The last thing Shane ever wanted to hear in his life was "Haley is James's fiancée." He used to tell himself this every day to numb himself and suppress his desire for Haley. Slowly, he learned to restrain himself and hide his love. However, the desire buried deep within could not be suppressed. It grew like vines in his heart, unseen but relentless. By the time he realized it, he was already helpless, and it had spread to his entire heart.But he could not do anything then, because Haley liked James and she was his fiancée. Fortunately, James did not know how to cherish her, and his Haley finally returned to his side. From the moment he brought Haley home, he silently made a decision. Someday in the future, he would change Haley's status from James's fiancée to Shane's wife.Stella did not expect Shane to react so strongly and his gaze startled her. She could not help but take two steps back, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. But soon, that fear was replaced by indignation.
After listening to Stella's accusations, she casually lifted her eyelids. "He has me, his wife, to care for him, so you don't need to bother. Otherwise, I might have thought you were trying to rush into becoming the third party between us."As Haley spoke, she tilted her head and blinked at Shane. Shane lowered his gaze to meet hers, his deep black eyes full of indulgence and pampering. He did not spare a glance for the other woman outside. In his heart, there was only this young girl in front of him from beginning to end, though this little girl had not yet realized his intentions at all.Nevertheless, he was still quite pleased because it was the first time Haley had taken the initiative to embrace him. For Shane, this was simply a delightful surprise. He did not pay attention at all to Stella's aggrieved and resentful gaze, subtly resting his hand on Haley's slender and soft waist.Although Haley's figure appeared petite and delicate, her proportions were balanced, full where the
Caught in Shane's meaningful gaze, Haley's cheeks flushed, feeling guilty as she averted her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she curiously asked, "But she was crying so sadly. Don't you feel any compassion at all?"It was no wonder Haley would think like that, the tone between Shane and Stella just now was too intimate. Although Shane firmly expressed resistance, it only fueled speculation even more.Haley's mind wandered, even suspecting that the two had been in a relationship before, but for some reason, it was kept secret.Seeing Haley's mischievous gaze, Shane could not help but feel amused and resigned. What was this little girl thinking again?He lowered his head, drawing closer to Haley's fair and delicate face. Their lips were almost inches apart, as if a slight movement would bring them together.Haley stared blankly at his handsome, enlarged face and those deep eyes, feeling somewhat dazed.Just as she was lost in her thoughts, Shane suddenly spoke. He sai
At that moment, the sound of water in the bathroom suddenly stopped, and Shane's voice rang out, "Haley, I forgot to bring my underwear. Can you help me find a pair?"Haley snapped back to reality, the blush that had just begun to fade resurfacing once again. Underwear? Who showers without bringing underwear? After not hearing any movement from outside for a while, Shane knocked on the door again, "Haley, are you asleep?"Haley covered her cheeks, grumbling, "Yes, I am." Shane paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Haley, don't be silly. You wouldn't want me to go out wearing nothing, would you?""No! Just wait, I'll get it for you!" Feeling flustered, Haley hurried to the closet to fetch clothes for Shane. Shane's clothes were neatly arranged, with everything categorized and organized meticulously. It was as neat as if he had OCD.A row of suits, almost all black, filled one section, while drawers below contained accessories like sunglasses, cufflinks, and watches. Haley
Furrowing closer, Shane spoke slowly, "Don't you know if I have been drinking? Haley, I'm serious."Haley dared not meet Shane's eyes, her gaze suddenly flickering to his body. He was wearing a loose white robe, the belt loosely tied. Because of his leaning posture, the robe was open at the chest, revealing his strong and well-defined chest and abdomen.Absolutely sexy.Haley had known that Shane had a good physique, but she had not expected it to be this good.She suddenly felt the air around her becoming stifling, subconsciously licking her dry lips, forcing herself to look away. But his presence was just too strong to ignore. Although Haley was trying hard to restrain herself, her gaze was involuntarily drawn.She tried to make her voice sound calm, speaking slowly, "Mr. Ford, I may need some more time to adjust." Haley nervously raised her eyes, looking pitiful, appearing quite endearing.Shane felt his heart melting, but when he remembered her indifferent attitude towards St
