"Emily, you don't know yet, but I have opened a studio and am currently preparing to collaborate with the Winston Group." Haley's pretty face beamed with a confident smile.She lifted her finger and playfully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "My collaboration with the Winston Group has nothing to do with the DeRoss Group. What gives you the right to stop me?"Emily's eyes widened in disbelief. "It's impossible! The Winston Group would never collaborate with you! Tell me, what have you done? I warn you, don't get close to the Winston family, don't get close to Ivan!"Haley narrowed her eyes. She wondered what Emily was so afraid of, that she provoked so easily. Could it be related to the Winston Group? Was Emily afraid of losing Ivan to her? Haley was already too tired to continue this argument, so she turned and walked away. In her disdainful laughter, Emily's heart shattered into pieces. Her mind went blank, acting on pure instinct.Swearing her ownership, "Haley, I am Owen's
The employees at the reception, always considered themselves superior and never bothered to read those gossip news online. Because of this, the receptionist did not recognize Haley. She simply thought Haley was good-looking. In fact, the most attractive person she had ever seen in her life."Ahem, ahem." Haley lightly cleared her throat.The receptionist suddenly snapped back to reality and asked, "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you heading to the CEO's office?"Haley nodded."Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist continued."No," Haley shook her head lightly. "I had a verbal agreement with Mr. Winston."Upon hearing this, a trace of disdain appeared in the receptionist's surprised eyes. Countless people came to the company every day looking for Mr. Winston, among them were glamorous, enchanting, and sexy ladies.Although this woman in front of her was better-looking than the ones before, it still couldn't change her nature. Did she think she could get close to the CEO of the Winston Grou
Haley, lifted her gaze towards the man who suddenly appeared in front of her, and calmly said, "So it's Louis, I was wondering who was blocking the doorway." The corner of Louis's mouth twitched."If you have nothing else, I'll be on my way," Haley took a step forward.Instinctively, Louis grabbed her arm before he could speak. But before he could say anything, Louis felt the world spinning. In the next second, he was thrown heavily onto the ground. The grass-covered ground at Pink Seaside Club wasn't too painful to fall on. But this time, the ground was tiled with marble, and he felt like his bones were about to fall apart.Mark gasped in shock. Clearly, Ms. DeRoss was not someone to mess with. He hurriedly went over and helped Louis up."Haley, have you gone mad?" Louis's face turned, bright red, with anger. "Do you know what will happen if you offend me?"Haley dusted off her hands and said in a calm voice, "I don't like being touched. Remember that." A mischievous smirk played on
Ivan nodded, "She does have the capability. You'll see when you meet her."This automotive intelligent system research and development project was a collaboration among the three of them and considered an internal cooperation between their companies.They had been unable to find a suitable chip designer, causing delays in the project.Two days ago, Ivan suddenly called them, leaving both of them surprised. This project was a pioneer in the country, and someone without abilities and talent couldn't handle such immense pressure. Both of them were very curious about the person Ivan praised for being competent.Time passed slowly during their conversations. Soon, the three of them had been waiting for nearly half an hour. Even Mark, who had a slightly better temper, became impatient. Frowning, he said, “This genius is incredibly unpunctual.”Ivan's brow furrowed slightly. Could it be that woman is still in the hospital? He called his secretary into the office, "Call Ms. DeRoss."The secr
Luke narrowed his eyes, "Do you know how long Mr. Winston, Mr. Granger, Mr. Miller, and others have been waiting for Ms. DeRoss?"The receptionist turned pale, "Luke, she said she didn't have an appointment. I followed the company's procedures; I didn't do anything wrong... She, she didn't even reveal her identity, how was I supposed to know she's the CEO's client?”"Enough, think about how you're going to explain this to Mr. Winston." Luke glanced at her coldly and turned around, returning to the CEO's office. The poor receptionist, was left in shock, her legs went weak, almost causing her to collapse to the ground.Haley drove to her studio. Justin had helped her find this workspace, and the location was great. The office was over 100 square meters, small yet exquisite, exuding warmth in every corner. Before she could even start working, her phone vibrated. The caller ID showed Luke's name.She calmly answered the call, "Luke, what's up?""Ms. DeRoss, Mr. Winston is waiting for you
Louis knew, from Mark’s comment, that should there be any conflict, he definitely won't lend a hand. Louis seemed to have thought of something and shrunk his neck. "I have many women; one less won't matter. Ivan has only experienced it once in his life and truly needs a woman. I'll withdraw. Is that acceptable?"Upon hearing his name, Ivan turned back coldly. "What are you guys talking about?"“Nothing.” Mark covered Louis’s mouth and followed Ivan onto the car.Haley was busy in the office, dealing with various miscellaneous tasks. After finishing her work, she went online to post a job vacancy. Before she could send out the information, there was a knock on the office door. She thought it was the property management coming to update their records. When she opened the door, she locked eyes with three pairs of eyes.She curved her lips and smiled. "I didn't expect Mr. Winston to actually grace me with his presence. Come in and have a cup of coffee."She welcomed the three of them ins
