Carter’s heart trembled when he heard that. He kept a steady gaze and looked at Shirley, who still wore a cold expression in her eyes. “Why are you only telling me this now?” Shirley laughed indifferently. “I’ve come here with a purpose, of course. I want to strike a deal with you. Otherwise, I might not have bothered to let you know.”“…” Carter pursed his lips when he heard her reply. He could not think of a retort. Camille’s expression darkened. “Shirley, are you saying that you’d use the baby as a bargaining tool in exchange for benefits?”“You’re absolutely right, Mrs. Gray. I’m indeed here today for some benefits,” Shirley admitted openly without refrain.Carter and Camille were stunned; Ada was burning with rage, but she felt less threatened now because of Shirley’s attitude. “What do you want?” Carter asked directly. Shirley threw a glance at Ada, then replied, “I’d like to talk with you in private. After all, some matters aren’t suitable to be discussed in the pre
She was clearly the hostess of this family, but she seemed to be nothing more than just that title.The second floor. Shirley entered Carter's study room with a sense of familiarity.Although it was daytime, Carter had drawn the curtains. He also closed the door behind Shirley after she entered.He turned around and looked at Shirley who was seated in a wheelchair. He closed his eyes, hoping this was merely a figment of his imagination. Unfortunately, when he reopened them, Shirley remained in the wheelchair.Suddenly, it occurred to him that Shirley had always been seated when they met the last few times. Evidently, it was due to the loss of ability in her legs.Unable to comprehend the situation, Carter was upset, and the rage within him continued to grow.“What exactly is going on? Your legs… how did it happen?”Carter spoke from behind Shirley; the anger in his voice was suppressed. “You seem concerned about my legs, Mr. Gray. There’s nothing much to say, except that I m
Carter narrowed his eyes and involuntarily loosened his grip on the back of Shirley's neck.He was stunned by her indifference. This was not right.Shirley would never behave like this in the past. Now, the way she looked at him, and the way she spoke, were that of enemies–cold and hostile. “Hah.” Carter laughed softly and released Shirley’s neck. “You want the anti-toxoid test reagent formula for AXT69? I'll never give it to you,” Carter rejected with a cold laugh.He had thought his answer could frighten and unsettle Shirley. He had not expected Shirley to be abnormally calm instead.“Since you're not interested in this deal, let’s pretend I didn't come by today.” Shirley steered her wheelchair around the second she finished speaking.When Carter saw this, he reached out and grabbed Shirley’s wrist. Shirley, whose wheelchair had been moving forward when Carter yanked her back, instantly fell off her wheelchair.Her legs, which could not support her at all, caused her
Carter’s eyebrows snapped together. He stared into Shirley’s cold eyes which saw him as an enemy. Without warning, he reached over and attempted to pull off her mask."Shirley, I'm really curious to see your expression when you say such things," he said furiously.Shirley immediately moved her head away to evade and raised her hand to block Carter’s hand.“You’d better not remove my mask. Don't blame me if you catch my flu.""Hah!" Carter chuckled dismissively; his gaze was so piercing that it seemed like he was about to engulf her.In one swift motion, he pushed Shirley's hand aside and ripped her mask off.Shirley felt her heart stopped for a split second. She hurriedly turned her face sideways, exposing the unscarred side to Carter. Carter was enraged when Shirley avoided his gaze. Reaching over, he grasped Shirley's chin and turned her head firmly in his direction.His anger and dissatisfaction vanished the moment he saw her whole face.He unknowingly loosened his gr
Ada, who was listening to their conversation behind the door, was frightened by Carter’s furious questioning, and her face turned pale.‘If Shirley told the truth, how would I explain myself?’ She anxiously thought. Suddenly, she realized that the study room had become unusually quiet.Feeling uneasy and curious, Ada leaned closer to the door, her ears practically pressing against it.She heard a soft “click,” and the door abruptly swung open.Carter was standing right in front of Ada, and she turned rigid, unsure of what to do. After a few seconds, she regained her composure and adopted an awkward demeanor; her face also feigned a gentle smile.“Carter, I… I was just worried about you. I wasn’t eavesdropping.” Ada smiled forcefully as she tried to explain, but she noticed Carter's unusually dark expression at the moment.She intended to peep into the study room to see what was happening with Shirley, but her gaze was met by Carter's cold, icy stare.“Car… Carter?”“It seems
"Are you going to leave just like that?”Ada abruptly stopped in her tracks. She felt awfully uneasy, but she still turned around, feigning innocence and a wounded expression on her face.She saw Shirley, who was seated in her wheelchair, approached the doorway slowly.“Ms. Brown, you’ve won. I don't want to stay and be humiliated."“I’ve won?” Shirley was confused when she heard this. Carter had intentionally kept his voice down during his conversation with Ada, especially when he had spoken those few sentences. He had not wanted Shirley to hear them.As a result, Shirley was not aware of how important she was to Carter. Now, she merely found Ada’s words amusing. “Mrs. Gray, do I look like a winner to you? My legs are crippled, and my face is disfigured. I’ll be useless for the rest of my life. How am I a winner? Should I be honored that you did all of this personally?”“…”Sure enough, Shirley revealed it! Ada flinched and immediately denied, “Ms. Brown, what do you m
The slap resounded loud and clear. Further, she had deliberately hit the side of Shirley’s injured face.The scene had unfolded too suddenly. Camille and Cathy had not expected it, while Ada's mother was satisfied with her "feat,” and Ada was secretly delighted.However, Ada could only enjoy the moment briefly before she similarly received a hard slap across her right cheek.“Ouch!” Ada shouted in pain as Carter slapped Ada so hard that she could barely stand up. She also tasted the blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.Ada and her mother froze, eyes widened. They had not expected Carter to make such a move.He had actually slapped Ada! Shirley too had not anticipated that. The burning pain on her cheek seemed to have immediately subsided. Was Carter trying to protect her?“How dare you slap my daughter, Carter?!” Ada’s mother demanded anxiously.Carter appeared impassive, but his gaze was icy. "I hit your daughter because you slapped my woman. It's only fair."“
“It's best not to offend Carter. There are other ways for him to obtain the right of succession. You’re merely a stepping stone, at best. Don't confuse your position with your value. Otherwise, your family won’t come to a good end.”Camille finished speaking coldly before patting Cathy on the shoulder.“Miss Jordan, I believe that Carter and Shirley have more to discuss. Let's take a seat downstairs in the meantime.”Cathy too did not want to stay with Ada and her mother, so Cathy followed Camille downstairs.Ada held her burning cheek that Carter had slapped. She gritted her teeth with extreme displeasure.After Ada returned to her room, she clenched her fists at the sight of the swelling on her cheek and the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “He actually hit me for that stinky beggar!” Ada gritted her teeth. “I can’t let this go. Mom, what should I do now? Would Carter really disfigure my face and break my legs if I went against him?”“He wouldn’t dare!” Ada's