Keegan remained silent before asking, "Do you think I did it on purpose?"Stella sighed and said, "I was thinking of returning the talisman to Marshall if you minded. But now it seems like you don't really—""Okay, I did it on purpose!" Keegan immediately interjected, his face darkening. "How dare he give you a talisman in front of me?! He and Spencer are the same. They're both no good!"Marshall gave Stella gifts in front of Keegan while Spencer poured his heart out in his presence. They had no shame.Stella chuckled. "Actually, I had no intention of accepting it at first. But you were so careless, dropping the talisman into the water. It would be embarrassing for you if I rejected him."Keegan was taken aback. "Why didn't you say it earlier?""You didn't give me a chance to say anything. You just recklessly dropped the talisman into the water. It wouldn't have been appropriate for me to refuse at that moment."'Does that mean I created an opportunity for her to accept the gift
Stella chuckled, "This necklace is so heavy; I doubt flushing it down the toilet would work."Keegan gritted his teeth and said, "How could you say that? You deliberately put it on the bedside to make me uncomfortable, right?"Stella nodded unapologetically and replied with a smile, "I just wanted to see how long you could pretend."Keegan was at a loss for words.Feigning anger, he said, "You have no sense of boundaries! How many times have you received gifts from him?""Not many. Just a necklace and a talisman."Keegan's fake irritation turned into genuine annoyance. "What about the phone he gave you?"Stella chuckled nervously upon hearing that. "It's been too long; I forgot." Then she justified herself. "Besides, it's not like I accepted it for free. I gave him a tie in return. It cost me 6999 dollars. When I think about it, it feels like a loss. That phone wasn't worth that much either."Keegan had a deadpan face at that point. "It cost you 7098; you missed ninety-nine dol
Keegan glanced at Stella. "I'll print and give you other photos of me. What's so nice about this one? I look so innocent and ignorant.""No way. I think you look very handsome." Stella smiled and flattered him, "Much more handsome than now. You were at your peak when you were twenty years old, don't you think so?"Keegan's mood brightened upon hearing that as a smile appeared on his face. "I still prefer how I look now," he said flatly.Looking too handsome and attractive was not necessarily a good thing in the corporate world. Imagine someone with a charming and youthful aura; even with innovative and cutting-edge ideas, the appearance may make them sound less convincing.Over the years, Keegan had maintained the habit of exercising not because he particularly enjoyed it but because having a robust physique helped him look older and more mature.Although he still had a beautiful face, his bulky build and the aura accumulated from years of business experience left no one daring to
Irene was always the spotlight in every Moore family banquet.Whether it was the uncles who came from afar or the younger son's family taking care of Frederick, none of them could ever gain Frederick's favor.It was not about his bias toward daughters but rather because Irene resembled his past lover, whom he had abandoned back then.In every aristocratic family, one could date any woman but only marry someone from an equal background.Janet Yarrow, Frederick's current wife, was a woman from an equal background. Rumor had it that his past love had jumped into the river on his wedding day. Some also claimed she married a carpenter and moved to Lakerock. Regardless, no one had ever seen her again.The Moore family's playboy became Janet's devoted husband after tying the knot with her.However, Janet had poor health and suffered three miscarriages from four pregnancies. Their only son was intellectually disabled, and the Moore family was reluctant to acknowledge him as a part of the
'How interesting,' Marshall thought as he smiled to himself.As Irene lifted her gaze, she coincidentally caught sight of that smile. She asked, "Marshall, I heard that you've been getting close with Mark's daughter. Are you guys dating?"Frederick furrowed his brows upon hearing that name. "That uncultured nouveau roturier?"The frown made his face, which was already full of wrinkles, appear even more stern.Marshall responded in a flat tone, "Mr. Wilson may have limited education, but he has great vision and judgment. Otherwise, how could he become a leading figure in the energy industry?"Frederick scoffed. "Even a fool can be rich by catching the right trend."Marshall chuckled. "Irene should be one of the pioneers in the energy industry. Did she not catch the trend because she's not interested?"The Moore family had extensive connections built over the decades. They would undoubtedly be among the first to know whenever there was a new business opportunity.When the energy
Marshall remained silent as he stood next to Irene, gazing downstairs. His lowered gaze concealed his expression; Irene could not tell what he was thinking about.After a while, he asked, "Do you have another one?"She tossed him a box of cigarettes and a lighter. Marshall swiftly took one out, flicked it a couple of times on his fingertips, and then lit it.Perhaps it had been too long since he last smoked. When he took the first drag, he could not help but cough a few times.Irene glanced at him and said flatly, "You used to listen to everything he says. You've changed a lot since you came back to Hustuabourg.""Really?" After a brief pause, Marshall took another drag and said, "I don't remember what I used to be like, but I'm pretty happy with who I am now."Irene paused. Then, she silently scrutinized Marshall's expression.The smoke surrounding him veiled his face, shrouding his emotions in mystery.She chuckled and said in a flat tone, "It's better that you don't remember
Wallace said, "I was just about to go up."Ariel looked at him, feeling somewhat frustrated, "Forget about it; I'll go. You should spend some time with them in the dining hall. Don't drink so much.""Okay," Wallace said.Then, Ariel went upstairs with a first aid kit.Irene watched their interaction and suddenly said, "Ariel is still as virtuous as ever."Wallace paused. When he looked up again, Irene was already going back to the dining hall.The polite and lively conversations continued, but he felt a chill spreading all over.He took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and followed behind Irene.Keegan and Stella went to Jorgeville in the middle of the night. Then, she led him to Arthur's house in the dark. Before they could even put down their luggage, a dog came out of nowhere and barked at Keegan, pouncing toward him.At that moment, he erupted with a sudden burst of strength. He quickly lifted Stella off the ground and ran into the courtyard before he could even see the d
Beatrix had lived in Jorgeville for decades, and the people she met were mostly down-to-earth locals, accustomed to boisterous greetings. She had not encountered many elites in suits and polished appearances.Although Marshall came last time and was considered one of them, he looked more approachable. On the other hand, Keegan exuded a refined and sophisticated air that added to his natural elegance. Beatrix felt somewhat out of her element upon feeling his imposing presence.Subconsciously, she wiped her hands on her clothes before shaking Keegan's hand. "Kee—Keegan Kee?"Keegan repeated himself and spelled his name out patiently. "My name is Keegan Kane. K-E-E-G-A-N K-A-N-E."After Keegan introduced himself again, Beatrix was still confused. "I'll just call you Kee."Keegan was speechless.Stella burst into laughter. Keegan said his name two times, but Beatrix still could not remember it.Keegan's smile stiffened a little. "You can call me Keegan."Beatrix nodded as she thoug