She got no sleep at all the day before yesterday, and she could not sleep last night either because of what had happened to her grandmother. At that moment, she felt as if her steps were so light that she was merely gliding across the floor. She had been walking for a while when someone bumped into her shoulder. The next moment, she staggered and fell to the ground right away. Fortunately, her clothes had been thick enough to pad her fall, so it didn't hurt much.Just as she was about to struggle her way up onto her feet again, someone swiftly rushed over to her side and helped her up.She turned to that person and realized that it was Peter."How did you...""I parked my car by the side of the road," He explained. "I think I'd better drive you home, after all."Although she had refused his offer earlier, he was still too concerned about her that he had to follow behind her in his car."No, it's fine. I can walk home by myself.""But someone merely brushed past you just now an
Serenity paused in her steps and slowly turned around, watching as the departing car gradually turned into a tiny black dot in the distance.Perhaps there would never be another man like Peter who truly cared for her. He didn't even mind her past as a convict, but... she didn't want to burden him.When the car was out of her sight, Serenity turned around and walked slowly into the residential area.At that moment, she didn't notice a black Bentley parked not too far away on the side of the road. A man lazily glanced out the window from inside with a faint smile on the corner of his lips as if he had just witnessed something amusing.However, Connor, who was sitting in the front, trembled in fear as he studied his boss through the rearview mirror.That look on Jackson's face... was like he was about to explode in anger!Connor couldn't help but put the blame on Serenity for the situation he was in right now. She should have just returned home on her own instead of letting a man es
Jackson slowly leaned down, his face approaching hers, then gently rubbed his cheek against hers as if his actions were filled with boundless affection.However, his words that were softly uttered next sent shivers down her spine."None of my business, hmm? But if I want to know something, I'll find out for sure. Tell me, if something happened to him, wouldn't I know where he truly stands in your heart, then?"Serenity trembled violently at the underlying threat in his words as she glared at Jackson."What do you want? We're just colleagues, nothing more!""But he likes you, doesn't he?" Jackson murmured as his thumb lightly grazed her soft lips."D-don't do anything to him," Serenity said, her lips quivering slightly."So, you care about him, Sis?" Jackson's voice when he spoke was as soothing as a summer's breeze, almost as if it could lower anyone's guard when they heard him.However, there was a hint of steel in his gaze."N-no..." Serenity stuttered, trying to avoid his
"Understood," Connor replied as he glanced cautiously at the two people in the backseat through the rearview mirror.Serenity had her head lowered, and he was unable to see her expression, but Jackson's mood seemed to have improved compared to when they had first entered the residential area.'Well, that's a good thing, I guess,' Connor thought.The Royal Court restaurant was a well-known establishment in the city which specialized in luxurious cuisine. Naturally, the prices there were high, and those who dined there were either wealthy or influential. It was impossible for ordinary people to go there.When the car stopped before the entrance of the restaurant, Jackson took Serenity's hand after they got out of the car.She instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but Jackson held on tightly."Don't move, Sis, or I can't guarantee the methods I'll use to get you inside," Jackson said casually.Serenity froze and stopped struggling.He led her into the restaurant where the st
But more than this disgusting feeling, what Amanda feared the most was not being able to live a successful life from now on. She was stressed that she would have to work hard from nine to five like an ordinary person, scrimping and saving for a long time just to buy a designer bag.The thought of such a life scared her.In Amanda's imagination, she should be looking down on Serenity from her high and mighty position. But now, Serenity had seen her fawning over a chubby and unattractive person. So, it was only natural that she was furious."Amanda, do you know her?" The short and fat middle-aged man standing next to Amanda asked."Yeah. She just got out of prison not too long ago, and she's now a street sweeper!" Amanda maliciously exposed Serenity's background and then looked at the manager standing nearby. "Did the Royal Court drop standards? How can even a street sweeper afford to come in now?"Because Jackson was currently facing away from Amanda, she didn't see his face...Ho
As clueless as Amanda was, even she knew when she had run into a brick wall.When had Serenity met such a good-looking and wealthy man? A hint of jealousy rose in Amanda's heart before she realized the man's face seemed familiar as if she had seen him somewhere.Suddenly, Amanda's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "Aren't you... Serenity's boytoy from back then?"As soon as the words left her mouth, the manager's face instantly changed, and Mr. Crouch barely stopped himself from falling to the ground.He wished he had never met someone like Amanda!Who the hell would dare speak about Jackson like this in the entire city?!Jackson looked at Amanda with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and an icy-cold glare."Amanda, what nonsense are you talking about?! This is Jackson, the CEO of the Valor Group!" Mr. Crouch hurriedly explained.Amanda stared at him, her eyes filled with disbelief.This man... was actually Jackson Valor?!How was that possible?! How could Jackson be
