"What's wrong? Who do you think the father is? You?" Clarice laughed in a particularly sarcastic manner."Clarice, I'm asking you a question!" He was truly angry, and his large hands gripped her slender neck as he spoke coldly. Clarice could clearly feel that she wasn't breathing well, and her neck was pinched by him, making it difficult for her to breathe. Frowning, she didn't plead for mercy, but only laughed even more, and her eyes were still filled with tears of disappointment."Do you want to know? Then let me tell you, the child belongs to your uncle, and has nothing to do with you." She gritted her teeth as she looked at him, and spoke each word, spitting in his face, and this was not the answer Nicholas wanted, but from her mouth, it was as if sharp thorns were ruthlessly piercing his heart.After a long time, the large hand gripping her neck loosened, and his clear, cold gaze shot straight into her eyes."Clarice, is this the method you used to g
For a moment, it was as if she truly believed that her relationship with Edward was normal, and that Edward's care and concern for her stemmed from the love of a husband for his wife. And Edward, seeing Clarice's somewhat hesitant look, furrowed his brow."What? You don't believe me?" he asked.Clarice shook her head, raised her hand, and wiped the tears from her face, desperate."It's not that, it's just that I'm genuinely surprised by your actions and words, Edward. Do you really not care about the matter between Nicholas and me?""And why should I care? He is who he is, and I am who I am," Edward spoke calmly. "Besides, I am different from him, and I think you know that. I would never do what he did to you; I just want you to understand that.""Thank you, Edward. I really don't know what to do in this life to repay your care for me and my baby," Clarice said, unsure of how to reciprocate Edward's kindness. Fortunately, she met him; otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to continu
The Murray Family Mansion.It was late at night when the guests dispersed, and inside the bridal chamber, Mary was wearing red pajamas. Looking at the bright red blanket, her face was filled with worry, and Nicholas entered from outside. Seeing this, Mary immediately ran in front of him and pulled his arm, pointing to the large bed."Nick, there's only one bed, how are we going to sleep?""You can sleep in the bed!" Nicholas replied with those two words sideways and walked to the wardrobe, ready to change clothes. "Nicholas, are you going out? At this hour?""Yes, so don't worry about me; you can sleep peacefully." He replied, heading to the bathroom to change, and about ten minutes later, he came out in lighter attire and left.Mary silently watched him leave and sighed in relief. Sleeping alone was a relief, even though Nicholas was her brother, and she had no interest in him, it would still be one less discomfort to feel today.When Nicholas left the mansion, a car was already wait
"Mr. Murray, you've arrived!" Robert opened his mouth carefully, a hypocritical smile lingering on his face, and Luna threw a towel at him."Please, dry your face and then speak to Mr. Murray decently."Robert was somewhat dissatisfied with Luna's attitude. After all, he was still Nicholas Murray's father-in-law, right? So, how could a mere secretary be so rude to him? He grabbed the towel and wiped his face carelessly."Mr. Murray, about this... Where's Clarice? Why haven't I seen her?""This is the question Mr. Murray wanted to ask you." Luna replied. "With such a good method, on one hand, you're persuading Mr. Cassano, and on the other hand, you're fishing for other men.""What... Other men?" After hearing this, Robert's heart tightened. In the afternoon, when Luna found him, she asked if he knew that Clarice had connections with other men. However, he was completely buried in the gambling table, so how would he know about Clarice's situation? Now,
Peonies MansionIt was 2 a.m., Edward glanced at the side, and Clarice was already asleep. Without making much noise, he left the room and headed downstairs to find his parents. He knew they would fill his head with concerns, but he needed to face them."Dani, have my parents arrived?" Edward asked the butler of the house."Sir, I thought you were already asleep, but your parents have just arrived and are in their room," Dani replied. Edward smiled in gratitude and headed to the second floor, where his parents' room was located.He gently knocked on the door, and quickly, his mother Gretta's voice could be heard from inside."Who is it?""Mom, it's me!" Edward replied as he opened the door and entered. Gretta had just finished bathing, wearing a white silk pajama, and sat in front of the dresser, applying her skincare products. When she saw her son, she immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to face him."Your father and I thought you were asleep, but since you're here, let
