No one in the room could be considered a fool. First, Preston had complicated matters for Charlotte, and now Griffith was adding fuel to the fire for Preston's discomfort. It was evident to all that he was venting his frustration on behalf of Charlotte.Yet, amidst the intrigue, everyone couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious actress in this theater. After all, Griffith's marital status was common knowledge. Could she possibly be a secret mistress hidden outside his marriage? Even if she were, she must hold a unique place in Griffith's heart for him to defend her so ardently.Preston, left to stew in Griffith's cold shoulder, felt a growing anger inside him. However, he was well aware of Griffith's influence and his own position within his family, so he clenched his teeth and continued to sip his drink, masking his emotions behind a forced smile.He hoped Griffith would relent, at least for the sake of his father. But to his dismay, Ash promptly poured another half bottle of
Bang!The abrupt sound of Preston collapsing sent shockwaves through the room. Even though Charlotte had anticipated this moment, she, like everyone else, was taken aback. She swiftly turned her gaze towards Griffith, who maintained a composed demeanor. He casually picked up the untouched bowl of sea cucumber soup and took a sip.Soon after, Preston was carried away.Charlotte's glance drifted to Mr. Logan, who seemed to want to disappear beneath the table. She maintained her stoic expression, her feelings a mix of complexity. In a world like this, those without powerful backgrounds faced tremendous challenges.With Preston's condition being attended to and Lucy nearing the end of her meal, Charlotte was eager to leave.Before she could voice her intention, Griffith addressed Clyde, "Today was rather rushed, and I have some unfinished business to attend to. I'll take my leave now and visit another time."Clyde nodded in agreement. "That's perfectly fine. Our house is quite occupi
On the bus, exhaustion weighed heavily on everyone, and a solemn silence enveloped the passengers. Charlotte reclined in her seat, observing the passing scenery outside the window with an unchanged expression.Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up to find a message from Lucy, who sat beside her."Is Mr. Wilson your husband?"Having an overly astute friend could be a double-edged sword.Despite their relatively short acquaintance, Charlotte had a deep level of trust in Lucy. After a brief hesitation, she responded with a message. "My ex-husband."Lucy replied with an incredulous gasp.Charlotte continued typing, "Please don't mention it to anyone."Lucy responded, "Who would believe me if I did?"Charlotte concurred, "You're right."The conversation lapsed into silence, but it was evident that Lucy was far from calm as she fidgeted in her seat.After a prolonged journey, the bus finally arrived in a bustling area, pulling up in front of a hotel. It was nearly 10 p.m. The cool
Charlotte noticed that Griffith had been stepped on. A moment ago, she had readied to shield herself with her hand, thinking he would continue to move backward. However, he remained still.Eli chuckled and playfully glanced at Griffith, receiving a frosty glare in return. He shrugged and took a step forward.Julie, on the other hand, was more polite and quickly apologized to Griffith. He responded with a brief acknowledgment and then firmly grasped Julie's collar to separate her from Eli."Brother Griffith?" Julie queried."Don't play with him," Griffith stated curtly.Julie appeared puzzled.Leaning against the wall, Charlotte could distinctly hear their conversation. Griffith hadn't retreated; he was still standing very close to her. If she raised her hand slightly, she could touch him.His presence enveloped her with every breath, and there was no escape from it. She glanced upward, and the overhead light cast a shadow that allowed her to see his hair.Ding!The elevator ar
Eli didn't notice anything wrong with Charlotte, but Griffith did, which somewhat surprised him."Hey, have you been staring at her since you first saw her?" Eli teased. In his mind, he mused, 'That's the only way he figured out what's going on.'Griffith had an unnatural expression, but he was skilled at concealing his emotional fluctuations with his usual cold demeanor."If you have nothing else to do here, just leave early and stop being noisy," Griffith said.Eli reclined on the large sofa next to him, took out his phone, and glanced at it. "I'm not leaving.""Do I have to get someone carry you out?" Griffith asked.Eli showed no fear, with one hand behind his head, and played with his phone while saying, "Your wife's friend didn't look well. If you're lucky, she'll get sick in the middle of the night, then you can show up again."Griffith frowned. Charlotte's friend? He only remembered the girl's face and hadn't paid attention to her complexion.Eli turned toward him and s
Charlotte was quite impressed with Eli's apparent kindness. Although her attitude wasn't particularly warm, Eli didn't seem to mind. They engaged in conversation in the elevator and continued chatting until they reached the entrance of the pharmacy.She went inside, and to her surprise, he followed."Are you buying medicine too?" she asked."I'm buying some everyday items," he replied.Charlotte observed as he went to the front desk and picked up two boxes of products from a certain brand. She suppressed a smile and turned away to consult with the pharmacist. Following their recommendations, she bought two boxes of medicine.Stepping outside, she found Eli standing next to the car, talking on the phone. She walked past him from the side. Back in the hotel lobby, her feet were starting to feel uncomfortable due to her hurried pace.As the elevator door opened, she was startled to lock eyes with a man. For a moment, she froze. Griffith saw her, but there was no immediate reaction.
After dialing the number, about three to five seconds later, someone picked up the call. Charlotte felt like she had grasped a lifeline. Without waiting for the person on the other end to speak, she said, "Hello, is this Glory Hospital?"There was a brief pause from the other end. After a moment, a clear and calm voice said, "Is your friend sick?"Charlotte's eyes widened. She lowered the phone and wondered if she had misheard. Was that Griffith's voice? She opened her mouth, then looked at the number Eli had given her, and it seemed she hadn't dialed it wrong. She picked up the phone again, thinking to herself that she might have dialed the wrong number.The person on the other end, however, said, "It's me, Griffith."Obviously! She wasn't deaf! Charlotte was speechless. "I know."She furrowed her brow and glanced at Lucy. She didn't have the time to discuss other matters. She said, "Eli left a hospital number for me; it's probably a mistake on his part."As she spoke, she added
Charlotte quickly regained her balance. Griffith, standing beside her, had subtly lifted his arm in her direction, but observing her steadiness, he silently withdrew his arm."We've arrived," the elevator chimed cheerfully.The bodyguard exited first, and Charlotte followed suit, with Griffith walking behind her.A business car awaited them downstairs, its interior spacious and comfortable. Charlotte settled into a seat, with Lucy leaning against her, while Griffith took a seat opposite them.The journey from the hotel to the hospital was brief, lasting only a few minutes. Charlotte occasionally glanced down, tending to Lucy's neckline, checking her temperature, and speaking softly to her, despite Lucy's lack of response.Griffith, however, seemed oblivious to her small gestures. He remained seated across from her, maintaining a stoic silence.Upon their arrival at the hospital, they were promptly received by the staff. Lucy was swiftly taken to the VIP ward, where a doctor arriv
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