Zuko was at a loss for words and breathing heavily. Would this ever come to an end with Lina?"I'm telling you!" He rarely showed a tough side. "Let's be done with this or...""What?""Or never mind!" Zuko said firmly.Back in the day, Nicholas knelt on the washboard with the same resolute attitude, didn't he? Now that the washboard had been passed on to Zuko, he wouldn't be as helpless. He couldn't kneel directly on it—he must add a cushion!Lina was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter, covering her face."Alright, back to the main topic," Zuko said, playfully tapping her nose. "I think the next step should be to hand over this data to the police. Embezzlement in charity work is not just a moral issue, it's also a legal one."However, these data only provide evidence of the Harpers' activities in Centrolis. We may need to investigate further to see if they've done similar things in Chaiseland.""Hand it directly to the police?" Lina asked."What else?""The Ba
Desiree's screams alerted the welfare institution's management staff. Despite the kids running fast, being young made it easy for a few adults to catch them quickly.Desiree was led to the resting room.The staff gave her a towel to wipe herself, as she had no suitable clothes to change into. She sat on the sofa, trembling with anger—not from the cold."Zuko," she called out, her voice shaking with distress.Zuko stood aside, hands in his pockets, appearing indifferent."Zuko, I'm so cold," Desiree hugged herself and conveniently sneezed.Zuko glanced at the weather forecast on his phone, which showed 26°C, and looked outside at the sunny weather."Cold?" He chuckled softly. "I see. You're soaked all over. That's why you're cold."Desiree seemed delighted. "Exactly.""So, what can I do to help?" he asked."You..." She wanted to suggest he could hug her or lend her his shirt but hesitated, thinking it might seem too deliberate.Zuko then suggested, "The sun is shining outside
"Have those kids been caught?" Zuko asked.Jill hesitated briefly, then smiled fawningly and nodded. "Yes, they've all been caught, not one missing. They're outside.""Let them come in," Zuko said."Okay." Jill gestured outside, and the kids were brought in.When Desiree saw them, her eyes glinted viciously. She was about to raise her hand to hit them but noticed Zuko nearby. She held back her impulse and retracted her hand.Zuko noticed her subtle move.He then looked at the kids. They appeared around 12 or 13 years old but seemed younger, closer to 8 or 9 years old, due to malnutrition. Their sharp and fierce gazes stunned Zuko.Children who grew up in a warm and loving environment would never have such a look.Zuko approached them slowly. The kids eyed him cautiously and stepped back."Do you know what you did wrong?" Zuko's voice was low and husky.The kids remained silent."Regardless of the circumstances, splashing dirty water on others is wrong. You're still kids. Did
Desiree turned pale and trembled involuntarily, struck by fear at the sight of Lena's icy face. It brought back memories of the time she was held at gunpoint.She screamed and sought refuge behind Zuko, her voice trembling as she told him, "Zuko, she... She's a hitman from the Thompsons! She almost helped Lina kill me last time in the restroom at the bar!"Zuko raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "Last time at the bar? How did you provoke Lina to almost get yourself killed?""I..." Desiree couldn't find the words to explain.Her hand still clutched Zuko's clothes, but he shook her off firmly.Lena smirked.In her desperation, Desiree cried out, "Zuko, you have to believe me! S-She knows how to use a gun! And she's with Lina... Yes, they must've conspired together to instigate these kids to splash dirty water on me! It must be!"Zuko's gaze turned ruthless. "Are you so sure?""Yes, I'm sure!""In that case, let's call the police.""What?" Desiree was stunned."I said, si
"No, really, there's no need!" Desiree gritted her teeth and glared at Lina.She finally understood what was going on. It seemed that Lena had instructed those children, but they actually took orders from Lina.Her motive was clear—she wanted to draw the police into the situation. If the police got involved, they would uncover the dark secrets of the Harpers' charity foundation.Desiree seethed with anger but felt helpless against Lina. At this point, she could only find an excuse to escape."Zuko, Lina, this is just a small matter. It doesn't matter at all! Kids don't know better. How could I hold it against them?""But, Desiree...""Enough, I won't pursue this!" Desiree stood up abruptly and walked toward the exit. "I suddenly remembered that Grandma Janine has something to discuss with me today. I... I'll go back first!"The police officers were left puzzled."What's the meaning of this? You want to report the incident one moment and decide to stop pursuing it the next. Do y
Abigail was hurt by the haters who wrote and spread hateful posts to slander her. She had endured storms of criticism, but she couldn't help but feel hurt and alone.She didn't understand what she had done wrong. Since her debut, every step she took was under intense scrutiny. Even the smallest mistakes were magnified."Ms. Fox, as the film studio's ambassador, don't you owe an explanation to your coworkers and the audience?"Abigail clutched the microphone, her shoulders trembling as she struggled to maintain her smile in front of the camera.The relentless reporters pressed on."Ms. Fox, explain yourself!" "Yeah, Ms. Fox! This needs proper addressing. You're an artist under Imperial Media, yet you became the ambassador for the Thompson Group. All the other artists except you fell ill on the day of the film studio's opening. Was there a power struggle behind the scenes?""Ms. Fox, we want to know the truth!"Abigail's palms were sweating, and her breathing quickened. She took
Abigail pinched herself secretly to confirm she wasn't dreaming.Jacob held a plate with two pieces of dessert. He wore a gentle smile as he handed it to her."I wasn't sure which one you'd like, so I brought both," he said softly. "I've checked this one. It's low in sugar and won't make you gain weight. It's okay to have a little."Abigail couldn't hide her smile as their hands touched when she received the plate. Her heart skipped a beat, and her mind went blank.Jacob wasn't doing much better. He had impulsively stood up to defend her when he saw her surrounded by the press, but he worried he had done more harm than good.What if the troublesome reporters started writing fake stories about her, making her life even more difficult?He brought two desserts to make amends and handed them over. His heart started racing like never before when he accidentally brushed her hand.They both blushed and lowered their heads, unable to look at each other."T-Thank you for just now," Abig
"The aim of today's charity gala is to raise funds." Janine chuckled. "Albert, speaking of charity, I'm afraid no one can compare to the Harpers."Albert nodded with a smile and exchanged pleasantries.Toph sneered and whispered to Zuko, "I remember this old man used to love faking smiles when we were kids. I never thought he'd still be doing it after so many years."Bro, I heard there's a beauty treatment where they inject stuff to lift the corners of your mouth so it won't droop. Do you think he has had this procedure?""Hush!" Zuko glanced at him just as Albert turned their way."The Hamerton heirs have grown so big!"Toph forced the same fake smile he had just grumbled about. "Heh! Nice to meet you, Uncle Albert!"Zuko nodded in greeting.Albert squinted as he carefully examined the two brothers, his gaze lingering on Zuko."I heard that Zuko's already engaged? The woman who can win over the eldest Hamerton heir must be no ordinary girl, right?" Albert said.Zuko waited w