"I know she's been good to you, but James is still her own grandson. Plus, if this matter gets out, it won't reflect well on the Ford family's reputation," said Jenny, her expression grave.Her upbringing wasn't as privileged as Haley's, and influenced by her family since childhood, she never believed genuine feelings existed in the face of self-interest.It's true that Mrs. Ford Sr. favored Haley, and it's true she doted on her, but in comparison to the entire Ford family, where did Haley really stand?Haley pondered for a moment, a faint smile playing on her lips. "It's okay. Let's take it one step at a time."In truth, she wasn't entirely confident either, but she absolutely wouldn't continue with this marriage engagement. She could accept that James didn't love her, and she could accept a marriage of mutual respect in the future, but she couldn't tolerate betrayal and deceit. So, she would definitely call off the engagement, no matter the cost.How could Jenny not see the conf
James pondered for a moment, looking at Xena with a puzzled expression. Xena only told him that a few days ago, Haley had angered her father and ran away from home. Now Joe was still in the hospital, reportedly suffering from a sudden heart attack. So, he instinctively assumed it was Haley's fault and didn't bother to inquire further. But now, being questioned back by Haley like this, he suddenly felt a hint of doubt arise in his mind. Meeting James's inquiring gaze, Xena's eyes flickered slightly, hastily explaining, "James, I just didn't want to tarnish Haley's image in your heart. After all, making Dad so angry isn't something to be proud of." Hearing this, James nodded in approval, "You did the right thing, Xena. You're the only one in this world who is so gentle, kind and always considerate of others." Upon hearing James's praise, Xena's cheeks blushed faintly, giving him a shy glare, "James, you're praising me in front of so many people, I'm embarrassed." Without a word
As more and more people gathered around to watch, Xena gritted her teeth inwardly, wishing she could hide her face to avoid being recognized. Coming here for dinner today was truly a mistake. She shouldn't have provoked Haley, that despicable person! It was all her fault. Why did she have to bring up these things? She could clearly sense the strange glances from the onlookers growing increasingly odd. They seemed tinged with disdain and mockery, as if they were regarding her as an unwanted third wheel intruding in someone else's relationship.But what was her fault? In matters of love, the one who wasn't loved was the true third wheel! James loved her, so she was the one who should have married him. Haley was just taking advantage of the favoritism of Mrs. Ford Sr. to seize control of this marriage. James had never found himself surrounded by so many people before, and a tinge of embarrassment flashed across his handsome face. He angrily shouted, "Haley, have you caused enou
Haley didn't notice that after they left, two people came out from the railing upstairs.One of them was impeccably dressed in a suit, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and meticulously groomed from head to toe.The second person was dressed in a casual white outfit, the zipper halfway down the front, exposing finely sculpted collarbones, exuding a laid-back vibe.Henry, dressed in a white casual outfit, leaned his arm on Zac Fisher's shoulder, with a smile on his lips: "I was worried before that our little Haley would be bullied, but now it seems that Shane didn't misjudge her."However, their little Haley seemed quite alert.They were originally just sneaking a peek from the shadows, but they almost got caught unexpectedly.However, Haley probably wouldn't remember who they were by now.After all, over the years, Shane had ordered that none of them were allowed to appear in front of Haley.They dared not disobey Shane's orders.After all, when he got ruthless, he wouldn
He was seething with anger, wishing he could smash the phone. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and continued typing on his phone.【You've worn the title of future Mrs. Ford for years, and now you're asking me for money? Dream on! I'm warning you, I'll go to my grandmother tomorrow and call off this engagement. Even if I do end up marrying you, I won't give you a second glance.】Haley continued to reply: 【Calling off the engagement works for me, but you owe me money. Ten million, not a penny less. Otherwise, your beloved woman can only ever be a mistress for the rest of her life.】James could hardly believe that these words were coming from the usually gentle Haley. In the past, whenever he showed a slightly firm attitude, Haley would always accommodate him. He subconsciously thought that this time Haley would also compromise.After all, she was now struggling in the Carter family, and without the support of the Ford family, she would probably have been kicked ou
The butler was highly efficient, and he hired only professional private investigators. So, it took only a day for Haley to receive some of James's "evidence of wrongdoing." After reviewing this information, she realized that James had been involved with Xena as early as five years ago.Back then, Xena had still been in high school, right? Haley clicked her tongue lightly, a hint of sarcasm tugging at the corners of her lips. No wonder James said she was dull and conservative; turned out, he had more “important matters” to attend to, huh? However, Xena did have some skill, to make James so devoted to her. From five years ago until just a few days ago, they maintained a frequency of booking a hotel room 3 to 4 times a month. The most excessive was in the first year, when Xena was 17 years old; the frequency was particularly high, with almost 3 to 5 times per week. The highest record was even seven times a week.Haley propped up her chin, carefully pondering for a moment, as memor
Once you're in there, no one cared how noble your status was, only how hard your fists were."Well...," Haley tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, lost in thought.Seeing her lowered gaze and unreadable expression, the butler couldn't help but ask, "Madam, did someone steal your belongings?"Haley chuckled coldly and pointed to the Rose Manor, saying, "This estate is an inheritance from my mother, yet now it's been gifted to Xena by James. Tell me, does that not qualify as theft?"She had lent that Rose Manor to James, never expecting he would turn around and gift it to Xena.Five years ago, their relationship hadn't yet soured. James claimed he liked her Rose Manor and wanted to take some friends there for a few days.At the time, she hadn't thought much of it and had handed him the keys directly. She was still deeply immersed in the grief of losing her mother, quickly forgetting the incident.If she hadn't seen it today and felt oddly familiar, she probably wouldn't hav
The butler looked at Shane's cold and stern face, hesitating for a moment. He lowered his voice and asked, "Mr. Ford, do you mean to…""Reorganize a more detailed set of documents and send them to my email. Have them ready by tomorrow afternoon.""Yes, I'll do it right away."The butler nodded in agreement and left the living room. It seemed that this time Mr. Ford was truly angered. However, James had brought it upon himself. He had persistently pursued this marriage in the first place, and now, he was denying it and committing such foolish acts. He had truly disgraced the Ford family.After the butler left, only Haley and Shane remained in the living room. Haley stood up, walked in front of Shane, and looked up at him. "Mr. Ford, will you really stand up for me?"Meeting her clear and sincere eyes, all the sternness in Shane's gaze dissipated, and his expression softened. He lowered his head, looking at the girl who stood only up to his shoulder, her face filled with surprise.
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