Ding dong! The doorbell rang.Charlotte paused her argument with Griffith and got up to answer the door.Julie carried a large green onion outside the door, and behind her was Ash holding many snacks.Seeing Charlotte, Julie appeared very happy. "Charlotte!"Charlotte had a good impression of her. She quickly made way for them. "Did you go shopping?""Yes! My brother was craving some good food, so I treated him," Julie replied.Charlotte noticed the two bags of snacks and couldn't help but smile. These didn't seem like snacks for Ash.As soon as Julie entered, she ran up and down excitedly and put down the puppy for Charlotte to play with. Julie then noticed the big package by the door."What are these?" Julie asked."They're props," Charlotte replied."Props?" Julie blinked her big eyes, looking curious.Charlotte, treating her like a child, was happy to indulge her. She bent down and unzipped the bag to show her a princess dress, a crown, and high heels.Most girls loved
Hearing this, Julie immediately nodded. "Yes, the little dwarf is going to cry!"She said that but didn't cry herself. Instead, she turned and said to Ash and Griffith, "Big brother cry! Brother Griffith, cry!""Why aren't you crying yourself?" Griffith said.Julie was full of wisdom in her words, saying, "I'm Bashful. Bashful cries quietly."Charlotte laughed and nodded. "Right, Julie is correct.""The princess is dead! Please don't speak!" Julie shouted.Charlotte remained silent but laughed inwardly. This trip had been worthwhile. Julie was truly an angel sent to torment Griffith. Griffith could not cry, so Julie taught him how to cry, telling him to rub his eyes."Julie, Brother Griffith doesn't know how to cry." Ash couldn't bear it any longer and came to the rescue.But Julie turned a deaf ear and began manipulating Griffith's hands. Charlotte opened her eyes and saw that Griffith had clenched his fists, which Julie had placed near his face."That's right!" Charlotte tho
"Yes!" "Then show me."Charlotte was shocked. Who was she supposed to demonstrate with? Was Griffith out of his mind? She struggled to open her eyes again, and sure enough, after just two seconds, Julie turned her head and lifted Ash's face to kiss him."Julie!" Ash's face turned pale with fright. He quickly grabbed Julie and tried to calm her down."That's it, Julie. We won't play anymore."Julie shook her head, still wanting to hug him. Ash, who was always expressionless, was on the verge of losing his mind. He pressed down on her hands."No more playing! If we keep playing, your favorite pasta will get cold and taste bad." Thus, he managed to coax Julie away.Charlotte lay on the sofa in disbelief. She turned her head and met Griffith's calm gaze. He did it on purpose. He must have anticipated that Julie would ask Ash to demonstrate."What are you looking at?" Charlotte said."You expected me to kiss you?" He snorted and got up.Charlotte quickly got up. While Ash was lea
Charlotte thought for a moment and quickly dismissed the idea. Observing Griffith's attitude towards people like Michelle, he wouldn't treat his father's illegitimate child kindly, let alone like she was a treasure. Just as Charlotte was thinking this, the elevator suddenly jerked. Then, the alarm in the elevator started blaring, and the lights went out. She tensed all over, instinctively curling up but still pretending to remain calm. "What... what's happening?""What else could it be? Didn't you hear the ghostly noise? A ghost is here.""You're… not serious, are you?" Charlotte said.In the darkness, he furrowed his brow, glanced in her direction, and said, "The power's out."Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief but was still on edge. "This building is supposed to be under your people's control, right? How did the power go out?""Who told you my people control it?"Charlotte closed her eyes, and her throat tightened. "I'm not stupid."Griffith let out a low chuckle. He took o
They said it would be just a few minutes, but every minute and second feels excruciating in a tense situation. Charlotte felt the darkness was about to swallow her, and she heard a cacophony of chaotic sounds around her. She ignored them and grabbed Griffith's shirt again.He moved slightly but didn't mock her. He probably was afraid she would be frightened to death. They fell into silence again for a minute.Charlotte regained her composure, but her mind was flooded with terrifying thoughts. What if the elevator plummeted? What if it shot upwards? In any case, it would be fatal. And she was still wearing heels. With this in mind, she quietly moved her feet, trying to get her feet out of her heels."What are you doing?""I... I'm taking off my shoes."Griffith sneered and taunted her, "Have you watched too many movies?""This is common sense. Better safe than sorry. You should... you should lean against the wall, too. It's safer."They weren't very high from the ground. If it fe
Since she was going to meet with Benjamin, Charlotte thought for a moment and said, "I've made plans to have dinner with a friend on South Street. Just drop me off by the roadside.""Then I'll wait nearby," the driver replied."No need, my friend has a car. After dinner, I'll ride with him," Charlotte said.The driver hesitated, parking the car. When he realized that the area was relatively bustling and not dangerous, he nodded."Be careful when you get out," he said."Okay," Charlotte replied, exiting the car and taking her large bag.She had booked a restaurant nearby and sent the location to Benjamin, who replied that he was on his way. Upon entering the restaurant, she left her things at the counter and went to her table to order. Since Benjamin had not arrived yet, she went to the adjacent store to buy some daily necessities for Ava. She heard a familiar voice at the checkout."Extra creamy, please."Charlotte turned her head and saw Allison. She was dressed in casual spor
At the Riverside Mansion. Allison knocked on the door, and it was Ash who answered it. He was somewhat surprised to see Allison delivering their dinner."Is Mr. Wilson in?" she asked."Yes." Ash stepped aside slightly, allowing Allison to glimpse Griffith.Allison was about to speak, but he beat her, saying, "Give me the stuff.""Sure," Allison replied and handed over the items.Griffith was sitting on the sofa, looking at the items with a relaxed posture. He glanced at her and said calmly, "Why did you come?""I made the noodles myself. Ash said it would be fine as long as they were prepared, but I was afraid the pasta would clump together. So, I came. It only takes a few minutes to cook them fresh," Allison said, intending to enter.Julie was playing games nearby, and when she saw Allison, she immediately stood up and said, "You can't come in!"Allison was taken aback. Approaching with the puppy in her arms, Julie lifted her chin and said proudly, "My brother can cook pasta!"
