Upon hearing the voice messages from Julie, Charlotte couldn't shake the strong suspicion that the Winslets were in Portchester City. This triggered a faint memory of someone else. Ash was always by his side. If Ash was here, then where was he?Lost in thought while staring at her phone screen, she was suddenly jolted by an abrupt brake and the ensuing commotion. She narrowly avoided colliding with the seat in front of her, causing her phone to slip from her hand.Amid complaints, Mr. Logan uttered, "Everyone, please be quiet."The bus came to a halt on the side of the road. Charlotte, intent on retrieving her phone, bent down but couldn't find it. She requested those around her to help search."Mr. Carlson, it's a pleasure to meet you.""You’re from the drama troupe?""Yes, that's right."Ahead, Mr. Logan and a man were engaged in a conversation, and the other person's voice sounded somewhat tipsy.Charlotte happened to notice the location of her phone, so she called Mary. Mar
Earlier, the group had money on their minds, but now they were all more composed. Being a bus full of young women, they had second thoughts and started to feel frightened. Many of them didn't want to continue the performance.Suzanne, who was used to dealing with strange situations, also sensed that something was amiss.Inside the bus, passengers kept expressing their intent to get off the bus, one after another. Mr. Logan, however, remained unfazed and said, "Look around, is it safe to get off? It's dark, and we're stranded in the middle of nowhere. It's even more unsafe to get off the bus."As the passengers looked out, they realized it wasn't a good idea to disembark. The area near the mountain villa was desolate, and with their bus stuck halfway, getting off would be even more dangerous."Let's go back the way we came," Charlotte suggested.The others quickly agreed.Mr. Logan became stern and stated, "There's really nothing to worry about. You're making a big fuss over nothi
Mr. Logan didn't expect Charlotte to be so resolute. In his previous dealings with Jessica, she would usually compromise, so he felt a little upset about Charlotte's firmness. However, he also considered her influential background and didn't want to stir up trouble. Furthermore, there was a large group of people waiting for them upstairs, and he didn't want to waste more time with Charlotte."Fine!" he waved his hand dismissively. "If you don't want to go, don't."As soon as he spoke, he glanced at the other girls in the room."As for the rest of you, get ready and come upstairs with me.""Mr. Logan..." one of the girls said softly.Mr. Logan raised his voice, "If you're not willing to go, you can leave and wait to be dismissed. I've never met artists as difficult to serve as you. We're just having a couple of drinks, and you're making it sound like I'm trying to sell you."He pointed at Charlotte, "She's the lead actress. Although they specifically requested her, it's fine if sh
Upstairs in the private room, Charlotte and Lucy arrived last. In the corridor, they encountered the Second Young Master, Preston Carlson.Preston had his arm around a young woman, elegantly dressed, who scolded him, "Brother! Why did you bring these actresses in here? Dad hates it when you guys play with them. You can fool around outside, but bringing them here? Do you want the main branch to find fault with us?"Preston, seemingly unperturbed, tried to calm her down. "Enough, I've got this. What are you afraid of? When you marry into the Sterling family, the main branch will have to respect us!""Why are you even bringing that up?" The young woman looked disgusted and was about to continue when she noticed Charlotte, with her striking appearance, and Lucy, who appeared delicate and fragile despite her endearing look. She crossed her arms, as if she intended to say something to them.Preston acted swiftly, pulling her away. His gaze shifted to Charlotte, who wore a tight dress tha
"How many years have you been in the industry?" Preston asked."Two to three years," Lucy replied."So long? You don't look like it," Preston remarked with deliberate closeness. His hand had already descended, encircling Lucy's waist. Charlotte watched the unsettling scene, her skin crawling. She noticed Lucy clutching her hand, her face pallid, trying to endure the intrusion.Charlotte rolled her eyes and, subtly beneath the table, nudged Mr. Logan. He glanced at her, wearing an awkward expression, but he recalled her earlier threat and reluctantly poured a glass of alcohol, rising to toast Preston.Preston, now slightly distanced, accepted the drink from Mr. Logan and downed it.As he placed the empty glass down, a bespectacled man with an elegant demeanor took a bottle of strong liquor and circumvented most of the table to approach Charlotte and Lucy from behind."Allow me to refill the glasses of these two lovely ladies," he said casually.Charlotte noticed that he was pouri
Lucy struggled to get up, using the table for support. Her legs almost gave way beneath her, and the men around couldn't resist making lewd comments.Observing the escalating situation, Charlotte glanced at Mr. Logan, who was also sweating, realizing that things were spiraling out of control. She decided to take action."She's not feeling well tonight; allow me to dance in her place," Charlotte proposed.Preston, taken aback by her initiative, quickly shifted his focus away from Lucy."Do you know how to dance as well?""I've studied dance for a few years, and I'd be happy to show you.""Alright, you can dance."Charlotte smiled and asked, "I need to use the restroom. Is that fine?""Go ahead," Preston consented, not worried about her running away given the circumstances.Charlotte, seemingly unfazed, walked past the outermost table. Along the way, she noticed a man holding Mary, and her eyes revealed a touch of coldness, but she continued on.Once outside the room, she quick
"One person is not enough. I suggest a few of you line up, press your legs against the table, and give us a performance," one of the men suggested, revealing their crude intentions. The idea of a group of women in tight dresses raising their legs and pressing them against the edge of the dining table was disturbingly perverse. Charlotte felt her anxiety spike, wondering why the main branch of the Carlsons hadn't arrived to intervene.Preston called over a few more people and insisted that Charlotte drink a couple more glasses. Simultaneously, he called over several girls, including Lucy, to join her. The crowd urged them on, and Charlotte and Lucy exchanged worried glances, both sweating from the pressure. On the table, Mr. Logan was also growing uneasy, but he couldn't stop the situation now.Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, causing everyone to turn toward the source of the noise. Mary, who had been held by one of the men, had been subjected to something dreadful, leading her t
Suzanne was escorted away by Mr. Logan, who then hurried to the reception room to help escort the others out. Charlotte and Lucy found themselves seated at a separate table outside the room. The men at their table were more restrained, none of them daring to be overly forward.Mr. Logan tried to reassure them before the distinguished guest arrived, saying, "The guest is here for business discussions. He won't force the girls. Don't wor—Ah!"Before Mr. Logan could finish his sentence, Charlotte interrupted him by throwing a glass of alcohol in his face. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected turn of events."Get lost!" Charlotte snapped, not mincing words and not giving Mr. Logan any leeway.Mr. Logan, with alcohol dripping down his face, managed to maintain a friendly facade. He moved to another table, wary of causing a scene that might offend the Carlsons.Lucy tugged at Charlotte's hand, relieved. "We should be safe now. With all the commotion, even if they're interested
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