Odell curled his lips. “I was wrong for raising my voice at you, but I didn’t do it for her. I never meant to defend her. At that time, she was no different in my eyes from the other employees who work hard.”“Hmph. When she framed Charles, you stood by her persistently and completely ignored my explanation. I’m your wife, but you didn’t stand by me at all in front of so many people!”Sylvia got angry at the thought of that scene. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him huffily. Her appearance was quite cute.Odell looked at her and explained slowly, “First of all, Shermaine and Charles are not related. I couldn’t find any reason for Shermaine to frame Charles at that time. Besides, she was my secretary. Between Charles and her, of course, I’d favor her.“Moreover, before the incident between Shermaine and Charles happened, I was waiting for you to reply to my message, but you never did. You also unconditionally helped the colleague who was interested in you. I was
Sylvia clearly had no appetite before, but she finished almost all the food at once.It was only when she was almost full that she thought of something. Her eyes looked at Odell with a smile. “Odell, would you like to eat some more?”The man’s dark and deep eyes stared at her. He looked at her appearance and smiled. “Are you full?”Sylvia pursed her lips. “Almost.”That meant she could still eat.Odell smiled and touched her head. “I’m not hungry. You can have some more.”Well then.Sylvia lowered her head and continued to eat.In addition to the food, there were also cut fresh fruits.After eating her fill, Sylvia sat next to him with the fruit. She ate two pieces herself and then pinched one for him to eat.Odell was very cooperative and ate it. He ate once with every two pieces that she ate. Just like that, the fruit box was cleaned out.Sylvia was full and began to yawn.“Sleepy?” he asked.“A little,” she replied, somewhat embarrassed.The weather outside was quite n
He sighed and said, “Then, she left Westchester and went back.” As soon as the words subsided, things went quiet. Odell looked down and saw her soundly sleeping with her beautiful eyes closed. She might still appear weak, but she was a lot better when he had seen her outside. His gaze turned warm as he stroked her cheek before his eyes slowly closed and his mind wandered off to dreamland. …When her eyes opened, it was already night and there was only a warm lamp left on in the room. Odell had woken up before she knew it and was reading a book by her side. When he noticed her open eyes, he went up to place his hand over her forehead and then took her temperature using the medical thermometer. 38º Celcius. Sylvia’s eyes brightened. “The fever has gone down.” Odell frowned. “38º Celcius means you are still having a fever.” She was by no means recovered yet. Sylvia chuckled. “It’s better than it was in the morning.” Odell’s gaze shifted. “Hungry?” Sylvia nodded.
Flint immediately answered in a clear voice, “Correct!” Isabel huffed, “Hmph! I’ll let you off this time, Flint, for Mommy’s sake!” Flint cheered, “Issy is the best” “Cut out the nonsense!” Sylvia laughed at their interaction. It was then that Liam’s account sent another voice message. Sylvia tapped on it and heard Liam’s youthful but mature voice, “Mommy, you sound different. What’s wrong with your voice?” Isabel and Flint echoed his question as well. Isabel asked, “Mommy, are you sick?” Flint interrogated, “Mommy, are you feeling bad?” Sylvia’s gaze shifted. She hesitated and then said, “Mommy just woke up, that’s why my voice sounds a little heavy. I’ll sound better after I get some water.” Flint cooed, “Owhhh.” Liam asked, “Really?” Sylvia confirmed, “Really.” Then, Isabel added, “Oh yeah, stupid Daddy is gone, and he hasn’t been back until now. We don’t know where he is.” Flint repeated, “Yeah, we don’t know where he is.” Sylvia turned around. Ode
Sylvia said to the three kids, “Liam, Issy, Flint, Daddy and I are having dinner. You guys, be good boys and a good girl, and go to sleep early today. Mommy and Daddy will probably come home tomorrow.” Flint agreed, “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm! Flint is a good boy!” Isabel answered, “Mommy, we got it. You have dinner with Daddy.” “Alright.” Sylvia put the phone away with a smile. Although having a fever, she felt more energized than before and strongly believed she could recover tomorrow so that she could go home with Odell. …Meanwhile, at the Carters' residence, Liam, Isabel, and Flint were still in the game room looking at their phones. While sitting in Liam’s embrace, Flint kept tapping on Odell and Sylvia’s chat. Moments later, he looked up at his brother and asked, “Brother, do Daddy and Mommy love each other again?” Liam pursed his lips and hummed a reply. Isabel curled her lips. “Of course, they are lovey-dovey again. Flint happily squealed. “Yay!” Liam slightly wide
She knew he asked that on purpose, but nevertheless, she answered excitedly, “Yes!” Odell smiled and brought her inside. They entered the single VIP room that Odell booked, and the dishes were already pre-ordered before they arrived. Most of them were light dishes, but there were several heavy ones as well, which satisfied Sylvia’s taste buds. After feasting, Sylvia felt energized. She wanted to bring him around for a stroll, but he dragged her back to the hotel. The moment they entered the room, he used the thermometer to check her forehead again. 37.1º Celcius. Sylvia’s eyes glimmered. “Odell, let’s get the tickets and go home!” Odell’s expression remained grim. “You’re practically still having a fever. We’ll talk when you fully recover.” Sylvia pouted. The two of them took a nap together until Sylvia’s phone woke her up in the evening. It was a call from Isabel. Sylvia answered it away and heard Isabel’s adorable voice through the phone. “Mommy, are you bac
