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
Jenny scratched her head, carefully searching her memory. But before she could recall, the two men approached.Henry glanced at Jenny, a casual smile playing at his lips. "Hello again!"Caught in the gaze of his affectionate peach blossom eyes, even Jenny, who prided herself on thick skin, could not help but blush. She whispered softly, "Have we met before?"Henry was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You're quite amusing. Last time, you got drunk and vomited all over me, saying you'd wash my clothes clean and return them. Not only did you not return them, but now you're pretending not to recognize me?"Jenny was stunned, suddenly remembering that there might be some truth to his words. That night, she and Haley had gone to a bar to drink. When Haley got drunk and was carried away by Shane, Jenny stayed behind and continued drinking alone. Later, a man approached claiming to be a friend of Shane's, offering to take her home. She was mesmerized by his face and a
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