Stanley glanced down at her and said, "Hmm? I'm not sure. It was dark, and I couldn't really see. When the lights came back on, you were right next to me, so maybe it was."Zara looked around and noticed that nobody else had their eyes covered.She figured the game was supposed to be about finding a dance partner blindfolded. Only then could they take off their blindfold.That guy kept her blindfolded, so she could not see a thing.He did not want her to see him on purpose.Even in the dark, where it was hard to see, he did not want her to catch even a glimpse.That guy definitely was not Stanley.Stanley asked, "Ms. Lowry?"Zara stopped thinking about the mysterious man for a second and turned back to Stanley. "Thanks, Professor Schmidt."The waiters had cleaned up the cake that had crashed to the floor, and even the carpet was swapped out for a new one. It was all done in under 15 minutes. The Stewart family's efficiency was impressive.The music had started playing again,
They were just dancing, so Zara and Stanley were not holding onto each other tightly. Yosef took advantage of this, pushed Sarah toward Stanley, and then held Zara close.Zara found herself suddenly back with Yosef, looking at him in surprise. He seemed indifferent.She felt like just a thing to him, tossed aside when he did not care and grabbed back when he wanted.She did not feel respected at all.Zara asked sternly, "Mr. Webb, what are you doing?""Why? Are you upset because I came between you and Professor Schmidt?" Yosef's voice was icy. "Did you forget that you belong to me?"Belong to him?That was right. To him, she was just a thing, a tool without her own thoughts or feelings. She was supposed to orbit around him, ready to jump at his command. Her fate was entirely in his hands.Zara did not want to dance with him anymore.She did not even want to look at him.The feelings she had been holding in all day finally burst out.She tried to get away from him, but he was
Zara was scared of Yosef.She could not imagine what he might do with the contract.That was just how people were. The less they knew, the more uncertain and scared they became.Yosef did not try to stop Zara again. He simply released her hand and walked upstairs with long strides.He did not tell her to come along.His walking away, however, seemed to clearly say, 'I dare you not to follow.'Zara's mind raced for a solution, and she accidentally caught Stefan's eye. He gave her a slight nod.Zara took a deep breath and finally decided to head upstairs.She knew that with Stefan around, he would be there to help her out.Even if he was doing it just to be nice to Stanley, the deal she offered him was too good to pass up.He was on her side.The first floor buzzed with the laughter and chatter of guests having fun. The real action, however, was on the second floor. That was where the VIPs hung out.Maxwell gave Yosef a friendly pat on the shoulder. "The gang's playing Spades
Maxwell said his back was hurting just to get away. He had heard some news and rushed back to his room. He quickly asked his secretary, "Is it true Shawn got on the boat?""Anders thinks he saw someone who looks like Shawn. He's not sure, though."Maxwell could not help but laugh, but he was actually upset: "He hides even at his own family's party. Is he scared of something here? His mom's family has really spoiled him!"He ordered, "Go find him!"His secretary answered, "Yes."Maxwell thought it over. "Do it quietly. Don't make a fuss."He had his reasons... He did not want to mess things up for Shawn.His secretary answered, "Yes."Still worried, Maxwell headed to the room where the card game was happening.It was quiet there for a moment.Yaxley had asked for Zara.Yosef looked over at Zara. He was in the shadow of a tall lamp behind him. This made it hard to see his face, and no one could tell what he was thinking.Zara held her breath for a second.It all hinged on wha
"Mr. Lark, you flatter me. Maybe it's just because I've practiced a lot. I wasn't always this good. As the chief secretary of Azure Cloud, I often had to mingle with CEOs and their spouses on behalf of the company. That's how I got better."Mr. Lark stopped shuffling the cards for a moment.Chief secretary...Mingling with all those CEOs and their wives...He pondered for a second. "Hmm."Yosef glanced at Zara after her insightful comment and laid down a card.Zara followed suit, looking at him calmly and confidently. She had made that comment for Yaxley, but even more for him.Was he seriously considering getting rid of her? Had he thought it through?She was the chief secretary, holding the keys to Azure Cloud's many client relationships. If he dared to cross her, she might just spill some secrets.Zara casually chatted with Yaxley about what the big clients liked and their quirks, careful not to spill any real secrets. If Yaxley ended up stealing a client or two, no one cou
Zara did not notice how heavy her head felt until she finally relaxed. Her forehead was hot to the touch, and she knew she had a fever.She got some cold medicine from a waiter and took it, hoping to find a quiet spot to rest.She bumped into Harper, who looked surprised and asked, "You're not with Yosef?"Catching on took Zara a moment. She pointed upstairs vaguely, then walked past Harper to sit on a couch near the window.Harper glanced at her twice before deciding to head upstairs by himself.Sitting alone, Zara's head was spinning more with each passing minute, and she struggled to stay upright.She wanted to return to her room, but even the short walk seemed too much. She stumbled, and the room seemed to whirl. As she fell, a pair of leather shoes appeared before her.There it was again—that faint smell of pine and cypress.…The people upstairs were wrapping up their business and were ready to have some fun.Harper and Yosef walked down together.Harper had sought out Y
Two men came up to her, obviously drawn by her looks. They crouched down to talk to her.Zara did not look up, and one man boldly pinched her chin.Yosef watched with an icy gaze, memorizing the faces of the two men.When one of the men caught a clear glimpse of Zara's face, he recognized her as someone close to Yosef. He quickly whisked his friend away, not daring to cause any more trouble.Zara scooped up her hairpin from the ground, held it tight, and wobbled to her feet on the deck.She looked so fragile, like a little lamb that anyone could come by and take a bite.Yosef had never realized before how easy it was for others to pick on Zara.Even worse, she suddenly headed toward a spot where the cameras could not see. The security captain, after flipping through several camera feeds, could not spot her anywhere.Yosef asked in a deep, serious tone, "Where is she?""Mr. Webb, just a moment, please..." The security captain kept switching views, but there was no luck. She was
Harper found nothing and was about to shut his laptop when a woman behind him spoke up, "It happened at 8:30 pm? Hmm, I think I heard that splash..."She was speaking quietly to a friend. It was a mystery how Yosef, standing a few meters away, caught her words. He swiftly turned and looked at her."What did you hear?" he asked, his voice deep and serious.The woman paused, then said with uncertainty, "At 8:30 pm, I was going back to my room on the third floor to grab something. On my way back to the party, I passed a room and heard yelling and a splash. It sounded like something, or someone, had fallen into the water..."Yosef's eyes narrowed. "Can you show me which room?"The woman nodded quickly and led Yosef to the third-floor room.Yosef did not hesitate and knocked on the door.The door swung open to reveal a man with a bruised nose and puffy cheeks. He was shocked to see Yosef. "Mr. Webb, what are you..."Yosef took a quick look at the messy room behind him. There were ch
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