With a humph, Ashton accepted the chocolate.Her phone had buzzed in her pocket hundreds of times.Shee ignored every single call.Fiona couldn't help but glance towards the corner where Darwin was.It was pitch dark over there, unclear what the people were up to.But, based on the silhouettes, it seemed like Darwin had been on the stands since the Chicago footage started.He couldn't have discovered something, could he?Indeed, Darwin had been watching Chicago.He was surprised at the richness of emotion in such a young child.Understanding romance, capable of conveying it through art.Understanding devotion, also displayed in the paintings.She knew how to express love.Love for her great-grandmother, her mother, her brother...Her parents had raised her well.The artists had finished presenting, now came the auction.Up till now, everything had gone normally, almost all the artists' works had been bought.There wasn't much competition, after three or four bids over the starting pri
But before she could speak out, Darwin inquired, "Shouldn't you ask your parents first?"Wendy's expression shifted.The young miss didn't have a father, so the topic of 'Dad' was never brought up around her."My mommy is really nice, she won't mind at all!" Chicago proclaimed proudly, lifting her little head high.However, upon hearing the news from Chicago, Fiona immediately and decisively rejected Chicago's request after hearing it, "No."Chicago's eyes widened in surprise."Why... why not?" she asked, confused. "Uncle bought my painting, which can help a lot of people, and Uncle is a good person, I just wanted to invite him for dinner..."Ashton stood to the side, somewhat torn.Should she tell Fiona the truth?"Uncle is currently on a date with someone he likes. Inviting him to dinner now would mean interrupting their date, wouldn't it?" Fiona crouched down in front of Chicago, struggling to suppress her own anxiety while gently persuading her.Chicago had seen a few romantic mov
"Chicago, did your parents agree to this?" Darwin asked.Chicago didn't want to lie, "Mommy is very busy, didn't have time, so Chicago invited Uncle for dinner, come on Uncle! I'm so hungry!"Chicago seemed genuinely in a rush.Darwin chuckled and decisively picked her up, "Alright.""Miss!" Wendy had been through a roller coaster of emotions but still decided she had to stop her young lady's reckless action. If Fiona found out, the sky would fall! She always knew that Fiona was an angel when not angry, but when she was, she was terrifying beyond words!Chicago gave Wendy a fierce glance.Darwin also stopped and turned around, looking at Wendy with a calm gaze, "What's up?"Wendy was so overpowered by his presence that she couldn't utter a single word. She could only shake her head in the end."Uncle, let's go!"Taking advantage of the fact that Uncle seemed to have already forgotten about the mean aunty, she had to leave the art exhibition quickly with Uncle!"Okay."Soon, Darwin had
At the restaurant, Darwin ordered the signature children's meal set for Chicago. The meal came with a cute duck figurine which Chicago had a blast playing with.During the meal, Chicago looked at the delicious food in front of her and began to worry again."Uncle, you know you shouldn't casually eat food or drink water given by strangers?" Chicago looked at Darwin with her big, serious eyes."Of course. You are so clever, knowing all that stuff." Darwin praised wholeheartedly."Yeah, Mommy taught me." Chicago nodded, "Uncle, you have to remember, okay? There are lots of bad people out there, and if someone tries to use a kid to trap you, that would be dangerous!"Listening to Chicago's out-of-the-blue remarks, Darwin pondered deeply."Did you hear something?" Darwin asked.Chicago wrinkled her little nose.At that moment, Wendy finally snapped back to reality: "Sir, it was that lady who attended the event with you today... she said some off-the-wall things, and the little one overhear
After Chicago left with Darwin, Fiona was restless. After taking Charles home, she made an excuse and left the house.From a nearby car, Fiona watched Darwin hug Chicago, watched Chicago reluctantly embrace him, and watched him stand still, long after Chicago had left.Her feelings were indescribably complex.But who was to blame? Darwin could have had it all. She had given him a chance, but what had he done?"Drive." said Fiona coldly, turning away.The driver started the car, and as they passed by Darwin, Fiona didn't cast him another glance.When Fiona arrived back at the house, Chicago was just getting out of the car.Without the lightness of stepping out in the morning, she hung her head, staring at her shoes, walking ahead distractedly.She didn't even notice Fiona's arrival.Wendy wanted to speak up to advise her that her mother had arrived, but Fiona stopped her.Only after Chicago had entered the house did Fiona ask Wendy, "Didn't you say she had a great time? What happened?"
