Rose was held in custody for three days before Zachary bailed her out.After three hellish days, she came out of the police station looking dispirited."Send her back to Eldeville. If something happens to her, I'll hold you accountable." Zachary let Shane take care of Rose and warned him.Shane grunted in response and prepared to leave with Rose.Unwilling to leave, Rose said stubbornly, "Zac, marry Yvonne, and I'll leave Joey alone. Otherwise, I will give her hell!"Zachary turned around. "Someone managed to repair her tablet and save her design drafts. That's why you were only locked up for three days."Otherwise, I would have let her sue you. At your age, can't you be more reasonable?""You're scaring nobody, Zac." Rose did not believe him at all."Then pull the same thing again, and we'll see if I'll bail you out or not. Do you think Joey is still as meek as before?"She's a renowned fashion designer now. She has more than ten million followers on her social media. You can
Zachary fell silent for a while before saying, "Find out the truth about Taysee Village as soon as possible."Also, selling phone numbers is illegal here. As you trace back, they will know somebody's on them. To catch them unaware, I want you to get me the truth within a week!""Yes, sir!" said Henry.Zachary was a bit upset. He came to Imperia to make up to Joey. And now, everything was in shambles.Noticing his employer's distress, Henry commented, "You shouldn't have said yes to Ms. Linton's demand."You just gave Kenneth a window of opportunity to spend time with her. He's flying back to Imperia in a few days."Zachary heard him and threw him a dismissive glance. "Just drive. Mind your own business."But if Zachary was in a foul mood, Henry would be the unfortunate one.Zachary's mood was the most stable when he was with Joey.Henry drove carefully but never stopped nagging. "The grudges between Madam Rose and Ms. Linton came from misunderstandings. You should handle it no
As soon as Zachary came home, he asked Harold why Rose was grounded."Because if I don't, she'll cause trouble again," said Harold sternly."But she has a weak heart…""And she uses that as an excuse to do whatever she wants. Don't worry. I have installed security cameras in the attic, and the guards check on her 24/7."If something bad happens, a doctor is on standby to administer help," reassured Harold.Zachary thought to himself that his grandfather was very thorough in the handling of matters."So, what do you want to tell me?" Zachary put his mind to rest."Monica didn't give me the poisonous mushroom. The whole thing has something to do with Yvonne, but I don't have any evidence yet."However, Maxime found something useful," said Harold as he beckoned Zachary to join him in the study.Zachary didn't know his grandfather was investigating Yvonne, too."How come you're investigating Yvonne with Uncle Maxime?" He followed behind Harold and asked in a surprised tone."I f
Since Selena agreed not to increase their visibility, Joey then declined the teacher's invitation to be on her livestream.The teacher was streaming it live when the winter clothes arrived at the school. Joey was watching it, too.The teacher was a volunteer teacher in a rural village. She posted funny videos of being a volunteer teacher and garnered millions of fans.Her fans were very excited when they saw boxes upon boxes of winter clothes being unloaded from a truck."Are they donated clothes? They look brand new! Which company donated them? They look so good!""We must support such a kind company! Drop the name, miss. We'll buy clothes from them.""Finally, those kids will have warm coats this winter."The teacher took one of the clothes out of the box. Then, she beckoned to a girl with a smile."This beautiful winter coat is for a girl. Can you put it on for me?"The little girl was wearing a tattered winter coat. Its sleeves were thinned from overwashing. When she saw t
The article gained traction, and many influencers began to share it.Emmen's good deed had become a publicity stunt. It became the weapon with which people used to spam their social media.The vitriol even spread to Emmen's previous posts. Things were getting out of hand.Some even began to suspect that the teacher agreed to work with Emmen and Chloe to exploit those kids. Rumors of the teacher receiving a one-million-dollar paycheck from Emmen were circulated all over the internet.Joey looked at the comments until late at night. Sleep eluded her.Selena was pissed. "I knew haters would use that against us. I just didn't expect them to start this soon.""It's all my fault. I shouldn't have sewn those embroideries to embellish the clothes." Joey blamed herself.The volunteer teacher hadn't reached out to her, so Joey was too afraid to release a statement.They only slept at two in the morning.The next morning, as soon as Selena and Joey entered the office, the phone rang.Se
The online attack regarding Emmen's supposedly charity-turned-publicity-stunt continued to fester.All of a sudden, Imperia Daily released a video entitled, Cyberattack After A Kind Donation—What Has Become Of Our Moral Compass?The video was about Joey and Selena's interview. The whole thing was released without any edits.Underneath the video was an article by Imperia Daily."What's baffling is how the so-called influencers criticized the volunteer teacher."She has been working in an underdeveloped area for five years, yet is being accused of exploiting the children in an attempt to garner more attention."Similarly, Emmen, who has spent millions of dollars to make these underprivileged kids winter clothes, was witch-hunted for pulling this publicity stunt."They invested time and money to take care of the vulnerable. Yet, their effort is twisted and invalidated by the keyboard warriors in the comfort of their own homes, and by the influencers who did nothing for the society