"What? Wait, what did you just say? A child? Is she pregnant?" Gretta was the first to react and shouted at him."Mom, it's not important. Anyway, you don't want her as a daughter-in-law anymore, so why care about the child in her belly?" Edward said casually."Kid, stop right there!" Filippo regained his senses at this moment and shouted loudly. "Are you telling the truth? Is she pregnant?""If you don't believe me, you can call a doctor or do a test." Edward replied, shrugging. His father, Filippo, was shocked and surprised to hear this."But how is that possible? Didn't the doctor say you could never have a child?""Yes, he did, but the truth is, am I not in front of you now? So, do you want this grandchild or not? I'll send her away tomorrow if you don't want it." Edward began to threaten them."Yes, of course we want it." Gretta was afraid he would send her away, so she quickly replied. While she spoke, she even pushed Filippo a bit, allowing him t
Lowering her head, she explained to them with an apologetic expression."Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. Edward was late because of me; I usually wake up feeling nauseous.""Miss Savas, right?" Gretta saw that she had a good view and understood what she was saying, so she raised her eyebrows slightly with a proud look on her face. "We came back late at night, so we didn't have time to talk to you. I heard from Edward that you two got married in secret, right?" Clarice vaguely understood the disapproval in her tone and opened her mouth to explain, but then heard Edward say from the side."As for this matter, didn't I mention it yesterday? I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you both...""Be quiet; I'm talking to Miss Savas." Gretta didn't like that her son protected his new wife like this, so she couldn't help but scold him."Ma'am, you can call me Clary, and when Edward and I got married, we were really wrong not to inform both of you in advance. Logical
"Lady Gretta, I'm sorry, but the reason I'm not eating is not because of the chef, but because of me. I haven't been feeling well lately, so I end up getting very nauseous, and that's why I can't eat anything.""What do you mean you can't eat anything? You have to remember that you're not eating for yourself, but for the child in your belly, so I'll ask the chef to use less sunflower oil next time.""Madame, there's no need, really..." When Clarice said this, she felt nauseous, so she immediately covered her mouth and felt the vomit coming back, and Edward, who was beside her, immediately helped her up and led her to the bathroom.Gretta watched as they left, her heart full of concern."Why is she having such a strong reaction? If she doesn't eat, she'll end up malnourished! And it will be dangerous for her child!""Woman, just take her to the hospital in the afternoon for a maternity check-up, and tell Beatrice to find the best nutritionist in tow
In the ApartmentAt 10 PMThe two children had already gone to sleep, and Clarice was tired of sitting on the bed, reading. She lay down as well and fell asleep, disoriented. Just as she was drifting off, she suddenly felt as though a familiar palm was gently caressing her cheek.She, who usually slept very lightly, woke up and slowly opened her eyes. Under the faint light, a familiar face appeared before her. When she saw the person in front of her, she felt a mix of surprise and joy.“Nicholas, is that you?”“It’s me,” the other person replied in a gentle voice.“How could you...” Clarice wanted to ask why he was here, but she quickly laughed at herself. “I must be dreaming right now; otherwise, how could you be here?” Nicholas looked at her bitter smile and took her hand, letting her soft hand rest against his warm chest.Powerful, rhythmic thumps vibrated through her palm. The sensation was so real, so reliable.“Nicholas, is it really you? I... I’m not dreaming, am I?” Clarice wa
"Mr. Cassano, this is the butler from the Johnson family. Miss Jessica has just been taken by the police.""What? Jessica was taken by the police? Why?" Nicholas pretended to be surprised as he asked."They said she paid someone to kill on her behalf, but that’s impossible. We believe she must have been wronged by someone. Someone like her would never do such a thing, and she has no enemies." The butler explained."Really? If she has no enemies, who would accuse her falsely?" Nicholas asked."Well…" The butler realized he couldn’t win this argument, so he handed the phone over to Mrs. Johnson."Nicholas, it’s me, Auntie. Please, think of a way to save Jessica. After all, her wedding is the day after tomorrow. If the reporters find out about this, even if Jessica is innocent in the end, the reputations of both the Johnson and Cassano families will be affected, and your wedding will be definitely impacted. You need to act quickly." Mrs. Johnson urged."Aunt, don’t rush. How about this?
