Henry couldn't count how many times he'd been at the morgue just this year alone.Having faced so many deaths, not only did he not become numb to them, but each one was more sorrowful than the last.Because it meant that the people around him were dwindling. Despite how hard he tried, he couldn't keep death from getting ahold of his loved ones."We're here. I'll wait outside and give you and Dad some alone time," Harry said before leaving the room.The morgue was quiet, and even the footsteps sounded unusually distinct.Each tap felt like an added weight on Henry's heart. He was also on the verge of a breakdown.After Harry walked out, Henry shakily pulled back the white cloth in front of him.When he saw that face, he suddenly covered the corpse with the cloth again, his entire body trembling violently.He couldn't bring himself to look at Cliff.Scars covered Cliff's face, along with his pale complexion…It all reminded Henry of the cruel reality.He muttered to Cliff thro
When Harry saw Shirley's expression, his heart sank.Why did he feel that tonight's Christmas wasn't an ordinary one?"Do you remember the first time we met?" Shirley began.If only people could choose to linger on their most precious memories!Harry forced down his uneasiness and replied, "Of course I remember."Their first meeting was on Christmas, at Winterfield.That year, Winterfield hosted a lively masquerade ball, where many people attended wearing masks.Each person could choose a dance partner without revealing each other's identities. He and Shirley happened to catch each other's eyes in the crowd.Perhaps Shirley considered it fate. Yet, Harry had planned it all.Their story began after that Christmas."Why did you choose me that day?" Shirley flashed him a bright smile.But in reality, she already knew that their first encounter wasn't just a matter of fate."I just felt drawn to you that day even though you were wearing a mask. Those eyes captivated my heart. I
Were her ears playing tricks on her? Did the woman say Ivan had ordered someone to crash into Hugh?So the car crash that night wasn't due to drunk driving? Instead, it was a scheme by Ivan?A sinister smile played on Leslie's lips. So, this was how it was."Take her away," came another composed voice.It was Ivan's."You promised! Once my husband completed this task, you said you'd arrange for someone to cure our ill son! But you never intended to fulfill that promise from the start!"My son is on the verge of death right now! I'm begging you! Please spare some money to help my son! Is that too much to ask?" the woman questioned hysterically."Watch your mouth. If you dare tell on me, your son will die instantly." Ivan's tone remained as icy as ever.Shortly after, Leslie heard a series of footsteps."Ivan Zachman! You heartless murderer! I won't leave that easily!" The woman continued causing a scene."You…" Ivan was about to respond when he saw the figure in the courtyard.
Leslie checked again. It wasn't just her imagination.It was indeed Hugh. He stood at the square, and Leslie wondered what caught his eye.Could it be that he was reminiscing about their first meeting?At that moment, Leslie suddenly felt the urge to reveal the truth about her marriage.She did it to save him! She didn't abandon him! She had been by his side throughout his coma!Leslie needed to tell him the truth!However, as she prepared to approach him, she stopped when she saw the person with him.It was Harper.Harper had just come back with two cotton candies, and she handed one to Hugh.Hugh took it.Leslie sneered to herself when she saw this. She misunderstood the situation.This square, for Hugh, might not only represent the place where they first met. Perhaps, it also held the beautiful memories he made with Harper.He might have come to relive the moments with Harper. What did it have anything to do with her?Moreover, Hugh and Harper were together. What was th
Leonard sighed before taking a seat at the edge of Henry's bed. He had a lot of questions and didn't know where to start.He was sure every question would hurt Henry."So… any updates on Natalie? " Leonard cautiously asked.Henry reminded him of a porcelain doll. He was afraid raising his voice was enough to break Henry down completely."No." Henry shook his head. His voice was soft, and Leonard even wondered if Henry had really spoken at all."And… are your legs… really in such bad shape?" Leonard found it hard to believe when he received the news.Henry was always perfect in Leonard's eyes. He was someone Leonard admired and looked up to. If such a perfect being were to lose their legs, it would surely ruin their lives."I haven't delved into the specifics of my legs yet. Maybe… I really can't stand up again." Henry smiled bitterly.Leonard furrowed his brows and expressed his concern, "Henry, you mustn't be this pessimistic about your legs!"Leonard was willing to be blunt
"I know I'm overstepping my boundaries, but I need to talk to you right now," said Leonard firmly.Rachel hesitated before she yielded. "Go ahead, Mr. Richmond.""Follow me." Leonard didn't think the crowded hospital was the right setting for private discussions.With that, he took the lead and walked out.Rachel watched his departing figure with a mix of emotions.He had given her a very special Christmas last night. She hadn't expected him to personally dress up as Santa Claus to entertain her. It must be hot and exhausting to wear that heavy costume.Despite the cold weather, Leonard was drenched in sweat when he took off the headgear.At that moment, Rachel was touched as she watched his smiles. Compared to expensive gifts, it was these thoughtful presents that truly moved her.Moreover, Leonard even arranged for artificial snow to set the mood. The scene last night was incredibly beautiful.It was her first White Christmas.In that fleeting moment, she wondered if this m
When Natalie woke up and saw where she was, her heart immediately dropped.For a moment, she wondered if everything that had happened lately was just a dream. Why was she back at Montte Villa? Didn't she escape from this place?She remembered she was in the dressing room, getting ready for her wedding…The janitor suddenly crossed her mind. Did the janitor bring her here?Since the janitor was wearing a mask and a cap, Natalie never got a clear look at them. But one thing was for sure—the janitor was a man.How much time had passed since she arrived here?Natalie glanced around but couldn't locate her phone. However, considering the situation, it was unlikely that her captor would leave her with a phone.Natalie tried to get out of bed, only to find herself far too weak to even move. Natalie's heart tightened as she anxiously monitored the door.The door opened slowly.She had been wondering who her captor was. Yet, when she saw them, she was still taken aback.This was beyon
