Zara decided to ignore him.It was winter, so not sweating much meant she could wear the same clothes for a couple of days without a problem.She had a plan, however. She reached out to a salesperson at a brand store she had shopped at before, asking them to help pick out two outfits. She was willing to pay extra to have the clothes delivered right to Rofey Manor.It was late, though, and the salesperson had already left for the day. They promised to take care of it first thing in the morning.Zara sent a thank you message.…Yosef and Zara arrived at the manor at midnight. Yaxley himself came out to greet them, and his eyes lit up when he saw Zara. "Mr. Webb, you brought Ms. Lowry too? Great! We're all up playing cards. It's more fun with more people. Why don't you join us?"Yosef nodded and then asked Zara, "You in?"Zara gave a polite no. "Mr. Webb, I'm pretty sleepy.""Alright. Ms. Lowry, you go on and get some sleep. You'll want to be rested for tomorrow's fun," Yaxley
Yosef frowned deeply and switched on the lamp beside the bed.Zara's nose was a bit red from all the sneezing, and her eyes were watery.He watched her sneeze again.Yosef lost his cheerful mood, sat up, and asked in a serious tone, "Are you really cold?"Zara sniffed. "Maybe it's because you're cold, Mr. Webb."Yosef had just come in from the chilly winter morning.He moved away from her and saw her huddle under the covers. Frowning, he asked, "Isn't it uncomfortable to sleep in jeans?"Zara thought she had to put up with it. She could not wear the hotel's bathrobe. That would be too easy for him."I don't have any other clothes to change into," she said.Yosef started unbuttoning his shirt and looked at her coolly. "Your clothes are in the suitcase. Go get them yourself."Zara was surprised. "Mr. Webb, you packed clothes for me?"Yosef gave a small hum and a smirk. "Or would you rather wear my clothes?"Zara did not expect him to bring her clothes. She used to pack for hi
Yosef narrowed his eyes and picked up his phone to make a call to Charvi."Is Jolene's assistant still looking after Zara's mom?"Charvi confirmed, "Yes, we need to keep an eye on it until tomorrow."Yosef then instructed, "Tell the legal department to draft a contract."...Zara wondered where to have breakfast.The attendant guided her to the manor's dining hall.She chose a plate of pasta and was handing back the menu when someone took a seat across from her.It was Yosef, who was dressed casually."Get me the same," he said.Thus, Zara ordered another plate for him.She could tell he was not in the best of spirits, probably because of something that happened earlier. She thought for a moment before asking kindly, "Mr. Webb, why not sleep a bit more? You had a late night.""Couldn't sleep, thanks to someone," Yosef replied as he poured warm water into a clean cup."Why not head back to bed after breakfast or maybe take a nap later?"Yosef's gaze was intense as he looke
Zara took a deep breath and said with composure, "I was thinking maybe three or five years, not ten. That surprised me. Really, work is work, wherever it is. Ten years at Azure Cloud could be good."Yosef said, "Then sign. An electronic signature is legally binding. I'll watch you do it."He was relentless.Zara put her phone down. "I trust you, Mr. Webb, but ten years... If I live to 80, that's an eighth of my life. And I've already spent 25 years, so there's not much time left."Yosef scoffed. "It's just a contract, not your life.""It feels like half my life," Zara said with a sad smile. "I've been with you since I was 22, fresh out of college. Three years, and all I've got to show for it is my poor health."She did not wear any makeup because she did not have any. Her skin was so clear and smooth that she looked perfect even in the sunlight. Without lipstick and blush, however, she looked a little pale.Yosef watched her with eyes as dark as a deep lake, saying nothing.Zar
Zara had just been through a tough game of wits with Yosef, and she was worn out. Exhaling, she glanced out the window. "Are those targets on the lawn? For archery or for guns?"The attendant arrived with their breakfast and answered with a smile, "They're for archery, but we've got a shooting range too. It's just inside."Zara perked up. "Archery targets, cool!"Yosef was about to dig into his seafood risotto when he noticed her interest. "Wanna give archery a shot? I can show you how."Faced with the choice of sleeping in or shooting arrows, Zara did not hesitate to pick archery.…After they finished eating, they headed out to the lawn together.They thought they would have the place to themselves, but when they got there, they ran into Stefan, Sarah, and a woman they had not seen before. The vibe between the three was a little awkward.As they joined, everyone looked away for a moment.Stefan greeted them with an easy smile, "We didn't expect anyone else to be up and about
Stefan pretended not to notice.Tanya hugged her arms across her chest, her grin growing wider. "Some people just don't get it. She wasn't even invited, but here she is, tagging along like a bad rash you can't get rid of. "If she likes playing the servant so much, then let her. That's all she's good for."Zara, just watching from the side, winced at those harsh words.Tanya blinked innocently. "Oh, Ms. Weber, don't get me wrong. I wasn't talking about you. But could you open the umbrella? I'm starting to burn."Sarah had put makeup on, helping to hide her expression just a little. Her lips were pressed into a thin line.Zara had a strange feeling that Sarah was not just upset because of Tanya's words. It was more about Stefan hearing everything and not caring at all.She glanced at Yosef. Sarah had been with him once. Now that she was being mocked, what was he thinking?Yosef's brows creased, but it was because of Zara. "Is your chest guard on backward?"Zara blinked, looked
Yosef took a deep breath and grabbed another arrow.All three archers were pretty evenly matched, though Tanya's arrows kept missing. The worst shot did not even make it halfway to the target.The first round's winners were Zara and Yosef.Right then, Yosef's phone rang. He signaled to Stefan, who nodded. "Go ahead, Mr. Webb. I'll be here with Ms. Lowry."Yosef remembered Zara was initially supposed to start working at Schmidt Group...He squeezed Zara's fingers lightly and said calmly, "This next round, it's you and Mr. Schmidt. Show us what you've got, Ms. Lowry."Zara nodded. "Okay."Yosef stepped away to answer his call.Stefan picked up a compound bow and stood next to Zara. "Compound bows are tougher to pull than traditional ones. You look so graceful, Ms. Lowry, yet you're stronger than you look.""You get stronger the more you do it. Traditional bows don't have a rest for the arrow, making them trickier to aim. You and Mr. Webb are really good with them," Zara said hon
The venue was left with just the three of them. Tanya, unlike Sarah, did not have many deep thoughts. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and shook her fingers, complaining, "Archery isn't fun at all. My hands hurt so much!"Sarah said in a cool tone, "I warned you that you'd just slow Mr. Schmidt down, Ms. Lester. You need to know your limits. What's the point of trying to take over when you can't handle it? In the end, you're still the loser."She was not just talking about archery; she was also talking about men.Tanya was smart enough to catch the dig. "You!"She whipped around, only to see Sarah casually standing with one hand holding a sun umbrella and the other on her hip. The sunlight was bathing her, making her bare legs shine brightly.She looked so stunning that Tanya realized too late that her plan to make Sarah hold the umbrella to embarrass her had backfired. Standing next to her, Tanya was the one who looked foolish.Already furious with Sarah and now with her snide c
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