Harrison's words were true.Even if Cesar had contact with Brook's people, would Brook leave any evidence for them to catch him?"By the way, a small brand owner wants to merge with Pixie. I can introduce you to him if you think it's a good idea. If not, I'll turn him down." Harrison changed the topic to work when Joey didn't respond."What brand is it?" Joey asked directly."Floria."Joey looked at him in disbelief. "You call that a small brand? It's straight-up a knock-off. Focus on Pixie and stop thinking about expansion."Even though Pixie now sells clothes for about ten dollars, it's only because of my reputation, not because Pixie has devalued to the point that such knock-offs can be associated with it."Harrison nodded repeatedly. "You're right.""If you don't understand the value of winning first place in the Louce Design Competition, go check it out," Joey said and then turned to leave.Harrison originally just wanted to help an old friend, but he realized he might ha
Joey pushed the door open.Henry and Lawrence were playing on their phones, laughing like two fools.Lawrence turned around and displayed a goofy grin that made him look truly silly upon seeing Joey."Am I interrupting?" Joey asked while pretending to be serious."No… not at all." Lawrence's smile disappeared from his face as he quickly got off Henry's bed."You seem to be recovering well," Joey said as she walked into the room and placed the fruit basket on the table."I bounce back quickly with good food since I'm still young," Henry replied in his usual relaxed manner.Joey looked at him before saying, "You really should recover soon. I'm not used to not having you make my milk.""What is Stacy doing if she can't even make you milk?" Henry immediately frowned. If someone working under Zachary was this useless, they'd be out of the circle in no time."She just doesn't have the habit. Why do you always give me a cup of milk every morning and night?" Joey asked as she sat down
Joey was having a pleasant conversation with Jorge, which made Zachary feel quite jealous.However, Joey's participation in such a tech conference piqued his curiosity.For people like them, attending a computer technology conference made sense due to their industries' ties to computing technology. But what was Joey's agenda?After chatting with Jorge for a while, Joey found a seat.The conference hadn't started yet, so Zachary swapped places with someone to sit next to her.Just as he was about to start a conversation with her, Yvonne showed up.Yvonne seemed to have been looking for Zachary for a while. When she saw Joey sitting beside him, she clenched her fists but still smiled as she approached."Can you give up your seat for me? My fiancé is sitting next to you."Joey looked up at her with a cold smile on her lips. "What does that have to do with me?"Yvonne's question drew the attention of several people around them.She had attended many high-end gatherings with the F
Zachary seemed oblivious to Yvonne's words. His mind was mostly on Joey and partly on the artificial intelligence technology presentation on stage.Meanwhile, Joey discussed her idea with Jorge, who seemed quite surprised. After pondering for a moment, he said, "So, do you mean this application can only be developed by our company?""Yes. That's why I approached you." Joey smiled."I find your proposal very interesting. I'll discuss it in a meeting back at the office. But how much can you invest?" Jorge asked with a smile."How about I forgo the fashion dividends for now? I can contribute if you need more funds later. What do you think?"Joey knew this was a bit opportunistic, but Emmen and Pixie needed money, and she couldn't afford a significant investment right now.Moreover, she couldn't be sure if it would meet her expectations without a finished product. If the product turned out poorly, she would just suffer a loss."Alright." Jorge understood her situation, especially si
On a quiet Monday, the Fulham Estate seemed almost deserted as it was a workday.Selena sat in the living room, engrossed in her phone.Meanwhile, Yvonne had been observing Selena from upstairs for quite a while.Selena seemed to be up to something suspicious, glancing nervously at the door from time to time.After a while, Yvonne returned to her room.Since Zachary relented, Selena had been on her best behavior. So, Hanson had brought her back home despite Vaughn's dislike for her. Hence, Vaughn had put on a facade of politeness.On the other hand, Emily was kind to her. After all, Selena was the woman that the Fullhams' only son loved, and their future daughter-in-law!However, Yvonne was more concerned about what Selena was up to now.She had been keeping an eye on Selena for a while, and these strange behaviors weren't just a one-time thing.Yvonne had tried several times to sneak a peek at Selena's phone, but Selena was too cautious.At that moment, Yvonne took out a pac
Hanson couldn't help but ask, "Have you never thought about our future?"Selena pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked Hanson, "Did you ever consider how I felt when I was wronged? Did you think about my resentment when I was forced to resign from Emmen?"Her words left Hanson speechless.So, Selena had never forgiven Yvonne."You could have told me the video wasn't posted by you. I've been investigating it all this time. Why couldn't you just wait?" Hanson asked her.Selena scoffed. "Do you think I am someone who swallows my pride? Hanson, I've done enough by not retaliating against her on the spot for your sake.""I'll come over and talk to you," Hanson said before hanging up the phone.When Joey arrived at the office, she saw the scratches on Selena's face and immediately sent Stacy to buy some medication."What happened?" Joey sat beside her and asked with a concerned expression."I've been smearing Yvonne's reputation online for a few days. She found out today and con
Hanson looked at Selena. He gradually understood that the conflict between Yvonne and Selena had been built up over time.Selena was the top executive at Emmen, but Yvonne had forced her to resign from there. How could she sincerely accept Yvonne?Hanson realized he could never ask Yvonne and Selena to get along. He couldn't demand that Selena accept Yvonne.After a moment of silence, he said, "I know this isn't your fault. I can't ask you to accept Yvonne for my sake."He paused, then slowly continued while looking into Selena's eyes, "But I can't give up Yvonne for you, either. You know she is special. The Fulham family searched for many years before finding her."I think I will need a lot of time to figure out how to prevent this animosity if it comes to a point of mutual hatred.""You don't need to figure out how. I will never in this lifetime accept someone like her. She is like a tumor that disgusts me," Selena said mercilessly.Zachary touched his nose as he thought about
Zachary didn't respond to her but instead twisted open the bottle of coffee's cap, peeled off the foil seal, and took a sip."The taste is mediocre. I still prefer hand-brewed coffee," Zachary said with a tone of mild disdain while shaking the bottle."It's just a casual drink, and you're already being picky," Joey retorted irritably.After chatting for a while, Hanson came out. His eyes were still a bit red, and his lips, too. It looked like Selena had passionately kissed him.Joey felt slightly awkward. "Have you both talked it out?""Yes. I'll stay here for now. It's good for her to go back to Eldeville to relax," Hanson replied gently.Joey nodded but didn't say anything more."Are you coming back with me?" Hanson asked Zachary.Zachary's expression was indifferent. "No, I have my own matters. But I must remind you that Selena is angry because of the leaked video."While Selena is not entirely innocent, shouldn't the person who installed the surveillance in Yvonne's room 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