After bustling around for a solid three hours, the Carter family finally got all their luggage packed up. They stared at the suitcases in front of them, looking completely defeated. After residing here for countless years, they never anticipated that upon departure, they would be left with just a few measly suitcases of belongings. These were the only things that truly belonged to them.Joe felt utterly humiliated. And as Xena watched those exquisite pieces of jewelry slip away from her grasp, her eyes welled up with tears of anger. In her mind, those things were rightfully hers, acquired through her own cunning from Haley. Why should Haley get to dictate when they leave?She could not accept it, attempting to snatch the box of jewelry away. But before her hand could even reach it, Dean had grabbed her wrist with a swift motion. There was a sickening crack as her bones protested, and Xena screamed in pain, "Ahh! My hand! Dean, I'm engaged to James! How dare you treat me like th
The legal team hired by the Ford Corporation was among the top in the country, hardly ever tasting defeat. Joe's face turned gray, as if he aged a dozen years in an instant, exuding an air of desolation. He finally realized that Haley was determined to sever ties with him, perhaps with the influence of Shane. Once Shane got involved, there would be no turning back from this situation. With a heavy heart, he sighed deeply and walked away, dragging his feet. "Let's go. If Haley thinks she'll be better off without me as her father, then I'll see if she comes crawling back to me if Shane ever abandons her without her family's support." With these harsh words, Joe left the villa with his wife and daughter. Joe still owned another villa. It was not in a prime location and not very spacious, but at least it was a place to stay. The sudden turn of events meant the villa was left untouched, covered in dust as they stepped inside. Xena choked on the dust, coughing heavily and glancing ar
A hint of mischief flashed in Haley's eyes.She willingly wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. "Hmm, just lip service, do you want it?""I want," Shane's eyes darkened as he grasped the back of Haley's head, deepening the kiss. After a long while, Haley felt weak all over, panting as she leaned against Shane's chest. Her almond eyes were misty with a layer of tears, captivating yet elusive. Shane's heart burned with desire, but he restrained himself, merely kissing her forehead and saying, "You should rest for a while. I need to go to work." Haley nodded obediently, reminding him, "Mr. Ford, shouldn't you give Dean a raise?" Shane thought for a moment and promptly agreed, "Yes, he deserves it for his recent performance." Soon after, while Dean was having breakfast in the company cafeteria, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it and saw a transfer notification from Shane's personal account, labeled as "bonus." Dean almost thought he was mis
Xena pouted discontentedly and coquettishly protested, "No way, I want to live there now!"Hearing her sobbing and complaining, James felt a headache coming on. "Xena, be reasonable. I really can't come up with the money right now."Xena's eyes darted as she tentatively spoke, "James, are you and your family still living in the Ford residence?""Yes, even though my uncle moved out, we haven't divided the property yet. We're still living with Grandma," James replied truthfully.Xena's eyes lit up, and an idea formed in her mind. "James, you don't want me to suffer, right?"Hearing the soft, pleading tone in her voice, James forgot himself for a moment. "Of course not! Xena, you're the woman I love the most!"Xena grinned triumphantly and continued, "Then let's get married. Once we're married, I can move into the Ford residence, and I won't have to endure any more hardships."James was taken aback, his mind momentarily blank. Marriage? He had thought about this before, but he ne
At the Ford residence, Mrs. Ford Sr. was lounging in her favorite armchair, absorbed in a book. The butler knocked on the door abruptly and entered, wearing a complex expression. "Madam, James has returned.""Hmm," Mrs. Ford Sr. did not even lift her head.The butler glanced at her and continued, "James also brought Miss Xena with him."There was no surprise in Mrs. Ford Sr.'s eyes as she instructed the butler, "You go and deal with it. I don't want to see her."The butler looked uneasy. "Madam, I'm afraid you'll have to go down personally this time. James... he and Miss Xena got married.""Clap!" Mrs. Ford Sr. slammed her book down on the table, her expression turning cold."He's quite something. It seems all my warnings to him have fallen on deaf ears," she muttered.The butler shook his head helplessly. Who could have imagined that James would be so stubborn, so determined to marry Xena?Mrs. Ford Sr. took off her reading glasses and placed them carefully, then rose slowly
The next afternoon, Shane received a last-minute invitation to a charity gala. Typically, he would not need to attend in person as just having Dean make a donation would suffice. However, since Ford Corporation was currently in discussions with a potential partner and they had extended a specific invitation to him, he could not decline. Therefore, he phoned Haley and let her know not to wait for him tonight.The venue for the charity gala happened to be one of the properties under the Ford Corporation, just over half an hour's drive from the Ford Corporation headquarters. As soon as he got out of the car, numerous reporters swarmed around him, bombarding him with questions."Mr. Ford, is it true that Mr. James and Miss Xena from the Carter family are married?""Regarding you and your nephew from the Ford family marrying the two sisters from the Carter family, won't that disrupt the family hierarchy? What's your perspective on this?""Is your marriage to Haley a result of genuine
Mr. Lowe looked as if he had lost all his strength, his face as pale as a sheet.It was over...He seemed to have messed up the cooperation!Shane wandered around the hall, suddenly hearing someone call his name."Shane!"He turned around to see Stella, wearing high heels and holding up her skirt, rushing towards him with excitement in her eyes."Shane, is it really you?"Shane frowned and said sharply, "I've told you, don't call me that."Stella paused, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. "I-I didn't mean to, I was just too excited to see you. Please don't be angry." Her tone made it seem like she had placed herself in a lowly position.The man who came with her frowned, disapprovingly glaring at Shane. "Why do you speak like that? It's just a form of address, do you have to be so harsh?"Shane looked at the man who spoke, Huxley. He was notorious in elite circles and one of James's cronies.Meeting Shane's cold gaze, Stella panicked and quickly stopped him. "Huxley,
Shane reached the corner of the corridor and suddenly bumped into a familiar figure—Stella! Stella looked at him with pretended concern. "Mr. Ford, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?" As she spoke, she tiptoed and tried to gauge his temperature with the back of her hand. Shane instinctively stepped back, avoiding her approach in time. Stella, wearing high heels and tiptoeing, lost her balance for a moment, almost falling to the ground. Luckily, she managed to grab onto the nearby wall in time, steadying herself. "Mr. Ford, I just wanted to show my concern for you. Do you really have to treat me so coldly?" Facing her accusation, Shane remained unfazed. "I don't need your concern. Let me say it again, I am a married man. Miss Campbell, if you have any self-awareness left, you shouldn't harbor any unrealistic fantasies." Stella's eyes turned red, tears spilling over. "Mr. Ford, tell me, what's wrong with me compared to Haley? Why would you choose her over me?" T
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