Beyond the window, the lights were dim and a car passed by. Charlotte glanced outside but didn't pay it much mind. The dishes were already served, and Benjamin removed his ring to help her with the lobsters."No need!" Charlotte, somewhat flattered, stopped his actions and said, "You're the patient here. It's already inhumane of me not to take care of you. How can I let you take care of me?"Benjamin looked up and said, "But you're a lady."Smiling, Charlotte put on disposable gloves, took a lobster, and dug into it. Seeing that Benjamin was still looking at her, she turned the lobster around and showed him. "I'm quite strong, you know."Benjamin nodded.Charlotte poured him some juice and chatted about recent trivial matters."Do you always finish work so late in the evening?" he asked."I've just started my job," Charlotte sighed and said, "For the past few years, I've been confined to home.""I know. The Wilsons don't allow female family members to work independently."Spea
Tanya's previous full-length mirror was still usable, but because it was small, she had to walk a bit farther every time she used it. Eli had long wanted to replace it.Little did he know, she got rid of many things in the house to make room for the new large sofa for him, including that old full-length mirror."How do you like it? Surprised?" He patted the mirror.Tanya smiled wryly and pointed to the large sofa. "And you? Surprised?" Only then did Eli notice fewer small items in the living room and a large new sofa. He suddenly chuckled. It was quite nice.He thought of her, and she thought of him. This winter was truly warm.Tanya abandoned the egg tart and hugged him again. "Oh no, this mirror is so big. There's nowhere to put it."Eli carried her with one hand and moved the mirror to the corner with the other. Sitting on the sofa, he thought for a moment, then hugged her and said, "Tanya, let's move to a bigger place."Tanya knew he had been thinking about this all along.
Eli found it amusing. He pushed the head of the small money jar and couldn't help but say, "You gold digger! You love money so much, then why did you give the check I gave you to Soraya?"Tanya blinked and chuckled. "I only acquire wealth in the proper way. To be honest…" She pondered for a moment, then turned to look at him. "Probably because, at that time, I was just too fond of you like I am now."Hearing this, Eli felt a pang of heartache and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Tanya smiled, moved the gifts aside, and made some space for him.Just as they were about to talk, Eli's phone vibrated continuously. It turned out that Bridget was sending over the detailed preparation process for the wedding.Tanya scrolled through it and suddenly felt overwhelmed. Eli looked at it and also felt a headache coming. The two glanced at each other, sighed simultaneously, and leaned back.After they publicly disclosed their relationship, life continued as usual but became busier due to the w
Eli being married was shocking enough, but then his wife was hiding right in the office. In the next half hour, Tanya heard wailing from all around.The atmosphere in their office was quite good, and everyone got along well. After coming clean, everyone joked around and teased each other."Nia, don't forget Mr. Ted, he's been cursing at you all along!""Yeah, he's been calling you a fool!""I heard it, I can testify!"Ted was furious and rushed out to hit someone. Tanya followed with laughter.Before leaving work, Amy indeed brought the cake and candies, sharing them with everyone in the building. Thus, the entire group gave them their blessings.From the office to the parking lot, Tanya received blessings. When she got into Eli's car, her heart was still pounding.Eli was happily eating his candy, feeling good. Especially now that he didn't have to sneak around anymore, he even turned the steering wheel effortlessly.Tanya, holding the cake, asked him in surprise, "Were these
Tanya walked out of the room with her guard down and came face to face with Ted's sneaky expression. She paused.Ted gasped, his brain instantly turning blank.He looked at Tanya, covered his mouth with his left hand, and placed his right hand over the left with his eyes gradually widening.God! This was insane!Tanya regained her composure and glanced in Eli's direction. Eli remained calm, glanced at the fruit plate on the table, and said, "Should we take some down to share with your colleagues?"Tanya nodded. She glanced at the still-disheveled Ted and kindly handed him a tangerine."Sir?"Ted swallowed, looked at Tanya, then at Eli. Finally, he settled his gaze on the tangerine in her hand, mechanically accepting it.Tanya turned to look at Eli. 'Look, you've scared my superior.'Eli shrugged."I'm leaving," she said.Eli nodded and escorted her to the door.Ted followed them out and was sent into the elevator by his boss. As the elevator doors closed, he let out a long
