"Is that your big sister?" After Madeline left for a while, Lucy finally came back to her senses. Charlotte nodded."The three of you are really... different," Lucy remarked.Charlotte smiled, looked around, and wanted to remind Lucy not to mention this to anyone.Lucy might not recognize the people who had just left, but she understood that they were wealthy and influential. Without waiting for Charlotte to say anything, she made the promise. "Don't worry, I won't say a word.""Good!"Madeline's return to the Scott family was a significant event.The day after the equestrian event, Charlotte just finished her work when she received a call from the Scotts. Owen wanted her to bring Griffith home for dinner.She calculated and realized that she hadn't seen Griffith in about five or six days. Upon returning to the Wilson mansion, she was informed by the servants that Griffith had come back. Hurriedly going upstairs, she found her suite empty, and she wasn't sure if he had entered
"You're William's sister. You should teach him some manners. He's your grandfather's only grandson, and he might inherit the Scott family’s wealth in the future."This statement was clearly meant to provoke. In the entire Scott family, anyone could be the heir, except for these siblings.Charlotte didn't need to think to know that her uncles, Marcus and Bruce, each had a mistress. The idea that William was the only grandson was just a way to deceive people.With Owen's traditional mindset of valuing males over females, if William were indeed the only grandson, he would have been treated as a treasure a long time ago."Aunt Priscillia, you must be kidding. I’ve been married off, and William is solely focused on his studies. How could we possibly inherit the family?""Why couldn't you? Your older sister..."Slam!Owen slammed his cutlery on the table, giving the woman a cold look. "Madeline's return is a joyous occasion. Why are you saying such things?""Dad, I..." Owen didn't
The Scotts' family banquet was no less challenging than the Wilsons'. It was a gathering of people who weren't usually close and might even have grudges against each other. When they came together, there was often intense verbal sparring.For instance, Uncle Marcus and Uncle Bruce, who usually didn't get along, would start arguing at the dinner table. Today was different, as Madeline's presence brought harmony to the table.Owen inquired about Madeline's management of her overseas company, and she answered flawlessly, without any mistakes.Priscillia chimed in, "Oh, if only Madeline had married Griffith, who knows how things would have turned out."Normally, Charlotte would just let these comments go in one ear and out the other. But today was different; she remained silent. Madeline straightforwardly confronted Priscillia. "Auntie, have you had too much to drink?"The table fell silent for a moment. Only Griffith continued to eat with a stoic expression."Madeline..." "In the
Charlotte thought that Griffith might not be in his right mind, possibly still stuck in a work meeting. At times like this, it was best to avoid discussing business, as it was like a gold mine that everyone wanted a piece of. If you didn't mention it, it was fine, but once you brought it up, Marcus and Bruce would both try to get him to make concessions on certain projects.As expected, as soon as he started talking about overseas business, the conversation quickly veered toward several projects."Griffith, please take care of the Scott family's interests for the South City Project," Marcus chimed in.South City Project? Charlotte suddenly remembered it. This was the project her grandfather had mentioned the night she and Griffith came to her family's house for dinner before their divorce. At the time, Griffith had said something. He mentioned that he would not make any concessions even if they begged him, as she wasn't worth the price.Perhaps due to overeating, the sweet oranges
Charlotte remembered that Madeline was likely to have a welcome-back gathering with friends when she returned to the country. Her circle of friends largely overlapped with Griffith's, so it was perfectly normal for him to attend."I can't. I have work tomorrow," she said."Come on, there's delicious food," Madeline urged."Madeline, I'm not a kid anymore." Charlotte chuckled."Are you lying to avoid coming?" Madeline teased."No, I'm not...""Don't tell me you're feeling jealous of Griffith?" Madeline laughed and said, "Don't overthink it. We're great friends, but just friends.""No, I'm not thinking that.""In that case, come over to have fun."Charlotte reluctantly agreed. At this point, if she insisted on not going, it would seem like she was really jealous. "Alright, I'll come along with you.""Okay."Their conversation ended.Charlotte drove more slowly, and Madeline drove ahead, while Griffith's car followed behind.They arrived at the Garden of Eden, where fireworks
As everyone's attention focused on them, Charlotte felt a bit uncomfortable under the teasing gazes. Before she could say anything, Griffith took a step forward. As he approached, the girls surrounding the sofa took a step back, leaving him the entire couch.Isabella turned to invite Charlotte. "Mrs. Wilson, please have a seat.""Alright, thank you," Charlotte replied.She walked over and saw all four sofas were occupied. Madeline already sat next to Nicholas; the space next to Griffith was the only empty one. Charlotte hesitated for a moment and decided to sit as naturally as possible next to Griffith.Madeline responded to what Eli had said, "Having a wife is indeed admirable. Otherwise, you'll end up like Mr. Sterling, a lonely man with no one to care for you in a foreign land for days."Everyone chuckled. Eli made a clicking sound with his tongue.Griffith leaned back in his seat, saying, "He may not have anyone to care for him even when he's at home."Because of the awkward
Charlotte, being a newcomer to this type of game, paid close attention to the rules. Her gaze was fixed on Isabella, who was explaining the game on stage.Griffith noticed her clenched hands and sensed her confusion. He blinked quickly and asked, "You don't understand?"Charlotte looked at him, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Isabella paused briefly in her explanation.Griffith, aware of the attention, lowered his voice and advised, "Pay close attention later and don't slow us down."Charlotte thought he might be offering words of encouragement, but his words were far from that. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and retorted, "I won't team up with you. I'll sit next to Madeline.""Whether you sit with me or someone else doesn't matter. In this game, you need to rely on yourself," Isabella's voice came from behind them. She glanced at Griffith, who understood her intentions. She reiterated the rules, "Pass the Parcel. When the drumbeat stops, whoever holds the parc
"Five shots of Long Island Iced Tea. If you can't finish them, you will face a punishment," the female hostess assisting Nicholas read aloud from the sign.Charlotte exclaimed, "Five shots?!"She couldn't believe that they had to drink five shots of Long Island Iced Tea. That seemed like a daunting task.Eli, showing no mercy, chuckled. "Just five shots? Nicholas can handle a thousand shots!"Nicholas, with a playful smile in his eyes, elbowed Eli, who was about to speak. "No, I can't even handle one.""Really? Nicholas, are you ready to face the punishment?" someone asked.Nicholas stood up with ease, adjusted his clothes, and proclaimed, "If I don't descend into hell, who will?"The girls surrounded him and went over to the large box.Charlotte turned around and peered over the back of the sofa. She couldn't help but nudge Griffith with her elbow and asked, "What kind of punishments do they usually have?""I don't know," Griffith replied."But I thought you were an experien
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