"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 young master, Harold Klein, was kind-hearted, gentle in nature, and never gave the servants a hard time. As the two left, their faces turned red. They muttered, who could be so malicious as to plot against them like this! Bella, realizing the situation was turning against her, had already hidden among the crowd. She was afraid those two would recognize her and cause trouble in public."This girl actually knows the young master of the Klein family!"“It’s not just that. Look at how Harold protected her. Could she be his girlfriend?”"Just who exactly is she?"Bella listened to the discussions around her, her face pale. Fiona had just been dumped by Darwin after being with him for five years, and now she was cozying up to the young master of the luxurious Pearl Babe Group? How was that possible! She was nowhere near deserving of it!!Fiona was also bewildered. First, it was because the handsome young master with a foreign look in front of her turned out to be Harold Klein, the protagonist of today's banquet. Secondly, he actually helped her out!"Are you okay?"Harold turned around, looking at Fiona with concern as if he was afraid she had been scared.“I’m fine, Master Klein. Thank you for helping me out,” Fiona felt a little embarrassed.After all, she really did sneak onto the ship.Wait a minute!Newton!Fiona quickly looked around, but there was no sign of Newton in the dispersing crowd.“What are you looking for? Did you drop something?”Ever naive, Harold followed Fiona’s gaze and looked around.“Looking for”…"Fiona hadn't finished her sentence."Fiona, darling!"A sweet and affected voice rang out. From how Fiona provocatively eyed her earlier, she was hundred percent sure that the staff member from earlier was brought by Bella. Before she could tear into her, she had come knocking on her own door. Fiona looked over. Her eyes trembled slightly. Bella was holding onto Darwin's arm, and the two of them looked like a perfect couple, exuding elegance.Mr. Solomon,' Fiona said with a slight nod, offering a cold and distant greeting.Wyatt laughed like a fox, waving his hand. “Secretary Woods~”Fiona acted as if she couldn't see him.Wyatt: “”…"So, Secretary Woods had quite the temper. Ah, she still remembered the grudge he held from that day in Darwin's office when he mouthed off.Darwin approached. He glanced at Fiona before his eyes moved to Harold.Then, he chuckled lightly. "Secretary Woods, you sure are quick on your feet."Fiona’s heart suddenly sank.She looked up at Darwin, feigning a smile. "Thanks to Mr. Solomon's excellent teachings."Just as she finished speaking, she saw a flash of anger flicker in Darwin's eyes. Tsk, just one sentence infuriated Darwin. Who wouldn't be impressed by her? That's what she thought, if not for all the onlookers. Mr. Solomon would have considered his image and thrown her into the sea by now."Mr. Klein, it's a pleasure to meet you," Harold politely greeted.Darwin, coming from a privileged background, was always courteous, but no tonight. He ignored Harold and, along with Bella, walked toward the banquet hall. Wyatt enjoyed watching the drama unfold. He almost burst out laughing when he heard Fiona's remark to Darwin earlier.Leaving Darwin's Secretary Woods, he really excelled in all aspects, delighting everyone.With a smile on his lips, he followed Darwin into the banquet hall. Fiona was annoyed with him, even more so seeing how amused he was. Darwin, that big troublemaker. She was desperately trying to salvage the company's losses. But there he was, bringing his lover and ruining everything!"Fiona."At this moment, a clear and melodious voice sounded. Fiona looked up in astonishment. Harold's pale blue eyes were filled with a cheerful smile."Fiona!"He called out her name and surname, his tone even more lively.Fiona couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I’m Fiona.”"It sounds lovely!" Harold suddenly remembered something, earnestly saying, "I'm Harold, congratulations!"Fiona lowered her gaze, smiling as she tucked her scattered hair behind her ear. Her restless mood quickly subsided. There was still plenty of time for the party, and she always had a chance before Newton left."By the way, you came up here secretly for an important matter?" Harold asked.Fiona sounded a bit regretful. "I came to talk to someone important, Master Klein. I almost had a chance just now."