"Mrs. Winston, Louis, Mr. Miller, do you have any further questions?" Haley sat down, her expression open, as she and coldly scanned the three people in front of her.Louis stroked his chin, "“Although I don'’t understand many of the terms you mentioned, it appears quite professional, precisely because I don't understand. So, I have no objections from my side.""Ms. DeRoss, you truly live up to the title of a chip designer." Mark sincerely gave her a thumbs-up. "With you joining our A-F project, I believe this car will definitely be launched on schedule."Ivan nodded nonchalantly, "“Let'’s sign the contract."”Mark took out the contract he carried with him, with a few spots still empty - profit distribution and signature spaces.Louis spoke first, "The profits of the project will be evenly distributed among the three family companies we represent. Now that Ms. DeRoss has joined, let's allocate the remaining ten percent to her."For such a large-scale project, a ten percent profit sha
"Watch what you say from now on," Mark scolded him."Can I be blamed for this?" Louis felt wronged. "The internet said she gave birth to two stillborn babies four years ago, so I thought her children were long gone. But now she's going to pick them up from preschool. Can you explain what's going on?"Ivan calmly said, "Her two children are alive and well, they didn't die. Don't mention these things again in the future."Louis was dumbfounded. Then, he quickly swallowed his saliva and said, "So that means she has two children, and you also have two. If you two get together, that's four children! The roof might just get blown off!"Ivan shot a cold glance at him, "Who said we would get together?""Okay, okay, you're just pretending to be tough!" Louis snorted, "Haley is so beautiful, I bet there are many men who want to be stepfathers to her children. If you're too slow, don't come to us complaining in the future."In Ivan's mind, the scene from the hospital yesterday appeared. There we
After a thorough read, she folded the document and spoke up, her voice indifferent, "Kid, who drafted this contract?""Our young master did," replied Russell, “Ms. DeRoss, if everything looks fine to you, the contract will take effect once you sign it."Haley chuckled. She was striking, exuding a bewitching charm.And yet, within the depths of her clear eyes, there was a peculiar blend of innocence and mystery.Keith felt his defenses soften and his detachment give way when he saw her smile. It was as if a hole had been poked through his armor of indifference.Realizing too late that he had been staring at Haley for a while, frustration surged within him.This woman must have used that same smile to ensnare Dad and confuse Owen..."I see a problem," she said, her smile vanishing.She leaned forward, a sense of authority emanating from her.Looking Keith straight in the eye, her lips twisted into a disdainful curve, "You should be in school at your age, not out here trying to show off.
Transmedia Tech, an internet media company.Two years ago, there were rumors of its bankruptcy, and after being acquired, it suddenly came back to life and became a leading player in the internet industry.However, there is not much information about this company on the internet.Haley glanced at Transmedia Tech's profile and said lightly, "What time did they make an appointment?""Half past two, at Pennie Coffee."After finishing her work in the morning, Haley drove straight to Pennie Coffee.She arrived ten minutes early, ordered a cup of coffee, and began to read the information on the internet.She searched for the company again, but she still couldn't find much info, and even the investor info behind it had been removed.It can be seen that this company has a lot of connections.She just didn’t know why this company would take a fancy to her newly opened studio.Haley waited for about five minutes before she heard footsteps outside the private room.She straightened her collar an
Keith thought that Haley had also planned to gain the trust of the entire Winston family through Owen. This woman's quite a schemer. Keith knew he had to be cautious......Haley picked up the kids and went home. When she was cooking dinner, she received a video call from Owen."Haley, why didn't you come to see me?" Owen's voice was still weak, "I'm so bored here in the hospital all alone. Could you come keep me company? I want to hear stories..."Haley shook the ladle in her hand, "It's too late today; I'll come see you tomorrow and bring you some cookies I've baked.""You're the best, Haley!" Owen's enthusiasm was palpable.Haley’s lips curled into a smile, "Get some rest now, and don't stay up too late, okay?""How about a goodnight kiss, then?" Owen puckered his lips towards the phone screen, a bandage still wrapped around his head, looking both pitiful and comically adorable.Laughing, Haley pressed a kiss to her phone screen and then ended the call.Carrying the freshly stewed
