Ann's face turned red, rendering her speechless. Frank continued, "If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut and do nothing. I'd wait for the day when Chris takes over the Jewells. "You'd become the respected old madam of the Jewells, and people would try to flatter you. You'd live a comfortable life. So why do you want to control Chris? Are you aiming to manage the Jewells?"With your passable business acumen, connections, and wealth, you could have already built a successful career. But look at what you've achieved. Look at your father and your brother, look at your family, the Barwises. The lot of you aren't cut out for business. "You've let your father and brother turn the Barwises into what it is today. It's hanging by a thread, ready to collapse at any moment. What? Has your family not caused enough trouble for themselves? Do you also want to bring trouble to the Jewells?"Ann angrily glared at Frank, "You... You're just spouting nonsense."Frank asked, "Where did I speak
Sierra remained silent. She acknowledged the reason in James' words. Few people knew that she had betrayed Chris. Many uninformed onlookers sympathized with her, believing it was impossible for her to give up such an outstanding man as Chris. To them, it seemed like Paige had snatched her man. Sisterly rivalry in love was a common occurrence in today's society. However, if she were to marry someone else within just a few months, the public opinion would shift once again. James had valid concerns, but Sierra couldn't help but feel dejected. She had expected James to be excited and overjoyed by her proposal, but his response had been calm, cold, and rational.The lingering disappointment weighed heavily on her heart, and the recent coldness from James had left her anxious. Could it be that James never loved her? Was it possible that he only saw her as a challenge, not as a woman he cherished?After all, she was Chris's woman. If James could steal her away from Chris, it would b
"Isn't there a saying that goes like this? An ex should be like the dead, never to appear again. Miss Shepard, don't you think that saying is accurate?" Paige asked Shelly with a smile.Observing Shelly's changing expressions, Paige couldn't help but chuckle in her mind.Shelly had been bullying her for so long. She must have thought Paige was easygoing and weak.Shelly looked at Paige and asked, "Can't we still be friends after a breakup? The relationship between me and Chris... it's impossible for us to cut contact. We've been going to school since we were kids. We grew up in the same social circle. We have the same friends and classmates."Paige smiled as she looked at Shelly and said, "But... Miss Shepard, it would seem like you want to be more than just friends with my husband, doesn't it?"Shelly calmly replied, "You've misunderstood. Chris and I are just friends.""Oh..." Paige appeared to have an epiphany and apologized to Shelly with a smile. "I see. It was a misundersta
Wendy felt that demanding the bracelet was truly a trivial matter. She considered the lawyer's words and saw some merit in them. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Let's go ahead and investigate."She had given up on Bob. All she wanted now was to secure a larger share of their assets in the divorce. It wasn't that she had become heartless—that was Bob. She had threatened to jump off a building right in front of him, but he had remained indifferent. While she hadn't followed through with the act, her heart had already taken the plunge, leaving her emotionally numb.Once a person's heart went numb, they would become cold, unfeeling, and vengeful."Very well," the lawyer nodded.Wendy's emotions were complex. She certainly didn't wish for Bob to have an affair. However, from a financial perspective, she hoped he would as that would allow her to secure more assets if evidence was found by the lawyer.——Paige and Chris returned home after work. As soon as they entered the hous
Ann hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the turn of events."Mom," Paige suddenly looked at Ann, "Do you think... Shelly might be doing this on purpose?"Ann furrowed her brows, "Doing what on purpose?"Paige continued, "Mom, just think about it. Could Shelly be harboring resentment because she couldn't have Chris? So, to exact revenge, she's intentionally creating misunderstandings. That makes it seem like Chris and his ex-girlfriend have a murky relationship, and it'll tarnish Chris's image?"Ann was left speechless, staring at Paige in astonishment. She was taken aback by Paige's conjecture.Even Chris couldn't help but shoot a curious glance at Paige, wondering what was going on in her mind."Mom..." Paige leaned closer to Ann and whispered, "I'm not being overly suspicious. After all, there are those in the family that's keeping a close eye on this situation. Do you think Grandfather would still hand over Jewell Enterprises to Chris if a bad rumor comes up, damaging the c
"I know you have feelings for Chris, and Paige is the third-wheeler in your relationship with him. But… Chris and Paige are husband and wife now. Your behavior will be looked down upon, and it will harm both your reputation and Chris'," Ann explained.Shelly bit her lip. She understood. Ever since she started working as Chris's secretary at the Jewell Group, there had been continuous gossip behind the scenes. People called her shameless because Chris was already married, yet she persisted.She had heard plenty of unkind words, both directly and indirectly. But Shelly did not care. No matter how harsh the words, she could endure them as long as it meant being with Chris."Aunt Ann, I don't care," Shelly said with tear-filled eyes."But Chris does," Ann replied.Shelly fell silent."Shelly," Ann continued, "Chris and I are going to inherit the Jewell Group in the future. The CEO of the Jewell Group can't be a person with a tarnished reputation."Shelly remained silent.Ann looked