The pearls on the pearl dress made Melvin's shop go viral.Within a few days, the pearls in Melvin's inventory were sold out. Some had even placed orders for next year's produce.Melvin rushed to Imperia excitedly only to be told that Joey was away."Where is she? Just tell me." Melvin buzzed around the occupied Selena like a bee.Selena put down the documents she was reading and said in resignation, "Mr. Fuller, her work is packed until the end of next year. She doesn't have time for you."Apart from the design contest, Joey went abroad to see if any clients would purchase the fabrics that piled up in their warehouse due to the previous companies who reneged on their promise.She was so busy that she wished she could clone herself."Just tell me where she is. I won't bother her at all," insisted Melvin."Wait for her to come back. She should be back around February," answered Selena.To make sure no one could sabotage anything, her trip to Firelle was confidential."Fine." M
Joey rested at her office until evening when Selena dragged her to the homecoming party."I invited many prominent business figures and new partners. One, I want to share the joyous occasion with them."And two, I want them to know that Emmen is different now. People will think twice before they bully us!"Joey nodded. "Thank you for looking for new business partners during the past two months.""Don't mention it. Pixie's latest collection will be released early next year. I hope it will sell well." Selena was very happy. In those past few months, she had been hitting wall after wall.However, now that Joey had won the Louce Design Competition, things took a turn for the better. Many brands contacted her for a business collaboration, so much so that she had trouble picking one.When the girls alighted from the car at the hotel entrance, they ran into Zachary.Zachary seemed to be in a business meeting with somebody. He saw Joey when he turned around.With his brows raised, he a
Joey shot him a cold glance. "You and he are both the same, so neither of you should be laughing at the other."Zachary nodded. "You're right, but I've turned over a new leaf now.""Let's go. Enough about him," Joey said. She was annoyed whenever Henry was brought up.He had a great girl willing to be with him, yet he was still unhappy. Any other man would have been grinning from ear to ear.They arrived at the restaurant, and while Joey ordered the food, Zachary sent a message to Henry."You should think about this. Joey and Grandma just want you to have someone by your side in the future, which is why they're saying these things."Don't give up on her just because of what her parents said. Having someone who genuinely likes you is rare."From Zachary's perspective, Henry had a pretty good start. Tessa didn't mind his circumstances, so what was he dissatisfied with?Henry quickly replied, "I know. I'll think about it carefully."In truth, Henry found it all a bit troublesome.
Henry was immediately startled and started stammering, "O-Okay."As soon as Joey hung up the phone, she turned to see Tessa, who was crying pitifully, and handed her a tissue.Tessa took the tissue and sobbed without saying a word.Monica had prepared some desserts for her and looked at her with compassion. "Henry has never been in love before. Plus, he's straightforward and doesn't know how to talk properly. There's no need to cry."Joey thought that Henry just didn't love Tessa enough. Otherwise, how could he say such things?Tessa's eyes were swollen and red. Her tears continuously streamed down. "I know he doesn't like me. Maybe he just agreed to the relationship because I pursued him."Joey patted her shoulder. "In love, if one person is too proactive, the other will seem passive. The fact that you dared to love already makes you braver than many.""What's the point? He doesn't care about me at all." Tessa sniffled."Here, eat something," Monica said. "Feelings like love d
No one tried to persuade Henry further, but Zachary continued to say to him, "Come with me to choose a location for the security company. It's worth doing."Henry was a bit speechless. "I'm not even pursuing the relationship anymore. Why should I still think about the security company?"Zachary responded, "Do you plan to cling to Joey's coattails your whole life? Once the business is set up, you can have apprentices teach others, and you can become a hands-off boss in a year or two."With that, Zachary headed out.After they left, Monica sighed in disappointment. "And I here I thought Henry had found someone good for him.""I think it's quite normal. Finding a good woman isn't easy," Joey said.Henry was indeed a good person, but with one eye missing and his job as a bodyguard, it was inevitable that Tessa's parents would worry."How disappointing," Monica murmured repeatedly.Joey didn't know what else to say and could only comfort her. "There's still a chance. What if Tessa d
