Fiona raised her eyes to look at Bella, who resembled Lilian more than she resembled herself.
"Okay, Mr. Solomon," Fiona nodded."Fiona, thank you for your hard work. I will study hard and learn quickly!" Bella said in a sweet voice."You're welcome."Fiona's attitude remained polite and composed. Darwin couldn't see any hint of unwillingness or envy in her. Not caring is what prevents jealousy... This thought suddenly came to Darwin's mind. Irritation rose within him.“Coffee.”Darwin stormed into the office, leaving behind just two words. Moments later, in the pantry, there was a conversation."Miss Robbins, the CEO has very particular preferences when it comes to the taste of his coffee, so...""Fiona, it's better if you don't appear in front of Brother Darwin anymore. Whenever he sees you, his mood turns sour. He's mine now, and if he's unhappy, it'll hurt me~"Before Fiona could finish speaking, Bella changed her expression, crossed her arms, and stared haughtily at Fiona, clearly displaying the demeanor of a genuine girlfriend."Miss Robbins, if you want me to disappear quickly, might I suggest that you stop talking and start learning a bit faster," Fiona calmly said as she ground the coffee beans.Bella's intention in saying those words was to provoke Fiona. She hoped that Fiona would become angry enough to engage in a physical confrontation with her, which would further incite Darwin's disdain for Fiona. Bella wanted Darwin to feel more fondness for her and dismiss Fiona immediately!But she didn't know that Fiona seemed completely unfazed by her words. Bella gritted her teeth in anger.In reality, several months ago, she had been sent to Darwin's side. Fiona had obstructed her path, and Bella didn't understand why Darwin kept Fiona around despite their similarities. She envied Fiona and blamed her for Darwin's cold treatment towards her.Until now, Darwin hadn't even touched her hand. Apart from occasionally staring at her face absentmindedly, he rarely showed her any affection. Bella glared at Fiona with resentment."But you're just someone Darwin got tired of and discarded. What are you so proud of?" Bella sneered, insulting her in every word she spoke.Fiona looked at Bella, her gaze seemingly able to see through everything. "Today is our first meeting, Miss Robbins. Why do you hate me so much?"Bella hesitated for a moment, reflexively refuting, "I don't!""Could it be because you haven't climbed into Darwin's bed yet?" Fiona's tone carried a hint of mockery."You're talking nonsense!" Bella was struck at her sore spot and immediately retorted."On the desk in the secretary's office, there are two notebooks—one is Darwin's secretary manual, and the other is Darwin's lover manual. They contain all of Darwin's preferences.""What do you mean?" Bella looked at Fiona skeptically.She couldn't believe that Fiona would be so kind-hearted."What else could it mean other than handing over work?" Fiona smiled and continued, "Miss Robbins, I'm not as concerned about Darwin as you imagine. It's just a job. I've always been professional when it comes to work, and I won't miss anything that should be handed over to you. As for how much you can learn and whether you can please Darwin, that depends on your own abilities."Bella frowned, scrutinizing Fiona with suspicion.Her eyes seemed to ask, "Can you really be this kind?"After a moment, she finally spoke, "You'd better live up to your words, or else face the consequences!"Fiona brewed the coffee and pushed it in front of Bella, her smile gentle as she said, "Miss Robbins, you've said so much, let me warn you too, let it go for today. In the future, focus on pleasing your brother Darwin, stay away from me, and don't provoke me. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences."Bella felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine as Fiona stared at her.What's wrong with Fiona? Wasn't she known for being soft and easily manipulated? This doesn't look like someone easily manipulated. At that moment, a knocking sound came from outside."Secretary Woods, the head of Sales Division 1 is here, saying he wants to see you!""Send him in." Fiona lightly tapped the table with her fingertips. "What are you standing there for? Hurry and bring Mr. Solomon his coffee."Afterward, Fiona left the pantry directly."Secretary Woods!"Just as Fiona left, the head of the sales division rushed over."I knew something was off, turns out you're planning to resign! If we hadn't scheduled a meeting with the other party to review the proposal in advance, according to the original plan, by the time the issue arose, you would've already finished your resignation and run away! I suspect you took money from our competitors and deliberately tampered with our contract, ruining our chance for this collaboration!"The head of the sales division, Tony Potter, had a hot temper and was direct in his communication. He had collaborated with Fiona not long ago."Mr. Potter, can you calm down a bit? What happened?" Fiona asked in a deep voice."The R&K Electronics order, the data on the