Return to his side.Zara got to determine the conditions.She asked, "Like what?"The keys moved under Yosef's fingers, the music flowing. Yosef said slowly. "The chief secretary position is still yours."Zara pressed, "What else?"He added, "A higher salary and a bonus."Zara persisted. "Anything else?"Yosef looked at her, his eyes narrowing. He remembered her as someone who was not so demanding.Since she was willing to talk, it meant she might come back. He stopped playing the piano. "You don't have a car, right? It must be hard to get around."Zara laughed softly. In the three years she was with him, she did not even get jewelry or designer bags—let alone a house or a car. Now, he seemed ready to hand them over just like that.Still, she asked, "Is there more?""I'll take care of your mom's surgery," Yosef said, lifting his chin a little. "That should be enough, shouldn't it?"He was playing his best card, knowing it was what she cared about most. He knew exactly how t
After hanging up the phone, Sarah straightened up her things. Right on time, she knocked on the door next door.The door was not shut all the way and swung open with a gentle push.Stepping inside, she found Yosef lounging on the couch with an open bottle of whiskey on the table.She quirked an eyebrow. "Mr. Webb, did you ask me here just to share a drink with you? I went to all the trouble of putting on makeup, spritzing on perfume, and slipping into my cutest dress, thinking we were going to have a romantic date."Yosef looked up, his eyes lazily drifting over her messy hair and bare face. He did not even bother to glance at her snug down jacket.He silently took another sip of whiskey.Describing his relationship with Sarah was not something he could do in just a few sentences.She settled onto the other couch, crossed her legs, rested her elbow on her knee, and propped up her chin. She watched him with a curious gaze."Feeling down? What's up? Did Ms. Lowry upset you? I saw
Zara bit her lip, wondering aloud, "Should I just go on my own or wait for her a while longer?"Chelsea just shrugged, as if to say it was Zara's call. She had to leave for work with Ophite and could not stick around, so off she went.Zara dialed Sarah's number one more time, thinking she would leave if there was no answer again. It was not her fault Sarah could not keep track of time.This time, Sarah answered. Her voice grew louder as she approached, "Ms. Lowry, I'm here. Sorry for being late."She came up to Zara, ended the call, and said with a sheepish grin, "I've been enduring it for too long and went a little overboard last night. I almost missed work because of it."Zara gave a nod. "Now that you're here, let's get moving. We've got a ton of work to do today."They had a car waiting to take them to where they needed to go.The workload was heavy, and with Sarah running nearly 30 minutes late, they were really pressed for time. The moment they hopped into the car, Zara do
Zara's voice was calm. "You seem to really like talking about your private life with me. Ever since we met on the plane, you've been sharing a lot. "People usually keep their private stuff to themselves, but you're always ready to tell the world. Do you just like the attention?"Sarah's smile was sly. "Does it get to you? Because of what's going on with Mr. Webb? Are you jealous? You were with him for three years, and you guys were so close. You can't just ignore that"Zara did not fall for it and just said her piece, "If that's the case, maybe you should talk to a therapist. Not noticing how this affects others can be a real problem."If you're trying to make me feel like we're competing, or if you're just trying to brag or bug me, it's really not necessary."Sarah's smile slowly faded."I'm actually mad because your attitude isn't professional, and it's causing problems for me too. "I worked all night on a plan to make today's work go smoothly, not to deal with whispers behi
Zara froze for a moment.Yosef looked up, locking eyes with her while he was on a call. His voice was icy. "Think before you call me again."With that, he ended the call.He was clearly in a bad mood and snapped at her, "Come in or let go of the doors. You're wasting my time."Zara was pressing the down button to keep the elevator doors open.She really did not want to share the elevator with him, but waiting for the next one would make her late for her meeting.Thus, she stepped inside.The space in the elevator was small. She stood by the door, trying to stay as far from Yosef as possible. However, she could still catch a hint of his cool, snow-like scent.They rode in silence. His phone rang twice in those few seconds, and he ignored both calls.Zara did not care, but she caught a glimpse of a name on his phone's reflection on the elevator wall.Beatrice.Had he been talking to Beatrice earlier?Zara wondered if the photos of them kissing had caused a fight.Then, out o
Zara froze for a second and then looked up at him. "So what? They're not that hard to find. Every big hospital has them.""Different hospitals have different doctors, and they all have different results. What did your doctor say the chance of infection was? 50%?" Yosef asked without much emotion. "Well, my doctor says it's 10%."Zara gasped. Just 10%!Sharon's doctor, a top director in Starville, could only get the infection risk down to 50%.Yosef's doctor could boost her mom's survival rate from half to 90%.90%!"Ms. Lowry, I'm not trying to threaten you or stop you this time. I'm actually giving you another choice." Yosef let go of her. With a tap of his long fingers, the elevator doors swung open again."It's up to you."Zara stood alone in the elevator, her hands automatically balling into fists.Yosef acted like he was giving her a choice, but she really did not have one.Sometimes, she truly could not stand some of the things Yosef did.He was ignoring Beatrice, and