The ambiguous way in which Jackson treated Serenity shocked the restaurant's manager and Mr. Crouch.It was said that Jackson had no interest in women. Even when he was with his former fiancée, the two always maintained a respectful distance. When had anyone ever seen him being so close to a woman, especially in such a public setting, and even demanding justice for her?Amanda knelt and trembled as she apologized, "Serenity... It was all my fault. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I-I won't do it again. Please forgive me!"Serenity looked at Amanda without a shred of sympathy. After all, Amanda had never shown any sympathy toward her. She wasn't a saint who would sympathize with someone who only knew how to ridicule and mock her.However, she didn't appreciate this kind of gesture either. She felt no satisfaction whatsoever even as Amanda knelt before her."Sis, do you think you should forgive her?" Jackson whispered as if he was offering her a chance to decide."It's up
Jackson Valor was already standing up for Serenity Lewis even back then!Serenity followed Jackson into the private room. After they sat down, Jackson told the manager to bring over some appetizers."Come, eat something first while we wait for the food. The appetizers here are pretty good," he said as he picked up a piece of tart and handed it to her.Serenity hesitated for a moment before accepting the tart. She took a few small bites.Jackson placed the menu in front of Serenity. "Take a look and see what you’d like to order.""It's okay, just order me anything," said Serenity. Even though she was eating an exquisite-looking tart, it felt tasteless to her. She felt like she was chewing wax.Jackson's eyes narrowed slightly.The air around them instantly felt a bit colder.The manager held his breath. He was afraid that Jackson might fly into a rage.Luckily, a smile appeared on Jackson's face. "Okay, I'll order for you then."He ordered a few things. The manager jotted the
“……” Morgan suddenly found himself unable to retort. She... wasn't wrong. “But when you play house, you can pretend to be parents with one person today and another person tomorrow. Real marriage is different; you can’t choose someone else.”Renee widened her eyes, listening intently.“The only person you can choose is me. Do you understand, Renee?” he continued.She nodded vigorously. “I understand!”“Do you really?” Morgan asked, a little skeptical. He was already fifteen, so he could grasp the concept of marriage, but she was only eight. Could she truly comprehend it?“So, in the future, I can only marry Morgan and be your bride, right? I can't be someone else's bride, right?” she asked. “I don’t want to marry other boys anyway. I like you the most, Morgan. Of course I’ll only be your bride!” she happily declared, her worries fading away.So she could be Morgan's bride when she grew up! That's great!After finishing another piece of snack, Renee thought of something. She put o
Despite her unease, she couldn’t resist when she saw the sweet desserts. She indulged herself.However, as she ate, her eyes remained fixed on Morgan, clearly still waiting for him to clarify Lucy’s claims.“You want to know if you’re a child bride, right?” Morgan began.Renee nodded.“Do you know what a child bride is?” he asked.She blinked. She had a vague idea, but not enough for her to articulate it.“To put it simply, a child bride is a girl raised by a boy's family. The girl will marry the boy when she comes of age. In the old days, some families were too poor to raise their daughters, so they would sell their daughters to become child brides for richer families,” Morgan explained.Renee blinked. “But my parents aren’t poor, and I'm raised by them, not by other people. That means I’m not a child bride, right?”“Correct, you are not,” Morgan affirmed.She breathed a sigh of relief, and a bright smile spread across her face. “I knew it! My parents would never sell me! The
"Morgan!" Renee turned to Morgan, unease etched on her face."The Moon family, eh? I'll remember this," Morgan replied calmly, then lowered his head to meet Renee's anxious and confused face. "Let's go, Renee. I’ll tell you what you want to know later."He led her away holding her hand.Benson looked worried. "Miss Lucy, how could you say that?""It's the truth!" Lucy shook off her fear and spoke defiantly. "Daddy and Mommy said she’s a child bride. A child bride is a girl sold by her own parents!""But the White family is not like that. Those things only happened to daughters of poor families in the old days," Benson explained. "You really shouldn’t have said that, Miss Lucy. You shouldn’t do that again.""Why do I have to listen to you?" Lucy retorted, displeased.Benson was too ashamed to tell Lucy in front of others that the Moon family simply couldn’t afford to offend Morgan. Dealing with the White family was already a headache, and Morgan's background was even more formi
