Sincerity had proven to be a highly effective approach, and Benjamin's final move left Charlotte nearly speechless. She glanced around nervously, adjusted her squatting posture, and cleared her throat several times, coughing lightly.Benjamin couldn't help but suppress a chuckle. His typically pale and somewhat aloof demeanor now carried a playful hint. He poured drinks for both of them, clinking his glass with Charlotte's."If you brighten up a bit, I promise to control myself and not blurt out any hasty confessions," he teased.Charlotte wiped her face and managed a small smile. "Benjamin.""Hmm?"Charlotte raised her hand, giving him a thumbs up, as if to say, "You've got skills."Benjamin's lips curled into a satisfied grin.Meanwhile, at the Secret bar upstairs, an assistant whispered to Allison, "Benjamin is downstairs, Allison. Do you want to go say hello? The young master of the Sterling family is not an ordinary person."Allison, who had been leaning on the pool table,
"Congratulations, Benjamin. The first half of your tour has been a resounding success!" In the private room, Ava led the way, and a few others joined in for another round of drinks.Charlotte rested her cheek on her hand, her face slightly flushed from the drinks. When she heard the congratulatory words, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Simultaneously, she raised her glass to Benjamin."Here's to wishing you continued success in the second half of your tour."Benjamin nodded in appreciation. "Certainly."Charlotte pretended as if she were about to down her glass, but Benjamin gently halted her hand. She squinted her slightly reddened eyes and asked, "What's the matter?""You've had quite a bit to drink; you shouldn't have more.""I'm nowhere near my limit. I can handle my alcohol," she insisted, not even close to being intoxicated; she was completely sober.Ava took a playful approach, coming closer and holding up four fingers. "How many is this?"Charlotte giggled an
In the parking lot, the car's dazzling lights dimmed as a man stepped out of the Bentley, the back door opening for him. Allison had been waiting and was quite surprised by the identity of the arrival. She hadn't expected Griffith to arrive so quickly.Supressing her discontent, she jogged up to him, offering her most perfect smile. "Mr. Wilson."Griffith didn't look at her; his face was unusually distant and cold in the dark night. "Where is she?"Noticing that he was inquiring about Charlotte as soon as he arrived, Allison felt her expression drop. She clenched her fists momentarily before forcing a smile. "Mrs. Scott is on the third floor."Only after hearing her mention Charlotte's location did Griffith shift his gaze towards her. His look was calm, yet it held a penetrating intensity that quickened the heartbeat.Allison straightened her back and, after a moment, corrected herself, "Mrs. Wilson is on the third floor, and she might be drunk."Griffith recalled the image she h
Allison had known Griffith for quite some time, but she had never witnessed such a terrifying expression on his face.As soon as he laid eyes on the scene inside the private room, his gaze darkened, and an aura of cold oppression seemed to envelop him. His handsome face was tense, and his silence carried a deadly weight.Benjamin, too, was frozen in place, and the entire room felt suspended in time.Allison turned her attention to the people behind her, who couldn't see what was happening inside. She deliberately urged them, "Everyone, please leave!"The group of people, shaken by the intense atmosphere, quickly exited the room. Allison then turned back to see Griffith entering the private room. She observed his determined stride and recalled his history of decisive actions. He would never tolerate betrayal, and Charlotte appeared to be in significant trouble.Inside the private room, Charlotte was sleeping restlessly. In her intoxicated state, she kept muttering about the argumen
At the Secret bar, Ava returned to the private room after her restroom break and found Elijah standing by the door, looking somewhat embarrassed. Inside, Benjamin sat in his wheelchair, maintaining an eerie silence.Curious, Ava peeked inside and inquired, "Where's Lottie?"Elijah explained, "Griffith took her away.""Griffith?" Ava was taken aback."Yes," Elijah confirmed.Ava, perceptive as ever, sensed that something was amiss. She realized that an incident must have occurred during her absence. "I had a little incident in the restroom. A girl spilled ice cream on me, which delayed my return. How did Griffith arrive so quickly?" She purposely mentioned this and observed Benjamin, who glanced in her direction."Did someone hold you up?" Benjamin inquired.Ava's eyes darted between Benjamin and Elijah. She decided to sit inside and provide a detailed account of the situation, as they appeared to be waiting for her to explain.Meanwhile, at the mansion, the driver parked the ca
Helen waited in the living room, growing concerned as Griffith and Charlotte failed to come inside for an extended period. She sensed something might be amiss and ventured outside to investigate.As soon as she stepped out, distant cries of a woman reached her ears. She blushed upon recognizing the sounds, quickly exclaiming, and hastening back indoors. The people in the car seemed to have noticed her, as the car's lights and windows were all closed.It took some time for the yard to regain its quietude. The car's lights flickered back to life, and the car doors opened.After a brief moment, the sound of a man's footsteps on the grass could be heard. Griffith emerged from the car by himself, standing by the car door, his gaze solemn as he peered inside.The white camisole lay beneath the seat, and the woman was covered with his suit jacket. Her two slender legs were concealed beneath a black skirt. In the illumination, her breathing had steadied, but her face remained bright red. T
Charlotte found herself trapped in her dream, unable to awaken. Suddenly, a strong grip seized her wrist with such intensity that it felt as though her bones might shatter.The person in front of her turned around, and as she raised her head, she was met with his pitch-black, furious eyes. She was about to speak when she noticed the seething anger in his gaze.Momentarily stunned and somewhat perplexed, she couldn't comprehend why he was so enraged in her dream as well. Was it because he didn't want her to embrace him?Fine, she wouldn't hug him then. She bit her lip and took a step back. However, that very step backward seemed to enrage Griffith even more.So, now that she had recognized him, she wasn't willing to be close anymore, was that it? Had she been regarding him as Tobias ever since the car ride?He was on the brink of exploding. He glared at Charlotte's innocent face, almost feeling the urge to throttle her on the spot. He had lived for twenty-seven years, but when had
Griffith begging to marry her had to be the most absurd joke Charlotte had heard all year. She spent a fitful night and took that sentence as part of her dream.When she opened her eyes, the room was already well-lit. Her gaze roamed around, and she realized she was in Griffith's bedroom. She gingerly sat up, enduring some discomfort, and attempted to recollect the events of the previous night. Unfortunately, it was all a blur.Unable to rise immediately, she lay back down and examined the ornate clock on the wall, attempting to discern the time. It read ten o'clock. Oh, it was already ten o'clock!Her head throbbed painfully, and she felt nauseated. She hesitated to get up; after all, she was in Griffith's bed. She eventually rolled out of bed, tumbled onto the floor, and spotted her phone on the coffee table. Her phone still had some battery left as she had turned it off the previous night. Upon powering it on, she discovered a flood of messages awaiting her.At the top of the ch
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