Zara blinked in surprise.Stanley gently took the woman's hands and steered her to face him. "Easy there, can't you see I'm with someone? You're drawing a crowd."The woman's lips turned down in a pout. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"Their closeness made Zara wonder if she was his girlfriend.As the thought crossed Zara's mind, Stanley introduced her, "Let's catch up later, okay? Don't forget your manners. Say hi to Ms. Lowry. Ms. Lowry, meet Melanie, my little sister."Oh, so she was his sister.Zara's gaze met the woman's, and they both paused, a flicker of recognition passing between them. Melanie pointed at Zara. "Oh, it's you!"Zara was silent. She knew her.Once upon a time, there was this woman who totally had the hots for Yosef. She went all out trying to win him over—flowers, coffee, you name it. She even staked out his office. At that time, Yosef had just started seeing someone else and was not looking to juggle two relationships, so he let her down easy.
Stanley drove a bit farther and pulled up to Azure Cloud. Zara stepped out with the fries, bent down, and waved him off with a smile.Meanwhile, Ophite, who was there to see Yosef, caught the tail end of their exchange. He quirked an eyebrow and strolled into the building before anyone else.Visiting Yosef was routine for him. He did not bother giving notice and headed straight up.He gave the door a light rap.Yosef spoke from inside, "Enter."Ophite swung the door open and walked in.Yosef glanced up. "Have a seat." He was busy going over some paperwork.Without waiting for an invitation, Ophite made himself at home and brewed a cup of coffee with Yosef's machine. He took a leisurely sip before dropping a casual bombshell. "Looks like Ms. Lowry's got quite the fan club. James is out, and now Stanley's in the picture. I just saw him drop her off. When did those two start mingling?"Yosef's gaze sharpened, a slight crease forming between his brows.With a sly undertone, Ophi
For them, chatting about women was just a way to kill time during breaks. It was a light topic to shake off the boredom. Their minds were always on the job, though.Ophite set his coffee down and dove into the real reason he had come by today. Once they got into it, the conversation took up the whole afternoon.As working hours came to an end and they were ready to grab some dinner, they stepped out of the office. Right at that moment, they witnessed the young secretary hurl half a cup of water right at Zara!It happened in a flash. Zara did not even have a chance to duck. The water splashed across her face and trickled down her delicate, petite chin. Her clothes were immediately stained.The young secretary dropped the cup, clapped a hand over her mouth, and bolted. Tears could be seen streaming down her face.Zara kept her cool, ignoring the stares from around the office. She dabbed at her face with a few tissues.Yosef already had his eye on a new secretary, which meant this y
Yosef came to an abrupt halt, his face an icy mask. He ripped off his suit jacket and tossed it at her. "Go buy something to change into."The jacket hit the ground and was ignored by Zara.Yosef's scowl deepened. "Are you seriously giving me attitude?"Ophite could not resist a facepalm. Oh boy...Zara's voice was even. "I've got spare clothes in the break room. If it wasn't for you, Mr. Webb, I wouldn't need to buy another shirt.""You don't even have the cash for a shirt?" Yosef snapped, pulling out a card and flinging it her way. It joined the jacket on the floor.They were at an impasse, with neither willing to back down.Finally, Ophite had enough. He scooped up the coat lying on the ground, brushed off the dust, and gently placed it over Zara's shoulders. "Hey, there's a mall right across the street. They must have a women's clothing store. "Ms. Lowry, go pick out something to change into. It's chilly out, and we don't want you catching a cold."Feel free to use the ca
Zara did not need to chime in at the table, so she focused on her feast.While Melanie was bombarding Yosef with her endless questions, Zara polished off a bowl of classic chicken noodle soup, a serving of creamy mashed potatoes with gravy, two pieces of bourbon-glazed ribs, three crispy fried shrimp, a few slices of rich duck liver pâté, a perfectly grilled salmon fillet with a tangy lemon butter sauce, some fresh Caesar salad, and more...Ophite mused to himself that this woman sure could eat.Yosef watched her too, seeing for the first time her impressive appetite. Anyone else might think she had not eaten in days if they were to see the way she tucked in. She did not spare a glance at anyone else.Out of the blue, he asked, "All done eating?"Zara glanced up and caught his gaze squarely on her. He was definitely asking her something. She took a quick sip of her tea and asked, "What do you need, Mr. Webb?""Take Ms. Schmidt home," Yosef instructed.Zara did not have a car. Ho
Melanie was ecstatic. "For real? Awesome!" She was so thrilled she started hopping around. "Well, Ms. Lowry, I guess I won't be hitching a ride with you. Catch you at the office tomorrow!"Zara gave a small nod.Yosef did not hang around and just left.Zara stood facing the street, waiting for her rideshare. Her thoughts were calm and detached. Since when did she and Melanie become such close friends? When did Melanie and Yosef start dating?It turned out that snagging the title of Yosef's girlfriend was not that hard, after all.Beatrice managed it, and Melanie managed it.Yet there she was, the one who had been by his side for three years without any recognition.Hmph.Little did Zara know, Yosef's tastes were quite... expansive.The next day at the office, not only did she bump into Melanie in the secretary's office, but she also spotted that new young secretary.The young secretary strutted up to Zara, oozing confidence. "Mr. Webb sent me back," she boasted. "He says I'm
Zara's gaze shot up to meet Charmaine's, who wore a fake smile as she said, "Ms. Lowry, could you deal with this? It's urgent."Zara skimmed the document. It was Mr. Chapman's contract. She snapped it shut and said, "You're the one handling this. I was only involved in the final meeting."Charmaine folded her arms defiantly. "But Mr. Webb said you're the chief secretary. You're supposed to oversee all the paperwork.""Then let Mr. Webb tell me himself that this file is my job too. I'll make sure it's done." Zara tossed the file back onto Charmaine's desk and accidentally knocked her own water bottle off the edge.Charmaine's face turned red with anger, "You!"Zara was all about an eye for an eye.Melanie blinked, then stepped up to scoop up Zara's fallen thermos. She set it back on her desk corner. She then nudged Charmaine, getting her to walk out of the room with her."Hey, I'm new here and don't really know my way around. Could you show me where the bathroom is?"She had jus
When strolling past the ice cream parlor, Melanie appeared charming as batted her eyelashes at Yosef for a cone. Charmaine chimed in, claiming a sudden thirst that only ice cream could quench. Yosef gave a nonchalant nod and told them to pick whatever they wanted.He spotted a crunchy cone that he thought Zara might like and grabbed one. However, right as he turned to offer it to her, he caught her sipping water from her trusty thermos.Silence hung in the air.It was not that Zara had anything against ice cream. It was just that after a particularly brutal period, she suspected a miscarriage might have done a number on her. She vowed to treat her body right—no cold stuff, no ice cream. She only drank warm tea to nurse herself back to health.With a blank face, Yosef tossed the cone back into the freezer.Melanie yelped as the drippy cone smeared her fingers. She wiped it off with a napkin, but the sticky residue lingered, making her grimace. "Hey, is there a bathroom around h
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