"Mr. Jewell, here's your green tea," Paige said.Chris nodded faintly and took a sip. He furrowed his brow. "It's too strong."Paige responded with a puzzled expression, "Too strong?""Go and brew a lighter one," Chris instructed.Paige sighed internally but didn't protest. She was now certain that Chris was intentionally being difficult and taking out his frustration on her."Okay," Paige replied and obediently headed to prepare another cup of tea.She returned to the office, carrying the tea."Mr. Jewell, your tea is ready," Paige informed him.Chris glanced at Paige, then picked up the tea. He took a sip and put it down, all while keeping a strange, unsettling gaze fixed on her."What's wrong?" Paige felt uneasy under his intense stare and couldn't help but ask.Chris calmly stated, "This is the same tea as before."Paige blinked, looking at Chris in disbelief. How could he tell? She didn't have a preference for tea and found them all to taste quite similar."I brewed a
After finishing work, Paige returned home. Ann and Luna, the mother-daughter duo, were sitting on the couch, engaged in a conversation."Mom, Luna," Paige greeted with a smile.Luna nodded and replied, "Hey, you guys are back from work."Paige nodded. Ann, however, gave them a brief glance without much expression.Paige continued, "Mom, Shelly resigned from her job at the company."Ann's response was calm and collected as she merely said, "I know."Paige could tell that it was Ann who had influenced Shelly's decision to resign. Ann had initially arranged for Shelly to work at the company, hoping she would make a good impression, but ultimately, Ann's concern for Chris's reputation was her top priority. Paige had once believed that Ann favored Shelly, but now it was clear that Ann's true allegiance lay with Chris.Luna, who seemed puzzled, inquired, "Shel was doing well, why did she resign?"Paige shook her head with a smile, "I don't know."Ann turned to Luna and said, "Luna,
The receptionist did not reply. Gloria: [You're in trouble. I can't save you now.]The receptionist: [No, I haven't eaten it yet.]Gloria: [Good thing you haven't. I'm coming down.]As soon as the receptionist received Gloria's message, Gloria stepped out of the elevator.Upon reaching the front desk and noticing the bag of strawberry laces opened on the desk, Gloria glared at the receptionist. "You said you hadn't eaten it!"The receptionist looked a little guilty. "I just opened it and haven't had a chance to take one yet."Gloria sneered. "Haven't had a chance? You sound like you regret it."“I don't.""You can't afford this cup of bubble tea. If you did take one, watch out… You might lose your job."The receptionist paused in surprise. "Is it expensive?"Gloria nodded. "It is."“Good thing I didn't take one," the receptionist mumbled. Gloria rolled her eyes. If they were not on the same team, she would not even bother saving her."Why is this bag of strawberry laces
Chris chuckled. "Really?"Paige's face turned slightly red. She felt embarrassed saying that, and it felt like Chris did not believe her. However, she bit the bullet and nodded. "Yeah, really."Chris smiled and said, "Well then, when you miss me next time, don't just think about it because thinking won't do you any good. When you miss me or care about me, just send me a message or call to check in. After all, I can’t read minds. Also, if you want to hug me, just hug me. Don't hold Hunter in your arms and say you want to hug me. That's just hypocritical."Paige faltered. Hug him when she wanted to hug him? Thanks, but she did not want to hug him. She could easily pick up Hunter, but could she lift Chris so easily? She was not that strong, to begin with."Remember. From now on, when you think of me, send me a message. Ask me if I've eaten, what I've eaten, if I'm tired from work, what I'm doing, or tell me what you're thinking about. Don't keep it all to yourself," Chris said wit
What did he take her for?Besides, what could a woman do with photos? She was not one of those perverted men who did some creepy stuff with women’s photos."Nothing worth admiring?" Chris raised an eyebrow.Paige nodded. "Yeah, they’re nothing worth admiring."Indeed, there was nothing worth admiring about the photos."Ha!” Chris snickered.Paige remained silent and thought, ‘Here comes the snickering again.’"You don’t mean what you say," Chris remarked.Paige frowned. "What did I say that implies otherwise? You're a strange one. You're right here in front of me. Why would I need to admire the photos?"Chris grinned. "So you don't want to admire the photos, but you want to admire me, a living person."Paige blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. She did not mean that, but what she just said seemed to imply exactly that."How would you want to admire me?" Chris teased.Admire was such an intriguing word.Paige blushed harder. "How else can I admire you? Just by looking,
