Zoe observed the changes in Joe's expression carefully and comforted him softly, "You're Haley's biological father. There's no lasting grudge between a father and daughter, right? I believe as long as you reach out to her, she'll come back."Joe's grim expression softened slightly, but he still maintained his pride, "Humph, even without that money, I can still get the company back on track. And as for Xena and James..."He could not continue his words halfway through. James mentioned that Mrs. Ford Sr. had not accepted Haley yet. So, this marriage was not going to happen anytime soon. The Ford family was currently not dependable.Zoe's lips curled up, a glint of determination in her eyes. "Isn't it simple? Just marry off Haley, isn't that enough? I'll take a good look at Haley these days and find her a suitable husband."Joe felt a slight wavering in his heart at her words. With the company on the brink of collapse and shareholders murmuring discontent, he was probably on their rad
She leaned against Joe's shoulder, her eyes filled with reliance and trust. "Hmm, thank you, Joe."Being looked at with such eyes made Joe feel warm inside. However, he did not notice the resentment and calculation flashing in Zoe's eyes when she lowered them.**Waking up, Haley found that it was already bright outside. She stared at the ceiling for a while, suddenly remembering what had happened last night, and her cheeks flushed instantly.With her fair and translucent skin, emitting a faint glow, now adorned with a light blush, she looked even more charming. It was simply captivating.She stretched lazily and slowly got out of bed, taking a leisurely look around the room. Eventually, she spotted Shane's figure on the balcony.She got off the bed and walked over, only to see Shane standing on the balcony, smoking. His features were deep and handsome, sharply defined. He was dressed in a sleek, charcoal-black suit that perfectly enveloped his figure, accentuating his stature
Haley thought for a moment and said, "I have two classes in the afternoon, so I'll need to go back to school. In the evening, I have plans to have dinner with Jenny. Mr. Ford, do you have any plans?"Meeting Haley's clear and sincere gaze, Shane suddenly fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, he spoke expressionlessly, "Which restaurant? I'll pick you up after work."Haley shook her head with a smile. "No need to trouble yourself. I can take a taxi or have the driver drop me off. I know you're busy as the CEO of such a large corporation; I don't want to bother you."Shane looked at Haley with a focused and serious expression. "This is an obligation of a potential boyfriend. It's something I should do, and you shouldn't feel troubled."Haley was momentarily stunned, and when she realized the implication behind Shane's words, her cheeks flushed red. She pursed her lips and whispered, "But I haven't agreed yet."Instead of getting angry, Shane chuckled and asked, "Then whom d
Shane could not help but laugh bitterly. In the past, what he was most proud of in business negotiations was his imposing demeanor. It allowed him to take the lead at the negotiation table, making subsequent discussions much more effective. He never imagined that one day, he would be rejected because of this, let alone by his own wife. It was truly an indescribable bitterness.Letting out a sigh, Shane continued to advocate for himself. "Haley, Jenny is your friend. You can't possibly keep us from meeting forever, can you?""But..." Haley hesitated.Before she could finish, Shane persisted, "Isn't it a tradition at your school to invite friends out for a meal when someone's single? By rights, we should invite her for a meal too, and I can also invite some of my friends to join us."Haley carefully considered it. There was indeed an unwritten custom at Jasper City University. Thinking about how Jenny had previously tagged along for several meals thanks to her past boyfriends, she
The suddenness of the situation caused Haley's brain to momentarily freeze. When she came to her senses, she noticed that the diners around were all turning their gazes towards her, filled with gossip and curiosity.Frowning, Haley's gaze turned cold. "Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you before."The man smiled and began to introduce himself. "I'm Nolan Zeigler, and I've liked you for a long time. Will you marry me and be my wife?" As he spoke, he pulled out a ring from his pocket.Though Haley was not an expert in jewelry, she could immediately tell that the diamond on the ring was fake. Even though the ring seemed shiny, with that fake diamond in the mix, it just looked cheap. It was probably not even worth twenty bucks.Haley's brows furrowed even tighter. She had encountered many people confessing their feelings to her, but this was the first time someone had proposed with a fake diamond ring. Moreover, she searched through all her memories and could not find any re
Haley did not respond, but instead continued to ask, "Let me guess, who is it that cares about me so much, Xena? Or is it Zoe?"Nolan's eyelids twitched violently. That woman's name was indeed Zoe.Haley had been paying close attention to his facial expressions and quickly concluded that this was no coincidence at all, but rather the handiwork of Zoe.She sneered inwardly and asked him, "Did the person who contacted you claim to be my mom, wanting to arrange a good marriage for me and thinking highly of you?""How did you know?" Nolan blurted out instinctively.Realizing what he had said, he quickly covered his mouth, feeling guilty.He had promised that woman that he would not expose her, or else he would not get a penny. The reward she promised was incredibly generous, four thousand!He usually idled around, and whenever he had a little money, he would go gamble with friends, ending up losing everything.When that woman found him, he was being chased by debt collectors. Not o
Haley instinctively stepped back, avoiding Nolan's hand. She frowned with disgust and spoke sternly, "As long as I don't agree, it doesn't count Go tell Zoe that I've got this noted down, and mark my words, one day I'll settle the score, with interest."Nolan persisted, still trying to approach, but Jenny shoved him forcefully, sending him tumbling to the ground. He was so fixated on Haley that he completely ignored Jenny next to her, giving Jenny an opening.Suddenly, the world spun for Nolan as he crashed down, the pain making him gasp for air. Rising from the ground, he raised his hand to deliver a slap."You little wretch, don't push your luck. It's your lucky day that I've taken a fancy to you. Hurry up and come with me to tie the knot!"As the slap was about to land, everyone held their breath in anticipation. Even Haley did not have time to dodge and instinctively closed her eyes. But before the slap could land, it was forcefully halted by a hand.Then came the sound of joi
Nolan nodded frantically, "I'll tell you everything! A woman named Zoe found me this morning. She gave me a photo of Mrs. Ford and asked me to do whatever it takes to coax her into getting married and then swindle the inheritance under her name."Haley's expression darkened, unable to suppress a cold laugh. So, they had their eyes on that inheritance. They were truly greedy. It was what her mother had toiled for, and while benefiting from her mother's efforts in the past was one thing, now they were scheming even for this inheritance!Shane had been observing Haley's expression all along. Seeing her feeling low, he spoke up to comfort her, "With me here, I won't let anyone bully you."A warm feeling washed over Haley's heart as she smiled at Shane. "Thank you, Mr. Ford, I'm fine."She was just thinking that this matter could not be easily settled like this. With his head bowed low, Nolan felt extremely anxious, fearing that Shane would retaliate against him. When Shane's cold gaz