Natalie's last shred of hope was utterly shattered.She was too absurd, too foolish. How could she have harbored hope over a madman like Jasper?"Jasper Brown! You've lost all your humanity! Karma will get you if you do this!" Natalie screamed in despair.Jasper remained composed and indifferent to her outburst. "I'm not entirely sure what Karma has in store for me. But at least, I've made Henry pay."With that, Jasper turned and left the room.Natalie cursed after his departing figure. She used up all her strength to curse him.But what was the point? At most, she would vent her anger out.Time ticked by.Natalie dreaded the arrival of night. She feared that she might truly lose this child.…The next morning, Harry took the time to visit Henry at the hospital again.The nurse mentioned that Henry had a poor appetite and was in poor condition.When Harry saw Henry, he was shocked. In just two days, Henry seemed to have aged tremendously.Stubble had formed on his chin, an
Once Henry and Natalie arrived at the competition venue, Henry made a beeline for the participants' entrance. Meanwhile, family members like Natalie headed straight to the lobby.Natalie had already spotted a few prominent figures in the architectural design field. Some were competing, others were judging.After seeing Henry disappear into the exclusive lane, Natalie strolled toward the lobby.When all the competitors and judges took their places, the host took to the stage to kick off the competition.Due to the language barrier, Natalie could only catch the gist of what the host was saying.Eventually, a sentence flashed on the big screen. After translating it, it read, "A theatre."It seemed that the challenge would be to design a theatre.After the theme was announced, the screen switched to a live feed of the competition area. Competitors had their own designated space.Within the competition area sat dozens of top-tier architects, who all had produced significant works be
Henry cleared his throat and smiled at Mercy. He tried to keep his smile gentle and even spoke softly.But it only took a few seconds of him singing to cause Mercy to burst into tears, her face filled with resistance.The corners of Henry's mouth twitched. Was he that scary?Natalie was stunned by this. What was going on? It seemed that Mercy was a difficult child!Henry and Natalie had arrived in the city a few days before the competition. It was Henry's idea. He said he still owed Natalie a honeymoon trip, so he decided to make it up to her during this overseas trip.They visited many places and took many photos during their free time.Looking at the photos on her phone and then at Henry sleeping beside her, a satisfied smile appeared on Natalie's face.She tiptoed over and pecked Henry on the forehead. "Henry, I never felt more happy."But as soon as she leaned back, she saw Henry with his eyes opened. Under the dim light, his eyes shone brightly with a hint of danger."Ste
Why was Harry here?Time sure flew by. In the blink of an eye, it had been almost three months since Shirley divorced Harry."Shirl, I'll excuse myself since the guest is here. Take your time!" her boss said and retreated to the nearby restroom.All of a sudden, the entire coffee shop fell quiet, and the atmosphere became tense.Shirley and Harry stared at each other, feeling as if time had come to a standstill. In the end, it was Harry who broke the silence. "Let's start.""Why are you…" Shirley still found it hard to believe."It's your birthday today. How could I miss it?" Harry offered a faint smile.Shirley wasn't sure how genuine Harry's feelings for her were at the beginning of their marriage. But she had to admit, Harry never missed any of their anniversaries, or her birthday during the time they were together.But she never thought Harry would still show up and celebrate her birthday with her after the divorce."It's my birthday, yet you're still making me draw
"I see. Then I'll visit Cece after you return," Shane said as he cast a loving gaze at Natalie.As he watched Natalie leave, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude and relief.Thankfully, he had realized life's true meaning before it was too late. And fortunately, he still had the opportunity to make different choices and correct his past mistakes. …When Natalie walked out of the Yoder residence, she headed straight to the car parked at the gate.She reached out to open the door, but she realized that she couldn't even grip the handle.But this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.Whenever she tried to pick up a bowl, it would slip from her fingers and shatter on the floor.Whenever she attempted to hold a pen to sign documents, she could barely steady it, resulting in a signature that looked like gibberish.She found herself unable to perform even the simplest of tasks, and much less when it came to lifting heavy objects.Although Henry had been reassur
Natalie didn't know how to respond to such a subject.Though she didn't harbor any resentment toward Celine, it was quite impossible for her to see Celine as importantly as she did Yvonne. Celine might be her biological mother, but she was still like a stranger to her—especially after years of separation.…With Natalie's intervention, the shareholders of the Yoder Group finally calmed down.However, it wasn't because they weren't wary of her identity as Shane Yoder's daughter, but rather, it was because of her identity as Henry Chase's wife.Offending her would also mean offending Henry Chase, and they certainly wanted to avoid that at all costs. Shortly after the chaos at the Yoder Group subsided, Shane finally regained consciousness.The moment he woke up, all he saw was Jonah busy taking care of him.Just then, Jonah was walking toward Shane with a wet towel in hand. He was startled to see that Shane was awake."Dad… " Overwhelmed with joy, Jonah called out to Shane.
