"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. She proactively brought up leaving and firmly rejected his attempt to make her stay. If Darwin hadn't killed her, it meant he showed mercy.But...She didn't do it.She would never be the scapegoat.“Alright,” Fiona replied fearlessly.Darwin's gaze darkened.Her stubborn and fearless attitude irritated him inexplicably. He didn't say a word and turned back to his office. Bella naturally followed him. She glanced at Fiona, an air of victory surrounding her, as proud as can be.Soon, rumors of Fiona betraying the company spread throughout Solomon. Fiona no longer had an office. She carried her laptop and went to the company library. She had been involved in every aspect of Tony Potter's project, and the proposal was flawless in every way. She personally conducted research on the R&K requirements.This proposal...Without any data flaws, R&K will definitely adopt it.What a pity!At about noon, Fiona bought a sandwich and found a secluded place to sit down, eating while replying to Ashton's messages. As soon as Ashton found out about this, she immediately called."Check! We must investigate to the end! We must expose this person!" Ashton was furious. "I'll find someone for you!""Expose him, and then what?" Fiona asked."Clear your name!" Ashton replied. "And also give him a severe beating!""But in the end, this big deal still slipped away." Fiona said solemnly. "So many people worked hard for almost half a year, and it shouldn't end like this.""Babe, do you have any ideas?" Ashton asked."I want to catch this person, and I also want to fight for this deal!" Fiona's tone was determined.She isn't picky. But some losses are just too much!"What can I do to help you?" Ashton asked."There's a cruise party tomorrow night, and R&K's boss, Mr. Newton, will also be attending. I plan to bring the proposal and meet him there.""I know about this party, I should be able to get the invitation. But... I have heard my stepfather mention Mr. Newton before, and he is notorious for being strict. Your proposal has already had one flaw..." Ashton trailed off. Don't be surprised if he doesn't give you another chance to speak.”You won't know if it will work unless you try, right?"Alright, sis, I'm rooting for you!""After we handle this, I'll treat you to a feast!" Fiona said with a smile."Definitely!" Ashton said excitedly. "Oh, by the way, you can't be careless with your outfit for the party. Wait, sis will pick you up and go shopping now!"Then, Ashton couldn't hold back anymore. On the other end of the phone, he harshly criticized Fiona's gentle appearance."Sis, you're a star at heart, don't go for that cheap girl look, okay?"Fiona laughed and replied, "Sure~"She didn't plan on playing the cheap girl role again anyway.In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the third floor of the library. Darwin stood tall, his gaze falling on Fiona, who was smiling warmly. Has she ever smiled at herself like this before?No. A flame suddenly ignited in Darwin's heart."Darwin, are you taking it too far with this contract flaw in the sales department? Don't you understand Secretary Woods? Could those messy mistakes be her doing?" Wyatt looked at Darwin and said, "Look at her, sitting in the cold wind, looking so pitiful!"Darwin felt a chill."She insisted on leaving my protection, is she deserving of pity?" Darwin looked at Fiona and said coldly, "She deserves it."Wyatt hesitated to speak.At this moment, a black SUV parked by the roadside.Fiona stood up with a smile, full of energy. She jumped up and ran over. Wyatt looked astonished. She had never seen Secretary Woods looking so lively and youthful.Looking at the car and then at Darwin's stern face, he exaggeratedly said, "What's going on? Is Secretary Woods already in a relationship? Is that why she's distancing herself?"Darwin’s face turned icy, but he didn’t say anything and walked away.The next evening, the city lights began to illuminate. A luxurious cruise ship docked at the pier. Wealthy elites and even several celebrities boarded the ship one after another, emitting a glamorous and radiant aura. Fiona and Ashton had boarded earlier.However...They didn't have invitations, only employee badges."This party is too popular. Everyone in Bay City who's somebody wants to come. Since we didn't receive invitations, we can only pretend to be staff," Ashton said apologetically."It's okay as long as we can get on!" Fiona replied, double-checking her carefully prepared plan to ensure that everything was perfect."Once the party starts, you change into your evening gown and find Newton," Ashton said, tapping the bag beside him, which contained Fiona's dress. "Babe, you're so beautiful, you'll definitely impress everyone tonight. We not only need to secure Newton's deal but also catch a quality guy!"Fiona chuckled helplessly.Which quality guy would want to be a stepfather? After all, she was carrying one in her belly.Not long after, the party began. Fiona changed into her evening gown and climbed out of a small window. As soon as she landed, she put on her high heels. Laughter sounded from behind her. She furrowed her brows and turned back.There, she saw a handsome young master, foreign-looking with adorable curly hair and a champagne glass in hand. He was staring at her, seemingly stunned."Sir, do you need any help?" Fiona hesitated for a moment before asking."You..." The young master with a foreign look glanced at the short window and then at Fiona.Fiona was speechless. She was extremely unlucky to be caught as soon as she came out!Fiona was about to make up a lie.The young master with a foreign look continued, "You're so beautiful, like a princess who escaped from a fairy tale!"Fiona: “???”She wore a golden mermaid-style strapless gown, and her waist-length hair was styled in large waves. Her skin was radiant and fair, paired with her naturally beautiful face and delicate makeup. In the moonlight and under the starry sky, when she turned back and the sea breeze tousled her hair, she looked breathtakingly beautiful in the eyes of the young master with a foreign look."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
"Lately, I've been having a streak of bad luck and troubles. Last night, Harold's fireworks and concern made me feel a rare sense of warmth and care. I pondered for a moment, then took the paper bag from Harold's hand. Fiona said, "Thank you, I will carefully choose a birthday gift."At that moment, a drunk person in the car unbuckled their seatbelt and leaned against the window on this side. Harold jumped in surprise, clutching his chest.Fiona quickly explained, "Don't be scared, he's just my friend, and he's drunk."Harold, waving his hand, said, "It's alright, you go take care of him. I'll wait for your message."Fiona replied, "Alright." Fiona went back around to the other side, got in the car, and pulled Ashton back. 'Stud! Major stud! I have to bring him back home in the car!' Ashton slurred. Fiona quickly grabbed him. 'Behave, there's no stud, you've mistaken!' She fastened her seatbelt. 'Uncle Tom, let's go!' Uncle Tom swiftly started the car and made a stylish U-turn. Harold,
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