More and more netizens, still in the dark about the truth, began to sympathize with Niel and Sarah and praised Sarah’s seemingly genuine friendship with Tina. Some even started conspiracy theories, questioning why that incident rapidly became a hot topic on major platforms, suspecting hidden manipulations, and so on. With the waters muddied thoroughly, some accused Sarah and Niel of being shameless, while others pitied them for being misunderstood despite doing nothing wrong. There were even conspiracy theories circulating. In short, it was quite a spectacle.Observing the online comments praising her and Sarah's friendship, Tina smirked. She thought, go ahead and praise away. The more lavish the praise now, the more devastating the fall would be when the truth surfaced. Once netizens found out that Sarah, who considered Sarah a close friend, was secretly colluding with her husband, the online backlash would drown both Niel and Sarah.They may be praised now, but in the fut
The situation escalated rapidly. As soon as Ava got home, relatives and friends started calling, "inquiring" about the incident. Ava was frightened.That was the first time she had encountered such a crisis, and it had blown up so quickly. She did not know what to do, so she turned to Randall.All of it was Randall's doing. He was the one who instructed her to get close to Chris, which eventually caught Niel's attention. Locked in her room, Ava called Randall in tears. In that short period, her personal information had been dug up by resourceful netizens, including her name, address, life experiences, and even her parents' names and workplaces.Ava feared she might end up losing everything like those individuals exposed on the internet. Online, she had become the target of public condemnation as the notorious third party. Despite statements from Tina and Niel, many netizens refused to believe the clarifications, bombarding her with insults and curses on various social media
She had read numerous stories about wealthy families in the news. In the power struggles within those elite families, the most common failure was losing the inheritance rights to the family business. However, the financial settlement that followed such a loss was often substantial. In the Jewells’ current generation, they only had two grandsons, Niel and Chris. What Niel could potentially inherit was a sum that ordinary people would not even dare to imagine.If Niel did not hold any favorable feelings towards her, she might not entertain such fantasies. However, considering Niel's actions tonight and the way he looked at her, her heart raced.Moreover, when Sarah attacked her, Niel had rushed to protect her. It made Ava believe that Niel harbored affection for her.Even if she and Niel could not be together, she believed Niel would not be stingy with her. She could secure a considerable fortune from Niel.Between money and a man, she was sure she would get one of them. If s
As for how he could win Ava over, it was with emotions.After tonight's interaction, Niel was certain that Ava had some feelings for him. As long as he responded to Ava and used a little strategy, Ava would be devoted to him. Perhaps Chris had given Ava a lot to make her work for him, but could Chris provide Ava with as much as Niel could? When necessary, Niel could even offer Ava marriage — something Chris could not do.He believed Ava was smart enough to know how to choose. What Chris provided Ava was essentially just wealth, and he could provide that, too. If he really offered Ava marriage, the financial benefits for Ava would be something Chris would not willingly give up.Niel replied to Ava: [Silly, why are you apologizing? I should be the one apologizing to you. I'm sorry for scaring you tonight.]As Ava read Niel's reply, a happy smile appeared on her face. Niel was such a gentleman. Despite the chaos that unfolded tonight, he had not scolded her or vented his anger o
Paige bit her lip, remaining silent.Of course, there was no escape.Even if there were surveillance cameras in the garden, what if there were blind spots? Besides, surveillance footage could be easily manipulated.Seeing Paige's disbelief, Tina smiled and said, "I genuinely won't lay a finger on you. Anyway, why would I? If you really had a miscarriage or if something happened to you, it implicates me as well. Even if I manage to avoid it, Chris won't let me off.""I wanted to harm you back then because harming you and Chris was beneficial to me. But now, I have no thoughts about a long-term relationship with Niel. If something happens to you or the child, I won’t be the one benefiting from it; it's Niel. Do you think I'd do something stupid for Niel now?"Paige replied, "It's not impossible."Anything was possible.Tina choked as she stared at Paige. She said, "In your eyes, am I really that foolish? Do I seem like an idiot to you?"Paige mumbled, "Even the smartest women can
Paige looked at Tina, stunned. It was true what they said about women being the evilest people on earth and that one should never provoke a woman.Tina was a perfect example.The old Tina was kind and so deeply in love with Niel that she was willing to do anything for him. However, once the love faded… Well, she still did everything for Niel, but this time, it was for the worse, involving schemes and harmful tactics.Niel would eventually meet his demise at Tina's hands."I don't know." Paige feigned ignorance. "I don't know him that well. How would I know how he'd react?"Tina smiled. "He might go crazy."“Crazy?"Was Tina talking about genuine craziness or faked craziness?"On the surface, Niel might seem gentle, courteous, and polite, but in reality, he's sensitive and insecure, especially in front of Chris. Over the years, he's been constantly competing with Chris, his nerves stretched thin. He can't handle any more stress right now. One little trigger and that string mig
"Huh?" Paige was stunned. "An excellent man?"Was Chris referring to Niel, that douchebag?Seeing Paige's expression, Chris chuckled and said, "You understand Niel's true nature, so you think he's lousy, with a bad character. But those women out there, who haven’t had the chance to know Niel, all they see is Niel as the charming, handsome, and dashing son of the Jewells, who is powerful, influential, gentle, and courteous. If you see him in that light, he is indeed an excellent man."Back when Paige did not know Niel or Chris well, she secretly marveled at the Jewells' genes. Both men had charisma and were handsome, intelligent, and capable.Although Niel, the elder boy, seemed less capable than Chris, he was gentler. Many of her friends used to admire Niel."Are you suggesting Ava might have feelings for Niel?" Paige asked in surprise.Chris nodded. "You can't rule out that possibility.""How is that possible?" Paige looked astonished. She found the possibility hard to believ
Paige cursed Chris as shameless and lewd in her mind."Fine. Let’s do it now," Paige said.Chris hesitated, glancing at Paige's belly. He could, technically, go for it now but was afraid Paige might not be up for it, which she clearly was not at that moment. He had not sunk to the point where he would disregard his wife and child's well-being for his own pleasure."Now? Are you sure?" Chris asked.Paige nodded. "Yes, absolutely. Go find a rope.""Really?" Chris asked."Yes,” Paige affirmed. “I’ll tie you up with a rope, and let's see how you get out of bed. Forget about three days and nights. With no one to untie you, you won't be able to get out of bed for a month."Chris looked at Paige, who had a cunning smile playing on her lips. The young lady was exploiting loopholes in their conversation."That works, too," Chris said with a smirk. "If you want to keep me in bed that way, I’ll go with it."Paige looked quite pleased with herself.Unlike him and his lewd thoughts,
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