"I only said those things at the press conference to quickly quell the rumors and speculation. The Birch Group suffered significant losses because of declining stock prices due to those rumors. The clarification is more believable when it comes from me rather than from Wilson or the Birch Group," Clara explained.Serenity asked with concern, "Then what’s happening between you and Wilson?""We'll pretend to be a loving couple in public for a while. Once the situation calms down, we'll find an excuse to announce our divorce," Clara said with a smile. "Don't worry about me – whether it's acting as a loving couple with Wilson or divorcing him, I'm doing this of my own free will. No one's forcing me."Serenity asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"Clara's expression softened. "I love him, so I don't want the Birch Group, which he has worked so hard to build up, to suffer any further losses. For that, I'm willing to pretend to be a loving couple with him. It's also because I love h
"My leg's... cramping up! It hurts!" Serenity exclaimed. As her pregnancy progressed, she started experiencing leg cramps more and more often, especially when she tried to turn her body while lying down.Jackson immediately crouched down and lifted the hem of her sleeping gown to inspect her leg. "Is it your left leg or right leg?" he asked."My right leg," Serenity answered.He massaged her right calf with his slender fingers, applying just the right amount of pressure to relieve her pain."Do you feel better now?" he asked in a gentle tone."Mm, a little better," she replied.He continued to massage her gently while Serenity watched him silently. She felt like she could watch him forever!When Clara returned to the convenience store, she was surprised to find a black Maybach parked outside the store. She stopped in her tracks, and her heart sank. She had a bad feeling about this.As expected, when she went into the store, her mother informed her, "Wilson is here. He's insi
His lips tightened, unhappy with her nonchalant attitude. "What kind of excuse do you think I should use?" he asked coldly."You can say that I can't get used to the lifestyle of the rich and insist on a divorce, or that I desire to be more than just being a housewife in a wealthy family and want to explore other opportunities, or that our values don't align, or you can even say that... I only married you so that you would donate your liver to me, and now that I've achieved that goal, I want to divorce you."With each suggestion, his expression grew darker. Each excuse she proposed placed the blame for the divorce squarely on herself."You want to divorce me so badly that you would even damage your own reputation to do it?" Wilson questioned unhappily.Clara was taken aback. "If I take the blame, wouldn't it minimize the loss to the Birch family and to you?"It would indeed minimize his losses, but hearing those words from her did not make him happy at all!He stood up, appro
After saying that, he walked out without looking back, leaving Clara alone by herself in the living room.Tomorrow... she would be moving in with Wilson? Would this be... their final moments together? A bitter smile appeared on Clara's lips.Coco found herself stealing glances at Lucas' lips whenever they were together. Right now, she was working overtime in the studio on the weekend, sketching storyboards by herself, while he sat on the couch nearby, flipping through the comic books she had placed there.As she drew, her eyes involuntarily darted towards him. If it weren't for the urgency of meeting the deadline, she would probably have picked up a pen and sketched him instead!Even though he was merely sitting there, reading a comic book in silence, he looked like a work of art. His face possessed elegant contours. He had sharp eyebrows, captivating eyes, and a perfectly straight nose that looked particularly attractive from the side. But what captured her attention the most
Coco was stuttering hard towards the end, but Lucas was still shocked.He did not expect her to be so straightforward. He was only teasing her to see how she would react, but he was the one who was caught off guard instead.That's right, this woman genuinely liked him. That's why she wanted to kiss him. Her eyes were sincere and limpid, conveying her feelings for him without any impurities."If you want to kiss me again, you... can." That was his response.Coco was stunned, blinking in a daze, struggling to process his words."What's wrong? You don't want to?" he asked."I want to!" she blurted out. When she realized what she had said a moment later, she blushed hard and asked, "Um... can I really?""Why not?" The corner of his lips curled up, and the usual indifference in his eyes seemed to be melting away.Coco moistened her dry lips nervously. He agreed. Did that mean he was starting to develop some feelings for her?At the very least, he's not against the idea of kissing h
Lucas sighed. Leaning forward, he took her lips in a kiss to silence her panicking voice.Coco froze and blinked her eyes in a daze. After a short silence, she heard his deep voice, nearly a whisper in her ears."Well, this is the next time."Coco was stunned. Then, she felt Lucas stroking his palm over her head. "If you really want it, there's always a next time…"Coco looked up, beaming with joy. Did he mean she could always kiss him? It felt like they were getting closer to each other.The sudden knock on the door made her frown, interrupting them. "I-I'll get the door," Coco blurted out hurriedly, trying to calm her heart. But when she opened the door and saw the guests waiting, her face sank.It was Aunt Clementine and her son, Harold Souza.Clementine spoke as soon as she saw Coco open the door. "Hey, Coco. You can't be so heartless. Why did you refuse when I asked to borrow some money from you? I thought you really didn't have any money until I heard from Harold that you'
Clementine and Harold thought their threat had worked, especially when they saw the look on Coco's face."Don't worry. You just have to get us a house, and we won't tell him anything. When we meet your boyfriend, we'll also put in a good word for you. You are still humble although massively successful as a cartoonist. And you have filial affection for your family..."Aunt Clementine continued rambling.Family? Her family was long gone.Coco looked at her aunt and cousin, and her eyes reddened. "I don't need you to put in a good word for me. I won't give you any money, let alone buy a house for you."Clementine made a face, and Harold thought he was about to lose his future home. Face flaming with anger, Harold raised his voice at Coco. "How dare you! Fine, then. If you don't give it to me, I'll go to your boyfriend and make him realize what kind of person you are!"As soon as Harold spoke, a stern voice rang in the room. "What do you want me to realize?"Clementine and Harold f
"W-What did you just say?" Clementine and Harold were stunned by Coco's refusal."I won't help!" Coco repeated, her voice cold. "Harold, the house is your own matter. I'm not obligated to raise the money for you. If you can afford it, then buy a house. If you can't afford it, you should consider renting!" "You're living your best life with Mr. Gomez, yet you want your cousin and his wife to live in a rental?!" Clementine suddenly raised her voice."Mom, calm down. You'll scare Coco," Harold hurriedly interrupted his mother and quickly turned to Lucas with an apologetic look on his face. "Mr. Gomez, I hope you don't mind it. My mom just didn't think Coco would say something like this and got a little angry… Well, we're always a family. Whenever someone in the family has difficulties, all of us should work together and think of ways to overcome the challenges in life.""Oh? Family?" Lucas arched a brow."Yup. If my parents hadn't adopted Coco, maybe Coco would have grown up in an o