Sarah rushed back to the hotel and sprinted to the conference room. She flung the door open while yelling."Oh no! Ms. Lowry is missing!"Everyone was just finishing up their work for the day when they all turned to look at her.Stanley stood up quickly. He had just come back from the lab.He had hoped to see Zara when she got back from work, but instead, he was hit with this awful news!"What are you talking about?!"Sarah, pretending to be very worried, explained, "We went to a few places today to gather data. When we were done and about to head back to the hotel, Ms. Lowry said she needed to use the bathroom. "The driver and I waited for her for half an hour, but she never came back."I knew something wasn't right. I checked the bathroom, and it was empty! I tried calling her, but her phone was off! I looked all around and couldn't find her, so I came back to get help. We need to find her fast!"Stanley asked right away, "Where?""The base on Pine Crane Road."Stanley to
"Did I ever say I needed you to meddle in things for me?" Yosef did not stick around to argue. He rushed out of the stairwell.He pulled out his phone to call his driver.Sarah ran after him. "You don't get it. Women love a hero's rescue. Wait another hour until she's all alone and frightened before showing up. She'll melt and take you back for sure.""Come to the hotel entrance to pick me up," Yosef said and quickly hung up. He pushed past Sarah, who was in his way, and hit the down button on the elevator. "You need to learn some manners. Tomorrow, you're going back to your parents."Sarah's face went pale. "I'm trying to help you! How can you be so ungrateful?!"Yosef just stared at the elevator doors, his face cold and distant.Sarah, worried he might actually send her away, protested, "I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if it wasn't to help you!"When the elevator came, Yosef stepped in without a word and headed down."Drive to the eastern woods," he said....
Harper's kisses were always teasing, intentionally awakening her senses.Their tongues tangled, taking her breath away. When she felt like she could not breathe and instinctively grabbed at his shirt, Harper let go and kissed his way down to her chin, neck, and chest.She could not resist him.Shelby was torn. She did not have to hold back her body's needs and reactions, especially since they could not end their marriage just yet. He was her husband, after all, so why should she deny herself? She decided to make the most of it.Men could easily separate love from physical desire, and women could too. Shelby did not think that accepting Harper's touches meant she liked him. It was just about meeting a need.She would just get that over with.Shelby's fingers gripped the sheets tightly as Harper kissed her growing belly. She was six months along, and her belly was a little bigger. The thought of their child made his heart melt, and he kissed her several more times before suddenly s
Shelby made a sound of agreement, her back sore from sitting too long. She leaned back against Harper without much thought. She was busy with her work and not in the mood for conversation.Harper quickly got the gist of the case file. In short, it was a classic example of someone facing the consequences of their own actions.In the western part of Starville, there was a middle school and a vocational school. The two schools were just a street apart. Not all, but at least 80% of the vocational school students were troublemakers.One of those students, Yered, often rounded up his gang to shake down the middle school kids for their money.Since last year, the bullies had been targeting Steven Scott, a middle schooler. They would often demand money from him. Steven was shy and scared, so he never stood up to them and just handed over the cash.However, this time, as he was walking with a girl from his class, the bullies blocked their path again. They started to pick on the girl becaus
Samantha was really happy. She lifted her finger elegantly and said softly, "One step at a time. First, we'll make sure the child is gone. Then, we'll push them to divorce, and in the end, when she's weak from losing the baby, we'll take care of her." If Shelby died as Harper's wife, then Harper would get everything, and that would be bad. The two women agreed. While reclining on their bamboo chairs, they started dreaming about their perfect future—one with the Young family and the other with all the money. Since the foot masseuse could not hear or speak, they talked freely, not worried about anyone overhearing them. After the massage, they even went to eat together. The masseuse quietly cleaned up and tidied the room. Then, she headed straight for the lookout point. The resort was in the mountains, with lots of trees and streams. The lookout was up high, with a great view of all the little mountains. It was a beautiful spot that every guest at the hotel made sure to visit.