Before Hunter was born, Chris was the absolute darling of the family. His grandfather favored him, and his parents loved him dearly.However, Hunter's arrival had changed everything. The elders in the family revolved around Hunter all day long. Zander’s first question upon waking up each morning was about Hunter, followed by Ann cuddling Hunter, calling him her darling, and so on.It seemed like everyone had forgotten about Chris.How could Chris, who had always been so cherished, accept that?Chris's expression stiffened as if his thoughts had been unexpectedly revealed, his eyes flickering momentarily.Paige chuckled and said, "Are you seriously competing with a child for attention? Besides, you've been pampered by the family for so many years. Hunter has only been pampered for a few days."Chris retorted coldly, "I'm not competing with him."Paige did not buy it for a second. She smiled and said, "Sure, you're not competing with him. You're just afraid we'll spoil Hunter."A
Before, Paige could not understand people showing off their babies and wondered why they would go crazy posting their kids on social media. Now, she got it. She found her kid to be the cutest in the world and could not help but snap his photos and post them on her social media platforms to share him with others, hoping for compliments and praise for her little one.However, she also understood that posting too much could annoy people. Hence, she restrained herself to only posting once a day and made sure to fit in a couple of photos!That was her absolute limit!She felt uneasy if she did not post her baby for a day. Then, when she saw her friends' comments praising her little one, she felt happy and proud, like they were getting closer as friends.Indeed, becoming a mom had changed her mindset.Chris, who was watching Paige show off their baby on social media, was even more dissatisfied! They had been married for a long time and had a child together, yet his appearances o
After what felt like ages, Ava lay on the hotel's large bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as the sound of rushing water filled her ears. Niel was in the shower. After releasing his pent-up emotions, he headed straight for the shower. Meanwhile, she lay there, her body aching. She did not want to move a muscle because every movement brought pain.Niel was thrilled with the new experience, but Ava was suffering. She was starting to regret getting involved with Niel. He was going overboard with satisfying his physical needs, and she feared that if things continued like that, Niel might end up causing her harm or maybe even unintentionally ending her life. She had heard of such things happening before, so now, she was caught between a rock and a hard place.On one hand, she did not want to let go of Niel and give up on all the sacrifices and efforts she had put in when she was on the brink of marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a billionaire's wife. On the other han
Pierre fell silent, pondering Shelly's words carefully. Upon reflection, he found Shelly's proposal to be pretty reasonable and entirely feasible. If he were to wait until Shelly entered prison to serve her sentence, he could break up with her afterward. Once his relationship with Shelly ended, his parents would not be as angry. Even if there were some constraints preventing them from openly helping him, they could still assist him discreetly. After all, he was their son, who shared the same blood with them. His parents could not possibly abandon him entirely and let him fend for himself. By lowering himself in front of his parents, he believed they would not neglect him. By then, acquiring the five million dollars would not be too difficult.Shelly watched Pierre, not pressing him to respond. She believed Pierre knew what choice to make. Five million might seem like an astronomical figure, but for the second son of the Alfonsos, it was not much.After much deliberation
She looked at the evil smile on Chris' face, and it all came back to her.Did Chris Intentionally take Hunter to the guest room to hand him over to the nanny so that it would make it easier for him to do what he wanted? What a scumbag! However, since it was something she had personally agreed to, she would not back out.Paige did not resist Chris, and a long time later, she collapsed on the bed. She felt like she should have taken care of Hunter and not fallen for Chris' tricks.Taking care of a child was not as exhausting!She was too tired to even move her fingers.The next day, Paige slept until late morning and then got up to go down for breakfast.When Ann saw Paige, she asked with concern, "Paige, didn't you sleep well last night?"Paige looked really worn out."Didn't Hunter sleep with the nanny last night?" Ann asked curiously.Paige blushed with embarrassment and said, "Last night… I wasn't used to sleeping without Hunter, so I didn't get a good sleep."Ann smile
Even if she offered her sincerity, Chris would not appreciate it, so what else could she offer? "Is money the only thing you have? Do you have nothing else besides money?" Chris said.He thought she was truly clueless. Even after being married for so long and having a child together, did she not know what he wanted?However, Paige was indeed puzzled. Besides money, what else did she have? What else could she have?Chris looked her up and down, speechless. Paige might not have understood what he meant before, but she did now. He meant that although she did not have money, she still had a young body.It seemed all Chris lusted was her body."I’m still recovering," Paige said with a slight blush on her face. She knew Chris had been patient for a long time. They barely had any intimacy during the last trimester of her pregnancy, but there was nothing she could do. She did not want to refuse him, but her body would not allow it.Chris glanced at Paige and said, "We can try other