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
Caught in Shane's tender, indulgent gaze, Haley felt her heart skip a beat. Shyly averting her face, she playfully fed him the dessert, saying, "Stop talking and enjoy your sweet treat!" Watching as he took a bite, the creamy aroma filled the air, carrying an indescribable sweetness. Though Shane typically did not have a sweet tooth, he could not deny the skill of the dessert chef at this establishment. The delicate pastry was sweet but not overpowering, leaving a lingering taste on the lips. Like the girl before him, as playful as a kitten, she captivated him endlessly. Oblivious to Shane's thoughts, Haley's eyes sparkled as she asked, "How is it? Sweet enough?" Shane's gaze darkened slightly as he swallowed and replied, "Sweet." Proudly lifting her chin, Haley licked her lips, "This is my favorite, and it's the specialty of this place. Isn't it delicious?" Shane nodded gently, his eyes fixated on Haley's soft, tender lips. In a fleeting moment, his suppressed desire s
Although the private room had the air conditioning on, she still felt a bit stuffy. Shane rested his chin on Haley's shoulder, gently shaking his head, "Nope, not hot." The girl in his embrace was delicate and carried a subtle fragrance, captivating him completely. In that moment, all he could think about was how wonderful it would be to hold her like this indefinitely.Haley had no idea what Shane was thinking, but she felt a warm flush creeping up her neck. Why was Mr. Ford suddenly so clingy? It was making it hard for her to resist.After what felt like an eternity, Shane finally managed to suppress the desire within him and slowly released Haley. "Had enough to eat? Let's head home."Haley gently hooked her pinky finger with his, looking at him expectantly. "Can I take a dessert to go?"Shane chuckled helplessly. "Are you not full yet?"Haley smiled and explained, "I am, but I want to bring one home for later."Peering into Haley's bright and sparkling eyes, Shane readily a
Stella left the cafe, feeling utterly defeated under the weight of countless scornful glares. In an effort to make things seem more authentic, she had even gone as far as falling down the stairs, covering herself in bruises. But in the end, instead of driving a wedge between Haley and Shane, she only succeeded in making herself look worse off.Frustrated, Stella stomped her foot, inadvertently aggravating her injuries and wincing in pain. She rushed to the nearby hospital to have her injuries checked. By the time she left the hospital, darkness had descended.Suddenly, her manger called, and before Stella could speak, she was bombarded with angry accusations."Stella, what on earth did you do? Didn't I tell you to reconcile with Mr. Ford? Why did he suddenly reject all our design proposals?"Do you have any idea how long the company has been waiting for this collaboration opportunity? You've ruined everything!"I don't care what you do, but you better go apologize to Mr. Ford im
As she spoke, she felt more and more aggrieved, tears falling like beads off a broken string. Evelyn's chest ignited with anger, scoffing, "I don't know what spell Haley cast on Shane, but joking about the company's cooperation for her sake is simply absurd!" If it were her son, James, in charge of the company, she would never allow such a thing to happen!Stella kept her head low, gently wiping her tears. Her eyes were filled with indifference, only resentment and mockery remaining. When she lifted her head, all those emotions were hidden away, replaced by endless confusion and helplessness."Evelyn, what should I do?" she asked. "Our manager gave me an ultimatum. If I don't fix this in time, I'll be fired!"Evelyn's expression turned equally grave as she contemplated a solution. With Ford Corporation under Shane's control, it was difficult to make a move. If only it were James who had inherited the corporation. Things would be much simpler. Unfortunately, James was too passi
Haley was awakened by a burst of phone ringing, furrowing her brows as she struggled to open her eyes. A warm palm gently patted her back. Then, a man's low, hoarse voice came, carrying a hint of gentle reassurance, "Go back to sleep for a bit."In a daze, Haley felt someone covering her ears, blocking out the annoying noise, and she quickly drifted back to sleep. When she woke up again, it was already bright outside.To Haley's surprise, Shane had not gone to work today. When she went downstairs, she found him sitting on the living room sofa. His laptop was on his lap and he was focused on his work."Mr. Ford, aren't you going to work today?" she asked.Hearing Haley's voice, Shane shifted his gaze away from the laptop screen, smiling lightly as he explained, "Mom called this morning, asking us to go to the Ford residence."Haley looked puzzled, "What happened that she had to call so early in the morning?"Shane glanced at her meaningfully, saying, "According to the butler, Stel
As for the other half, naturally, she wanted Evelyn to plead her case in front of Steven, persuading Shane to agree to cooperate with Starlight Jewelry. Everything was going smoothly, but who would have thought, Mrs. Ford Sr. suddenly appeared out of nowhere! Stella lowered her gaze, a hint of disgust and resentment flashing in her eyes. That darn old hag, why hadn't she kicked the bucket yet? As long as she was around, Evelyn would always be suppressed by her. Stella would not be able to marry Shane smoothly. Lost in her thoughts, a sharp gaze swept over, icy and piercing. Stella instinctively raised her eyes and found Mrs. Ford Sr. staring at her. Those shrewd eyes seemed to see through everything. She shrank her shoulders sharply and quickly lowered her head even more. After another half hour passed, Evelyn became impatient and could not help but whisper a complaint, "What a grand show, making us elders wait for them!" Stella looked anxiously at the door, stood up, and s
Stella frantically signaled to Evelyn, urging her to stop talking further. However, Evelyn felt that she had finally caught Haley's weakness and naturally wanted to give her a good lesson, completely ignoring Stella's hints.When Evelyn rolled up her sleeve, Stella knew it was all over. Haley had video evidence. She felt immense regret at that moment. If she had known Evelyn was so foolish, more likely to cause trouble than solve it, she would not have come to the Ford residence. Now she was stuck in a difficult situation, with Shane's cold gaze adding to the pressure. Her mind went blank, unable to come up with a solution in such a short time.Haley's lips curled slightly as she stepped forward. "Miss Campbell, your ability to turn the tables is truly eye-opening."Mrs. Ford Sr.'s gaze swept back and forth between them, questioning, "What exactly is going on?"Stella quickly defended, "Mrs. Ford Sr., it was my aunt who got it wrong. The injuries on my body were caused by my own