Aria bit her lip, feeling both distressed and helpless. The price remained at 200,000, and faint whispers were heard around. "Can't even afford 200,000, such a poor look." "Poverty isn't her fault, but parading it around is just annoying." ... Aria's face turned pale, her emotions becoming increasingly agitated. Watching her, Isabella sighed in resignation. "Words come from others; don't mind them." Initially, when she was mocked for being raped by a stranger, the comments were far more hurtful than these. If she had taken it to heart, she'd have been devastated. However, Aria's pride was too strong, lacking Isabella's good mindset, and with Emily adding fuel to the fire. "Words can be dreadful. Losing face at the auction means never being able to hold your head up high in these circles again. Forget about marrying into prestigious families." "Enough!" Isabella interrupted, slightly annoyed. Truly, she was just enjoying the show, adding fuel to the fire instead of trying to
Mrs. Ada's expression turned cold. They say a mother and son share a bond, but evidently, her son's thoughts were on a different wavelength."David, what about the 600,000?" She straightforwardly brought up the issue."The trouble was caused by Aria, so naturally, she should foot the bill. There's nothing to discuss," Emily chimed in.Mrs. Ada wanted to shut her up. Fuming, she said, "Elders speak; there's no place for your interference."Emily snorted but remained silent."Emily, have some manners," Charlotte reprimanded her daughter, then turned to Mrs. Ada and said, "Emily doesn't have the right to speak, but what she said is not wrong. Aria caused the trouble, and we can't expect others to pay for it."Charlotte spoke reasonably, and even David didn't refute her.Feeling resentful and knowing she was in the wrong, Mrs. Ada resorted to being unreasonable, "I don't have the money.""Grandma, are you feeling guilty? Aria bought a gold and jade bracelet and a check for 100,000," Emily
"Aria, now is not the time to be stubborn. I heard from your uncle that Mrs. Hannah wants to use this art exhibition to find a wife for the eldest grandson of the Turner family. It doesn't matter if she likes you or not, as long as his grandson likes you," Mrs. Ada's aged hands held her granddaughter's face. "Turner family is one of the four major families. He've seen many beauties; how could they possibly like me?" Aria said dejectedly, still looking listless. Without another word, Mrs. Ada directly pressed her in front of the dressing table, "It's just a mishap at the auction, why do you lack confidence? Look at you, so beautiful; you're naturally meant for a wealthy family." Aria pursed her lips, looking at herself in the mirror. Her appearance was considered fair, but there was still a gap between her and Isabella and Emily. She sighed subconsciously, not due to a lack of confidence but because her cousins made her feel inferior. "Will Emily and Isabella also go to the art e
At the same time, Isabella followed the others out of the exhibition hall. "Grandma, Auntie, I have something to attend to, so I'll leave first," Isabella said, carrying her handbag, stepping in high heels, and gracefully walking down the steps. Emily stared at her retreating figure and said angrily, "Mom, she couldn't really be chosen by Mrs. Hannah, right?" Charlotte comfortingly patted her hand, "Don't worry, how could the Turner family accommodate a second-hand goods who has given birth to a child?" "But Mrs. Hannah clearly showed no interest in me," Emily felt disheartened. "Mrs. Hannah's opinion doesn't represent her grandson's feelings. We still need to find a way from his side. Let's go, we'll discuss it more when we get back," Charlotte said, glancing subconsciously in the direction Isabella had left. Meanwhile, Isabella had already sat in a private car; she indeed had something important to attend to. Over the next few days, her schedule was packed with commitments, a
Emily, who was exposed, turned pale, her lips trembling slightly. Her eyes, which seemed like they wanted to cry but couldn't, were filled with tears. What was originally a carefully planned beautiful encounter, in the eyes of the other person, turned out to be nothing more than a ridiculous farce, with her as the clown. Henry crossed his arms, his eagle-like eyes sharp and looking down at Emily. "Are you Emily? I've heard about you. You've been with two men, the first was the son of a real estate tycoon. Because he had a drug history, he was forced to break up, and you even went to the extent of aborting the child. The second was the heir of the Brown family; when their family just lost power, you abruptly broke off the engagement without any hesitation. They say a harlot has no feelings, and an actress has no righteousness. Emily, which category do you belong to?" Henry's voice was indifferent, almost contemptuous. Emily's meticulously done makeup couldn't hide the paleness th
A black Rolls-Royce Phantom parked nearby blinked its lights twice. Andrew strode over, opened the door, and got into the driver's seat, his long, clean hands resting on the steering wheel. The car slowly pulled out of the garage. He drove slowly, searching for Isabella along the way. He wanted to find her quickly and then, confess openly that he wasn't just some wanderer. His identity and position could provide her with everything she desired. However, despite driving quite far, he still hadn't seen Isabella's shadow. Yet, he could faintly smell her scent. Perhaps they had missed each other at some unsuspecting crossroad. ... Meanwhile, James found Emily in the club's restroom. She curled up in a corner, tears streaming down her face. "Emily? Why are you hiding here?" James raised an eyebrow, looking at her. Emily lifted her pointed chin, tearfully murmuring, "James." "Get up quickly; the floor is cold." James walked over and helped her up from the ground. However, Emily's l