Joey snorted. "You looked down on me and thought I had no opinions back then."Zachary pulled her into his arms. "Joey, do you like the person you are now or the person you were before?""What about you?" Joey asked him."I liked you from the beginning. Do you think I would have pursued you for so long if I didn't? I never thought you were serious about the divorce. At first, I was angry, but now I just think I was too slow to react."Joey was genuinely angry back then, but he had thought she was playing hard to get.The two of them sat close and watched the movie together.Selena hadn't returned yet, so Joey guessed that she wouldn't be coming back."Selena probably won't return. Hanson is cunning by taking her away with just a movie," Joey said.Zachary turned off the projector and was still savoring the moment as Joey left his arms."They're in love. Otherwise, Selena wouldn't go with him so easily," Zachary remarked.Selena must really like Hanson. Otherwise, she wouldn't
Zachary squeezed her hand tightly. "You're just like an exquisite and beautiful flower."Joey couldn't help but laugh. She pulled her hand back with a little force. "Even though we just had a heartfelt conversation, I haven't thought about being your girlfriend.""I get it. You're Chloe, and countless people are lining up to pursue you," Zachary said in a voice tinged with jealousy.If she wasn't so focused on her work, she probably would have found a new boyfriend by now. For example, Kenneth was an excellent person. If Joey had accepted him back then, Zachary thought he wouldn't stand a chance now.When they got back to Emmen, Joey freshened up and got back to work.Zachary couldn't help but say, "Can't you take a break?""I've gotten used to this over the past year. When I can't sleep at night, I'll work. I find it hard to relax now," Joey said while reading a document intently.Without her dedication and hard work, Emmen wouldn't have grown so quickly.Zachary beckoned her
Zachary felt a heavy weight on his chest as he looked at Joey.She continued, "Even if I accept you again, and we try to rebuild a family, I know things can never go back to the way they were. I gave you my best years, and I don't feel like I owe you anything."During those three years, you ignored my true feelings and neglected me. Do you think it's possible to go back to the past now?"Zachary said, "I'm truly sorry.""I want to fully accept you, but I can't. You all think that the many hurts inflicted on me are something I can just get over, let go of, and move forward from. But I can't."I realize now that people are complicated and hold grudges. I constantly revisit every wrong done to me. If I didn't care, it would mean I don't care about any of you at all."Joey rarely opened up to Zachary like this, but she felt it necessary to make this clear.Zachary watched her silently and felt as though it was his first time knowing what she actually thought."It's like how I don't
Selena readily agreed, "Alright. It's not fair for you to handle everything alone."Her relationship with Hanson was intense and passionate at the beginning, but now that the initial fire had burned out, Selena felt less attached to Hanson. But after dinner, she was still dragged by Hanson to watch a new movie.Joey was exhausted from work and didn't want to move, so she sat at the dining table with Zachary to enjoy the peace."Shall we head back soon?" Zachary asked after a long while.Joey hummed, exhausted. "Let's sit a bit longer.""If you don't want to walk, I can carry you," Zachary said with a smile.Joey snorted. "Do you want Grandma to scold me? Have you even recovered?""Probably not. These wounds don't heal so easily," Zachary admitted honestly. He wanted to please Joey but had forgotten that his health was no longer as robust as before."Let's sit for another half an hour," Joey said as she leaned back in her chair and replied to messages on her phone."You're work
Selena felt that what Joey said made sense and immediately nodded in agreement. "Then I won't consider marriage."Zachary glanced at them and thought that Selena was a bad influence on Joey. Even if they were married, couldn't they still have fun? What was the difference?Around noon, Hanson and Tessa arrived at Emmen together.As soon as Tessa saw Henry, she ran to him and grabbed his arm. "I got out of class early to see you. You're not mad, are you?"Henry was taken aback, but seeing Tessa clinging to him so sweetly filled his heart with joy."Not at all. Why didn't you tell me? I could have picked you up," Henry said.Tessa held his hand. "Why do you have to pick me up? I know where you work, so I can come to find you."Henry nodded dumbly."Tessa, have you eaten?" Monica stepped forward with a gentle smile."No, but my parents want to invite him to dinner tonight. I've already arranged it with them," Tessa said with a smile.Joey thought this wasn't just a regular dinner
Henry had a smile on his face, looking quite pleased with himself. "Of course, she fell in love with me at first sight."Selena laughed. "Impressive! But your cosplay style probably appeals to most young girls, right?"Henry may have only one eye, but he was still very handsome. He was like a cosplayer you'd see on the street.He simply smiled and picked up his phone to check in with Tessa.After chatting, Henry grinned like a fool. "She asked me out to lunch. She said she doesn't have classes this afternoon and wants to take me to her place."Joey felt a bit envious. "You're incredibly lucky. You need to cherish this."Henry nodded as Monica looked at Henry with a smile."What is your girlfriend studying in grad school?" Selena asked curiously."Something related to Eldelish language studies I think," Henry replied, unsure.Joey nodded. "That sounds good."After finishing his meal, Henry sat nearby, playing on his phone.Selena couldn't help but tell Joey, "Is he just going