Leslie remained silent.Although Ivan hadn't specifically said it, she could guess that the condition behind his offer was far from simple.Ivan was not the type to propose a deal that didn't favor him.Ivan's gaze locked on Leslie's face as he approached her, saying, "Would you consider having a child with me?"This longing likely stemmed from the emptiness in Ivan's familial life, having been abandoned by his parents at an early age as they went on to start new families for themselves.He had always wondered what a happy and complete family might look like and decided to seek that fulfillment on his own.Leslie couldn't help but laugh dismissively upon hearing Ivan's request. "Ivan, there's no way I would allow my child to carry the blood of someone like you!""And whose blood would you prefer? Hugh's?" Ivan retorted with a mocking smile. However, a closer inspection would reveal the iciness in his eyes. It made him appear like a devilish figure under the streetlight's glow.
Hugh silently took his leave as the sky started to brighten.He had instructed the hotel's front desk to keep his involvement confidential.After all, he couldn't offer Leslie anything substantial, so the least he could do was refrain from nurturing false hopes in her heart.Upon waking up, Leslie found herself alone in an unfamiliar room. Her mind was clouded in confusion, and she had no memory of how she'd arrived there, nor did she have any recollection of checking into the room herself.Her gaze then fell upon the bandage wrapped around her foot.Was she injured? When had that occurred?Leslie couldn't recall. But she didn't linger on these thoughts either. She simply attributed the gap in her memory to a blackout from excessive drinking.After getting herself ready, she left the hotel and headed to her office.Just as she was approaching the entrance of the building, a figure hurried toward her.Leslie might have completely forgotten about Fiona if not for her sudden
"Les, how is this be a threat? I'm simply laying out the situation for you. If Hugh were to face disgrace or bear certain consequences because of you, wouldn't that weigh heavily on you?"Ivan's expression was one of feigned innocence. It was as though he was genuinely the considerate person he portrayed himself to be.Leslie couldn't help but laugh after hearing him. "Well, if that's your truth, then so be it."Was there even a point in continuing this argument with Ivan?It was only now that Leslie truly grasped the nature of the man before her.Ivan watched Leslie with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Come have breakfast."He then tapped the seat beside him lightly.It might have seemed like a kind invitation, but Leslie could see the implicit warning in his gaze.Leslie's hands, which had been resting at her sides, tightened into fists. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she fought the urge and held them back.Crying in front of Ivan would be futile. After al
After watching the video, a storm of emotions engulfed Leslie.She had never imagined that this was yet another act by Harper. The dialogue between Fiona and Harper truly made her feel nauseous.According to Fiona, only Harper was deserving of a brighter future while Leslie was seemingly excluded from such considerations."They think they can deceive me without any consequences, but I refuse to let this pass," Leslie replied, her gaze cold with determination.Leslie had never harbored any intentions of disrupting the relationship between Hugh and Harper. Yet, it was Harper who persistently viewed her as a competitor.Fiona had approached her numerous times regarding the issue, and each visit only deepened Leslie's disappointment in her mother.As Leslie recalled Fiona's melodramatic act at her office this morning, she found the scenario even more ridiculous.She was playing the victim while simultaneously trying to tarnish her reputation?Leslie never sought to offend anyone,
"Given such a handsome and wealthy husband by my side, why should I pretend to be strong? If I say I can handle the project, then I certainly can," Natalie stated with confidence.Despite the common belief that marrying a rich husband like Henry and being cherished by him meant that she wouldn't have to worry for the rest of her life, Natalie refused to become too comfortable with such a life.She aspired to pursue her dreams and aimed to grow and improve alongside Henry.Henry laughed, his gaze filled with adoration. "Well, I see no reason to argue."Natalie harbored the hope that people would recognize her as Madeline in time, a competent architect, rather than merely Henry's wife.After all, being cherished by a man didn't mean she should depend on him entirely."Alright. Let's head back," Henry said as he turned toward Natalie.Natalie agreed that it was indeed time to return after checking her watch."Okay, let's go back." She nodded.When they reached home in the evening
Natalie cleared her throat to mask her momentary embarrassment.That wish seemed like it might be quite challenging to fulfill, didn't it?Five kids! Imagine that!Natalie just laughed it off."Let's start by cutting the cake! It might not look great, but it should taste pretty good. I've heard the cakes from this bakery are always praised for their flavor," Natalie spoke as she passed the knife to Henry.Henry then cut a big slice and offered it to Natalie.However, Natalie didn't immediately take the cake. Instead, she hesitated as she looked at it."This piece is too big, I'm afraid I'll gain weight," she said, sizing herself up from head to toe with a look of distress. "Look, I've already gained ten pounds since I got pregnant.""It's okay, a chubby Natalie would feel soft to the touch," Henry replied without a second thought.Natalie couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What did you say?" she questioned.Henry quickly resumed his serious demeanor and offered an inn
Although the house wasn't large, it was adorned with warm and inviting decor.A shelf nearby displayed a series of photographs charting Harper's journey from childhood all the way to adulthood, and some featured her alongside Fiona.This was a modest home, and it was also one devoid of any presence or memory of Leslie.Leslie reckoned that Fiona was probably oblivious to Leslie's childhood appearance and personality. And this highlighted to Leslie the extent to which people could exhibit favoritism, even among parents toward their children. Meanwhile, Harper was seated at the dining table and having breakfast.Upon noticing Leslie, she immediately put on her dramatic act."Mom, who is this?" she inquired, her expression a mix of fear and suspicion."Harpy, don't be afraid. This is your sister. She won't harm you, she's merely here to visit." Fiona reassured Harper before turning to Leslie with a forced smile.She then feigned hospitality and said, "Les, it so happened that I m
Harper's heart raced under Hugh's unwavering gaze, her clenched hands betraying her anxiety.The act she maintained seemed pointless now.Fiona was too afraid to make a decision and sought assurance in Harper's eyes. Then, with a reassuring nod, she finally left the suite.With every step she took, she cast anxious glances back at Harper.Once Fiona left, Harper quickly seized Hugh's hands and explained with a tinge of desperation in her voice, "Hugh, I'm actually fine now, but this has only been the case for a few days! I meant to tell you, I just… hadn't found the right moment yet…""When exactly were you planning to end this deception?" There was no trace of warmth in Hugh's eyes anymore.His disappointment had accumulated over time, and Harper's actions steadily crumbled Hugh's trust."I wasn't deceiving you, Hugh…" Harper said. But it was only to be interrupted by Hugh's emotionless demand. "I'm giving you one last chance to disclose any other secrets you've been keeping
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