Day 2Isabella and Olivia were on their way to the club.Although the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry were somewhat exaggerated, female celebrities and investors often couldn't avoid contact. Once in good terms, being taken care of was not uncommon.As they rode in the car, Isabella kept a cold expression, making Olivia sigh."Can you not act like a child? If you really don't like it, just go in, handle it reluctantly, then find an excuse to leave," Olivia said.Isabella kept looking out of the window, remaining silent.Olivia, feeling increasingly helpless, continued, "It's customary for female stars to accompany investors for meals in the industry, usually arranged by the company. I've made excuses for you many times before, but this time, you have to come. Many of the films you've acted in were funded by these people. In other words, they are your patrons."Olivia was similarly averse to this situation, but one had to accept reality; being excessively proud would only
Considering that all the patrons present were untouchable, she couldn't afford to cause trouble for Olivia, so she had to grit her teeth and bear it. Then, her arm suddenly jerked, pretending to accidentally spill the drink. Some of the alcohol splashed onto Brandon's arm, and some sprinkled on her skirt. Panicked, she stood up in disarray and hurriedly apologized. "Sorry, I'm really sorry, Mr. Brandon, I really didn't mean it." She apologized while quickly using a tissue to wipe his arm. Originally, the drink had only landed on his arm, but in her hasty attempt to clean it, it stained his shirt and trousers. "No need, I'll take care of it myself." he feeling annoyed, held his hand out to stop her from helping any further. Brandon smiled as he dried his arm, maintaining silence throughout. Even though he knew this girl had done it intentionally, he couldn't pick a fight over it; that would be uncouth. He subconsciously glanced at Isabella, not missing the cunning flicker in he
Isabella chuckled softly at his words. Then, she got out of bed, tidied her clothes, and opened the door.As soon as the door opened, Asher lunged in, diving straight into his mother's soft embrace."Mommy's precious baby is back," Isabella planted a kiss on Asher's cheek."Amelia took Asher to ride the slide, and then we're coming down!" Asher exclaimed excitedly.Isabella nodded with a smile and asked, "Asher, Do you like to play on the slide?""Yes! I like it." Asher nodded vigorously and said, "I want to eat marshmallows. Mommy, you will buy marshmallows for me, right?"Amelia thought that too many sweets were bad for Asher's teeth, so she rarely let him have candy. Asher was clever; whenever he couldn't get what he wanted from Amelia, he would turn to Isabella and act cute.Isabella smiled and nodded, "Alright, next time Mommy will take Asher to the park to buy marshmallows.""Asher loves Mommy the most!" Asher hugged Isabella's neck and giggled.Isabella carried the child downst
Isabella sat in the passenger seat of Andrew's car, holding a thick stack of documents, still finding it hard to believe.In her impression, Robert had always been deeply secretive, shrewd, and ruthless, having run Moonlit Art Inc. for many years, firmly entrenched in his position.She had constantly been troubled by how to deal with him, yet Robert handed Moonlit Art Inc. back to her and even planned her way forward.She couldn't help but wonder if everything that had just happened was an illusion."Andrew, let me pinch you," Isabella said."Why?" Andrew asked, holding the steering wheel with one hand, puzzled."I want to see if I'm dreaming," Isabella replied."Shouldn't you pinch yourself then?""Are you silly? Pinching myself hurts. Pinching you is the same," Isabella answered seriously.Andrew: "..."He'd be foolish to let her pinch him."Andrew, do you think Robert might be possessed? He just handed the company back to me so easily. Moonlit Art Inc. is worth billions," Isabella
Robert stood at the café entrance, watching as the black Benz disappeared from view. Only then did he step down the stairs and walk towards his car. Holding the electronic key in his hand, he unlocked the car just as his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket.Glancing at the caller ID, he saw Alice's name and habitually frowned.When he answered, Alice's cool voice came through, "Robert, I'm planning to sell the house. While packing today, I found some of your things. Come get them today, or I'll throw them out with the trash."Robert and Alice's marriage had been a heavy loss. Alice would never have agreed to the divorce willingly. Robert had left her all the property and cash in his name before she agreed to the divorce.After hanging up, Robert drove to their former home.The electronic lock had long since been changed by Alice, so he could only knock on the door.Alice answered, her attitude indifferent. Now divorced, they were like strangers."Your things are in the kitchen. Take a