It took a while before Fiona spoke up, "Ashton, do you think I should have a romance, get married?" Ashton looked at her, "Just to find a father for the kids?"Fiona fell silent. Probably because that time with Darwin had hurt too much, it was as if she had lost the ability to fall in love.Plus, for these five years, she had been busy with studies, working, and raising children, hardly having a chance to dwell on personal issues."Idiot." Ashton clicked her tongue, "Even after becoming a mother, you are still you. Marriage is about your lifelong happiness, better to be alone than in bad company.""Is that why you never date?" Fiona asked with a smile."We're talking about you, why drag me into it?" Ashton rolled her eyes, "But, if the person were Dagmar, I would support that!"Dagmar...Fiona swirled her wine glass, her eyelids drooping.Years ago, she had entrusted Dagmar to look after Janna. Over the years, although Dagmar was no longer practicing medicine, he gradually took over
That evening, Fiona caught up with her best friend over drinks, someone she hadn't seen much due to their busy schedules. They talked about so many things.Late that night. Fiona quietly entered her son and daughter's room, carried the little ones to her own room, and contentedly fell asleep with her children.In the middle of the night, Charles woke and noticed Fiona's blanket had slipped off. With a sigh, he covered her, and tucked his sister's kicked-off feet back under the blankets.Only then did he fall asleep peacefully.Ashton suffered from headaches when she drank too much and couldn't sleep.She sat on the bay window, looking at the messages from Chris.Chris: Answer the phone, let's talk.Chris: I was just dealing with my dad.Chris: Are you going to keep giving me the cold shoulder, Ashton?Chris: Please don't be like this, I'm already exhausted.Chris usually speaks very little. Their chat history is sparse. Today, he's spoken quite a bit, though.Ashton let out a sigh and
Chicago had put her heart into it. She had even adorned the envelope with beautiful little flowers.Upon opening the envelope, Darwin noticed the card. "Chicago is just a child, don't mind the doodles on the letter." the manager delivering the paintings hurriedly said."It's fine, it's adorable." Darwin replied as he tucked away the card. It wasn't written specifically for him, the contents were quite formal, seemingly prepared before the auction.After delivering the paintings, the manager quickly left. Darwin found an empty room and instructed the servants to place the paintings inside. After a moment of thought, he ultimately had someone carefully hang them up.He stood in front of the painting depicting God. For some reason, looking at the benevolent face of God, he thought he could vaguely see a hint of Fiona.People say that time is a medicine that can heal everything. Yet, Darwin was in pain.Why couldn't time heal the agony of losing Fiona for him? Instead, with each passing d
As Ashton was sorting through the gifts, she too was reflecting on everything."Isn't my life just a series of bizarre twists?" she mumbled, looking down. "Finding out Chris was secretly going on blind dates behind my back, then breaking up. Watching him get engaged, and seeing my own mom take his fiancée's side, leading to our fallout. That should have been my rock bottom, right?"Fiona nodded in agreement.The day Ashton cut ties with her mom, she'd even bought her a plane ticket. She wanted to send her to some tranquil getaway for a much-needed vacation to relax and rejuvenate."Who would've guessed? Right after the falling out with my mom—a spur-of-the-moment decision—I ended up marrying Kenny. I was so down on my luck, I thought, 'How much worse can it get?'” Ashton chuckled ironically, then softened a bit. "But, who could have predicted how good Kenny would turn out to be? How he'd respect every single wish of mine."It was a kind of care that she hadn't felt since her dad had l
Fiona was actually surprised. After all, she wasn't a saint without desires. It all made sense to just go with the flow and do what naturally came next. She might only berate herself later for succumbing to her cravings. But Darwin stopped, and that was beyond her expectations. In the past, this would have been unthinkable. It seemed as though... he really had learned to respect her.She pressed a quick, rewarding peck onto Darwin's lips, smiled, and teased, 'Mr. Solomon, maybe you should head to the bathroom?”Her smile was captivating and bright, causing Darwin's past five years of distressing memories to resurface. He pulled her into his arms again."Wife, I miss you so much, I'm starting to lose my mind," Darwin's voice shook, betraying his emotional turmoil. "I keep seeing your shadow at home, but when I chase after it, there's nothing... Thank goodness... this time I've really got you in my arms."Fiona listened to his voice laced with sobs, her heart aching with each word."Ser
Darwin had always been self-centered in matters of intimacy. Whenever he desired, she couldn't refuse.In her haziness, Fiona felt like she was back in those times again."Don't be afraid."Sensing her anxiety and unease, Darwin softened, kissing her lips again and coaxing her with his gentle voice, "I won't force you. I'll wait until you're ready to truly accept me."In Fiona's misty eyes, desire began to cloud her vision. Her gaze often seemed distant and disconnected. As Darwin kissed her, her mind turned into mush, instinctively she kissed him back softly.Mr. Solomon just stood there, silent, his towering frame taut."You know exactly how to torture me," Darwin groaned, voice hoarse, as he peppered her neck with more fervent kisses."Be gentle..." Fiona clenched his hand. "You'll leave marks!"Darwin chuckled lowly, then tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Why fear my marks? Scared that man will see and get jealous?""No, it's not that…" Fiona turned away with a sligh
