"Mary has been regretting all this time. She's actually kept you in her heart all along..." Serenity said."Don't mention her again," he interrupted, "I don't want to hear about her anymore."Serenity hesitated and ultimately dropped the topic.Back at Valor Residence, both children were already asleep. Serenity and Jackson returned to the bedroom. As Jackson changed out of his clothes, the scar on his chest caught her eye.Her heart twinged again. The scar was so prominent, a reminder of the injuries he had suffered.With today's medical technology, such scars could easily be removed with laser treatment. Yet, he chose to keep it. It was a reminder of the harm his mother had caused him, right?"Jack, are you really happy like this?" Serenity asked abruptly."What?" he turned to look at her.She walked up to him, gently running her fingers over the scar on his chest. "You've never really let go of the past. Are you truly happy?"He tensed, his gaze complex as he looked at he
However, Serenity continued to hold onto Jackson tightly. She deepened the kiss as if this moment was everything to her.After what seemed like an eternity, the kiss finally ended. By that time, she was thoroughly soaked."What's wrong?" Jackson asked, wiping the water droplets off Serenity's face."It's just... I suddenly felt the urge to tell you that I love you!" Serenity said. Her petite chin, delicate nose bridge, and almond-shaped eyes glistened with moisture. Her rosy lips were slightly parted, and they appeared alluring and endearing. If anyone saw her, one wouldn't imagine she was the mother of three children."You ran in here just to tell me you love me?" He chuckled, finding her behavior somewhat surprising."Yeah," she said.She slid her fingers gently over his eyebrows, the corners of his eyes, his nose bridge, and finally stopped on his lips. "Jack, I want you to know that you're the one I love the most."She cupped his face as he carried her out of the bathr
Serenity murmured, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to."She quickly finished preparing the beef and vegetable soup, then the two of them sat at the dining table. Jackson fetched the utensils, and they began to eat."Jack, do you trust me?" Serenity suddenly asked."As long as you don't betray me, I will always trust you," Jackson replied.Serenity's hand tightened around her spoon."What if... one day, I'm forced to betray you? If, for many reasons, an accidental betrayal occurs, would you..." She bit her lip, struggling to continue. "would you forgive me?""What if I don't forgive you?" he continued to eat the soup she had made as he answered casually.Her fingers suddenly slackened, and the spoon fell with a clatter onto the table.He looked up, glanced at the spoon, then back at her face. "What's wrong? Surprised by what I said?"Surprised?Yes. Serenity had to admit that she was."In this world, anyone can betray me. Connor, Elliot, and even the kids. But only you, Serenity... Yo
This time, Serenity didn't call for a driver but drove herself to the destination.As she arrived, Jackson's men seemed quite surprised to see her. "Madam, what brings you here?" one of them questioned."I've come to check on Edward and Mary. Is there a problem?" Serenity countered."But, Sir...""If Jack hadn't told me that Edward and Mary were here, how could I have found this place? Step aside!" Serenity snapped.Knowing Serenity's significance in Jackson's heart, the men didn't dare say much and moved aside.After entering the rundown apartment, Serenity found Edward sitting on a chair by the bed, holding Mary's hand tightly. His head bobbed up and down with obvious signs of exhaustion.Mary lay on the shabby bed. She seemed asleep but was clearly restless. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily. Her forehead was also covered in sweat.Serenity quickly reached out to touch Mary's forehead, feeling the alarming heat. Her action startled Edward, who woke up abr
"Mary, you need to go to the hospital first. After you recover from your fever, you can ask him yourself," Serenity advised."Okay, okay, I... I'll ask him myself after I get better!" Mary mumbled before passing out again.Serenity and Edward exchanged glances, then carefully carried Mary out of the apartment.However, as soon as they stepped outside, the guards assigned to watch Mary stopped them."Mrs. Valor, Mr. Klein can leave anytime, but Mr. Valor did not give permission for, um... for his wife to leave!" one of the guards said."I'm taking Mary to the hospital right now. Step aside, all of you!" Serenity insisted."I'm sorry, but we cannot let you pass," the guard insisted.Serenity took a determined step forward. "Mrs. Valor, please don't make this difficult," the guard warned."I'm Mrs. Valor, the mistress of the Valor family, and I'm taking her away. If anything happens, I will take full responsibility. But if you continue to hinder us and if anything happens to Mar
Her hands tightly gripped the steering wheel, her palms growing sweaty. It had been a while since she felt this level of anxiety while driving. Her heart raced, and a constant unease lingered within her.Would Jack forgive her?He had always said that anyone could betray him, but not her.And yet, she had betrayed him. For Mary's sake, she actually... The images of him savoring the vegetable beef soup she made, and of him sleeping soundly in bed surfaced in Serenity's mind, causing a pang in her heart.Stop dwelling on it, she silently admonished herself. The most important thing now was to get Edward and Mary out of Solaria.Once they reached the highway entrance, she could pass Edward and Mary onto the person who helped her locate Mary. Everything would be alright then.As the car gradually approached the highway entrance, Serenity could already make out the familiar sign up ahead.However, as they drew closer, she froze. Her foot slowly released the accelerator, and her han
"No, that's not it, I did it because..." She attempted to explain, but he gently pressed his finger against her lips, silencing her.Her eyes widened as she watched him retrieve a talisman and a bottle of pills from his pocket.The talisman was the one Lucas gave her. The address on it helped her find Edward and Mary. The bottle contained the sleeping pills she used to drug the vegetable beef soup. But he was supposed to be asleep. Why was he standing in front of her right now?"For Mary, you sought help from Lucas' contact and drugged me. Is this how you love me?" He toyed with the two items in his hand.Serenity's face turned pale, and her throat felt constricted. So he knew everything! Or perhaps, everything was under his control all along?"I replaced the pills in this bottle with regular vitamins, so naturally, I didn't fall asleep as you intended. As for the person helping you..." Jackson's gaze shifted to the side, and it was then that Serenity noticed the person who was su
This was the biggest compromise he could make. Serenity bit her lip tightly, then asked, "What if... I choose not to go back with you?"His eyes darkened, and his voice grew colder. "Are you sure you want to do this?""Jack, Mary's fever can’t be ignored any longer. She has to return to Latveria or she will die! I can't just watch her die!" she expressed in anguish."So you choose to continue hurting me?" he asked softly."I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Those were the only words she could offer at the moment. Not daring to meet his gaze again, she turned around, rushed back to the car, and started the engine.She had to take Mary back to Latveria; she couldn't let her die!"Can we leave, Serenity?" Edward asked anxiously."I'll give it a try," Serenity replied, although she wasn't entirely confident. Ahead, at the highway entrance, stood Jack, and roadblocks had been set up behind him. Could she really break through the roadblocks?Jackson remained motionless, observing Serenity
“……” 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