Darwin didn't pay much attention to Fiona.Because there wasn’t much to observe.But after years of being close, he still knew some of her preferences. For example, Fiona enjoyed kissing. When he was in a good mood. Before and after, he would reward her with a long, passionate kiss. Every time, she would be happier than usual.But now...The kisses he gave her lately were accompanied by the taste of blood. Darwin couldn't help it. He had to hold her chin tightly. She was forced to open her mouth, unable to bite.He kissed her and vented his emotions before coldly saying, "Keep enduring your disgust. I haven't had enough fun yet, so you can only stay by my side!"Fiona: "......"He really didn't bother to hide his despicable behavior.After saying that, Darwin gently wiped away the blood red from Fiona's lips.Her pale lips lacked color and became slightly rosy.He let go of her.Because of his forceful grip, her fair cheeks turned purple, especially noticeable.Darwin furrowed his bro
Fiona's heart suddenly trembled. She was completely exposed. What nonsense was Darwin still uttering? Wasn't he the proudest person? "Don't look at me like that." Darwin kissed her lips softly. Fiona turned her head in disgust. He wasn't furious either. "Secretary Woods, you're not alone," Darwin said calmly. "Your friend Ashton..." "Darwin!" Fiona exclaimed. Darwin laughed, "It seems I spoke incorrectly, your good friend Ashton." "Don't touch her!" Fiona pushed Darwin forcefully, her voice filled with urgency. "Be obedient, and I won't hurt anyone," Darwin grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his embrace, his tone surprisingly gentle. But to Fiona, it sounded like a thousand venomous snakes crawling over her body, chilling her to the bone. "And there's that Dagmar..." "The little programming kid..." "Your grandmother's nurse... this lady is quite interesting, she can solve a bunch of problems, enough to drive someone crazy." "Oh, and Solomons is going to invest in Teodora babe, s
On this journey.Fiona had also made up her mind. If she stayed, she would stay. But it was impossible for her to continue playing the role of a weak person.And so...Not long after the meeting began.The other side had set a trap.Fiona raised her eyes and mercilessly interrupted, exposing their scheme.“Director Longway,"Don't show us the fake financial reports you use to deceive others. It lacks sincerity, and cooperation is unlikely." The meeting room fell into silence. Director Longway was the first to frown and said, "Secretary Woods, what are you talking about?" Director Longway and Fiona had met a few times before. Previously, she had always been with Darwin, organizing and distributing materials, and taking meeting minutes. She had never spoken in meetings. Everyone knew about Fiona's relationship with Darwin. In private, Director Longway had often made fun of Fiona, saying that she was just like a water bottle, always there to quench Darwin's thirst. He mocked her disdai
Fiona was truly exhausted.Both physically and mentally.She knew that it would be useless to argue with Darwin any further.The fact that he agreed not to do that was already a relief for her.She simply let him be.The hotel’s large and comfortable bed.Fiona was in Darwin's arms, and soon after, she fell asleep.In a half-dreamy state, she felt Darwin’s gentle and soft kisses on her cheeks and ears.In a daze. It seemed like he was still saying..."I shouldn't have lost my temper at the cemetery and said those things. Can you forgive me?""I was wrong for treating you badly in the past, Fiona, from now on, I'll treat you well..."Fiona's heart tingled. She thought it must be a dream, right?How could Darwin...Really apologize to her, how could I be afraid of hurting her feelings? And how could he make promises for the future. Fiona will always remember. When she was with Darwin, he said those words frankly."Don't think there is a future between us, you are just a substitute for Li
Fiona: "..."Who allowed her to have a weakness controlled by someone else?Darwin was shirtless. He had always had good eating habits and exercised regularly. So his figure was excellent.Fiona had been infatuated for a while... alright, not just for a while, she had been infatuated until she found out that Darwin was getting married.Two years ago.Wyatt had a companion who was an old hand in the nightclub scene. She liked to hang out with Fiona. One time, she mysteriously said she wanted to show Fiona something good. She opened her private photo album on her phone. And showed dozens of men in various colored boxer briefs."These are all muscular men at the newly opened club," she said mysteriously to Fiona, "While Darwin is away on a business trip, why don't we go have some fun together?"Fiona looked at each of those men one by one. She had no interest at all. It's not that she was unworldly, but these professional players were nowhere near as attractive as Darwin in terms of loo
Fiona's anger from yesterday subsided. She had already organized the project information for Darwin before. Darwin was very interested. There was no problem with profitability. It's just a matter of how much profit."Let's get straight to the point." Fiona said calmly, "Regarding your financial report for the past six months, I have a rough idea. In simple terms, it's a loss.""Secretary Woods, this has nothing to do with our company's overall strength. Last year, another department took on a bad project, which resulted in a disastrous start to the year. The financial report was affected by this incident!" Director Longway quickly explained.The others chimed in as well."That's right, Secretary Woods. You can take a look at our other projects, they have all been profitable...""Great job!""Yeah, otherwise Mr. Solomon wouldn't consider working with us!"Everyone chimed in.Darwin remained silent. He just watched Fiona, waiting for her to speak."In the rapidly changing industry nowa
Everyone knew who Thalia's cousin was.With her sarcastic remark, the amount of information conveyed was truly shocking!"Substitute? What substitute?""This outfit of Secretary Woods' is indeed expensive. Just the pair of pearl earrings alone costs six figures!""Wow, a professional career woman? More like an ambitious woman!""That's right, if it weren't for Mr. Solomon, what kind of air could she put on?""Mr. Solomon is already engaged, so why does she cling to him... how shameless!"Fiona glanced at the people behind her.Many of them had just complimented her earlier.The gossipy ones immediately lowered their heads and pretended to be busy."Secretary Woods is quite formidable," Thalia sneered."Ms. Klein, Mr. Solomon's wedding is imminent. You better watch your mouth and stop spreading rumors everywhere. If Miss Ross hears about it and it affects the Ross family's alliance with the Solomons... be careful, or you'll be skinned alive."Fiona abandoned her previous submissive dem
Winter came unusually early in Bay City this year. When Fiona went to New Port, she only wore a thin coat. When she came back, she was standing at the crowded exit.Hathaway, beautiful and aristocratic, stood there, attracting many people's attention. Some recognized her. "Isn't she the heiress to the big conglomerate, the one who is engaged to the Solomons' heir?" "It's her! She's so stunning in person!" "Why is she at the airport so late?" "Obviously, to pick up her fiancé, look over there..." Darwin's face didn't look good. He instinctively looked at Fiona. Seeing her pale face, he felt anxious and annoyed. "I didn't know she was coming," Darwin whispered. "Isn't it normal for her to come to pick up her fiancé?" Fiona's tone was flat. "Mr. Solomon, you should go over there quickly. People have already recognized you. Don't let those with ill intentions take bad photos and make a big fuss." Darwin's face was as cold as ice. But he still walked in that direction. Fiona lowered
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