Haley's long lashes trembled lightly, her heart pounding uncontrollably.Thump, thump...Each beat louder than the last, as if it might burst out the next moment.She could vividly feel Shane's lips moving on hers, rolling, sucking and licking...He approached her with gentleness and patience, akin to a seasoned hunter guiding his prey deeper into the wilderness. It did not feel like he was conquering her; it felt more like comforting and easing her into the moment.Haley held his hands tightly, her nervous and uneasy feelings gradually easing under his tender assault.Perhaps it was the stifling heat of the enclosed bathroom or the steam that added a layer of haziness to the atmosphere, but Haley found herself gradually lost in his tenderness.The kiss lasted a long time, until she felt breathless, and Shane finally let her go.As Shane watched Haley's face, flushed like a ripe apple, he could not help but smile contentedly, a subtle curl appearing on his lips.Gently, he tra
After Haley left, Shane leaned against the bathroom wall, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He was truly too impulsive. His original plan was to take it slow, gradually making Haley accustomed to his presence, until she could not bear to be apart from him. But Haley's indifferent reaction to Stella today had triggered his first sense of crisis. So, he lost control. He hoped Haley would see him as more than just a marriage prospect, hoped she would be jealous for him. But she seemed to not care at all whether he had ambiguous relationships with other women. This completely threw him off balance...Shane took a deep breath, trying to suppress the irritation in his heart. He quickly straightened his disheveled robe and left the bathroom. However, upon returning to the bedroom, he could not find Haley anywhere. He scanned the room and noticed that one pillow was missing from the bed, and even the bedding was gone!His expression darkened instantly, and he strode ou
Though this question felt somewhat cruel to him, he still wanted to know what place he held in Haley's heart. He also wanted to test Haley's boundaries on this occasion. This time, Haley did not immediately answer; instead, she fell into thought. Did she hate it? The answer was no. In fact, it was Haley's first time kissing someone. She had never experienced this feeling before. Even though it had been over ten minutes, it seemed like Shane's breath still lingered between her lips.While kissing him, Haley's mind went blank, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest. Even now, whenever she recalled that moment, she could not help but blush uncontrollably and feel her heart race. After all, who could resist the sight of a composed, aloof man losing control and passionately kissing you? Realizing what she had just been thinking, Haley's breath caught, and she became so nervous she could barely breathe. Ugh, how could she entertain such impr
Since that day, the number of bodyguards at Violet Grove had multiplied several times, and Shane even had the latest security system installed at home. It was a top-of-the-line model with built-in defense mechanisms. If anyone unfamiliar tried to break in, the alarm would go off instantly. After hearing about how close Evangeline and Nicholas had come to being kidnapped, no one thought these precautions were excessive. In fact, they only wished more could be done."This is just despicable! I can’t believe Xena could be so vicious!""We were too soft on her before. Someone like that is just a waste of air."Shane and Haley remained silent, but their thoughts were the same.Shane reassured everyone, "It’s over. Xena will never have another chance to get out."Hearing this, everyone felt a bit more at ease."By the way, where are Mom and Dad? I don't see them," Haley asked, noticing that her parents were not around, though everyone else had gathered.Zac didn’t say anything but q
Just the thought of what could have happened made Haley’s heart ache unbearably.The nannies stammered for a long time but couldn’t describe the person who had approached them. All they could recall was that the person had been thoroughly covered and that it was a woman.Shane immediately called his assistant, instructing him to investigate as soon as possible.It was past 3 a.m., and Haley still sat at the edge of the bed, unable to close her eyes. Her eyes were red from exhaustion and worry.Shane wrapped his arms around her, whispering words of comfort, "Don’t be afraid, it’s all over now. Everything will be okay."Haley sniffled and nodded. "I know, but I’m still so scared. We were just in time. If we’d been any later…"Shane pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I won’t let anything like this happen again. Trust me."At that moment, Shane's assistant, Dean, walked in, dragging someone who was covered head to toe.The person stumbled, falling to their knees in front of Haley and
Late that night, Shane and Haley finally sent off the last guest. Haley leaned heavily against Shane, exhaustion written all over her face. "Ugh, no one told me getting married would be this tiring. I'm never doing this again."Shane chuckled. "Who else do you plan on marrying besides me?"Haley blinked innocently at him. "Who says you can't marry the same person twice? That's what they do in books and dramas."Shane sighed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and gently tapping her on the forehead. "You need to cut back on those dramas."Haley giggled, rubbing her forehead. "Hey, they’re useful! I’ve learned a lot from them."Shane raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What did you learn?"A mysterious smile curved on Haley's lips. "Not telling you. You'll find out if you ever make me mad."Seeing that she wasn’t going to spill the secret, Shane let it go. He bent down and suddenly hoisted Haley over his shoulder.Caught off guard, Haley yelped in surprise. "Shane, what are you doing?"