If he had not snuck into the chat group and had been watching her movements, they would have had zero contact in the past 24 days. Sylvia averted his gaze. “You are the one who scolded me until I had to leave.” “I know I was wrong,” he said with a softer tone. He then hugged her into his arms and whispered in her ears, “But there was not one day that I did not miss you.” He could not even sleep at night. Sylvia’s gaze froze. All the annoyance and grief that had been piling up in her suddenly disappeared. Odell hugged her tightly. “Spend two days with me, then we go home. Okay?” Sylvia shyly said, “Okay, but…” “But?” “I want to see if I have recovered from the fever.” If she still had a fever, she might not be able to go to many of the tourist spots. Odell smiled. “It’s gone. I checked when you were almost awake just now. 36.6º Celcius. You’re all good now.” Sylvia hummed a reply. She suddenly felt something strange and looked at him. If he checked her temperatur
Sherry leaned on the car and crossed her arms. “Tell me, I have all the time in the world.” Jacob pursed his lips awkwardly. Had she not noticed he did not want to talk to her? A quick thought later, he said with a professional smile, “Why don’t you ask Madam herself for more details? I’m just an observer, so my story might not be accurate.” “Those who observe see clearer. I want your side of the story,” Sherry said with a raised brow. Jacob was left speechless. He somehow felt Sherry was unlike the person she was two years ago. Her aura and presence had grown a lot stronger. Some thoughts later, Jacob reluctantly said, “Ms. Fowler, I’m just a bodyguard. I shouldn’t be talking about my boss here.” Sherry’s lips remained curled, and her smile remained bright. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll call Syl and ask her to fire you.” Jacob felt absolutely helpless. People just loved to threaten bodyguards like him by firing them, which was getting a little old in his opinion. A m
She was her usual self in every aspect. She put her heart into her job and never started trouble so long as nobody tried to start trouble with her. The crew cycled through their locations during their shoot. The constant travel made her skin break out slightly, but there were no other concerns otherwise. The shoot progressed very smoothly and within three months, they managed to wrap up everything at the mountainous region previously mentioned. It was nearly evening when they wrapped up the shoot. Holding a bouquet in hand, she took a group picture with the crew and celebrated with everyone. After that, she planned to hitch a ride with another crew member and leave for home. To their demise, some men in uniform who claimed to be the road maintenance technicians showed up to break the bad news to them. They mentioned that they had to repair some of the roads urgently and so the way home was temporarily obstructed. The director took his phone and called the city hotline fo
He remembered his first meeting with Isabel. She was sitting all by herself on the floor, in the middle of nowhere. Her vulnerable expression only made her more endearing. So, he managed to get her to go to his place and installed her in his home. He fell for her and paid careful attention to all her needs. It did not take long before Isabel caught feelings for him as well. The two of them got together in no time. Their days were plain and ordinary, but also very fulfilling, that was until he met Clarice. With the help of his father, his power struggle with Roland had reached a tipping point. It was at that opportune moment when Clarice’s father saw something in Roland and planned to wed his daughter Clarice to him to join up their families, which was a cause for alarm for Decker. He stressed over it for an entire night before approaching Clarice himself the very next day. Clarice quickly caught feelings for him as well. Furthermore, Roland had been foolish enough to reject
Decker was smiling quite earnestly at Isabel. Isabel threw a deeply suspicious look at him, then she glanced at the stack of documents laid out on top of the table in front of her. “Transferal of Shares.” She was dumbfounded. "I've gone through the contract, it’s safe to sign so go ahead.” Roland picked up a pen and handed it to her. "Roland, I..." "Sign it first, I’ll explain when we get home.” Isabel frowned and tried to protest. "I—" "Don't make me have to beg." Isabel did not know how to respond. Fine. She briefly scanned through the contract. The contract stated Decker’s agreement to transfer the remaining forty percent of his shares in Rockwell Corporation to her. Roland must have talked to the shareholders of Rockwell Corporation about this as well. They all regarded Isabel with polite smiles. Isabel had flipped through the final page of the document. She signed her name on one of the marked-out sections. She proceeded to sign all thr
