere to be found. The pressure had come from all sides. The Shaw family's parents had visited the hospital several times, not to see how she was recovering, but to insist that she sign the papers. Their fake concern later turned into outright threats and bribes. Nancy had left the Lawson family, given up her career for Spencer, and played the dutiful housewife for six months. Now, she had no power and no way to fight back. Ultimately, she had signed the papers. But it was not over. Even divorced, they would not leave her alone. The subsequent disputes with the agency were like a relentless pursuit to destroy her. Did Spencer know? Was he aware of what was happening? Was Teresa, no
Spencer was truly stunned by Nancy's words, rendering him momentarily speechless. A simmering tension was in the air, a clash of wills frozen in a moment in time. Fortunately, the astute store employees recognized the sensitive situation and the importance of Spencer as a customer. They quickly and deftly dispersed the gathering crowd. Teresa noticed a tinge of genuine guilt in Spencer's eyes as he looked at Nancy, so she quickly changed the subject to lighten the mood. "Spencer, do you think this dress looks good on me? Nancy likes it too. We've always had similar tastes since we were young!" she said. At her words, Spencer tore his gaze from Nancy. His eyes softened as he looked at Teresa, his admiration pure and sincere. "Yes, you look beautiful in that dress!" he complimented. This was the sort of affection a man reserved solely for a woman he cherishes, something Nancy could only witness as a bystander, especially when Spencer looked at Teresa. She thought she had moved on
Nancy took back the declined card and felt a pang of embarrassment. She then offered another card. "I'm sorry, miss, but this card is also rejected," the sales assistant said. "How could that be?" Nancy muttered, taking back the card and looking at her PayPal. Had her customer not sent the money for her to make the purchase? How utterly awkward! The dress was priced over a thousand, and Nancy had less than a hundred in her account. Sure, she could find a way to get the money, but time was not on her side. Especially not with Spencer and Teresa watching, and she could not afford to lose face in front of them. "Do you have another card to pay with? If not, I'll have to give the dress to Ms. Lawson! You should've known better than to pretend," the sales assistant said as she narrowed her eyes at Nancy. She was already displeased at Nancy's attitude toward Teresa earlier, and now, she did not bother to hide her contempt any longer. In high-end and exclusive shops like this, the s
Nancy looked up and was stunned to find that she had run into Yaacob! He was the last person she expected to see there, and now she found herself at a loss for words, dumbfounded in shock. At that moment, Yaacob, with a calm and collected demeanor, pulled out his card and handed it to the sales assistant. "I'll pay for it," he declared. The sales assistant, initially hesitant and not too cooperative, changed her tune completely upon seeing the card. It was a black card, a Centurion Card issued by American Express! Even Spencer's earlier offer to pay with his black card could not compare to this. Taking the card from Yaacob, the sales assistant's hands trembled as she processed the payment. She returned back the card, stuttering, "S-Sir… your dress is wrapped. I-Is there anything else I can help you with?" Yaacob accepted the dress and held it out to Nancy, but she refused. "I said I didn't like it. I don't want it!" "Take it anyway. Cut it up or burn it at home so you don't h
Nancy got into Yaacob's car, and both of them remained silent for two minutes before she finally broke the silence, "Where are we going?" "Where do you want to go?" Yaacob countered, his eyes locked on the road. "I don't know!" "Then I'll just drive." Two more minutes of silence filled the air before Nancy spoke again. "How did you happen to show up back there?" "I was just passing by," Yaacob replied casually. "You, a man, just happened to be passing by a women's clothing store?" Nancy asked with obvious disbelief. "Is that a problem?" Yaacob glanced at her, the curve of his eyes hinting at a mystery that could be a joke or sincere. Feeling frustrated, Nancy realized she could not get a straight answer from Yaacob. He was an enigma, all smiles on the surface but with many layers of impenetrable defenses lying beneath. She gave up on questioning, turning her gaze out the window in resignation. "That man... Was he your ex-husband?" Yaacob asked suddenly in a gentler
Yaacob said nothing, his eyes lowered, focused on the bubbles in his drink. He seemed prepared to listen. But Nancy suddenly leaned close and asked, "Do you men all think she's better than me?" "He's the one with a bad taste for women. We're not all like him." Yaacob retorted. Hearing Yaacob's reply, Nancy smiled. But her smile gradually turned bitter." Don't you think Teresa has a face that cries out to be cherished? Men like the soft and weak ones, don't they? You even said before that a gentle beauty is better!" Nancy and Teresa were like two extremes. One was vivid and colorful, while the other was bland and tasteless. But both were beautiful in their own ways. Nancy was almost flawless, while Teresa's beauty was more about harmony and gave off a comfortable vibe. Teresa's eyes were not particularly large and had always seemed to be on the verge of tears, endearing her to people. Nancy, on the other hand, looked too fierce. Her distinctive beauty, coupled with a hot figure,
"He asked me for a divorce several times, but I refused," Nancy said, her voice soft but resolute. "I've sacrificed too much for this marriage. How could I possibly agree to that?" She then continued with a wry smile, "And then, Teresa began to relentlessly work behind the scenes, trying to sever the bond between us." She chuckled at the memory. "Spencer never really cared for me, you know. A month ago, I was drugged. She used my husband's phone number to lure me to a hotel." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she went on, "Originally, Teresa arranged an old and ugly man for me, but by some twist of fate, I ended up in the wrong room and found myself in bed with you. Though I escaped her scheme, my situation doesn't seem to have improved much!" With a sigh, she took another swig of brandy. It burned her throat, but suddenly, she did not feel it anymore. Her head was growing heavy. She massaged her temples and looked at Yaacob, finally making her main point, "I've told you everyth
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