"You want her to be Benjamin's practice partner?" Griffith asked.Bridget nodded while looking at Charlotte.Charlotte was puzzled. Wasn't piano practice a solitary activity?Griffith did not respond immediately. So, Benjamin spoke up, "Uncle Griffith, is that not okay?"Meanwhile, Eli desperately signaled to Griffith.'Don't agree! That brat wants to make a move on you!' Eli exclaimed inwardly.Griffith ignored him and glanced at Charlotte, saying, "Well, she usually doesn't have much to do."Charlotte was about to voice out, but Griffith hinted at her not to."Well, that's great then. With a family member around, I can rest assured and return to Portchester City for a while," Bridget said while holding Charlotte's hand.Griffith took a sip of champagne and snorted. Just as he turned and looked at Eli, he sensed something was amiss."What's wrong with your eyes?"Feeling complicated, Eli was about to speak when he noticed Benjamin staring at him.He forced a smile and said
The room of people were Griffith's close associates or friends who were fully aware of the state of their marriage. So, no one found it unusual when Griffith responded in an indifferent tone.Nicholas called out to Charlotte, "Have a seat. We're all family here."She gave him a grateful smile and made her way over to where Griffith was sitting. Just as she settled in, there was a knock on the private room door. No one paid attention, assuming it was a waiter bringing drinks. A young woman went to open the door."Gosh!" she exclaimed.All eyes shifted to the door, and the atmosphere in the private room tensed up. Charlotte's heart skipped a beat as she looked and realized Simon Lewis had walked in. She was pondering if he had come to cause trouble for Griffith, then she noticed the lady's handbag in his hand.She felt a shiver run down her spine. Simon walked in casually, seemingly unfazed by Griffith's icy glare. He placed the handbag on the table."I heard you're here, so I thou
Everyone was cursing Simon inwardly for causing a scene. Eli was the most frustrated person in the room that he could not even focus on the cards. He casually removed his coat and watch and tossed them below the glass table. Griffith was close by, he gazed sharply at the watch. He remembered Simon was also wearing a watch. The brand was…He narrowed his eyes and scoffed. It seemed like Charlotte was here with him tonight, not by coincidence. Everyone else exchanged confused glances, uncertain of what was going on.Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. She got up to get some water. As she was returning, Allison brought over the wine and cards and naturally sat at Charlotte's spot. Charlotte felt displeased but quickly replaced by relief as she did not have to sit close to Griffith.When her eyes met Griffith's icy gaze, she lowered her head hastily and sat next to Nicholas. Allison began shuffling the cards, wondering what game to play since there were many players. However, some sai
Charlotte followed the crowd and walked into the main hall. Before she could see what was happening, a familiar voice rang."Griffith! What's wrong with you?!"It was Michelle."Simon, are you alright?" she asked Simon but was ignored.Charlotte was surprised to see Griffith resorting to violence. It was against his haughty demeanor, after all.Simon laughed and said, "Griffith, violence won't solve matters regarding women."Charlotte furrowed her brow. Suddenly, Nicholas whispered to her, "Charlotte, you need to clarify this matter. Regardless of the truth, you must deny it."Before Charlotte could react, he pushed her out of the crowd. The living room was not huge and was currently filled with at least 50 people surrounding Griffith and Simon, who were confronting each other.Griffith was sitting on the sofa with a large dog lying at his feet. While Simon stood calmly across him, there was blood on the corner of his mouth, yet he still taunted Griffith. Allison was all tensed
The crowd was shocked to see Griffith and Simon competing for Charlotte. Everyone knew Griffith and Charlotte were on bad terms, and rumors of their divorce had been circulating since the beginning of their marriage.Michelle was furious upon hearing Charlotte's words."Are you crazy? Do you find it satisfying that they're fighting over you?" Michelle exclaimed.Charlotte ignored her. She could not care less if they started fighting as long as she was not involved. She just wanted to get out of there."Are you afraid he will settle the score with you at home?" Simon insisted on dragging her into this matter."No," Charlotte responded without skipping a beat. "I'm afraid he will dislike me."The room fell silent."Everyone in King City knows that I'll follow him no matter what. After all these years, he's finally begun to look at me more favorably. With all these deceitful things you've stirred up, will he still treat me well?" she added.Griffith scoffed.Meanwhile, Simon seem
The crowd discussed among themselves after Griffith and Simon left.Simon chuckled and said to his close friends, "What a devoted woman. Such a pity.""Does your heart ache for her?" one of his friends teased."Indeed, it aches."Michelle's gaze was filled with resentment as she looked in the direction where Griffith and Charlotte left."What a shameful woman!" she ranted. She turned around and saw Simon smiling at her meaningfully. She tried to speak up but felt a lump in her throat.Meanwhile, Nicholas and the rest returned to the private room. As they walked back, Eli noticed Benjamin was at the stairway. Seated in his wheelchair, his gaze was intense. Eli did not know when he appeared and how much of Charlotte's words he had heard.He thought of taking this opportunity to dissuade him. So, he walked over and whispered, "Did you see that? She cares deeply for your Uncle Griffith."Benjamin responded nonchalantly, "It was all an act." Then he maneuvered his wheelchair around
Griffith knew Charlotte was not an easy woman to deal with. She had her ways of enchanting people. He snorted lightly, closed his eyes, and ignored her. When they reached the house, she intended to help him from the backseat, but he smoothly got out of the car on his own.As they entered the house, Helen was waiting for them. Griffith went upstairs while Charlotte went to the kitchen to get the pills for his hangover. Helen was quite pleased to see them getting along well recently.Charlotte sighed at her pitiful life before she carried the pills and a glass of water upstairs. In the master bedroom, Griffith was resting against the bedside."Take the pills before you sleep," she said.Griffith opened his eyes and glanced at her."What did you buy at 10 o'clock in the morning?" he asked.Charlotte paused for a moment, trying to recall. She remembered buying a watch. Seeing her expression, Griffith knew she had remembered."It has nothing to do with Simon, right?"She struggled t
"Griffith!"Her lips were sealed shut. She wanted to break loose, but he held her chin and pressed his lips forcefully against hers. Startled, she tried to push him away. They were already divorced, yet he still wanted to have his way with her? She might be seeking support from him but would never stoop so low.She opened her mouth and tried to bite him, but he anticipated it and gripped her cheeks. His grip was so strong it made her wince in pain. Griffith snorted and released her. He covered her mouth and kissed her neck recklessly."You've done this many times before. Why are you so nervous now?" Charlotte struggled to move. His breathing grew heavier as he kissed her ears and bit them softly."Behave yourself. I'll be much more accommodating next time you need my help."Charlotte looked him in the eyes. He must be drunk. When he looked at her, besides desire and lust, there was also a hint of tenderness in his eyes. She clutched the blanket beneath her, feeling somewhat daze
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