They ended the call shortly after that. Isabel glanced at Martha and was hesitating if she should break the news right away. Martha seemed to have sensed her staring and suddenly turned to her with a flash of concern. "Isabel, what's wrong?" Isabel took a deep breath and broke the news. "Auntie, Master Rockwell just passed away." Martha's eyes widened. After a lengthy silence that lasted more than ten seconds, she started to break out in tears. She covered her face with her hands and expressed amid bouts of tears mixed with laughter, “Wonderful! About time! I hope he enjoys life in the underworld. God knows that someone like him will never deserve a spot in heaven!” Isabel did not know whether she should celebrate with Martha or console her. Soon, Martha began to collect herself. She briefly wiped away her tears and joyfully took Isabel's hand. "Isabel, let’s go shopping! I’m in such a good mood today, I’m going to go on a shopping spree!” "Okay. But Roland w
Isabel held onto Roland's hand firmly during the entire drive home after leaving the hospital. It was because Roland’s hands were cold and rigid. Isabel sat with him and tirelessly rubbed his hand to keep them warm. After one hand was warm, she would shift her attention to the other. By the time she managed to warm the other hand, the original hand would turn cold again. She decided it was easier to take both of his hands and caress them with the warmth of her palms. Roland looked at her with a gentle glow deep within his eyes. “Thank you, Isabel,” he said softly. Thank you for loving him, and for sticking by his side all this time despite circumstances. Isabel smiled. “I’m just warming your hands, it's no big deal. Still, you’re welcome." Roland smiled faintly and left it at that. Soon, his hands began to warm up off of the heat of Isabel’s palms. When Isabel felt that his hands were no longer freezing, she prepared to pull her hand away. That was when
Decker looked nothing like his usual self. The pompous, arrogant man who held himself far above others and who expected everyone around him to kiss up to him because he was superior to them all. It was as if he had been plunged not only to Earth but a pile of swamp. He had completely lost his usual grace. Isabel said crossly, "Decker, have you gone mental? Is everything going on too much for you?” “Yeah, could you help me?” he said with a coy smile, “Just one hug should be enough to take care of it all.” Isabel rolled her eyes. Without warning, he suddenly braced himself and lunged right at Isabel, stepping past Brandon who was caught off guard by this sudden attack. Isabel barely had time to react. Just when it seemed like his hand was about to graze Isabel, a long pair of arms seized Isabel from behind and jerked her backward. It was swiftly followed by a long, muscular leg shooting outward right next to Isabel. Thump! Decker was kicked to the ground.
"How did you and Roland meet?" Decker suddenly asked. Isabel turned away, fully intent on ignoring him. "Did you meet each other at Carter Corporation? Or did you meet him outside of work and gradually fell in love with him, then you decided to set him up with a position at Carter Corporation?” What did he mean by that? Was he insinuating that Roland was relying on her to snake his way into Carter Corporation? She threw a sideways, belittling look at him. "Do you think Roland is anything like you? He wouldn’t latch on another woman to further his goals.” Decker was not upset by this as he continued with a smug smile. "Oh? Then how did he get into Carter Corporation?" “He proved his worth.” Isabel realized that she had been roped in by Decker again. Nevertheless, she continued, “He passed the interviews himself. I was one of the interviewers and initially planned to dismiss him, but he managed to leave a very good impression on my father and the rest was history.” "
"I never meant to kill him! Roland, you have to believe me. Why would I still try to deceive you when I’m in this state?” “In that case, you can go ahead and explain things to him in the afterlife.” Master Rockwell was taken aback by this, his demeanor tightened. "You...you..." Roland looked at him calmly. "Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. It was Grandma and my parents who raised me. They instilled morals and virtue into me and made sure I’d grow into a decent man.” Master Rockwell was briefly relieved to hear this, but before he could rid himself of his trepidation, Roland continued in a dark voice, "But I won’t forget about you and Decker bribing all those media outlets to defame Isabel. I know you manipulated the stock prices to try to kick me out of the corporation. I’ll make sure to settle our score through the legal system.” If convicted guilty, they would have to rot in prison. “Roland… listen to me, Roland. Decker is your uncle. If you want revenge, you can come
Master Rockwell must have heard their shifting movements and opened his eyes. When he recognized the faces of Roland and Isabel, there was a brief glow in his murky eyes. He motioned to the nurse to have her help him sit up from the bed. After he managed to position himself seated up against the head of the bed, he asked the nurse to leave. Then he cast a loving, tender smile on Roland and Isabel. “Roland, Isabel, please have a seat.” Roland said disinterestedly, "We have things to get to, just hurry up and tell us what you have to say." Isabel stayed silent. A look flashed in Master Rockwell's eyes. Then, he turned to Isabel and expressed regretfully, "Isabel, I’m a foolish old man, it was me who told Decker to leak pictures of you two. He had no choice because I forced him to do so. If you have to blame someone, blame me!” Isabel frowned. She was somewhat impressed by how smoothly the old man switched his mask from one to another. From a forlorn and sad state t