Griffith's face immediately darkened, effectively demonstrating that he had a child's temperament.She cleared her throat and quickly explained, "I didn't mean anything bad by it. Although your temper is bad and unpredictable, you're not evil." She then smiled and added, "Except for certain behaviors in marriage."Griffith found it amusing that she was now evaluating his nature and giving him the benefit of the doubt, calling it not evil."I have a bad temper," he repeated.Charlotte thought for a moment. "Well, not really bad, just a bit unstable."He stood up abruptly, dropped his tools with a loud clatter, and turned to face her."My temper is unstable," he said, repeating himself like a parrot.Charlotte settled into a chair, looked at his expression, and added further clarification. "It's not unstable, just a little self-centered."Griffith chuckled.His temper was bad, unstable, and self-centered!Okay, great.He took a deep breath but couldn't hold back any longer. He
The sunlight streamed into the greenhouse as Griffith raised his hand, but Charlotte grabbed his wrist."Mr. Griffith, please forgive me!"He replied, "I won't let you go.""You wouldn't lay a finger on a woman, would you?""Who told you I don't hit women?""Help, someone!"Not expecting her to cry out loudly, he instinctively reached out to cover her mouth. Charlotte tried to dodge his hand by leaning backward, but her back was against the wall. With her head tilting back, the movement resulted in her head almost hitting the wall.Before he could cover her mouth, Griffith was startled when she suddenly bumped her head, so he quickly extended his hand to shield her from the impact. Charlotte's head rested against a solid surface, and she felt a bit dizzy from the jolt. Looking up, she saw Griffith with his other hand supporting her head against the wall. For a brief moment, they exchanged glances, and an inexplicable sense of ambiguity filled the air.She fidgeted with her fing
Charlotte held a black phone in her hands, noticing it didn't even have a phone case. It appeared to be very clean and seemed like it was rarely used, fitting perfectly with Griffith's character.Not far away, Griffith was bent over, moving a potted plant. As he bent down, his black shirt tightly hugged his slim waist, accentuating his powerful yet smooth physique. Quickly averting her gaze, Charlotte placed her fingerprint on the phone screen, and it lit up. It was locked with a passcode. "There's a passcode."Griffith didn't turn around but calmly stated a few numbers, "150427."Listening to the numbers, Charlotte felt like it was a date. She entered it, successfully unlocking the phone. Upon inspecting the phone, she noticed it had only a few apps, all work-related, with one frequently used social app in a shade of green."Can I log out of your account?" she asked."Yes," he replied.Upon receiving his permission, she quickly proceeded to log out. Then, she logged into her o
Charlotte felt she was already fine, but Mike insisted that she stay for one more day for observation. As for the theater, she couldn't think of a solution, so she could only hunker down and agree for the time being.Around 9 o'clock, Griffith was about to leave. She thought for a moment and followed him out to the door. As he opened the car door, he stopped when he heard her calling him. "Anything else?" he asked.Charlotte asked him, "Are you free tonight?""Get to the point," he replied."Mike suggested I move around the alley for a bit, and I noticed there's a market nearby. I'll buy some groceries and make dinner. If you're free... come over for a meal," she said.Griffith looked at her, and in a calm tone, he asked, "Are you inviting me to dinner?"Afraid that he might think she was repaying a favor, she thought for a moment and said, "No, I'm just thinking of making some food, and if you have time...""I'm busy," he interrupted.She was trying to be casual about the in
Charlotte was quite curious about Griffith, but Mike's information was limited, as he primarily focused on educating her."You have to learn from Griffith to be strong," Mike advised.Charlotte smiled. "I'm already quite strong.""Being strong but with a shadow?" Mike probed."Well, even Griffith isn't strong. If not, he wouldn't be sick," Charlotte retorted.Mike pursed his lips and, unable to argue further, went back with his herbs.Charlotte found it quite interesting. Sitting alone in the courtyard, she looked at the spot where Mike had gestured. It was as if she could see that 7- or 8-year-old boy, probably much like the present Griffith—cold and emotionless.However, she thought that it was normal for him to be emotionally hardened, considering he had lost his hearing back then.As she pondered, her phone vibrated, and she answered it. "Hello?""Charlotte, it's me, Mary."Charlotte detected a nervousness in Mary's voice and reassured her. "What's the matter?"Mary hesi
At the Wilson mansion, Arthur noticed that Griffith seemed to be in an unusually good mood that day. During the signing, Griffith had even given several smiles to the cooperating party. It was a significant change.He asked the driver, who said that Mr. Wilson had an appointment with his wife tonight. Well, that meant they would have to shorten the meetings in the afternoon. They couldn't let Mr. Wilson be late, or she might leave before he arrived.Arthur was busy making arrangements, delighted at the thought of the promising future.Inside and outside the theater, it was chaos. Mr. Logan was smoking his cigarettes nonstop in his office. He would smoke as he sat, and he would continue smoking even when he stood up. In Suzanne's dressing room, the atmosphere was gloomy.Meanwhile, in Benjamin's dressing room, his agents were having a headache. They couldn't understand why he had gone crazy. After finally deciding to make a comeback, he insisted on making a married unknown woman his
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Mike was in the yard, sorting out various medicinal herbs. The sunlight in the yard was starting to diminish, so he had to work a bit faster. He checked his watch from time to time while keeping an eye out for Charlotte.Knowing Griffith well, he suspected that if he was stood up, he would be quite upset. The young lady had been out for a while, but she should be back before 6:00.As Mike pondered, the sound of a car engine shutting off reached him. He blinked and pushed up his glasses. Soon, a tall figure walked in through the entrance to the courtyard. The light and shadow played on the young man's face as he strode in.It was Griffith.Mike clicked his tongue and exchanged a glance with the old butler who was busy sweeping. Trouble was brewing. Both elderly men stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to Griffith, who had entered the courtyard.Mike was the first to speak. "Young Master Wilson, you’re back early."Griffith scanned the c
At 5:30 PM at the theater, the thunderous applause filled the auditorium. The stage lights illuminated the entire area as all the actors took their bows.In the center of the stage, Charlotte, dressed in a light-colored dress, stood gracefully. In the past few hours, she had flawlessly portrayed the entire ‘Folding Willow Branch’ without any mistakes. It wasn't until the curtain call music played for Benjamin that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.Beside her, Lucy held her hand, and they both bowed to the audience. Lucy whispered to her, “You acted well today!”Charlotte's heart was pounding like a drum, but her voice remained calm as she said, "Everyone performed wonderfully."As she straightened up, she smiled, her exquisite face radiant under the spotlight. In reality, her gaze was empty, and she hadn't seen anyone in the audience. Despite her request, there were still cameras in the audience, and the flashes were blinding. Without Mike's medicine, she would have collapsed
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