"A castle?" "Yeah." Upon hearing this, Charlotte wanted to head to the castle directly. However, Griffith said they were still in the middle of preparation and they should take a stroll around the city instead. "Don't make it too extravagant; I'm not someone who's superficial," she said nonchalantly before walking down the street with her hands behind her back. Griffith followed her, responding, "I rarely celebrate birthdays for others, so it can't be too casual. My reputation is at stake."Charlotte stepped back to his side and stared at him, saying, "How many tiers of cake?" "As many as you want." Charlotte felt delighted. "Is your alma mater nearby?" "Yes, it's just ahead." "Can you show me around?" "Not today, let's grab something to eat." "Okay!" Charlotte continued walking, occasionally taking a few backward steps to talk to him. It just rained not long ago in Pueve City, so the weather was gloomy, but Charlotte still found the scene
'Why did she have to show up here?' Allison thought as she clenched her hands tightly."Ms. Scott, what a coincidence," Allison said.Charlotte smiled without saying a word. After tying the necktie and tightening it, she asked Griffith, "What do you think?"Griffith felt as though he were being strangled by her, but he managed to say, "You have good taste.""Exactly, right?" Charlotte agreed.Allison seethed inwardly. The frivolous purple color didn't seem to match Griffith's usual demeanor.Charlotte withdrew her hand and casually said, "Wait here while I make the payment. Have a chat with Ms. Wallace. I'll be back in a bit."However, Griffith held her back."I'll go with you. We'll pay and then leave.""What about Ms. Wallace?""I have nothing to say to her."Griffith didn't even spare a glance at Allison. He held Charlotte's hand and headed straight to the cashier. Charlotte raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.Allison instinctively called out, "Mr. Wilson!"Griffith h
"I just got robbed, isn't it normal to be angry?" She deliberately avoided mentioning Allison. Griffith grabbed a piece of cheese from the car and handed it to her."I was talking about Allison.""Oh, so you care about her." She tossed the cheese back to him.Griffith stared at the cheese, feeling somewhat disheartened."Does your hand hurt? Let me see."He wanted to examine it, but Charlotte clenched her fists tightly, refusing to reveal her hand. Griffith fell into silence. Charlotte figured he wasn't the type to explain himself, and even if he did, it would probably be perfunctory. They sat in silence for a while before Griffith began to explain."Yesterday, when you asked about my family history, there was something I didn't mention."Charlotte was perplexed as to why he brought up something seemingly unrelated."The path to accumulating capital has never been straightforward. I've collaborated with some unsavory individuals and engaged in illegal activities. There are th
Exiting the car, Charlotte only realized that the café was close to Griffith's alma mater. It was owned by his senior, Eason Howle. As they approached the entrance, a tall, bald man appeared. Seeing Griffith holding the door open for Charlotte, Eason exclaimed, "Holy cow!"Griffith stepped forward to greet him, and Eason casually returned the greeting. He cast a glance at Charlotte, then raised an eyebrow at Griffith, asking, "Your wife?"Before Griffith could reply, Charlotte chimed in."I'm Charlotte Scott. Nice to meet you."Eason shot Griffith a significant look. Speechless, Griffith ignored him and entered the café. They chose a table by the window, and soon, cakes and beverages were served. Eason, who had retreated behind the counter, kept sneaking glances in their direction.Charlotte cut herself a slice of cake, paying little attention to Griffith.Griffith watched her and said, "I'm still planning a birthday celebration for you tonight. Are you sure you don't want to tal
Although the journey from Austral to Pueve City had taken only about a day and a night, Charlotte felt as though it had been much longer, as if she had briefly experienced a romantic relationship with Griffith.During the trip, she had heard about his mother's tragedy, the cruelty of his maternal family, and his endeavors alongside Jude. It was like taking a fleeting glimpse into his past, which struck her as quite peculiar. She didn't particularly care about Allison, but the way Allison looked at Griffith made her uncomfortable, as if something of hers was being coveted.They spent a considerable amount of time in the café, leaving only when the sun had set. Eason followed them out and handed them a cake."He doesn't have a single hair on his face," Charlotte remarked as soon as the car started moving."He'll grow a beard during fall, and his whole face will be covered," Griffith said."Really?" Charlotte was surprised. She had never heard of such a quirky phenomenon."I'll show
The castle stood magnificent and opulent. She had never expected that Griffith would go to such lengths, bringing Ava and Lucy out of the country to celebrate with her. Ash and Julie were also in attendance, and Freddie had arrived early. The grand hall was adorned with a massive birthday cake as servants bustled about.Boom! Boom! Boom!Outside, fireworks filled the night sky, painting it with vibrant colors. Ava and Lucy encouraged Charlotte to go upstairs and change, with Julie tagging along."Remember when you chose Griffith? What did I say? Excellent choice!" Ava was beaming with enthusiasm.Charlotte glanced at the diamond bracelet in her hands and rolled her eyes.Lucy, sipping her juice, added, "Mr. Wilson always puts in the effort."Julie, not entirely sure if she understood but eager to praise Griffith, chimed in, "Brother Griffith is amazing!"Charlotte suppressed a laugh but fell silent, continuing to blow-dry her hair.Ava nudged her playfully. "What's on your mind
In the past few days, Griffith had intentionally displayed vulnerability, causing Charlotte to lower her guard a bit.She took a bite of cake and said, "You're right."A subtle glint flickered in Griffith's eyes."I can't keep relying on my ex-husband's money forever; people might start thinking I'm ungrateful," she said, licking her lips. "Alright then, let's minimize our interactions. I'll find a fresh start soon. Next year, celebrating my birthday won't be your concern, and I won't burden you financially. But I'll still invite you for a piece of cake, what do you say?""Fine..." He nodded, almost gritting his teeth as he reluctantly agreed. Then, he took a big sip of iced water.Charlotte struggled to hold back her laughter.She glanced at him, noticing that he had refrained from making a retort.Tsk.Looking down at the cake on her plate, she skewered a small piece with a fork and extended it toward him."Open your mouth."Griffith didn't even glance her way. "Not hungry.
Charlotte clenched her teeth, casting a quick glance around to ensure no one had witnessed their exchange before sighing in relief. She then shot a stern glare at Griffith.Griffith tried to justify himself, saying, "I'm only nice to you with an ulterior motive. You trying to move on to another relationship with the intention of getting free food and drinks from your partner is not ethical."After finishing a strawberry and starting on another, wiping the cream from his fingers with a tissue, he turned to her and continued, "You deceive me to get food and drinks, and I took advantage of the situation. So, it's fair."Charlotte was rendered speechless. She couldn't find the words to retort, so she begrudgingly continued eating the strawberry. She realized she needed to be cautious when dealing with him, as he was becoming crafty and unpredictable. She couldn't allow him to have the upper hand all the time.Suddenly, she realized she would soon have an opportunity to regain her advan
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