Adalee was doubtful. "Is it really that serious? Our husband doesn't like that dowdy wife or the eldest son. Even if he's started to favor Harper more because of his marriage to the Lambert family, that still won't affect our children.""Our husband used to leave the company matters to our sons, but now he's handing them over to Harper. Who knows what the future holds?" Samantha said with a hint of malice. "We can't take that risk. We can't let Harper get too much leverage. We can't let him and his child have too great a chance to win."Adalee could see Samantha was desperate and asked anxiously, "What are you thinking of doing? She's a lawyer. She knows the law, and she's the sole heir to the Lambert family."Samantha's eyes suddenly became slits. "That's right, she's the only one who will inherit the Lambert family's fortune. With that kind of money, there are loads of people who want to trick her or get their hands on it. "She's a lawyer, not a superhero. Just wait. I'll make
It was Shelby's first visit to the Youngs' place, and by chance, she walked in on his father's so-called second and third wives being snide to Harper. His dad had not lifted a finger to help. It seemed like this was not a one-off occurrence.Was that the way they always treated him?Harper, taken aback by her blunt question, nearly slammed on the brakes. What?"Me, being pushed around in the family? That's just because I can't be bothered..." Who would waste their time arguing with a bunch of women or stoop so low as to fight with their dad's other women? That would be so embarrassing, right?However, he stopped himself mid-sentence.Because he suddenly realized that by saying that, he was making it sound like he felt bad for being 'picked on' at home.Harper slowed the car down and glanced at Shelby. Her eyebrows were knitted together, and she looked really serious. She was definitely not happy.He almost smiled, but he pushed it back down. He swallowed hard and changed his voi
She faced Samantha, not bothering to argue about inheritance rights. "You still haven't answered my earlier question. What does 'stepmother' mean?"Caught off guard by the sudden shift back to the topic, Samantha was momentarily speechless.Shelby did not wait for her to catch up. She pulled out her phone and quickly tapped the screen."Ah, I see," Shelby remarked, glancing at her phone. "According to this, 'stepmother' used to refer to a concubine in ancient times. That's similar to a servant, isn't it? So, in modern terms, it's like a maid. "Got it now. Would you mind getting me some salad? Thanks."The nerve of her, treating Samantha like a common maid! She had never been so insulted. "You!"Shelby set her phone down and met her gaze. "Since you're so curious, I'll fill you in. In the Lambert family, my word is law. If you're ever curious about me again, just ask me directly. No need to rely on rumors."Samantha bit her lip and looked to Gilbert for support, but he just sat
It was Shelby.Pregnant and in flats, she stood firm with not a hint of weakness about her.Her steady gaze fell on the two women who fancied themselves important, leaving them at a loss for words.Harper paused for just a moment, then quickly got to his feet and hurried over. "Dear!"The Young family's house was bright and airy. Harper's eyes sparkled with the unexpected joy of seeing Shelby, who had said she would not come. His face lit up with a smile.Shelby watched him, amused. She thought he was like their excited Shiba Inu, dashing over at the sight of its owner.Harper reached her side, calling out again, "Dear."Shelby gave a small nod. "Yeah."The guests at the dining table snapped out of their surprise, and Wrenley beamed. "Shelby, you're here."Shelby greeted her parents-in-law, "Mom, Dad."Wrenley hurried over to help her, her actions showing just how much she cherished her daughter-in-law.That was Shelby's first visit to the Young family since her wedding. She
Harper waited until Wrenley had said enough, andthen he spoke up."I just don't get you. Your family's loaded, my grandparents are laidback, and Dad doesn't even like you. Why stick to him? Just divorce him, take half his stuff, go home, and hang out with some young models. "That'd be way better than sticking to a lost cause. You've got no ambition."If it were Shelby, she would have left by then if he had not trapped her by getting her pregnant and holding something over her head. Why couldn't his mom be more like his wife?"In your dreams!"Wrenley, with tears in her eyes, scoffed. "The Young family wasn't always so fancy. I married him, and he promised me the moon. 'A good wife helps me reach my dreams, and I'll pay her back in gold.' And then what? "Once the Young family made it big, he just kept bringing in more women and their kids. How can I accept that? I'll fight him to the end, even if it kills me!"Harper sighed. "You want to fight him, I don't. Shelby and her baby
"An old friend?" Zara questioned. "If an old friend wanted to see me, they should be visiting the cemetery, not here."Only a very few people knew she was still alive.Shawn asked, "Is it a man or a woman?""A young man. He also said something else...""What did he say?"The butler hesitated, then relayed, "He said... The miss tricked him, and now she owes him for it."Zara was speechless.The garden fell silent for a moment, with only the whisper of the summer wind rustling through the flowers.Seconds later, Shawn set aside his tablet and smiled slightly. "Really? That sounds fun. Get him to come in. I'd like to meet him too."Zara had thought it was just a joke, but when the butler led the visitor in, she stood up in astonishment.It was him!...In Parnova, the sun shone brightly.However, in Starville, the weather was turning.The sky had been clear when Harper left home in the morning. However, when he reached the Youngs' place at noon, he saw the sun hidden behind