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
"Add me as your contact, I'll be your creditor from now on," he said.Jenny nodded and added him. After their "enmity" was settled, Henry introduced himself, "Haley, my name is Henry Green. Just call me Henry."Zac nodded gently towards Haley, then uttered, "Zac."Henry could not bear it anymore. He wrapped his arm around Zac's neck and chuckled as he introduced him to Haley, "This is Zac. He's a bit aloof and doesn't like socializing. Don't mind him."Zac glared at him. "Take your dirty hands off me."Henry withdrew his hand silently but retorted, "Can't you show me a little respect the first time we meet? Who's dying to touch you anyway!"Haley chuckled lightly, "Hello, nice to meet you both. I'm Haley.""I know, you probably don't know yet, but for ages, Shane has had... Oops!"Henry's words were cut off as Zac nudged him in the stomach with his elbow. Receiving warning glances from Shane and Zac, Henry awkwardly closed his mouth.Haley looked at the three of them in puzzle
Haley looked at Shane puzzledly, wondering if she had said something wrong. Why were Henry and Zac's reactions so strange?Meeting Haley's puzzled gaze, Shane's lips curved slightly, and he reached out to gently rub her head, saying, "Don't mind them. Sometimes they're not quite normal here."As he spoke, he tapped his temple with his fingertip. Haley could not help but chuckle at his playful gesture, her dimples showing sweetly on her face.Henry's heart felt like it had been stabbed viciously as he grumbled, "Shane, you're really prioritizing love over friendship! Right, Zac?"Zac, who was usually silent, surprisingly nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's indeed a bit unfair."But Shane did not feel the least bit guilty. On the contrary, he spoke confidently, "Between a wife and friends, it's obvious which is more important, isn't it?"Henry and Zac fell silent immediately, feeling like their hearts had been struck by a thousand lightning bolts. But if it was for Haley, they did not
Like an enthusiastic salesperson promoting a product, he could not help but praise Shane from head to toe, inside and out.Haley listened attentively, learning a lot about Shane's past from Henry. By the end, Henry's throat was dry, and he lifted his glass to take a big gulp.Haley chuckled. "You guys get along really well. I thought with Mr. Ford's personality, he wouldn't have many friends."Henry immediately chimed in, "He really doesn't have many friends. With his foul temper, only the two of us can handle him."Although he made belittling comments, his face was filled with smiles.In reality, the three friends had an unbreakable bond. There was another friend, but he tragically passed away, a pain they could not heal from in their lifetimes.Although Shane was aloof, he was incredibly loyal. Both Henry and Zac had once been deeply stuck in trouble, to the extent that they almost lost their lives. It was Shane who reached out to them and pulled them out of the mess. So, the
On the way home, Haley looked at Shane, wanting to say something but hesitating.Shane noticed her gaze and sighed, "What do you want to ask? Go ahead."Haley quickly voiced her doubts, "How did three people with such different personalities come together and become good friends?"Shane paused for a moment, then responded, "To be honest, we didn't really get along before. We couldn't stand each other. We had another buddy, the oldest among us, but he got taken out by a bunch of assassins. To avenge him, the three of us temporarily set aside our differences."Later, through working together, they became more harmonious. From being at odds before, they slowly began to understand and trust each other.Although Shane's tone was casual, his words carried a weight.Haley dared not ask further and remained silent.Shane glanced at her and smiled faintly, "It's all in the past. People always need to look forward, right?"Haley nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Ford, everything will be fine."