The deep blue bedsheet was neatly spread out. But the two pillows lacked pillowcases, exposed in a sorry state.Eli placed his hands on his belt and turned to look at Tanya. "Is this also your doing?"Tanya leaned against the door frame, only poking her head in, smiling sheepishly."I accidentally drooled while sleeping that day and dirtied the pillowcase. Knowing that you're a neat freak, I took them all off to wash," she said. She raised her hand and swore, "The pillowcases have been washed and are in the cabinet at home."Eli wasn't interested in the pillowcases' whereabouts. He remembered when Amy called him, saying Tanya missed him and wanted to touch the sheets and pillows after waking up.Nonsense!He took a deep breath, then turned his head to Tanya with a frightening smile. Tanya realized the danger and tried to run, but he grabbed her by the waist."Hey, what are you doing?" she said.Eli tossed her onto the bed and followed suit."What are you doing?!""Collecting
Tanya sat upright in the office. Eli stood before her with his hands behind his back. "Come on, explain."Tanya's eyes darted around. "Do you believe me? It's because I missed you too much. When I came to your place, I couldn't help but take away everything related to you." Eli scoffed. "Including the toilet paper?"Tanya pondered seriously.Eli tapped the coffee machine and pointed to the plug that had been pulled out, saying, "If the coffee machine wasn't too heavy, would you have taken that too?"'This brat has no conscience at all. Does she even understand what a cold shoulder is?'While he was reminiscing in her room, she made a fortune in his office!Tanya blinked and gave him an embarrassed smile. "If you think about it from another angle, I love you deeply. If we couldn't reconcile and you came back to see all this, you would hate me. Hate represents love, and love means you can't forget me. My obsession is so deep; I want to stay in your heart forever."Eli fell silen
"You should buy something while visiting. Do you have enough money in your account? If not, I will transfer some to you," Mrs. Moran said on the phone.Tanya didn't want money; she just wanted to hear some advice. She knew her parents' financial situation wasn't good. Due to illness, her stepfather had retired from his position as a butler of the Sterling family. Although the Sterlings provided a retirement package, Mr. Moran was getting old, and he had a son. She heard that his son's business had lost a considerable amount of money in recent years. As a stepdaughter, she had already received enough help from them, so how could she ask for more money?During her university days, she didn't ask her family for money. If she could find a part-time job, she would, and if not, she would endure it just to avoid causing her mother trouble."Mom, I don't need money. I have enough."When Mrs. Moran heard this, she felt even more sorry for her.Since her ex-husband was useless, Tanya suffer
After breakfast, Eli called Bridget."Why did you send her a check? Do you have nothing better to do?"Bridget had just arrived home and begun playing poker with a few old friends.She threw out a card, rolled her eyes, and said, "It's the first time I've met my daughter-in-law! What's wrong with giving her some money!"Eli was speechless."Madam, you came up and threw 500,000 dollars just like that. Aren't you afraid of scaring people?""What should I do? Throw 50,000 dollars instead? That's too stingy."Eli was speechless. Holding onto the railing, he glanced downstairs and saw Tanya ironing her coat in the living room."I almost got dumped because you caused a scene," he joked.Bridget threw the cards while chuckling. "It's good to be dumped. With your unruly behavior, someone should make you suffer a bit.""Are you really my mother?""If you still want to be a good son, hurry up and go through the procedures, live a proper life with Tanya, and try to give me a grandson n
"What did Her Majesty tell you?"Tanya nearly lost her composure, fighting back laughter.Bridget said nothing more as she left with Benjamin, leaving Tanya and Eli to return to the apartment. The journey back was silent, with Tanya deep in thought. Upon entering, Eli halted her at the entrance.Exhaling deeply, Tanya reached into her pocket and withdrew a check. Eli's gaze fell upon it, noting it was only for $500,000. As he moved to take it, Tanya tucked it back into her pocket. On the bar, a spread of breakfast awaited them - fried eggs, sausages, fruits, and vegetables. Despite the inviting display, Tanya's attention was on Eli."Don't you want breakfast?"With the situation still unclear, Eli's appetite waned. Nonetheless, knowing Bridget's nature, he remained calm. Seating himself opposite Tanya, he nibbled at a sausage, noticing her lack of interest."Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned.Tanya shook her head.The oversized sandwich Bridget had ordered had already