Michelle knew Elsa enjoyed swimming. Catered to her preference, it brought them closer."Charlotte, would you like to join us?" Michelle asked."Sure," Charlotte replied with a faint smile.As she stood up, she invited Griffith and Antonio to join. Upon hearing this, Griffith gave her a lingering look while Mariah furrowed her brow. Antonio was more than willing to join. Taking the opportunity, she also asked Mariah, "Would you like to come along?"Mariah gave her a cold glance and ignored her. She turned to Antonio, explaining she had other matters to attend to and that they would meet for dinner later. With a pointed look at her daughter, she excused herself.Seeing her mother leave, Michelle had mixed feelings of panic and regret. She wanted to please Elsa, but unfortunately, swimming was the only thing she excelled at out of a list of Elsa's favorite activities. However, she had unknowingly offended her mother.As her mother left, she clenched her teeth and glared at Charlott
Elsa was more than willing. She dropped her towel and stood up."Great! I'll race you!"Saying so, she turned and headed to the starting point.At that moment, Michelle happened to be returning. Looking at Charlotte in disbelief, she whispered, "Can you actually swim? Don't embarrass yourself."Charlotte responded calmly, "I've got nothing to lose since you've already embarrassed yourself."Michelle gritted her teeth and looked at Griffith, hoping he would stop Charlotte from her foolishness. However, Griffith only glanced over when he heard them. He did not say anything, and Michelle could tell he agreed with what Charlotte said.Not far away, Elsa was already calling for Charlotte. As Charlotte headed over to the starting point, Michelle found a place to sit down and waited for Charlotte to make a fool out of herself."What style are we swimming in?" Elsa asked."I'm fine with anything. You choose." Charlotte adjusted her swimming goggles.Elsa glanced at her legs. They were
Griffith bent down and extended his hand. Charlotte hesitated momentarily, as she never expected he would come to help her up. She saw that Elsa had already been pulled up and thought it might be appropriate for them to play the affectionate couple in this situation."What are you thinking? Aren't you coming up?" Griffith was losing his patience.Charlotte quickly reached for his hand and was pulled onto the shore. She slipped but was held securely around the waist by him. Meanwhile, Elsa, wrapped in a towel, watched her intently. Charlotte looked at her and said, "Still think Americans are weak?""You're impressive," Elsa said without signs of feeling embarrassed.Michelle was frustrated. She never imagined Charlotte would win the race and was sure that she did this on purpose to humiliate her. Elsa was naturally drawn to those who were better than her. Since Charlotte had beaten her, she was now sticking close to her.She wanted another match but was rejected. Then, she proposed
The water was warm, and the surroundings were quiet. Charlotte relaxed and leaned against the pool's edge, feeling somewhat weary. Her legs felt sore and uncomfortable. She tried to alleviate the discomfort by moving slightly, but it did not help much.Suddenly, her calf cramped violently. Panicked, she tried to grip the pool's edge. However, her legs were weak, and her arms were losing strength. She slid off the edge of the pool and submerged under water."Helpl!" She struggled to surface, shouting for help.She choked several times, and when she finally managed to breathe, her legs continued to cramp uncontrollably. The intensity was far worse than a typical leg cramp. There was no one in sight, and the server had suddenly disappeared.Darkness began to cloud her vision as she continued to cry for help."Gr-Griffi-th…"Her voice was muffled by water as she sank once again.Suddenly, a powerful force grabbed her by the neck and lifted her out of the water. She opened her eyes a
Griffith felt her soft and warm body rubbing against him. It was making him sweat and get restless. He suppressed his urges by recalling the kick she gave him on the bed the previous night. After a while, he could not hold back any longer."Are you done? Can you let go now?" he remarked."Can you put me down on the chair?" Charlotte released her grip.Seeing him not moving, she sighed and decided to get down on her own. Stepping down, the pain in her feet felt like being pricked by needles, but she gritted her teeth and endured it, limping over to a nearby chair. He watched her as she massaged her legs. Her head hung low as if she had suffered some grievance.Griffith furrowed his brow and headed indoors. Shortly after, he returned and tossed her a towel. She covered herself with the towel and saw him headed to the showers, impatiently taking off his wet shirt.Their eyes met through the glass door, and Griffith glared at her. Feeling wronged, she thought, 'What's wrong with him
"I'm serious! Sudden leg cramps, abnormal urination, it fits the descriptions," she said solemnly."Who told you that?""Google!"Griffith sneered, "Did Google also tell you you're terminally ill?"Charlotte was speechless."If you don't believe me, let's make a bet!" she said."You're penniless. What are you going to bet with me?" Griffith took off his watch and said.Charlotte was taken aback.Suddenly, Ash and Julia entered the house."There's nothing wrong with looking into this matter," Ash said.Charlotte's eyes lit up. She looked at Ash and said, "Something doesn't feel right. I've never experienced leg cramps as painful and long as this before.""You can take a urine test," Ash replied."Should we go to the hospital now?" Charlotte nodded.Before they could finish their conversation, Griffith scoffed. So, Ash stopped talking and brought Julia into the kitchen to find food.Charlotte was speechless. She looked at Griffith, who was sitting on the sofa, glancing at h
Charlotte immediately looked for a container. As she turned around, she saw a small white porcelain bottle on a nearby shelf.Griffith knocked on the table twice as a warning, "What are you thinking?""I just want to find a container of a similar size," she replied.Griffith withdrew his gaze with disdain.Charlotte rummaged through her room and finally found a small bottle. After everything was done, she put the small bottle in a bag and walked downstairs, embarrassed. Ash was already waiting for her."Just give it to me."Charlotte thanked him repeatedly and handed him the bag. Shortly after, Ash and Julia left the mansion. Feeling uneasy, Charlotte paced back and forth downstairs in a rather revealing nightgown.Griffith furrowed his brow, observing her wandering around in that revealing nightgown. He couldn't help but recall how she had gasped for breath while leaning on him earlier, with hardly any clothes on. His expression darkened, and he threw his tablet on the table.
Mariah had three children, two daughters and a son. When Michelle was born, she was still a secretary. In her pursuit of advancement, she inadvertently neglected Michelle's upbringing. After marrying into the Wilson Family, she gave birth to the twins, which caused her to neglect Michelle even more. As such, she was spoiled and not so intelligent."Griffith is at the height of his power. He's even forced your father to retreat to Portchester City. So, why are you provoking him?" Mariah was indignant.Michelle's impulsive actions were clearly fueled by jealousy, as she thought Simon Lewis seemed interested in Charlotte."Mom, I just wanted to help you," she said."Nonsense!" Mariah pinched Michelle's face and said in exasperation, "What's the use in killing Charlotte? If you truly have the guts, then poison Griffith."She finished speaking but then panicked, afraid Michelle might act on her words."Griffith might be strong, but your father has only temporarily stepped back. He will
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