Shane arrived at the hospital, made his way to Scott's office, and greeted him. "Scott."Scott was pleasantly surprised. "Shane, what brought you here, my friend?""I was just passing by the hospital on business and thought I'd drop by to see you." Shane placed the gift he was carrying on Scott's desk and smiled. "I heard you've made new discoveries in the field of artificial hearts. Congratulations!""It's a bit early for congratulations now. Wait until I develop an artificial heart that can truly be implanted in the body, then you can congratulate me," Scott joked with Shane.The atmosphere was lively from the banter of two clever people.Scott thought about how Shane had once shown an interest in the goddess he admired and how he had grown close to her over the years. He felt a sense of pride.After all, the goddess who was once out of reach now actively contacted him because of her child. He thoroughly enjoyed the way the goddess tried to please and get close to him."Shane,
Someone knocked on the door, and Leah's clear voice invited them in. It was Shane who pushed the door open.As soon as Leah laid eyes on him, she had a premonition. They would always meet privately throughout the years, making this their first open appearance together."Leah?""Shane?"They spoke simultaneously and then said in unison, "You're still the same."They exchanged smiles, displaying their strong understanding of each other.Liliane curiously observed Shane, who wore gold-rimmed glasses and a well-tailored suit, exuding refinement and gentlemanliness."Mom, who's this?" asked Liliane.Leah openly explained, "This is Shane, my college classmate. Shane, this is my daughter, Liliane."Shane generously complimented, "Your daughter bears a striking resemblance to you when you were young."Leah smiled and replied, "My daughter inherited her father's good genes and looks even better than I did in my youth!""Mom..." Liliane blushed.Leah sensed that Shane had a specific
Leah snuggled in Shane's embrace, her panicked heart being soothed by him. "Liliane is sick!"Shane said with a frown, "I heard from Scott. All we need to do is find a suitable heart for her transplant.""You say it so easily. We've been searching for a heart for Liliane since she was born. Have you found a suitable one?" Leah's heart thumped rapidly, feeling as if something bad was about to happen. "Why did that old man suddenly want to go to the hospital?""He checked the records of Esther's labor." Shane reassured, "But don't worry. I've made modifications to those records."Leah finally sighed in relief. She instructed, "Arrange for someone to follow him and see what he's up to. Liliane's health isn't good right now, and we can't let her be disturbed even slightly.""Liliane's my biological daughter. Of course, I know how to take care of her!"Leah angrily pinched Shane's arm and said, "If you hadn't gone abroad and I couldn't reach you, would I have picked Anstey as a replac
The ravioli had a unique shape that astonished Felix as he watched Esther make them. "Mommy, the ravioli you made are so pretty!"Esther had gathered fresh flowers and leaves from the garden on the terrace. She skillfully arranged the flowers and leaves as she rolled out the dough, creating exquisite ravioli."Daddy, did you take photos?"As the bridge between Esther and Bradley, Felix praised Esther with sweet words. He urged Bradley to capture his mother's most beautiful moments."I did."With flour-covered hands, Felix leaned over to see the photos on Bradley's phone.Esther's hands, face, and occasional expressions were captured in the frame. The Esther in the photos looked beautiful, radiating an ethereal aura."Daddy, you made Mommy look so pretty!"As Esther continued making ravioli, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does that mean Mommy isn't pretty normally?""You are!" Felix said adorably, "Mommy's the most beautiful in the world."The family of three worked togethe
"Daddy, Mommy, I'm so happy!" Felix exclaimed with pure delight, his innocent face glowing with the charm of his young age.Esther assigned Felix a small task, saying with a warm smile, "Felix, can you count how many ravioli Mommy made?"Felix stood up on the dining chair and began counting the plate of ravioli Esther had prepared. "One, two, three..."Concerned that Felix might lean too far and fall, Bradley gently held him in his arms."Mommy, there are 99 ravioli!" Felix announced proudly.Esther gave him a thumbs up, showing her approval. Felix's eyes gleamed with excitement as he swayed in Bradley's embrace."Daddy, Mommy, let me tell you a secret. I'm a genius!" Felix exclaimed, although his parents didn't quite grasp his meaning.Nevertheless, they smiled at each other and praised him in unison, "Yes, you're a genius."Felix's face lit up as he sat snugly in Bradley's arms, eagerly looking at Esther. "Mommy, can we cook the ravioli now?""Of course!" Esther pointed to t
Esther's ravioli were super delicious, and Felix didn't want to be a bad kid who wasted food. His little mouth was puffed up, giving him an adorable look. However, Bradley frowned and scolded him, reminding him not to eat things that were too hot.With a slightly swollen tongue, Felix explained, "I didn't want to, but Mommy's ravioli are too tempting. I couldn't control myself..."Bradley showed a hint of anger. "If you behave like this again, I won't allow you to come to Primus Mansion."Esther fiercely defended Felix, saying, "Bradley, it's my fault. I didn't let the ravioli cool down to the right temperature before serving them. Felix is just a child. What does he know? You can't treat our child like this as a father.""It's not Mommy's fault. I was just too impatient!" Felix interjected, afraid that Bradley would separate him from Esther.Bradley felt uneasy seeing their similar expressions, which were filled with protectiveness. He promptly brushed aside the strange idea that