Leonard looked up in surprise and saw that Rachel was angrily storming toward him.Apparently, she was the one who had thrown the book at him."Ra-Rachel, what's the matter?" Leonard's mind was racing, but he couldn't figure out what he had done to anger her.Nevertheless, he was ready to admit his mistakes and correct them accordingly."See for yourself!" Rachel picked up the book she'd thrown at him and tossed it to him.Leonard calmly took the book and noticed a striking headline on the book cover."Shocking! Former CEO of Velvet Star Entertainment Is the Boss Behind Sky Entertainment?"Well, the cat was out of the bag.Leonard cleared his throat and pondered on how to explain this to Rachel. But before he could say anything, Rachel spoke up instead, saying, "How could you lie to me? Do you know that I couldn't sleep for nights, worrying that you couldn't find a job?"I felt so guilty that you were kicked out by your father and even lost your job because of me! Every day, I
However, Celine wasn't aware that when she'd quickly run off, Henry had shown up at the other end of the hallway.Although Celine was quite far away, Henry could still tell that it was her.When Henry saw her, he briefly paused at wheeling himself. It was only when Celine's figure completely vanished at the elevator that he wheeled himself into Natalie's ward.He had just finished speaking with the doctor in his office regarding Natalie's condition. The doctor informed him that Natalie might not be able to hold pens for some time. And even if Natalie was able to take care of herself in the later stages of recovery, her hands might not be as agile as before. This news would undoubtedly be devastating to a designer who relied on her hands to draw sketches.On his way back to the ward, Henry had pondered how he should break the news to Natalie. However, he couldn't find an answer.As he entered the ward and wheeled himself to the side of Natalie's bed, he gazed at her with a
When Natalie was pushed off from the seventh floor, her phone had fallen out of her pocket and had subsequently gotten smashed.And so, her phone had been turned off since, rendering Lavender unable to reach her.Lavender frowned, feeling uneasy.When Celine noticed Lavender's strange expression, she quickly asked, "Did you get through?"Lavender shook her head and said, "I'll try Henry's number again." Celine's heart leaped into her throat as she waited.Luckily, Henry quickly picked up the phone this time."Mr. Chase, may I know where Natalie is right now? She missed my wedding today," Lavender anxiously said."She's in the hospital," Henry honestly told her.Lavender furrowed her brows. "Which hospital?""Community Care Hospital.""Got it. Thank you." Lavender hung up the phone. "What did he say?" Celine immediately asked as her heart pounded.Meanwhile, Jonah stared at Celine in confusion and wondered why she was so concerned about Natalie.Such excessive concern di
Lavender's gaze lifted to Jonah's well-defined jawline.Jonah's eyes were notably luminous too, just like they were in their past.Lavender had always been captivated by Jonah's eyes. They shone so brightly and clearly, like stars that were her guiding light.With the microphone in hand, Jonah surveyed the audience before commencing his address, "As you've all witnessed through those images… The past three years have been exceedingly difficult for me. "Throughout that period, I was unaware of the extent of the disgraceful actions I'd committed, nor can I fully comprehend the turmoil those close to me have endured on my behalf. "Yet, if there's one aspect of which I'm absolutely certain…"Jonah's gaze tenderly met Lavender's as he continued, "The woman standing beside me has truly done so much for me. The mere thought of what she endured, and the resilience she displayed during those challenging times, fills me with both awe and fear. "And the commitments I made to her have be