Charlotte had always maintained a distance from Mariah. Unlike her daughter, Michelle, who was overbearing and arrogant, Mariah was reserved and mysterious. Mariah slightly nodded at her and went to the side to peel fruit for Francine.Francine was delighted to see Charlotte. Both of them had a conversation, with Mariah interjecting occasionally. The night grew dark, and Griffith had yet to arrive. Concerned that Francine might be displeased, Charlotte mentioned that he might be caught up with work.Francine waved her hand and said, "It's alright. Don't worry about him. Let's enjoy our meal."As her words fell, the door swung open, and Michelle entered carrying a tray."Grandma truly favors Griffith. Anyone else besides Griffith would likely be scolded for missing the family dinner," Michelle smiled and said."Michelle," Mariah rebuked her.Francine held Charlotte's hand and responded, "Your brother has worked hard for this family. A little privilege is well-deserved. Speaking of
Charlotte smiled and replied, "I couldn't sleep. I'm waiting for Griffith as well since he might come over."Mariah's eyes fluttered, but she remained silent.Charlotte glanced into the courtyard and noticed unfamiliar faces had replaced the caretakers who usually looked after Francine. She figured she could not get in, so she turned around and left calmly.Something was amiss. Controlling the head of the family who fell critically ill for inheritance was common among wealthy families. Francine was getting old and had heart disease. With the significant shares she owned, her actions were crucial before something happened to her.Mariah was not a simple person to deal with, after all. She had been with Wilson Corp. for many years and was now their CFO. Francine was likely the only faithful family member Griffith had left in this family. She quickly returned to her room and replayed the details in her mind, worried she might be overthinking. Upon further reflection, she decided it wa
Charlotte thought for a moment and calmly said, "Miss Katie, our conversation is being recorded."I'm sure you know how important his grandmother is to him. I advise you to call him immediately! If something happens, he won't let you off even if he's infatuated."After a long pause, Katie said reluctantly, "Wait for me; I'll go get him. He's tired and resting."Charlotte gripped her phone tightly. Her hands were sweaty from nervousness, and she tried to suppress her disgust for Katie upon hearing her response. The ground was covered with weeds causing her to feel uncomfortable. She had not fully recovered from her injury, and it was starting to act up again.Every second felt like forever, and suddenly Griffith's voice came through the phone."What's up?" His voice was cold and indifferent as usual."Your grandma might be sick," she said."How do you know?"Charlotte explained the whole situation at the resort and added, "I'm not sure. You'll have to judge for yourself.""Wher
The car drove back to the resort. Upon reaching the entrance gate, Charlotte leaned weakly against the window and watched nervously. Surprisingly, the gatekeeper let them through. She began to doubt herself, wondering if she was being overly cautious.She looked at Griffith and noticed he did not react as if he had anticipated this. She felt complicated, wishing Francine to be well but afraid she might be overthinking. When the car arrived directly in front of Francine's courtyard, Mariah was waiting at the door. The car door opened, and Charlotte struggled to get out.Griffith glanced at her and said, "Go back to your room."She could not help but think about whether he wanted her to avoid something. When Griffith entered the courtyard, Arthur had instructed two housekeepers to help Charlotte off the car. The resort was shrouded in darkness before Griffith's arrival. However, the lamps hanging on the poles by the side had lit up upon his arrival.Charlotte returned to her room but
It was around four o'clock in the morning. Charlotte huddled on the sofa after attending to her bruises and cuts. Across her, Griffith was receiving an IV drip and taking his gastric medicine.Both of them looked up, and their eyes met. When he furrowed his brow and averted his gaze, Charlotte rolled her eyes at him. After a while, Griffith said indifferently with his eyes closed, "You did well this time."Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. It was the first time he had praised her since they married, yet they were already divorced. She felt a hint of bitterness and responded faintly."Is Grandma okay?" she asked."She's stable."Charlotte nodded and did not ask further. She guessed it was not a significant issue since there was no conflict between Griffith and Mariah. Perhaps Mariah did not actually make a move. An unexpected situation might have coincidentally arisen and given her the opportunity."You even thought to call me. You're getting smarter," Griffith added.Charlot
Charlotte never actually wanted his help. She had decided to find a lawyer on her own. Since they would be constantly meeting for another half a year, it was not ideal for them to be on bad terms. Moreover, she had a feeling that her grandfather would probably have her ask Griffith for a favor again soon.With this in mind, she solemnly said, "There are a few collaborations going on between our families. Whether you want to cut ties with the Scott Family or use them for your own benefits, I can assist you.""You?" Griffith raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you can handle the business world simply because you did a good job today?"Charlotte knew he looked down on her."I'm still a member of the Scott Family, after all. If you want to deceive them, I might come in handy, so don't jump to conclusions too soon. I might still have some use."Griffith leaned back on the sofa and smiled contemptuously, "Is this another tactic of yours? Shifting to enticement when seduction fails.""You'
Charlotte was almost falling asleep. She was puzzled to see Griffith glaring at her."What's wrong?" She sat up and asked.Griffith threw his phone in front of her. She looked at the phone and was immediately stunned. The photo was from a long time ago, so long that she could hardly remember. However, memories of another person in the photo quickly resurfaced.It suddenly dawned on her that this photo should not have appeared on Griffith's phone. Simon Lewis flashed through her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.Seeing Griffith's darkened expression, she quickly tried to explain, "Listen, I barely know him. He's the one who's been bothering me.""He's been bothering you, so you gave him your private photo?"Charlotte was rendered speechless.Before she could further explain, Griffith had already approached and pulled her in front of him. His hands were cold as he held her arms, making her afraid to move. She felt like he would strangle her at any moment."Griffith…mmm!"He
Griffith stood by the bed and wiped his fingers with a wet wipe. He caught sight of a head buried under the blanket. He threw the damp wipe into the dustbin and dragged her up. Charlotte glared at him in silence."Does it hurt?" he asked casually. "If it hurts, remember it," he added.Releasing her, he gave a cold look. "Until I publicly announce our divorce, you are still my wife. I warn you, be cautious or else…" he paused, "Whoever touches you will die."A shiver ran up her spine upon hearing those words."I told you, he was the one wh—""I'm not interested in hearing your stories," Griffith interjected.He stood up and tossed her the tube of ointment."Remember the pain you just felt. If it happens again, I'll ensure you remember it for the rest of your life."Gritting her teeth, Charlotte composed herself. She wanted to confront him to make him aware that he had no right to treat her this way since they were divorced. Before she could voice out, he stepped out of the bedro
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