Esther happily watched as Felix played with the water, capturing the beautiful scene with her phone. "Darling, our son looks so handsome!"Bradley, entranced by the tenderness in Esther's eyes, felt his heart race. It was as if he was seeing Esther's beauty up close for the first time. Her beauty was not loud or aggressive but rather a flowing beauty like water—dreamlike and dazzling."Esther…"Confused, Esther turned to Bradley when she heard him call her name with sincerity. Her bright eyes met his gaze. "What's wrong?"Sitting on a wicker chair, Bradley remained silent, simply watching her intently.With a backdrop of roses in various colors, Esther stood before him. The evening sun illuminated her, and a gentle breeze tousled her hair. Her skirt swayed gracefully. She was a stunning sight, like a painting."Darling, what were you going to say?" Esther asked again, noticing Bradley's silence.Bradley shifted his gaze away and spoke with indifference. "Don't spoil him too much
Esther pointed to the tree toppers on the trees that Felix was watering and said, "Felix's watering on Tinkerbell and Pixie!""Are Twinkle and Sunshine because you see stars and the sun in the sky?" Bradley did not even realize that his voice carried a sense of relief."Yes!" Esther nodded vigorously, excitedly saying, "Darling, you really understand me! Look, the stars are out...""Don't you think you're naming them too casually?" Bradley argued.Esther playfully asked, "How is it casual? They're clearly the best names in the world! Darling, let's have a second child. I heard that we can have a pair of twins through IVF."Bradley took out his phone, searched for a picture, and handed it to Esther."There's a long needle like this to retrieve your eggs without anesthesia. You don't think it'll be painful?" he asked.Esther quickly shook her head and murmured, "No, it's too painful!""Then do you still want to go with IVF?" asked Bradley.Esther leaned close to Bradley's ear an
Bradley's brazen words made Gabriel raise an eyebrow, and his scrutinizing gaze on Bradley intensified.Unfazed by Gabriel, Bradley calmly stated, "Mr. Sinclair, when I visited Shane recently, he handed me some video footage. It showed Esther being assaulted and abused in prison, with the perpetrators claiming it was my order. I've always dared to own up to my actions. What I've done, I won't shirk from. What I haven't done, I won't admit."Gabriel had seen the videos online. Even though Bradley had obscured the protagonist's face in the footage, he knew it was Esther. He had believed entrusting Esther to Thomas would ensure her safety, only to discover how fate twisted things."Bradley, I'll assume your words are true," Gabriel began. "Then tell me, if those people who assaulted Esther in prison weren't influenced by someone else, who put her in prison? Have you forgotten how you, in your irrational madness, expected a woman carrying your children to pay the price? Or do you believ
When Bradley brought up his grandfather again, he felt utterly unfilial as a grandson."Your grandfather's greatest wish before he passed was for you and Esther to live peacefully and happily. Sadly, all he witnessed was discord and enmity between you as a couple."Gabriel understood better than anyone that Bradley, in his youthful arrogance, felt that everything and everyone should conform to his desires. When Thomas compelled Bradley to marry Esther, almost like an arranged marriage, his rebellious nature surfaced."I've failed my grandfather's hopes," Bradley admitted with a bitter taste in his mouth.During quiet, solitary nights, he revisited memories of the past repeatedly.He hadn't desired that marriage back then. However, since he had promised his grandfather to marry Esther, he should have genuinely treated her as a wife.Despite the subsequent events not aligning with his wishes, he was painfully aware that if he hadn't been arrogant and unwilling to listen to Esther's
Esther wasn't pleasant toward Bradley. If she had evidence, she would gladly send him to prison to experience the joy of life behind bars.Bradley gazed blankly at Esther's stunning face, a hint of indescribable sorrow in his eyes. Those deep eyes resembled a chilly cold spring."Not only do you want to chop off my hand, but you also want my life, right?"Esther gestured a slice across her neck at Bradley with her hand, then turned away to tell Logan, "Let's go. Don't waste time on this.""Okay."With languid steps, Esther walked into the elevator. Once they were inside, the elevator doors shut.Outside the elevator, Bradley watched Esther and Logan like they were two puzzle pieces that matched perfectly. Instantly, he felt an unbearable heartache, as if his heart was being torn apart.He instinctively reached out to steady himself against the wall, observing the numbers on the elevator panel decrease until it stopped at the ground floor.It took a while before Bradley recovere
