A loud noise echoed, and someone tapped on the yard's gate.Charlotte jumped in fright and quickly turned around, her gaze piercing through the two doors leading from the hall to the yard, landing on the man standing in the doorway. She let out a sigh of relief and discreetly stashed the piece of paper into her pocket.Griffith entered the yard and frowned at the mess. Expressionless, he asked, "Is this the home of the couple who runs the noodle restaurant?"Charlotte thought he couldn't possibly know about Tobias. It didn't seem necessary to tell him, and even if she did, he probably wouldn't want to hear it.She glanced around and replied, "It's the home of a childhood playmate. Just coming to take a look."As she spoke, she walked out of the hall and closed the door behind her. Approaching Griffith, she saw that his expression had turned rather grim."What's wrong with you?"She suddenly remembered that he had been drinking earlier and might not feel well after staying up all
Outside, the sound of an electric scooter driving through the alley filled the air, making the kitchen quieter.Charlotte's heart pounded in her chest as she stood frozen in place. When she came to her senses, she numbly took out her phone and turned on the flashlight.The beam of light revealed Griffith crouched down with his head lowered. He seemed to be trying to ease his pain while searching the ground for something."Turn it off!" he ordered, lifting his head sharply. His piercing gaze cut through the light beam, landing on her face.Charlotte was startled and quickly turned off the flashlight."Are you looking for something?" she asked. No response.It was confirmed. He couldn't hear. How could this be? Did Griffith have hearing problems?A small metallic object flashed through her mind, and she suddenly realized something.Was it a hearing aid? Or something similar to a cochlear implant?Her thoughts were in disarray, but she carefully crouched down and began to searc
"You can go to the back seat. I'll have someone drive you. The young master has something to attend to and won't be accompanying you back home," Ash said to Charlotte by the roadside.Ash hurriedly bid goodbye and walked toward the black car behind. Charlotte stood on the roadside, and by the dim light of the streetlamp, she could barely see Griffith's pallid face in the back seat.He opened his eyes next. The instant their eyes met, he turned away and raised the car window, cutting off her line of sight.The car slowly moved away from Charlotte."Madam, please get in the car," the driver left behind said to Charlotte.Still staring at the departing taillights, it wasn't until she couldn't see them any more that she came to her senses. She got into the car, and all the way to the house, her mind kept replaying the scene from the kitchen.What in the world was happening? Was this a pre-existing condition, or had something happened during their marriage? Over the past three years,
Charlotte arrived at the theater's makeup room at ten in the morning, and it bustled with activity. Ms. Cole was giving a talk to Lucy and a few new faces, including some young men. Before Charlotte could say anything, a young man beside her put down his script and greeted her."Hello, I'm Larry Cruz.""...Charlotte Wallace," she replied.It was quite a hassle. She wanted to switch back to her main alias as soon as possible.Before she could ponder further, Ms. Cole called her, saying, "Lucy brought you here, right?""Yes.""No need to rush," Suzanne said, sipping her tea. "No need to compete with Jessica. We'll proceed at our own pace and rehearse. Step by step, we'll move forward."Seeing Suzanne so relaxed, Charlotte nodded.Suzanne said, "Perfect, the whole cast is here now. Get to know each other first. We'll have our first formal rehearsal in the afternoon.""Okay." Putting her belongings aside, Charlotte wholeheartedly immersed herself in her work.She stayed at the th
"The board of directors?!" Ava's shocked voice echoed in the restaurant.Charlotte covered her face. "Shh, keep it down!"Ava couldn't believe it. "You joined the Wilson Corp's board of directors?""Yes," Charlotte replied."How much of the shares do you own?""A little over one percent.""Ah... just over one percent..."Charlotte added, "The market value should be around a few million."Ava blinked, and the next second, she suddenly shrank into a ball, with her face contorted in pain while clutching her chest tightly. Charlotte was taken aback, thinking she was having a medical episode. It was said that Ava had myocarditis when she was a child."Are you okay, Ava?"She was about to call 911, but Ava held her hand and, lifting her head, looked agonized."Although my poverty hurts, my friend's success hurts even more." Ava then said, "We promised to be poor together."Charlotte replied, "I have over 500 thousand in my bank account."Ava gasped.Charlotte wasn't moved. "I t
"Benjamin, I know you're trying to help me, but it's not a good idea. You've worked hard for this comeback, and using such a precious song to pave the way for me doesn't seem right. That would be wasting your efforts.""Whether it's a waste or not, don't I get to decide?" he asked calmly.Charlotte was left speechless."I've based the success of all my past compositions on my mother's comments. I never cared about the song's sales or fan reviews. I only care about who it's written for. If she likes it, that's enough for me. Don't feel pressured, and don't feel like you owe me. Too much self-imposed morality will reduce your happiness. I'm trying to extend an olive branch to you, but you can also ignore it," he said.Charlotte found his logic quite strange."I'm married to your uncle, so your actions are pointless. Moreover, your behavior is fundamentally wrong."Benjamin responded with an affirmative sound. "I know what I'm doing is immoral.""Then, you…""But morals are useles
Before leaving work, Charlotte overheard Mary say, "Benjamin's popularity is terrifying."Lucy walked with her to the parking lot and asked discreetly, "You invited Benjamin, didn't you?"Charlotte was curious about how Lucy found out.Lucy shrugged. "You don't need to explain it to me. I've gotten used to witnessing miracles happen around you. If you buy the theater and kick Mr. Logan out one day, I'll calmly accept that, too."The two of them walked together. Before reaching the car, they encountered a group of young girls carrying cameras and equipment. Lucy clicked her tongue in annoyance, and Charlotte felt her scalp tingle as she quickened her pace to reach her car.Lucy hadn't reacted yet, but Charlotte was already inside the car."Charlotte?"Hearing Lucy's voice, Charlotte finally peeked out of the car. She watched those girls enter the theater through the back door and felt worried."They probably found out Benjamin was coming for a rehearsal and arrived early to wait
The argument with Griffith didn't lead to any resolution, so Charlotte remained calm. She recognized that these shares were essentially a gift, and it was a good outcome that she received compensation. She couldn't ask for too much.There was a small banquet in the evening after the board meeting. She assumed that Francine would invite her third uncle's family.That evening, she called Bruce and discussed the house matter. She also sent two sets of jewelry to the Scotts. Upon seeing the money and jewelry, Bruce was pleased and quite satisfied with her.On the board meeting day, Benjamin arrived in the morning for a unified rehearsal. It had been some time since they last met, and he no longer required a wheelchair, instead using a cane."You'll be able to walk normally in some time," Charlotte said, genuinely happy for him.Benjamin wore a duckbill cap and a pair of metal-framed polygonal glasses, which gave him an air of sophistication with a touch of trendiness. He couldn't help
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