The person who entered the house first glanced at Nicholas and greeted him with a look, and Nicholas responded with a slight expression. However, Luna pretended not to know anything and asked,"Officers, we heard you're here to apprehend a suspect. Could you explain?""Of course, we know this is the Cassano family, but even if it’s the Cassano family, if someone breaks the law, they will still face consequences," the detective said."Officer, may I ask who you’re trying to arrest?" Nicholas asked."Who is Julie?" The officer looked around the room and asked. When Julie heard her name, she froze, her face turning pale."Julie is here. Why? What has she done?" Luna raised her hand and pointed at her."Miss Julie, you are suspected of murdering a man from our town, Wayne Robust. We are taking you in for questioning." The officer didn’t answer her question but instead walked over to Julie and said sternly."Officer, there must be some misunderstanding!" Olivia exclaimed in surprise upon h
Just then, in addition to the old man from before, a lady entered the room with a basket of vegetables in her hands. Seeing Julie, she asked.“Old man, are there any guests?”“To see Wayne.” The old man said.“Uncle, auntie, Wayne's just had a little chat with me and he's a bit tired. Now that he's asleep, I won't bother you anymore. “As she spoke, she got ready to leave.“Let's eat before we leave.” The old woman wanted him to stay, but her husband looked at her. “She's busy.”“Ah, then I won't send you away. Take care. “The old woman smiled.As soon as she received the amnesty, Julie quickly left the room, and after she left, the old man looked at the old woman with disapproval.“What happened to you? Didn't you see that she was fully armed when she came to the house for fear of being infected by Wayne? Would she dare eat our family's food?”“I didn't think she was like the people who came to our house this morning. I think these people are very nice and don't dislike us.”“Aren't
“I never knew Nicholas' weakness until Clarice and Jessica came along. And Clarice's way of allowing me to find Nicholas' weakness, and Jessica's appearance, was the equivalent of giving me the knife. ”Julie's mind was immersed in the fantasy of revenge, and her expression became fierce. “But, unfortunately, Jessica is very stupid, and to be exposed so quickly, I didn't expect you to find me here.“You really are incredible. You knew how to deal with Nicholas, and yet you chose to blame me. Did you want to make Nicholas fight with me?”“But in the end, you still didn't find out?”Julie now regretted her mistake. After all, although Edward could have become her greatest help, he was different from Jessica, he was very intelligent and couldn't be controlled.“We're in the same boat now. Your goal is to destroy the Cassano Family, and so am I. That's why I think that if we work together, Nicholas will definitely be no match for us.”“Tell me, how can we cooperate?” Upon hearing this, J
"You must be very curious, right? How did I know you were the one hiding behind Jessica?" When Julie sat down, Edward spoke with a smile."Did Jessica tell you? Did she feel like I was using her?" Julie asked."Did she tell me? Do you think a woman with that kind of IQ would even realize she was being used by you?" Edward scoffed."If she didn’t tell you, then you..." Julie’s confusion grew deeper."Isn’t there a saying in this world? If you don’t want others to know about it, do it yourself, because someone else might find out. By the way, I don’t have any enmity with you, so why do you like to frame me? Have you thought about the consequences of being discovered by me?" Edward spoke, deliberately leaving out what had happened 30 years ago. Instead, he seized Julie and asked Jessica to incriminate Edward, causing a misunderstanding between him and Nicholas."Did you invite me here today to take revenge for me framing you?" Julie, however, was quick-witted and could only respond with
The Next MorningJulie got up early the next morning, had breakfast prepared in the kitchen, arranged for the servants to clean, and went to the garden to tend to the flowers and plants. When Olivia finally got up, Julie served her breakfast. After noticing that Olivia seemed busy preparing for the wedding, she stepped forward and spoke to her."Ma'am, there's something I need to take care of today. I promise it won't take long.""You're leaving?" Olivia frowned. "The hotel will send someone to deliver the menu later, and I wanted you to help me look it over.""It won’t take long. I should be back in about an hour. I’ll contact them at the hotel and ask them to come for lunch. Is that alright?" Julie thought for a moment."Alright, then go and come back quickly." Seeing Julie seemed to be in a hurry, Olivia simply waved her hand and added, "Go ahead."Having received permission, Julie quickly went upstairs to change before leaving.At 9:00 a.m., Edward's people arrived punctually at t
In the Cassano Family's Main House.It was three in the morning when Julie was lying in bed, sleeping deeply.Suddenly, the phone on the nightstand rang. She must have done a lot of bad things over the past years.Although she thought it was revenge, she still subconsciously knew she held two new lives in her hands.Thus, over all these years, she had rarely slept peacefully.Nightmares came almost every night.At that moment, her phone rang again, and on this quiet night, it felt especially deafening.She woke up startled and looked at the clock on the wall opposite her bed. It was three a.m.Why would someone call her at this hour? Frowning, she picked up the phone from the nightstand.The screen’s light was much brighter than her night lamp, making her eyes—accustomed to the dim light—feel uncomfortable as she squinted.When she saw the caller ID was from an unknown number, she assumed it was a call from a scammer but had no intention of answering. She simply hung up.She placed th
As soon as he entered, he saw that Luna and Edward had arrived, and Edward’s forehead appeared to be slightly injured, so he had wrapped it with a simple bandage.“What happened to you?” Nicholas asked when he saw this.“What’s going on? Wasn’t it your lovely fiancée who did this? I was in need of a cut for you this time. Think about how you’ll make it up to me when the time comes.” Edward crossed his legs and bit into an apple as he spoke.“President, why did you call us here so urgently? Is there something important?” Luna asked.“Yes.” Nicholas nodded. “Over the past two days, I’ve been thinking about Julie’s pregnancy. I now have an answer in my heart, and it’s far from the truth.”“What are you trying to say?” Edward asked.“I suspect that the father of Julie’s child is actually my father!” Nicholas fell silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice.“What?” When Edward heard this, he was so shocked that he didn’t even have time to swallow the apple crumbs in his mouth. He