contract, you provided it, right?" Tony Potter asked angrily."Yes," Fiona nodded, "I carefully checked all the data and only handed it to your sales department after confirming there were no issues.""Nonsense!" Tony Potter shouted at the top of his lungs.This order was crucial for his team. Now that things had gone south, not only was there no hefty commission, but the priority for company resources in the next quarter had also been handed over to another team!"Look for yourself, see the extent of the mistakes! This is a multi-billion dollar order, do you know how much effort our whole team put into this?" Tony Potter threw a stack of documents in front of Fiona.Fiona picked them up and looked. On the documents, the problem areas were circled in red pen. There was a total of six errors, all of which were difficult to notice, with two involving misplaced decimal points."The data was not like this when it left my hands," Fiona said firmly."Are you implying that it was our sales department that made a huge mistake, willingly sacrificing a huge commission, and deliberately setting you up, Secretary Woods?" Tony Potter finished speaking and banged the table." What is happening here?"At that moment, Darwin walked out of his office."Mr. Solomon!"Tony Potter hurried over, pounding his chest and repeating the case to Darwin.Beside Darwin, Bella looked surprised. She glanced at Fiona and said, "Mr. Potter, it seems like something has happened to Fiona's family recently. She could have been distracted for a moment. Please calm down. If this document is lost, there's still the next one. It's not worth getting upset and harming your health!"Fiona looked at Bella with a cold expression. It seemed that Bella didn't pay attention to the warning just now."Miss Robbins, are you accusing someone?" Fiona asked sternly."Fiona, you've misunderstood, I just wanted to help you... Darwin, brother, I was only trying to defend Fiona. She misunderstood me!" Bella explained.Darwin gazed at Fiona with deep eyes. So, the fox that had been disguised herself as an innocent rabbit for five years was now revealing her true claws and fangs? This was Fiona's true nature."It's alright," Darwin said casually, trying to comfort Bella.Bella, feeling wronged, shrank behind him, looking fearful of Fiona.Fiona remained silent.“Fiona, should she accuse you? Should I accuse you?” Darwin’s voice was icy, sending a chill down the spine.Fiona stared blankly for a moment, her eyes suddenly feeling sore.Darwin... didn't believe her. Darwin took out a few data sheets from the files and placed them in front of Fiona. "Even if someone tampered with the data, these signatures are yours, right?"“Yes,” Fiona replied."Then you are responsible, without a doubt," Darwin declared Fiona guilty."I'm giving you three days to resolve this matter. Otherwise, the company will follow procedure and report it to the authorities."Fiona glanced at him. A slight sense of injustice welled up in her heart, only to be quickly suppressed. Whether or not she was involved in this matter, Darwin knew the truth. She couldn't say she was disappointed. Darwin had always been vengeful. Sh
"Sorry, I have something to do. I'll listen to your fairy tale next time," Fiona said, no longer wanting to waste time, and walked away."Wait, I don't even know your name!" The young master with a foreign look snapped out of his daze and hurried to catch up.At that moment, several security guards ran over from behind, seeing the young master and quickly loosening their steps.They took a deep breath and walked quickly towards him."Young master, the cocktail party has already started. Mr. and Mrs. are looking for you everywhere!"The handsome young man anxiously looked in the direction Fiona had left, about to chase after her."No rush, I need to find someone..."Before the handsome young man could finish speaking, several bodyguards exchanged glances and dragged him away!Fiona was tall, slim, and curvaceous. Her naturally fair skin seemed to glow under the lights on the cruise ship. Just by standing there, she didn't need to do anything special to attract numerous gazes around."W
Wyatt smirked cunningly.Some people might talk tough, but it seems they are about to explode~But…Is Fiona really here to seduce a wealthy man?Wyatt watched Fiona passing through the crowd. Without any hesitation, it was clear where she was headed. He followed her gaze in that direction. At the end of the deck, there was a classical music band.“Hey, isn’t that R&K’s owner, Newton?” Wyatt raised his chin in that direction.Darwin only glanced briefly, showing no surprise.Wyatt reacted, widening his eyes in shock. "Oh! You said you wouldn't come to this party, but you suddenly showed up today! You knew that Newton would be here, and you're here to find him for the project Secretary Woods is handling, right?"Darwin looked at him with icy eyes that could freeze someone even in the midst of summer!“A discarded substitute like her is worthy?”Wyatt: "..."“I came to the party because Bella wanted to come”…" Darwin added.Wyatt awkwardly forced a smile. Darwin has always been a woman
