On the other side, Stella stormed off, the frustration in her heart still lingering. There was only one thought in her mind which was she could not wait any longer!She had to marry Shane as soon as possible and rise to the top! She never wanted to live a life where she was bullied and humiliated again! But she knew rushing into this matter would be a mistake. She had to take it step by step. The first thing she needed to do, was to get rid of Haley.She sent a message to Haley, "Come out, I have something to tell you."Haley received the message while having afternoon tea with Jenny. Originally, she planned to spend the whole day at home writing her thesis, but Jenny insisted on taking her out, fearing she would go crazy staying at home too long. In reality, Haley could not stand being cooped up at home either. Reluctantly, she agreed to go out. She changed into fresh clothes and had her driver take her to a cafe.While chatting with Jenny, her phone suddenly rang. Haley then
Stella's heart jolted with astonishment, never expecting Haley to speak those words. She scrutinized Haley's expression, searching for any signs of deceit. Unfortunately, Haley remained calm and composed throughout, showing no indication of lying. Did she truly not care whether there was someone else in Shane's heart?This realization made Stella even more uncomfortable. She had thought this revelation would create a rift between Haley and Shane. Women understood women best. They absolutely could not tolerate betrayal and deception. Especially since Haley's mother had tragically met her end due to a scoundrel's betrayal, Haley must detest such matters deeply. Once the seed of suspicion took root in Haley's mind, jealousy would gradually consume her. Once a woman became jealous, there was no turning back. Then Shane would surely grow to resent her, ideally leading to a divorce. That would be her chance!But who would have thought that Haley had not taken the bait at all? Stell
In the blink of an eye, Haley saw Stella reaching out to push her. Behind her lay the steep stairs. Though not high, a fall down would definitely hurt. Instinctively, she tried to dodge, but Stella firmly grabbed her hand. In a swift motion, their positions switched. She struggled to break free from Stella's grip, but before she could act, Stella voluntarily released her hand. From afar, it looked like she had forcefully pushed Stella. But only she knew that Stella had let go of her hand, causing herself to fall down the stairs! Stella felt her body plummeting, a triumphant smirk on her lips as she cast a challenging glance at Haley. Amidst the gasps of onlookers, she tumbled straight down the stairs. The sharp corners of the stairs bruised her chest and back severely, sending waves of pain through her. She had not expected the ordeal to be this prolonged. Each second felt like unbearable torment. Fortunately, the stairs were not high, and she soon landed on the ground fl
However, Shane's reaction was completely opposite to what she expected. He stepped back, shaking off Stella's hand pulling at his pant leg, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes. "Done with the act? I think you'd be better off in showbiz than as a jewelry designer. You might even win an award for being the best actress."Stella's smile froze at the corners of her mouth. "Shane, I don't understand what you mean. What best actress? What act? I'm hurt, don't you really feel any sympathy for me?"Seeing her pitiful expression, Shane felt a shiver down his spine. He took another step back involuntarily, then quickly ascended the stairs, reaching Haley's side. Haley seemed to be in shock, standing frozen in place.Unable to bear it, Shane reached out with his arms and pulled her into his embrace, feeling guilty. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry I'm late."Hearing his deep, gentle voice tinged with comfort, Haley's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She choked out a soft explanation, "It
Meeting Shane's cold and profound gaze, Stella felt like someone had just doused her with icy water. It was the first time she truly realized how cold and callous Shane's heart could be. No, maybe he did not have a heart at all! For some reason, Stella's mind suddenly flashed back to something Evelyn had said. She said, "Shane has been different from others since birth, aloof and emotionless. After the kidnapping twelve years ago, he developed psychological issues. Your infatuation with him is futile." Before, she had dismissed this, confident in her own charm. She believed that with enough effort, she could sway Shane. But now, at this moment, she realized clearly that some things could not be obtained through effort alone. Stella shivered violently, a surge of unwillingness almost overwhelming her reason. Her hands clenched into tight fists, nails digging into her flesh without feeling pain. She lifted her chin defiantly, facing Shane and Haley, still resolute. "I'm the v
When the incident first occurred, there was indeed a moment when she thought Shane might not believe her. But it was just a fleeting moment.Perhaps it was the sense of security he always provided, that unspoken assurance that no matter what happened, Shane would stand firmly by her side. As she looked at Shane, she felt a profound sense of gratitude and warmth. He truly was a good person. They hadn't been married for even a month, but Haley felt a level of care and protection she had never experienced before. Sometimes she even wondered how different things would be if it had been Shane she was engaged to from the start.Noticing Haley's complex gaze, Shane thought she was frightened and reassured her softly, "Don't worry, I won't let anyone bully you."Haley blinked, then nodded with a smile, "Yes, I believe you."The public display of affection between the two deeply stung Stella's eyes. She rushed forward, almost frenzied, and growled, "Haley, do you have anything else to s
As a photographer, he had been suffering from a recent creative block and decided to visit the cafe to draw inspiration from the diverse array of people and street scenes.Little did he know, today would bring him a significant reward.The moment he laid eyes on Haley, he felt a surge of inspiration. She was undeniably beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin. Even in a simple and elegant dress, she exuded a unique charm.His fingers itched with excitement, and he could not resist capturing several photos and videos in succession. When he saw Haley getting up to leave, he instinctively wanted to follow her, hoping to get her contact information and inquire about being his model.But to his surprise, Stella also got up and followed suit. Then, as witnessed by everyone, the unexpected occurred.The video was crystal clear. Stella deliberately provoked Haley and whispered something in her ear. She then abruptly let go of her hand and jumped down.As the onlookers processed th
Shane pulled Haley tightly into his arms, his brows furrowed with concern. "Don't worry, this time I won't easily let Stella off the hook."Hearing his assurance, Haley felt a warm current flowing through her heart. The feeling of being trusted and protected was unexpectedly comforting. She had never experienced it before.She willingly wrapped her arms around Shane's neck, leaning against his chest with her bright eyes shining. "Mr. Ford, why are you so good to me?"So good that... she was almost unable to resist his charm.Shane chuckled softly and reached out to gently stroke Haley's hair. "You are my wife. It's my duty to defend and protect you.""But not every husband can do that, Mr. Ford, you really are exceptional."Haley smiled, tilting her face up to lightly kiss Shane's cheek. It was as light and gentle as a dragonfly skimming the water, carrying her unique sweet fragrance.Shane's heart raced, his blood boiling. He tightened his grip on Haley's arms, his dark eyes fi
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