Jenny and Charlotte stayed behind to keep Haley company. Jenny teased her with a grin, "Can you believe we’re all getting married now? Back in college, we used to imagine what our future partners would be like."Haley shot her a sideways glance and retorted, "Not ‘we,’ just you. Bet you never imagined you’d end up with someone who’s nothing like your ideal type, huh?"Back then, Haley was still engaged to James Ford. Though James was far from a good guy, Haley felt obligated to honor her mother’s dying wish and marry him. She didn’t spend much time fantasizing about love. Jenny, on the other hand, practically lived in her romantic daydreams."Oh, so you’re teasing me now?" Jenny’s face flushed for a moment, then she lunged at Haley, pretending to tickle her.Haley dodged, laughing, and soon the two were playfully tussling. Watching from the sidelines, Charlotte couldn’t help but smile along with them.Soon after, the wedding officially began. The venue was packed with guests,
On the fifth of May, the wedding took place as planned.Shane had started preparing the venue two days in advance, meticulously arranging every detail himself. The expansive wedding grounds were filled with romance, from the long red carpet laid out on the lawn to the balloons adding a whimsical touch.Haley donned her wedding dress and let the stylists work their magic, crafting an exquisite look for her. Just then, Shane entered the room, standing behind her with a warm smile."You look absolutely stunning today, Haley. The most beautiful bride in the world," he said, admiration in his voice.Haley turned her head toward him, her face glowing with happiness. "Weren’t you busy greeting the guests? How did you find time to sneak in here?"Ignoring the people around them, Shane bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I stole a little break to come see you," he whispered playfully.At that moment, a teasing voice interrupted them from behind. "You two really can’t stop showi
After what felt like an eternity, Haley was nearly out of breath when Shane finally let her go reluctantly. However, even though his lips had only pulled away slightly, his hands still firmly gripped her waist."Do you like it?" he asked, his deep eyes filled with affection.Haley blinked innocently. "Like what?""Me," Shane replied with a playful grin, his gaze never leaving her face. "Do you like me?"Her cheeks flushed, and her heart raced as she bit her lip and looked up at him. "Why don’t you guess?"Shane chuckled and pulled her onto his lap. "I’d guess... you do."Caught off guard, Haley let out a small yelp and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, shooting him a playful glare. "You already knew, so why ask?"Her response only made Shane laugh harder. After a bit more playful banter, he held her close as they leaned back on the couch. Then he brought up their wedding. "I talked with Mom and your parents. We all agreed that our wedding will be held in a month.
Haley had always known how much Shane doted on Evangeline, treating her like the apple of his eye. But she hadn’t expected his protectiveness to reach such an extreme level. She couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated at the same time.Gently, she grabbed Shane’s hand and comforted him softly, "Alright, alright, don’t be mad. Hugo is only a month old. He didn’t mean any harm. If anything, it just shows how lovable our Evangeline is."Shane sat on the edge of the bed, the tension in his chest easing slightly, but he still couldn’t shake off all his frustration. In his mind, he made a firm decision that he would do everything in his power to protect his little treasure from now on. No one would be allowed to get too close to her again.From that day on, everyone noticed how Shane’s protectiveness over Evangeline had reached a whole new level. He barely let her out of his sight, as if he needed to be by her side 24/7. Anyone who dared approach her was met with a cold, pier
Jenny couldn't help but laugh. "You haven't seen this little guy when he's awake. He's a real handful. If you did, you'd probably take back all those compliments."When Hugo was awake, he was full of energy, and when he cried, his voice could shake the walls. Jenny looked at Nicholas and Evangeline, who were awake but contentedly sucking on their tiny fists, and said, "These two are so much easier. They’re quiet and calm, the more I look at them, the more I like them."Seeing the twins were awake, Haley quickly leaned over, gently poking their soft, chubby cheeks. "Awake already? You only napped for a little while."Nicholas stared up at Haley with his big eyes, silently taking her in. Evangeline, on the other hand, waved her tiny hand and let out a soft "ah," which nearly melted Henry and Jenny's hearts.Henry knelt beside the crib, unable to tear his eyes away from Evangeline. He playfully reached out to her, and when she giggled at him without fear, he adored her even more. "S
Haley took a small sip, smiling as she saw the eager look in Shane's eyes. "Mmm, it’s good.""Really?" Shane smiled as well, taking another spoonful for himself. He tasted it thoughtfully before nodding. "Yeah, it’s good. The seasoning is just right, and it’s refreshing. Even with the herbs, it’s not bitter at all."He quickly brought another spoonful to Haley’s lips, feeding her until the bowl was nearly empty.Seeing Haley’s good appetite, Shane tidied up the dishes and called Dean. "Tell the restaurant that all the chefs’ salaries are doubled this month."Dean was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. "Got it. I’ll take care of it right away."As he hung up the phone, Dean couldn’t help but think, "When will it be my turn for a bonus?"As if Shane could read his thoughts, a low voice came through the receiver. "Haley’s pregnancy has been tough, and you’ve worked hard these past few months too. Your year-end bonus will be tripled, and you’ll get extra vacation days. Spend