Once finished, the anxiety within Lilian began to subside.Just wait a little longer, Lilian. All these nuisances will soon vanish.And then, you'll be there for Darwin with all your gentle warmth. He’ll eventually be moved, realizing you're the one for him...Lilian took a deep breath and exhaled.On her way out, she passed by the flower shop where Darwin made his purchase. From a distance, she had only glimpsed the type of flowers Darwin had bought and decided to buy the same kind.Inside the apartment, Darwin silenced his phone and tossed it aside."Why didn't you tell me? Worried I'd take Lilian's side?" he pulled her close and asked earnestly.For five years, she had lived in Lilian’s shadow, a daily reminder that she was merely a stand-in and that Lilian was the more important one—a notion that had likely seeped into her very marrow.This realization made Darwin wish he could travel back in time to give his younger self a good thrashing.He
"The only person I've ever schemed for was Solomon. What could possibly make you believe I'd harm someone I don’t even know, like Miss Rhoads?" Lilian asked. "If that's truly how you see me, maybe it'd be better if you just kicked me out of Solomon's life..."Darwin had promised to protect Lilian.Hearing her say this, he felt a twinge of guilt.But...Darwin feared even more that because of the thorn that was Lilian, his wife’s heart, which had just started to soften toward him, would turn cold again.He was walking on eggshells just to avoid pushing her away.So..."I'm sorry, Lilian," Darwin said flatly. "There's no room for discussion."Lilian sat frozen in the car, as if her blood was slowly turning to ice.Even in her early days back in the country, Darwin had never protected Fiona like this.He used to drop everything to be at Lilian's side whenever she needed him, leaving Fiona behind.Now...Even when she tried to befriend Che
Fiona gazed at Darwin, his face inexplicably brimming with pride."Lilian places great value on the RH Company project." She kept to herself the fact that Lilian had plagiarized her proposal, but Fiona wasn't about to let it slide.This was simply a clash of interests, and she felt no need to drag Darwin further into the fray, avoiding the mess of tangled priorities."Hmm," Darwin's smile faded slightly, "Her proposal is indeed impressive, but it pales in comparison to yours."Fiona studied him intently, searching his face for any hint of romantic sentiment towards Lilian.Her search ended in vain."What are you looking at?" Darwin pulled her closer by the waist, gazing up at her.Fiona brushed her fingertips gently across his cheek, causing him to nuzzle into her hand like a kitten seeking affection."Don't stay away too long, come back soon," he whispered softly, his voice barely a murmur.What he truly wanted to say was, "Don't leave."Thei
Darwin had no clue about the sunny-side up egg story. Upon hearing it, his gaze immediately sought Fiona's.Fiona was clutching her burger too tight."Oh, why bring that up, mother?" the daughter-in-law chided softly, "I'm sorry about this.""It's fine," Fiona shook her head gently.Seeing Granny distressed, she excused herself to rest.Fiona stared at her burger, lost in thought.She had never imagined it.Her death had cast such a shadow, not only over her loved ones, but over those beyond her immediate circle.“It’s okay.” Darwin soothed her gently.Fiona cast another glance toward where the Hamburger Lady had disappeared and bowed her head to eat slowly.If the Hamburger Lady was so affected...What about Darwin?She had never been fully convinced of Darwin's love for her. It always seemed to her that his treatment of her was nothing more than possessiveness.Like an old belonging he didn’t want to discard, nor did he want anyo
Darwin sat in the treatment room with Fiona sitting beside him, scrolling through messages on her phone, while a doctor attended to Darwin's wound."The wound's not too deep, but it's not superficial either. You'll have to watch your diet," the doctor advised after dressing the wound."Got it, thank you for your help," Fiona put away her phone and politely thanked the doctor.Then they left the treatment room together.Darwin's face was brimming with relief, "We really didn't have to come to the hospital for this."Fiona didn't look at him.Leading the way, she said over her shoulder, "I'm here to prevent someone from using their wounds as an excuse to get me to come back."At that,the joy visibly drained from Darwin's face."I would never do that," he murmured softly.Fiona finally stopped and turned to look at him, "Mr. Solomon, you're becoming shamelessly unprincipled. Aren't you embarrassed to say such things?""Hungry?" Darwin steppe
“Monsoon Investment and I have always held deep respect for traditional industries. We hope that while guiding these industries through current challenges, we can also preserve the essence of the company's original culture as much as possible. Furthermore, we aim to highlight the significant contributions that RH Company has made to Armie Country and its citizens during challenging times. Monsoon Investment sincerely wishes to join hands with the esteemed shareholders of RH Company, to usher in the next era of brilliance,” Fiona concluded her address with a respectful bow.As she stepped down from the podium, the auditorium was quieter than expected.In contrast to the heated reactions to Lilian’s proposal, Fiona’s approach landed like a heavy punch right at the heart of RH Company’s shareholders. Lilian's face turned particularly sour.Chelsea's new strategy represented a complete shift.While the first proposal seemed, at first glance, to have a stronger pull on pe