When Isabella received Robert's call, she was at the spa with Oliver. The beautician handed Isabella her phone, and she answered the call directly.Hearing Robert's voice surprised Isabella. After hanging up, she removed her face mask and sat up.“Isabella, what’s wrong?” Oliver asked, puzzled.“Robert wants to meet. Not sure what he’s up to this time,” Isabella replied.“He’s Charlotte’s family. He can’t mean any good. Maybe you shouldn’t go,” Oliver said, worried.“Moonlit Art Inc. is still in Robert’s hands.” Isabella sighed, jumped off the bed, and slipped on her high heels. “You go home; I’ll go meet him.”Isabella quickly washed her face, dressed, and drove to the meeting place. Robert had arranged to meet at a café, and for safety, Isabella sent the café's location to Andrew.After sending the message, she tossed her phone back into her bag. Her red Maserati parked steadily outside the café.Isabella stepped out, carrying her bag and walking into the café in her high heels.Wea
"Charlotte, Emily, please have a seat," Robert said calmly.Charlotte, who had been kept waiting for several hours, was seething with anger but had no outlet for it. After all, they were there to ask for help, and when asking for help, one must have the right attitude. She led Emily to the sofa in the reception area and sat down.Robert finished his work and then sat down on the single-seater sofa opposite them, instructing the secretary to bring over some coffee."No need. We’ve had enough coffee to be full," Charlotte replied sarcastically.However, the secretary still brought a cup of coffee and placed it on the coffee table in front of Robert.Robert took a sip of the coffee and spoke in a light tone, "I was thinking of finding time to talk to you, cousin. Since you’re here, there's no need to schedule a time.""Robert, what is it?" Charlotte asked."Not long ago, Alice and I finalized our divorce," Robert said."What?" Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise. "Something as major as
News of David being taken into police custody was suppressed by Andrew, preventing any public impact. However, high society circles are always well-informed, making it impossible to keep the matter entirely under wraps.Mr. Jacob specifically called Andrew to inquire about the situation, his tone laced with sarcasm. Andrew offered no explanation, but after hanging up, he instructed Ryan to send evidence of Thomas's money laundering and bribery to Mr. Jacob, nearly giving the latter a heart attack.Subsequently, the Clark family also received the news. They was not as easygoing.Mrs. Clark directly ordered the servants to throw out all of Emily's belongings, declaring that Stellan should divorce her.Emily ran back home in tears, immediately throwing herself into Charlotte's arms upon entering."Emily, why are you crying like this? What happened?" Charlotte asked with a sigh.Recently, with Victoria and David both imprisoned, Charlotte had aged significantly."Mom, Stellan wants to div
Meanwhile, inside the CEO's office, Isabella was sitting in the boss's chair behind the large desk, sipping freshly brewed coffee and playing games on Andrew's computer. Andrew's computer was top-notch, and there wasn't a hint of lag while gaming.Isabella was thoroughly enjoying herself, unaware of how much time had passed until the office door opened from the outside and Andrew walked in with a file in hand. Seeing Isabella in his chair softened his otherwise stern expression."You're done with the meeting," Isabella remarked upon seeing him. She closed the game and rested her arm on the desk, propping her chin up to look at him. "Andrew, your computer is great for gaming."Andrew shook his head with a smile, feeling a bit helpless. The information on his computer was valuable enough to buy half of Ithaca town, yet only Isabella dared to use it for gaming."If you like it, I'll have Nathan buy one just like it for you.""Great!" Isabella nodded with a smile, standing up and sidling
“If Andrew would divorce me because the Harris family falls from grace, it would only prove he's not worth trusting. Victoria, do you understand what love is? I love Andrew, and I believe he loves me too.”"Love?" Victoria sneered disdainfully. "Isabella, you're truly ridiculous.""It's not me who's ridiculous, it's you, Victoria. Your whole life has been like a joke." Isabella slowly stood up, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at her."In fact, I've considered many ways to end you, but upon reflection, the best method is to bring you to justice. Victoria, you must live well in prison, reflect on what you've done and the lives you've ruined. I'll make time to visit you."After saying this, Isabella arrogantly turned and walked away, her high heels clicking with each step as she left the hospital room.Behind her, Victoria suddenly erupted into hysterical screams and roars, "I don't want to go to prison! Let me go, let me go!"Hearing the commotion, two guards outside rushed in and
At night, Isabella and Andrew had just finished an intense sex. They lay naked under the covers, chatting. Just as they were kissing passionately, the phone vibrated, interrupting them.Andrew, slightly annoyed, answered the call. Whatever the other person said made him glance at Isabella subconsciously."Andrew, what happened?" Isabella asked after he hung up."Victoria was injured and admitted to the hospital," Andrew replied."Is it easy to get injured in custody?" Isabella asked, puzzled."She was courting death; no one could stop her," Andrew said coldly. "Victoria requested to see Charlotte multiple times but was denied. She must have resorted to self-harm as a last-ditch effort. Once admitted to the hospital, she can see family according to regulations.""Victoria is still hoping David will get her out," Isabella said with a cold laugh. "She wants to see family, right? I'm also her family. Tomorrow, I'll go see her at the hospital."The next day, Isabella got up unusually early