At the end of the charity auction, Janna Rhoads also bid on a set of top-grade pearl jewelry.There were earrings, a necklace, a brooch, and a bracelet. Compared to the seventeen million diamond necklace, it was a bit more low-profile.After the auction, there was a cocktail party. Janna Rhoads exchanged greetings with the organizers and left the venue with Stuart, who wore a suit and had a fierce look on his face.Seeing this, Hathaway followed along. She felt that she had a great conversation with Janna Rhoads today, and it seemed that Janna Rhoads liked her very much as well. So she thought of taking advantage of the situation and finding a reasonable excuse to exchange contact information or something.From the venue to the elevator, there was a vintage screen blocking the way. Hathaway lifted her foot to step over the screen. Then she heard the bodyguard following Janna Rhoads ask in a minor language, "Madam, is it too extravagant to give such a precious gift to someone you just
Eric was taken aback. Seizing the opportunity, Fiona pushed him away and started walking.Eric steadied himself and immediately caught up, saying, "I'm not a dirty man, I'm very clean!""When I say 'dirty,' I mean you're dirty down there," Fiona said, glancing disdainfully at a certain part of Eric's impeccably tailored pants. "You sleep with all kinds of women, and you're not dirty?"Eric paused for a moment, understanding what Fiona meant. His face instantly darkened."And where do you stand in all this? I've heard that Darwin has always treated you like a commodity. He even said at a dinner party that he would give you away to anyone who wants to play with you!"Fiona's heart trembled. She knew about this. And she was present at the time. It was probably about three years ago. Darwin had just finished discussing a business deal with a coal industry tycoon, in a similar setting to tonight's event. The tycoon was clearly a lecherous man. For those few days, his eyes seemed glued to h
Returning to the bedroom, he carefully laid her on the bed and covered her with the blanket.Under the warm light, Fiona slept peacefully. Darwin gently played with her hair and then leaned down to kiss her lips.A fleeting thought came to his mind, right now Fiona was at the most peaceful and sweet.Darwin suddenly realized that when she wakes up, she would no longer show him such tenderness.Darwin's heart felt like there was a knife twisting in it. Perhaps if more time had passed.Even in moments of haziness, she wouldn't treat him like this.After a long while, a voice deep within his heart asked, "Darwin, is it worth it?"Afraid of disturbing Fiona's sleep, Darwin went to the guest bathroom to take a shower. When he came back, his gaze fell on the bedside table. He pondered for a moment, then walked over and opened the drawer. Neatly arranged inside were the contraceptives. Without hesitation, Darwin took them all out, turned around, and threw them in the trash. As if he was wor
Around the same time, at the penthouse suite of the W hotel in the city center. The round bed was in complete disarray. Eric pushed away the woman in his arms and strode into the bathroom. The sound of running water soon came from the bathroom.The sound of rushing water filled the air. Eric's face was filled with annoyance as he leaned his muscular arms against the wall, letting the cool water wash over him. His frustration stemmed from his interaction with Fiona.The entire night had passed, but Fiona's disdain and mockery still echoed in his mind. Him, dirty? What right did a woman who sold herself for Darwin have to disdain him? Damn it! He gritted his teeth tightly. This was probably the first time he had encountered a woman he couldn't handle. Eric felt that he was behaving abnormally. Even when he was with the other woman outside, he couldn't control his thoughts from being filled with Fiona. In the French windows, in the mirrors, he could faintly see Fiona's graceful figure. T
The manager with the surname Zeng was stunned on the spot."Isn't what I said the truth? Everyone knows about the relationship between you and Mr. Solomon in Solomons from top to bottom!" Mr. Geoffrey yelled at the top of his voice.His face turned red and his neck grew thick.Fiona looked at him. "Don't get so worked up, save some anger for later," Fiona smirked, "I didn't quite understand what you said just now, what does 'climb the bed' mean?"Manager Geoffrey's face turned even redder. An inexplicable sense of shame crawled up his heart."You know it yourself!" Mr. Geoffrey said, not intending to discuss this matter further."I don't know, that's why I asked," Fiona interrupted unyieldingly."You..." Mr. Geoffrey pointed at Fiona, his lips trembling. He felt that Fiona was provoking him. Coupled with the many eyes around them, Mr. Geoffrey slammed the table, "Climbing the bed means climbing up a man's bed, relying on sleeping with a man to climb up the ladder!"There was an uproar
Anniston lately could be described as distressed. She gave birth to a good son! He actually made a move against her because of a substitute! Not only had her position in Solomons been gradually revoked, even her confidants were harmed!"Smack!"Anniston slapped the latest financial daily in front of Darwin."Did you do this to Uncle Zeng? He watched you grow up! He followed your mother for thirty years! Even if you want to get rid of me, you shouldn't use such ruthless methods, right?"Darwin glanced at the newspaper.“He didn’t do this terrible thing himself. Hasn’t it been exposed?” Darwin’s tone remained icy."Exposed?"Anniston sneered, "When I went to bail him out, they wouldn't release him. Only through my inquiries did I find out that some righteous person anonymously provided the police with many photos and videos! No matter how much money he has, Uncle Zeng won't be able to escape!"“Photos and videos?”Darwin thought of Fiona's hacker associate and the incident involving Mr.
Darwin chuckled, "An unconventional relationship?""It always has been..." Fiona muttered. "Can you do it or not? Say something!"“Hmm.”Darwin indeed needed to go back to the old mansion tonight. It was time to set a date for Hathaway's wedding. Choosing today was also a way to appease Anniston. Otherwise, with her personality, who knows what kind of turmoil she would cause."I'm going back to the secret mansion tonight.""The study is over," Fiona said as she tried to stand up. However, Darwin wouldn’t allow it. Not only did he stop her, but he also pressed her down onto the sofa. Fiona exclaimed, shocked. She hadn’t locked the door when she came in, and anyone could enter at any time. "The door isn't locked!" Fiona whispered anxiously. Darwin acted as if he hadn't heard and lowered his head to kiss her. Fiona was trembling with fear, but luckily no one came in while he was finished. Her lipstick was completely smudged, and she breathed heavily as she lightly punched Darwin and
Fiona felt that she had already become immune to the matter of Darwin getting married. Yet when she heard about the wedding date, her heart still ached sharply.Fiona thought to herself: "Ah, how pathetic.”"Hathaway invited me, but I don't like the Solomon family's young man, so I thought of sending a gift instead of attending the wedding," Janna Rhoads said naturally as she served Fiona some food. "But even if you don't like someone, you still have to put thought into a wedding gift. So I wanted to ask you about the Solomon family's young man's preferences.""I haven't really thought about that," Fiona replied calmly. "Since it's Miss Ross's invitation, shouldn't we focus on her preferences?""Yes, that seems reasonable," Janna Rhoads nodded. "Then let's give her a bracelet and a set of pure gold dragon and phoenix ornaments!"“Yes, the dragon and phoenix ornaments sound good,” Fiona agreed.Janna Rhoads looked at Fiona. This little girl didn't seem to be upset at all. If she wasn't
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