“Who are you looking for? Let me help you!” Harold volunteered.In Fiona's mind, everything had a price.She shook her head and refused, “Master Klein”…""Call me Harold!" Fiona said helplessly, about to speak.Newton's bodyguard walked toward her. "Miss, my boss would like to see you."Fiona immediately became excited and didn't waste any time. "Okay, I'll go now."Your boss? Which one?' Harold asked with caution.He had heard from his friends. Some middle-aged men, well past their prime, often took advantage of young and beautiful girls. He was worried that Fiona would be mistreated."It's the person I'm looking for," Fiona said softly. "Harold, thank you for today. I have to go now, but I'll treat you to a meal another time."After she had said her piece, Fiona turned and followed the bodyguard out.A moment later.Inside the luxurious suite on the cruise ship."Which company are you from?" Newton turned to look at Fiona, skipping all pleasantries and going straight to the point."Mr. Newton, I'm from Solomon's," Fiona answered.Newton paused for a moment, then frowned. "You play the piano beautifully, and it delighted me. However, Solomon is not a professional company, and my company doesn't cooperate with unprofessional teams, so...""Mr. Newton, recently you must have seen numerous proposals from top companies in the industry, right?" Fiona spoke gently, with no hint of attack in her tone.When people listened, they couldn't help but let their guard down.Newton nodded. "That includes your company. I must say, Solomon has disappointed me.""Due to some internal issues, we provided incorrect data, and I apologize for that," Fiona sincerely said. "But Mr. Newton, I'm confident that you haven't seen our company's complete proposal.""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,
Ten minutes later. Tony Potter hung up the phone. Then he looked at the people surrounding him."Was she lying?" Miss Ford asked.She had put a lot of effort into the R&K project, and the only person she had been in contact with was the vice president. Fiona was nothing more than a flower vase kept by the CEO. How could she have access to Newton, who rarely appeared in public?Tony Potter shook his head in confusion. "No... R&K did accept our proposal."There was a moment of silence around. Then, the group screamed with laughter, ecstatic!"That's not right. Didn't we hear that Fiona conspired with outsiders and tampered with our data? Why would she help us get the contract back?" Miss Ford interrupted the crowd's excitement."Why else? I heard Mr. Solomon was going to send her to prison, and she got scared!" Tony Potter's assistant, Donald, sneered. "Now that she's been dumped by Mr. Solomon and lost her support, of course, she won't dare to let anything happen to our contract!"“It
Without hesitation, Darwin walked directly towards the elevator. Once Darwin left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Where is Mr. Solomon going? Without that new secretary, and not taking you either," someone asked. Jackie lowered her voice and replied, "Picking up his fiancée, Miss Ross." "His fiancée?" "Yes." Everyone fell silent. "Ah, Secretary Woods really isn't worthy of him," someone murmured. Jackie sternly said, "Amy, stop saying that. If someone with ulterior motives hears you, you'll lose your job!" Amy quickly shut his mouth.The elevator reached the B1 floor, and outside was Darwin's exclusive parking space. He got into the car. He rarely drove himself; most of the time, Fiona used this car. There were no traces of her belongings left in the car, just like his house. She had cleaned them up, but... Her scent still lingered faintly, a unique fragrance that belonged only to her. In the beginning, Darwin thought she was wearing perfume, but after a while, he realized that
Fiona began by mentioning the Swiss bank account opened in the name of Donald's mother. She then brought Mr. Shepherd from Harvey’s into the picture. There was no intention of involving Donald in any way. This caught Donald off guard. Throughout the afternoon, Donald had been feeling uneasy. He vaguely sensed that blaming Fiona was no longer a viable option.However, he was confident that he had covered his tracks perfectly, leaving Fiona with only suspicions. What use were suspicions without evidence? Donald had long prepared himself for Fiona's pushback."Donald, is that you?" Tony Potter paused for a moment, looking at Donald in disbelief.Donald was someone he had personally nurtured. After the incident of data tampering, he suspected everyone except Donald. But now, thinking back, wasn't it Donald who went to the president's office to get the data?"Boss, it wasn't me!" Donald denied outright, then pointed at Fiona with a stern look. "It was clearly your own mistake, and now you'
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