Liam continued, "The matters at home won't escape your grandfather's notice. Once he’s aware of this… his impression of you will only worsen."The situation of a pregnant wife while the husband indulged in excesses outside, leading to the tragic loss of their child… Liam could imagine how furious his father would be. Niel remained silent, lips pursed. Claiming not to regret would be a lie, but what use was regret now? The deed was done.Liam looked at Niel, obviously disappointed. As the eldest grandson of the Jewells, Niel had been showered with affection until Chris came into the picture. With Chris showcasing exceptional talents, Niel seemed increasingly ordinary. If only Chris were his son, how wonderful that would be!While intelligence might be an innate trait, what about character and temperament? Just look at Chris's calm and reserved nature. In comparison, Niel was impulsive and quick-tempered. He may keep up a good public appearance, but Liam knew what Niel was l
Paige paused before saying, "Not really."Chris raised an eyebrow, "So, you are going to fight me to death?"Paige responded, "I meant... you won't harm our child."Chris asked, "How do you know?"Paige looked at him and earnestly said, "Because I trust you."Chris glanced at Paige and said, "I guess you have some good judgment."Paige might have many flaws, but one thing she excelled in was her judgment of people. Paige looked at Chris helplessly. Did trusting him mean she had good judgment, and not trusting him meant she lacked it?Paige wondered when Chris would ever get over his self-absorbed habits. The thought of spending a lifetime with such a narcissistic man was a little stressful.Fortunately, despite his numerous flaws, he treated her well. That alone was enough. One shouldn't be too greedy. There's no such thing as a perfect person in the world.She wasn't flawless either, so it wasn't fair to expect perfection from her partner. Chris might not be perfect, but
"Pierre." Shelly looked at him with a serious expression."I know, I've always known your feelings for me. In the past, I was wrong, I'm sorry... I didn't cherish you properly. I'm sorry."Shelly's eyes welled up with tears. Pierre looked at Shelly and asked, "What do you want me to do?" Save her? Shelly looked at Pierre and said, "Say you want me."Shelly moved closer to him. Grabbing Pierre's hand, she placed it on her groin.She stared at Pierre and said, "Maybe I'll end up in prison. After a few years behind bars, I'll be worn and aged, Pierre. I'm sorry for these years. I knew you loved me, yet I've taken advantage of you, relishing in your affection without giving anything in return. All I can offer you now is this untouched body."Pierre stared at his hand, placed in a rather inappropriate position. He knew he should pull it back. Shelly's feelings for him were still absent, perhaps now replaced by guilt.Was it to compensate him? Or merely pity for his plight?He s
Pierre woke up late after the previous night's activities. As he shifted, he woke up Shelly who was lying in his arms. Seeing her awake, he kissed her lips."Feeling hungry?" Pierre asked.Shelly nodded and shifted uncomfortably. She took a sharp breath, feeling sore all over, especially in a certain area.Concerned, Pierre asked, "What's wrong?"Shelly hesitated. "Just some body aches."Pierre smiled, holding her close in understanding.Shelly nestled in Pierre's embrace, saying, "I truly wish... to continue like this with you."Pierre replied, "We will."After a moment of silence, Shelly spoke, "No, we won't. I'm going to prison."Pierre's mood instantly sank as he held Shelly and reassured her, "I won't let you go to prison."Shelly responded, "I know, and I hope you can save me. I don't want to go to prison, but Chris is determined. Whatever we do is hopeless."Pierre said, "We won't know until we try."Shelly sighed. "I've already tried."Pierre assured her, "Don't
Pierre fell silent. It's not that he didn't want to. Alfonso Holdings wasn't solely his. It was a legacy built by his ancestors through hard work. If he were to give it away, how would he explain it to his parents and the rest of the Alfonso family?"In reality... you don't seem to love Shelly as much as you imagine. True love involves being willing to sacrifice everything," Paige remarked.Pierre remained silent. He acknowledged that he wasn't ready to give up Alfonso Holdings or risk his life for Shelly. Yet, he truly loved Shelly. It was just not to that extreme extent."Leave," Paige said coldly to Pierre. "I won't forgive Shelly. She must face the legal consequences for her actions."Pierre glanced at Paige, understanding that there was no room for negotiation. He left, feeling defeated.Paige laughed coldly. What a fool.…In the evening, Chris returned home.He asked, "I heard that Pierre came this afternoon?""Yes, he did," Paige nodded. "Who did you hear that from
Paige, frustrated and upset, questioned Chris, "Why? You clearly said earlier that you treat others as they treat you. And you said you were willing to risk your life for me if I was to do the same. Chris nodded. "I did say that. But it’s obvious that you're not willing to risk your life for me. Your words now are just an attempt to calm my anger. Do you think I can't tell what's real from what's just meant to pacify me?"Paige paused. How could she handle this? Looking at Chris's stern face, it seemed like the more she spoke, the unhappier he became. Sigh…"Honey, it's not like that. You've misunderstood me. I am willing to risk my life for you. However, now that we have a child on the way, it's not practical for both of us to face danger together. "We need at least one of us to stay and take care of our child. If we both risk our lives, what will happen to our child? They'll end up an orphan," Paige explained.Chris responded calmly, "It's fine. Even if something happens t
However, Shelly's choice of Pierre was driven by her desire to maintain a life of luxury. She didn't want Pierre to defy his family or make foolish decisions for her sake.Shelly was born into wealth, so she couldn't fathom living an ordinary life. Such a lifestyle would be unbearable for her.If she bore a child from the Phoenix family, it would add another bargaining chip for her to use.…Paige's recovery had progressed well. The doctor checked on her and the pregnancy every day. Finally, the doctor said she could start moving around a bit.Paige was delighted to hear this news. During this period, she felt like she was developing bed sores from all the rest. It felt like she was always either sleeping or eating. Even when she tried not to sleep, she'd end up dozing off while reading novels on her phone.Paige took a stroll in the garden, accompanied by a nurse. As she walked, she noticed the large gate opening, and a car slowly pulling in. It looked like Niel's car. After
"She wouldn't dare to take another life," Chris said. Tina hadn't reached that level of madness yet.Paige nodded. "I know. But she will surely try something sneakily."Chris reassured her, "Don't worry, I have it handled."Hearing this from Chris, Paige felt at ease. When Chris took charge, she could trust him completely.Now relieved, Paige happily continued watching her Korean drama on her phone. Chris watched Paige engrossed in her drama.Was this a unique ability that women possessed? One moment they would be worried and the next, they would be happily engrossed in a drama.Women sure were magical creatures.…Sierra has been going through a tough time lately. After her postpartum recovery, she plunged into preparing for the wedding. However, James seemed indifferent and uninterested in marrying her. Even though Sierra wasn't particularly eager to marry James, she couldn't afford to be indifferent. The wedding was a matter of her reputation. If she didn't pay attenti
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