"The timing is too perfect, isn't it?" Keith said slowly, "Owen got in a car accident, and Haley just happened to be there and then saved him by donating her blood to him. What a coincidence!"His voice was deep and raspy, unlike a four-year-old boy.Ivan's eyes narrowed, "You think Haley staged the accident?""She had a motive," Keith pressed his lips together firmly and continued, "Surely you're aware of the bad blood between Mom and Haley...""It wasn't her," Ivan stated flatly.He had already been briefed on the accident. It was indeed premeditated. Someone had the audacity to target his son. But that someone couldn't possibly be Haley."Dad, are you so certain it isn't this woman when the investigation is still ongoing?" Keith's voice chilled, "What if it turns out to actually be Haley?""She wouldn't hurt Owen," Ivan looked at him with conviction. "She saved your brother; you shouldn't suspect her."Darkness crept into Keith's eyes.His moth
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Don't worry, Mom, I'll have someone look into it. I won't let anyone hurt Owen."After she voluntarily donated blood to save Owen, it's unlikely she'd attempt anything against him again anytime soon..." Emily's voice was husky and choked with emotion. "Now that she's gained your dad's trust, I’m sure she'll make her move... Keith, I’m really scared she’ll hurt you or Owen. I’d rather she came after me...""It won't happen."Keith ended the phone call.He turned to his assistant, Russell, and said coolly, “Check out that car accident near the DeRoss Group building. See what that was all about.”Russell nodded, “Will do, Mr. Winston.”He pulled out his phone and started making calls...Keith instructed his driver, "To the hospital."As the car glided smoothly down the road, they hadn't even reached the hospital when Russell received a call from the traffic police.The majority of the time, Maple Street is congested, w
Keith had been involved in the family business since the age of three.The company under his operation, Transmedia Tech, was a subsidiary that the Winston Group had planned to divest from two years ago.He took over the day before its planned bankruptcy.Now, after a year of shrewd management, Transmedia had become one of the top three most profitable subsidiaries of Winston Group.Keith, having just finished a meeting, felt a nagging unrest.He was usually a calm person, but his current anxiety exposed a vulnerability reflective of a four-year-old child."Young Master, you've pretty much wrapped up all your work for today. Perhaps you should head back and rest?" suggested his young assistant, Russell, with due respect.Keith shook his head.He sensed discomfort.Had something happened to Owen?He was about to reach for his phone to call Alfred when his phone began to vibrate.He glanced at it. The incoming call was from his mother.Ti
It seemed he didn't really mind the idea of marrying this woman...Haley, with her acute senses, caught Ivan's stare and quickly changed the subject.Her eyes shifted to Owen and she spoke with authoritative firmness, “It might not hurt now, but once the anesthesia wears off, you’re going to be in tears from the pain. You’ll understand then just how terrifying a car accident can be! Owen, if you ever want to see me again, just give me a call. I'll come pick you up myself. If you dare sneak out like you did today, I won't come to see you ever again!”Her face stern, she emphasized each word, her tone leaving no room for protest.Tears pooled in Owen's eyes as he looked at Haley with a plaintive expression, “I won’t ever do it again, Haley... I just missed you too much, I couldn't help myself. I just wanted you to hug and kiss me...”His big eyes were brimming with sorrow, making him look like a forlorn puppy.Haley's heart softened, and she bent down to plant
Chapter 181Ivan took a seat on the other side of the bed.He stated calmly, "Alfred, get some sports drinks, please."Alfred promptly went to carry out the request.In the hospital room, aside from the slumbering Owen, only the two of them remained, surrounded by the sterile scent of disinfectant.With a muted voice, Ivan said, "Thank you for this. Whatever you need, just tell me.""I have a soft spot for Owen. I was more than willing to save him, and…" Haley's voice faltered, a slight bitterness on her tongue, "he must have snuck out to find me. That's how he got into an accident..."Her voice trailed off, her gaze lowered, shielding all emotions.Ivan paused before saying, "He's really fond of you."A gentle smile curled on Haley's lips.Looking at Owen resting in the hospital bed, she couldn't help but reach out and gently touch his face. She felt an immediate warmth towards him when she first saw him at the airport. Owen kept coming back
His opened his mouth, about to speak, but his phone began to vibrate in his palm, displaying Alfred's name.The sight of Alfred's name sent a sharp pain through Ivan's heart.Whenever Alfred reached out, it was always a matter of urgency.With Owen in surgery and Alfred calling, could it mean…The typically composed man's fingers trembled, requiring two attempts to tap the answer button."Sir, Owen's going to be alright!" Alfred exclaimed, choked with joy, "The surgery's nearly finished and doctors say he should wake up by tonight if all goes well!"Ivan felt a great relief.He walked briskly towards the hospital, concurrently asking, "How was the blood resolved?"He'd made calls, but a resolution couldn't have come this fast."Sir, you might not know yet, but Miss DeRoss, Owen's aunt Haley — she's got the negative blood type!" Alfred rushed out his words, "When Owen had his accident, Haley was there, she brought him to the hospital, and she volun