"Mr. Webb, Ms. Lambert is asking about that villa," she whispered. Shelby? A glint of ice flashed in Yosef's eyes. Why was she digging into that villa all of a sudden... Did Zara put her up to it?He could tell something was up with Zara's mood.Did she figure out the whole story or just bits and pieces?Yosef had just walked into the banquet venue. There was no turning back then. He caught Charvi's eye, and she got the hint. She nodded and backed off.He kept his cool and kept on walking in.That year's big Starwart Convention had the theme 'Flowers Galore'.The fancy lights in the room looked like carved flowers, and the big rugs on the floor had flower patterns all over them. Even the flowers in the corners were special ones flown in from far away. Everywhere, it was all about being fancy and rich.It was like stepping into a whole new world, all shiny and full of life. There were guys in sharp suits and shiny shoes and ladies in pretty dresses with their hair all done up.
"Ha! I'd love to introduce my daughter to you, but I doubt you'd be interested!"The others quickly joined in, saying, "Come on, Mr. Xenos. You can't just offer up your daughter like that! My sister has had her eye on Mr. Webb for ages! Mr. Webb, she just graduated from college, and she's here today. Let me bring her over!"Yosef gave a small, polite smile. "I'm flattered by your offers, but I'm already married."The room buzzed with surprise. No one had heard a thing! The president of Azure Cloud Group getting hitched was big news. How had it stayed so quiet?"Who's the lucky lady you married, Mr. Webb?""Everyone here probably knows her," Yosef said. He never planned to hide his marriage. At the Stewart family's grand party, he felt it was the perfect time to introduce Zara as his wife. "She used to be my..."Before he could finish and say 'secretary', a crisp and cool male voice cut in, stopping Yosef's announcement. "No official stamp, no marriage certificate—what kind of mar
"I heard you two arguing from way over there. You're like brothers. Why give people something to giggle about? Yosef, Shawn, you went to high school together. Has it been so long that you've forgotten?"Maxwell really hoped to patch things up between them.However, Yosef and Shawn were like their suits—one black, one white. They were total opposites.In the big hall that was lit up by a fancy chandelier, they stood a few steps apart and were staring each other down. Maxwell's words took them back ten years."Shawn, you lost the bet. I don't want to see you in Starville tomorrow. Stay away from me.""You think you could've won without me letting you? Yosef, remember, you won because I let you."Back then, they were just kids. They were wild and fiery. The fight they started a long time ago was later turned into a big mess. How could a few words fix it?Maxwell saw they were not talking and tried again, "If you don't remember the old stuff, let it go. You'll both be in Starville f
Zara walked out of the hospital but did not go straight to her car. Instead, she strolled down the road with no particular place to go.The rain that had been threatening all day finally began to pour down in big drops.She ducked into a convenience store with other people escaping the rain. Feeling hungry, she picked out a pre-made meal and handed it to the clerk to warm up. Then, she sat down by the window and ate slowly.Maybe the meal was not fresh or perhaps her mind was too full of worries, but after a few bites, she just could not eat anymore. Zara pushed the food away and gazed out at the rain.She had been online, looking up Xever and Xever Group. They said that everything left a mark. Even though it had been over 20 years, she found some traces of the past.The story went that a mine collapse, which took over a hundred lives, was the beginning of the end for Xever Group.The authorities were relentless, uncovering one illegal activity after another. Each one was worse t
Yosef let out a scornful laugh. "Shawn, what gives you the right to take my wife with you?"He did not stress the words 'my wife' too much, but they stood out sharply.Shawn tilted his umbrella back to show his face, his expression cool and composed. "Yosef, of all the things you've done behind Zara's back, which one actually you for the 'husband' title you so proudly claim?"Zara felt a jolt of nerves and quickly chimed in, "What things have you done?"Yosef pushed his car door open and stepped out. Charvi was right there with an umbrella for him. The rain tapped on it in a steady rhythm, like a drumbeat. He said in a heavy voice, "Zara, you're coming home with me first."Shawn's reply was tinged with sarcasm. "What's the matter? Scared she'll find out something?"Yosef's eyes were dark as ink, his gaze sharp as he shot back, "You think it's better if she knows? What can she even do with that knowledge?"Zara looked at them, puzzled. "Know what?""I'd rather know the truth tha
Zara stumbled unexpectedly, her umbrella colliding with Shawn's. Raindrops scattered from the umbrella's surface, landing in small puddles on the ground.However, soon, the steady footsteps broke through the puddles. Zara paused, lifting her head to see Shawn's bodyguards forming a semicircle in front of them.Yosef stopped in his tracks, his expression turning sour in an instant.The tension that had been building was about to explode. Shawn declared, "She won't be following you anymore."Yosef glared at the bodyguard in his way, his gaze sharp as a knife. "You think you can take her from me?"Shawn just smiled and said, "Let's see."Yosef had been itching for a fight.At his command to bring the lady back, his bodyguards appeared from the shadows and sprang into action. They faced off against Shawn's men in the pouring rain.Zara could not believe it. "What are you doing? Fighting? Right here on the street?"The rain had left the streets nearly empty, but it was not dark yet
Nord took a quick look in the rearview mirror. Shawn did not say to stop, so Nord kept his foot down and they sped along.Zara bit her lip and turned to Shawn with a fierce look. "Tell him to stop!"Suddenly, Shawn leaned in close—way too close. Everyone had a limit to how close was too close, and Shawn had crossed it. Without thinking, Zara reached into her bag, pulled out a small knife, and lashed out!However, Shawn was faster. He grabbed her hand and looked at the knife. It was a compact, foldable blade—short but deadly. Then, he looked back at Zara, his eyes steady.He was aware that the unexpected fight, the sudden kidnapping, the wild car chase, and the crash had shaken Zara up. She had reacted on instinct to protect herself. Yet, in a gentle voice, he asked, "You tried to use a knife on me?" Zara's lips were pressed together tightly. Even Nord glanced in the rearview mirror with concern. "Boss, are you okay?" Shawn's reply was calm. "I'm fine." He quickly took the knife
As memories raced through her mind, Zara let out a cold laugh. Suddenly, she blurted out, "Don't you see how ridiculous this is? You're the one who broke up with me and left for another country ten years ago. "And now, here you are, showing up out of the blue and wanting to whisk me away. What do you take me for?"Am I some pet you pick up when you're fond of it and give it away when you're not, only to claim it back whenever you feel like it?"Shawn gazed at her stiff profile and said in his usual calm voice, "I knew you still had some anger to get out. What else do you want to yell at me for? Go ahead, yell until you're done. "However, after that, no more treating me like I'm a threat."It was as if her defensive stance toward him deeply saddened him.Zara threw out one more line. "I don't like you anymore."Shawn showed no emotion. "You like Yosef?"Without hesitation, Zara answered, "Yes, I do.""What about him do you like? The way he's used you like a tool for the past
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