"Master Young Master?"The two who had just scolded Fiona were stunned when they saw the newcomer.“What are you doing?” Harold frowned and positioned himself protectively in front of Fiona.Surprised whispers filled the surroundings."Some guests raised objections earlier, this young lady didn't have an invitation, so we were just here for a routine inquiry," one of them explained."She indeed didn't have an invitation because she was personally invited by me," Harold replied sternly. "If you have further questions, ask me!""Master, we wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!" The two quickly waved their hands. "Miss, we simply don't understand the situation. Please don't mind and let it not affect your pleasant mood for attending the banquet!"“That’s right,” another person chimed in.“'It's alright,' Fiona said, shaking her head.”"Carry on with your duties." Harold waved his hand, though his expression still held a hint of displeasure.Everyone working for the Klein family knew that the
"Why are you so sure?" Newton became interested."If you have seen our company's complete proposal, even with those flaws in the data, I believe you would still choose our proposal."Newton had been running his company for so many years. Starting from a technician and working his way up to president, he had seen countless business plans. But no one had ever stood in front of him and confidently declared that if he saw their proposal, he would have adopted it."Little girl," Newton walked slowly towards her.The aura of a high-ranking executive was intimidating without even being angry."Since you're so confident, how about we make a bet?""What do you propose?""I'll give you another chance, but if your proposal doesn't impress me, my company will never have any possibility of working with Solomon again," Newton said slowly. "Do you agree to the bet?"Fiona: "..."This cunning old fox is putting so much pressure on her?But...She was only responsible for delivering this contract. As
The cruise ship would dock the next morning. Tonight, there would be a wild party that would last all night. Of course, for those guests who didn't want to join the festivities, there were luxurious rooms available for rest. Harold didn't spend much time with Fiona. As the host, he needed to entertain the guests. Besides, she was tired, so Harold arranged a room for her to rest.Back in her room, Fiona finally had time to call Ashton and report on her work. Ashton was having a great time with a few friends. They didn't talk for long before hanging up.Fiona slumped onto the bed, gently placing her hand on her abdomen."My dear baby, Mommy wasn't able to take care of you these past few days. You have to be good and wait for Mommy to finish her work so she can take care of you properly."After lying down for a while, Fiona's phone rang. It was Darwin's special ringtone.Years of work instinct made her sit up and answer the call immediately. Then she said, "Hello"Damn instinct!"Come to
Her eyes were filled with tears. Her body trembled. Darwin watched, feeling like his heart was being cut with a blunt knife.Except for the very beginning, she had never resisted or been afraid of his intimate touch like this before. She had always been so accommodating to him.Darwin's gaze deeply scrutinized Fiona, and he felt more and more estranged. It was as if the affectionate moments they had shared in the past five years were all his imagination. Why?! On what basis?!Darwin's anger intensified. He pinched Fiona's chin and let out a short, cold laugh. "Fiona, these past few days, you haven't been like this. Acting weak and vulnerable now, do you think it'll work?"The sound of tearing filled the air as her evening gown was torn."Alright, enough nonsense." White legs were exposed in the air."Darwin!" Fiona screamed, curling her legs up, attempting to push Darwin away with her knee.But what good would that little strength do? Her legs were suppressed once again. Then, Darwin
In the bathroom, water trickled down. On this autumn night, it was already getting cold. But Darwin was still showering in cold water, pouring it over his head.Today, Fiona's every action and expression replayed in his mind, particularly the look of her tears, humiliation, fear, and despair as she stared at him. Darwin grew more and more anxious. At that moment, the doorbell rang incessantly. His frustration grew. He cursed, turned off the water, put on his bathrobe, and walked out quickly. Opening the door, he saw it was Wyatt."What's up?" Darwin asked coldly.“Just now, near the elevator, I saw Secretary Woods!”Upon hearing Fiona's name, Darwin's expression grew even more unpleasant, as if he was about to close the door."Her dress was torn, and she seemed to have been crying; she looked so pitiful." Wyatt held the door, hastily explaining.Darwin's heart sank at once. He fell silent for a moment.Furrowing his brow, he asked, "What did she say?"“She said…you assaulted her," Wya
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