Throughout the entire night, neither Esther nor Logan had shut their eyes.Feeling their eyes strain, they applied eye drops. It wasn't until Esther noticed someone who shouldn't have been there on the surveillance footage."Logan, take a look at this."Perplexed, Logan asked, "What's going on?""Do you think this person looks like Shirley?"Esther was particularly sharp in discerning a woman's physique. She could immediately tell that the woman being supported by a man due to her intoxication bore a striking resemblance to Shirley."Let me see."Logan zoomed in on the surveillance footage, carefully comparing it with the footage containing Shirley. Physically, the two women indeed looked very similar.There was just one question... How would they confirm if she was Shirley?"Esther, stay here and keep watching the surveillance. I'll retrieve other surveillance footage.""Okay."Logan and Esther divided their tasks. Suspecting that the intoxicated woman might be Shirley, Est
Logan and Esther exchanged a glance. They fixed their intense gazes on Jason's face, unable to discern if he was smirking or provoking them."Mr. Taft, the evidence you seek will come."Jason scoffed. He seemed to transform into a different person as he put his glasses back on."Even if Shirley deceived me, I never wished harm upon her, let alone her death."I can consider your suspicions toward me as part of the investigation, but I hope that once everything is revealed, you can restore my innocence."I've said my piece. As long as Shirley hasn't divorced me, she remains my wife. I am obliged to cooperate in the investigation, and I hope you find her soon."Logan and Esther sensed something amiss with the first confrontation. They didn't say anything untoward until they exited the elevator and looked up at Jason's balcony outside.Jason stood on the balcony, looking at Logan and Esther and waving toward them.Logan and Esther looked at Jason before they turned and got into the
"She blocked me on all forms of contact at that time. I even tried contacting her through my colleagues' phones but found out she had blocked them, too. I thought she might be angry, so we should both calm down."Logan didn't speak and just listened quietly as Jason recounted the events of the case."I was angry that she blocked me. At my age, what's wrong with wanting a child? My parents were pushing for it, and I wondered if this marriage was what I wanted."Shirley is very beautiful. My friends and classmates say I'm lucky to have married her, but they don't know that beauty comes at a price."While my colleagues were buying properties, my wife kept changing bags. Her clothes, skincare products, shoes—everything was designer. To support her lifestyle, I work diligently, even taking extra freelance jobs to afford it."I thought I was a good husband and just wanted a child. What did I do wrong? If she had said that she didn't want a child after marriage in the first place, it wou
Gabriel took a long look at Esther, realizing more than anyone that Esther seemed to be heading toward a different extreme now. He wasn't certain if this shift in Esther's demeanor was good or bad.However, one thing was clear to him—the intersection of Esther and Bradley's lives resembled two lines crossing. After intersecting, they would drift further apart."Esther, you can investigate Bradley's criminal evidence. I won't object to that," Gabriel said with a stern face, emphasizing, "But ensure you complete your tasks on time and with quality.""Grandpa Gabriel, rest assured, I won't neglect my work."Gabriel nodded. "Go on then.""Alright." Esther stepped out of the office and approached Logan. "We can set off now.""Okay."Logan didn't inquire about Esther's conversation with Gabriel. Although they pretended to be engaged, Logan maintained a respectful distance from Esther. He wouldn't interfere much in her matters. However, he was aware that if she needed his help, he woul
Gabriel stated, "According to her husband, they argued before she went missing. He assumed she had returned to her parents' home and didn't inquire further since they often had cold spells for ten days to half a month. Their relatives and friends can testify to this."However, the cold spell extended to a month this time, which alarmed him. When he called her parents, they told him his wife never went home."Esther knew that the husband was often the first suspect when the wife went missing in cases like this."The wife bought a high-speed train ticket to her parents' home but didn't take the train back. The police traced her taking a ride-hailing car, and the driver claimed to have dropped her off on the street. The dashcam recording is proof. However, after that point, there's a blind spot in the surveillance footage. Usually, surveillance is kept for a certain period and gets overwritten after that."Logan asked, "What about the investigation on the missing woman's husband?""T
Esther rose, fixating on the distant scenery with clear eyes. "As long as he commits a crime, he'll leave traces."Logan was on the verge of speaking but was interrupted by the sudden ring of his phone."Hello, Mr. Sinclair."Gabriel's voice sounded grave. "There's a new lead.""Alright, we'll be right there."Logan stood up, turning to Esther. "We'll meet at the locker room entrance in ten minutes.""Is there a new development?""Yes."For most girls, ten minutes might not suffice even for basic grooming. For Esther, it was just right. The only issue was her long hair. Time was too short, and she lacked the opportunity to blow-dry it. Her damp hair draped over her shoulders, slightly soaking her T-shirt.Logan kept his eyes on the road. "I'll drive. You can use a towel to dry your hair.""Okay."As Logan drove, Esther sat in the car, patting her hair dry with a towel. Her hair was thick, posing a challenge to dry with just a towel.Nevertheless, Esther refrained from openi