Benson and Lucy were also dumbfounded. Benson started getting anxious. He felt like things were starting to unfold in ways that he did not expect."Mr. Grimes, I..." Benson stepped forward, intending to speak to Mr. Grimes.However, Mr. Grimes moved past Benson without so much as a glance at him. He went up to Morgan and said, "Master Morgan, I apologize for the oversight!"Everyone was stunned to hear that, including the security guards who had been called over. They were secretly relieved they hadn't forcibly removed anyone yet. If they had offended someone Mr. Grimes was showing so much respect to, it would have been really bad for them!Morgan regarded Mr. Grimes with an unreadable expression. He calmly recounted the situation to Mr. Grimes.After hearing about what happened, Mr. Grimes responded, "This set of stamps was not pre-ordered. If you like it, please take it. Feel free to take anything else in the exhibition that catches your eye."This declaration shocked every
"Who are you?!" Benson exclaimed, astonished. The mysterious figure remained silent, simply looking at Morgan.Morgan calmly reiterated to Benson, "I said, wait for Mr. Grimes." He then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "I'm Morgan Wood. Please have Mr. Grimes from Lazy Cat Culture come to the Sleepy Cat Exhibition in Solaria. He should be in the area, right?"After ending the call, the person on the other end stared at the phone in disbelief.The Sleepy Cat Exhibition? What's going on?Benson, Lucy, and the staff stared at Morgan in shock, but the look in their eyes quickly turned to ridicule."Ah, a young man's naive bravado – how impudent!" Benson scoffed."Sir, please don't cause trouble," the staff member warned. "Or I'll have to call security."Morgan simply lowered his head to say to Renee, "Looks like we'll be here for a while. If you're bored, I can ask someone to walk around with you."Renee shook her head. "Morgan, what if this stamp set has really been p
Benson's words were not only meant to exert pressure on the staff, but also to inform him that they were on the same side.As expected, when the staff heard what he said, there was an instant change in his expression. He turned to Morgan and Renee and said, "I'm sorry, but it turns out this stamp set has already been pre-ordered by this customer."Morgan saw through the so-called pre-order as nothing more than an act. "When I asked you to wrap it up earlier, I didn’t hear you mention it was pre-ordered.""We forgot to mention that. Our apologies," the staff replied.Lucy, wearing a smug expression, raised her chin at Renee, causing Renee to puff out her cheeks in frustration.Benson calmly observed Morgan and Renee. The White family's White Maple Group had numerous overlapping businesses with the Moon Group. They were often competing with each other. Originally, the White Maple Group’s business activities weren't concentrated in Solaria, so even though there was competition wi
But before Morgan had even finished speaking, a girl's voice piped up, "I want this stamp set!"He turned to the voice and, upon seeing who it was, narrowed his eyes slightly. It was Lucy Moon, the girl Renee mentioned earlier. At the sight of Lucy, Renee immediately reacted like an angry little kitten. "Lucy Moon, why do you always try to take my stuff away?""Your stuff? How is this your stuff? You haven't paid yet!" Lucy shot back, her eyes fixed on Morgan.Morgan was well-known in their class, admired by many girls who claimed he was even more handsome than movie stars. If only Lucy had a big brother like that! She would be the envy of all the girls in class... no, all the girls in school!Unfortunately, her own big brother was not as good-looking.Last time, Lucy had tried to give Renee Sleepy Cat toys, asking for Morgan's email address in return. However, Renee accepted gifts from everyone but her, which infuriated Lucy."But if you want, I can give this stamp set to Re
Unlike many wealthy kids, Renee was quite restrained with her spending. She had never spent recklessly and often saved leftover money. Of course, when she wanted something beyond her budget, she would act cute and ask her Daddy or Morgan to buy it for her.Lisa was the least susceptible to her charms, so Renee didn’t dare to bother her!When they arrived at the exhibition, Renee’s eyes sparkled with excitement. There were so many adorable Sleepy Cat merchandise! They're all so cute! She wanted a lot of them, but realizing her limited budget, she knew she needed a sponsor! The best one was right beside her: Morgan!"Morgan," she said, flashing him a super bright smile.Seeing her like this, Morgan immediately knew she wanted to ask him for something. "What is it? Do you want me to buy you Sleepy Cat merchandise?""You’re so smart, Morgan! No wonder so many girls in our class like you and asked me for your phone number!" Renee praised him.As soon as she mentioned it, Morgan'
"Okay," Renee replied obediently, snuggling up to Morgan and acting cute. "Take me to the exhibition, Morgan! I know you’re the best. You’ll definitely take me, right?"Morgan pursed his lips. At 15, he was no longer a little boy. Although Renee was only 8, she was his destined wife.He had been protecting her since the day she was born. At first, he thought that he would only marry her because according to the family prophecy, she was the one most suitable for him. Over the years, however, he realized that his feelings for her ran deeper than he had initially thought.He found himself wanting to help her fulfill her wishes, and would clean up the mess when she caused trouble. Things had become different from what he had expected, but he welcomed them. He felt grateful that she was the one who was destined for him!With her by his side for the rest of his life, he would never feel lonely."Will you get into fights again?" Morgan asked."No more fighting, I promise!" Renee quickly