That night.
The restlessness lingered in the air— and little Charles wasn't immune.Ever since he stumbled upon the morning's trending debacle of his mother and the nefarious dad, his attention stayed hooked. The afternoon's indiscretions, for a child like Charles, packed an overwhelming punch.He tiptoed out of his bed, gravitating towards his sister's room.The gloom from her trip to Chicago seemed to have lifted after her call with Darwin. Joy had blossomed over her—so much so, that her tranquil slumber was painted with a smile.Charles watched her, lost in deep contemplation.On the internet, the rumor mill churned tirelessly. The tale of Darwin’s new bride and the supposed stand-in for Secretary Woods had been the stuff of rampant speculation for two days straight. Despite the buzz, the Solomon PR team, and the Solomon family at large remained silent. The identity of the woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Secretary Woods? A mystery no one seemed eagThe crowd processed Anniston's words, exchanging varied glances, until at last the loud-voiced woman shouted, "Well, we've come all this way, can't waste our time for nothing. Let's go!"She took the lead and marched out the door to find a sharply dressed young man holding a stack of checks."Please come this way for your checks, one per household, and each for the same amount," he directed."These are just peanuts," the woman grumbled, scrutinizing the check. "You're writing checks like we're beggars."But when the young man handed her the check, her eyes nearly popped out, "One hundred thousand?"The news of a hundred thousand dollars sent a ripple through the less affluent branches of the Solomon family, who now clamored to get their hands on the checks. The distribution complete, they each left with their own piece of unexpected fortune.The young man's meticulous hairstyle was now disheveled.He exhaled deeply, smoothed his hair back into place, and
Darwin, who had been smiling, knitted his brows instantly at her words: "Lilian is not my darling."Fiona crossed her arms and watched him coldly.Darwin took a couple of steps towards her: "What are you talking about? If Lilian were my darling, why would I be pleading with you like this?"The initial barrier between Fiona and Darwin had been none other than Lilian.That barrier was still there.The barrage of texts Lilian sent during the day, if Fiona cared about them, they would be heart-wrenching.If there wasn't something more between her and Darwin, why would she be so furious?Fiona remembered being someone else's stand-in. She would never forget the terror and helplessness that engulfed her in that hospital room when she had seen Lilian.She didn't like Lilian.But having been out in the rain herself, she never wanted to become someone like Lilian.So.If she was really considering giving Darwin another chance, the issue of him and
Darwin's hand clearly trembled."Never again," he promised, "I could transfer everything—Solomons, Solomon—all my possessions into your name!"Fiona was taken aback. Those things were treasures in Darwin's eyes."Enough," Fiona lowered her eyelids, attempting to pry his grasp from her arm. "I really need to get going.""Wait a second."Before she could respond, Darwin's voice faded, and he leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss. In the quiet intimacy of the moment, they shared a lengthy kiss, after which Darwin wrapped his arms around her, a picture of contentment."Are you trying to strangle me?" Fiona swatted at his arm.He kissed her cheek once more. "You've forgiven me, haven't you?"After a brief silence, Fiona spoke up with gravity in her voice. "Darwin, I'm going to ask you this once, and if you dare lie to me, I will never forgive you for as long as I live.""Ask away," Darwin said earnestly. "I swear I won't lie to you!"He had alway
"Darwin's told you quite a bit, huh?" Anniston looked at Darwin. "You haven't actually lost your mind, thinking she’s Fiona?"Darwin silently watched her."Anniston, being in your womb wasn’t his choice. Over those years, you and Grandma Solomon turned him into someone self-absorbed and cold-blooded. But even then, wasn’t he good to you? Your relatives screwed up the Solomons' finances time and again, and who was it that always filled those gaps? When you realized he was out of control, you conspired with the Solomons’ higher-ups to kick him out. Did maternal love cross your mind when you were bullying him to the point of fighting back?" Fiona’s words resonated powerfully.During Fiona's time by Darwin's side, Anniston had almost reached new heights of treachery.Especially after Grandma Solomon's dementia, Anniston acted like she had no one to answer to, driven by a desire to commandeer the Solomons and become the new matriarch her ambitions plain for all to see.
Fiona rose early the next morning, her routine dictated by the scheduled seminar. After getting ready and dressed, she descended the stairs to find Ashton already busy in the kitchen."Up with the birds, Mrs. Walker?" Fiona greeted her in passing, making a beeline for the elevator."Hold on a sec!" Ashton called out, dashing over with a bag in hand. "French toast, black coffee, and a berry smoothie for the road.""Thanks a million," Fiona said, blowing a kiss as she accepted the bag."Don't forget to eat!" Ashton reminded her just as she stepped into the elevator. "Knock 'em dead!""You betcha!" Fiona affirmed, and with the elevator doors closing, Ashton hummed a merry tune and returned to her kitchen activities.Cooking had never been Ashton's strong suit. She'd considered picking up culinary skills for Chris, but their taste in food was poles apart, and he was too much of a perfectionist. Cooking together was a rare occasion that usually ended up with him t
Upon seeing Darwin, joy was Lilian’s first reaction. But then, thinking of Chelsea, fear quickly overshadowed her delight. 'He can't possibly be here for me...'Darwin's arrival caused quite a stir. People crowded around to greet him. After the greetings settled, Roy attempted to steer Darwin toward the area where Lilian's team was seated. However, Darwin politely declined, "I'm on a personal visit, so I'd rather not sit with the company." Roy was puzzled. A personal visit? What business did Darwin have at their corporate seminar on his personal time? Roy had even thought that Darwin was there to back his company's team!Under the puzzled eyes of Roy and many others, Darwin walked straight up to Laura. Laura appeared just as perplexed. "Excuse me, may I sit here?" Darwin asked genteelly. Laura glanced at her boss, Fiona, who was at a loss for words. Eventually, Laura shifted aside. Darwin took the seat with ease, without so much as greeting Fiona, who in return pre
“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
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