Her cheeks burned with pain, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Steven, did you just hit me? How dare you?"Steven froze, staring blankly at his palm, a tinge of guilt flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm. "I've told you many times already, Evelyn. My relationship with Yvonne is not what you think. Why won't you believe me?"Evelyn scoffed. "Not what I think? Then what is it exactly? Don't forget why you married me in the first place!"Steven looked at her with disappointment, shaking his head lightly. "If that's what you believe, then I have nothing more to say. I shouldn't have come back."With that, he did not glance at Evelyn again, turning and walking away. Watching his resolute departure, Evelyn could not hold back any longer, bursting into tears.Despite the successful event and the countless admiring glances she received that night, only she knew how cold her heart felt. Everyone outside claimed that Steven, the playboy, had truly fallen
After the party ended, Shane carried the soundly sleeping Haley home. He had initially planned to wake her up to change out of her gown. Sleeping in it would surely be uncomfortable, not to mention the lingering scent of perfume and alcohol. But Haley was too deeply and could not be woken up no matter how much she was called. Shane, resigned to the situation, called for the helpers to assist Haley with changing clothes and taking a bath. The helpers, upon hearing the instructions, glanced at Shane with surprise in her eyes. However, since he had given the order, they had no choice but to comply. Despite her deep slumber, Haley seemed on high alert, crossing her hands tightly across her chest and clutching the fabric of her dress. She appeared uncomfortable. The two helpers took quite some time, trying to be gentle and quiet. It was over an hour before they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Haley, lost in her dreams, remained oblivious to it all. The next morning, she woke
"Well, marrying Haley is my blessing," Shane nodded in agreement, then took a bite.It still had the familiar taste of the sandwiches made by the household chef, but Shane felt that it was even better than any he had eaten before.After finishing up the documents in the afternoon, Dean handed a file to Shane, saying, "Mr. Ford, the manager from Starlight Jewelry is here to discuss collaboration. He's waiting in the reception room."Shane glanced at the document and nodded lightly. "Let's go, we'll meet with them."Dean glanced at Shane, hesitated to speak, but ultimately kept his thoughts to himself. Well, Mr. Ford would see it for himself soon anyway.He quickly followed along, silently praying that Mr. Ford's interest in collaborating with Starlight Jewelry was solely based on its capabilities, and nothing else.In the reception room, the manager and designer from Starlight Jewelry were eagerly awaiting the collaboration.Although Starlight Jewelry had some reputation and had
Stella was a designer at Starlight Jewelry, and she was somewhat known in the industry.This morning, she overheard her colleagues gossiping about Ford Corporation calling to invite Starlight's designers for a discussion. Everyone speculated that Ford Corporation must have chosen Starlight for collaboration.Stella was ecstatic. Last night at the party, she had been trying to get close to Shane, but he was either busy talking to other company executives or being affectionate with Haley. She never found the right opportunity to approach him. Today was her best chance!So, she approached Manager Zimmerman herself, telling him that she and Shane had grown up together as childhood friends. Manager Zimmerman was thrilled and immediately decided to take her along.But Stella never expected Shane to completely ignore her, not even acknowledging her presence! When Shane and Manager Zimmerman finished their discussion, Stella finally found a chance to speak up."Shane, it's almost noon. Ho
She quickly picked up a set of fresh utensils and placed a pork rib into Shane's bowl. "Shane, have some more. Skipping meals can give you stomach problems," she said.As soon as she spoke, everyone at the table turned their gaze toward her. Especially her colleagues, whose eyes darted back and forth between her and Shane, with suggestive winks.Under such scrutiny, Stella's cheeks slowly flushed. But the next moment, a chilly and disdainful voice cut through the air. "Miss Campbell, I have strict cleanliness standards. If you truly knew me well, you'd be aware of that, wouldn't you?"She hurried to clarify, "I made sure to use fresh utensils, Shane. I know all about your cleanliness standards."Shane's lips curved into a faint smirk as he replied, "My cleanliness standards extend to mental hygiene. Apart from my wife, I don't eat food handled by others."Shock rippled through the crowd! What? Shane was already married? When did this happen? Why didn't they hear any news about
After hearing Shane's words, Stella's expression cracked slightly. She found it hard to believe and asked with a trembling voice, "Shane, don’t you feel pressured by Haley's jealousy? No wonder James would rather be with that illegitimate daughter than with her.""Enough!" Shane could not tolerate anyone speaking ill of Haley. He rebuked sternly, "It's not about Haley's jealousy. It's about me being her husband and having a husband's conscience. I've told you all this because I want to make it clear. Don't do anything pointless in the future. I'll only have one woman in my life, and that's Haley."Stella felt a ringing in her ears, as if something had exploded in her head. Breathing became difficult, and she wanted to scream in anger. A voice in her head kept shouting, insisting that Shane could only love her, and no one else could take him away!Shane ignored Stella's presence. When Dean brought the car, he opened the back door, ready to get in. But Stella suddenly rushed over, g
The butler took it with a smile and praised, "Mr. Ford, you really care about Madam. She'll be so happy when she finds out." Shane smiled and went straight upstairs. He pushed open the bedroom door to find Haley sitting at the desk by the window. She was focused and serious as she typed away on the keyboard, unaware of his presence. Shane walked over and pulled Haley into his arms from behind. She was petite, and Shane's broad chest had more than enough room for her. Sensing the warmth behind her, Haley turned her head and smiled, "Mr. Ford, you're back?""Yeah, what are you working on?" Shane glanced at the computer screen, which was filled with words. Was it her thesis? Haley nodded, "Yes, it's my thesis. I'm graduating in a month, so I need to start preparing." Having a double major was not easy. She had to write two theses. She was practically going bald from stress. Shane bent down, took hold of the mouse, and scanned her thesis. His brows furrowed slightly, "Di
After finishing his shower, Shane found Haley still writing her thesis on the computer and promptly said, "Haley, it's getting late. Get some rest now and continue tomorrow.""Okay, just let me finish this paragraph!" Haley casually agreed, but her typing speed did not slow down.Shane, feeling helpless, walked over and saved her work. He switched off the computer, and took Haley by the hand to the bed."Mr. Ford!" Haley's feathers were instantly ruffled at the sight of the closed computer.Shane gently rubbed her fluffy hair and pointed to the clock on the wall. "Take a look. Do you see what time it is now?"Haley looked up and was suddenly startled. It was already past one in the morning?Feeling guilty, Haley quickly took off her shoes, rolled onto the bed, and said, "Mr. Ford, I'll go to sleep right away. Goodnight."Seeing her lively and adorable appearance, Shane could not help but smile. He walked to the other side of the bed, lifted the covers, and lay down beside Haley.
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