"Sis-in-law, do you have any bias against me?""What?" Upon hearing William's words, Haley did not react immediately. William still had a faint smile on his lips as he continued, "Nothing, I just feel like you've been deliberately keeping your distance from me."Haley furrowed her brows slightly and replied, "You've been calling me sis-in-law. You should know I'm married, so I should keep my distance from other men."William did not expect this response at all. He stared at Haley for a moment and then leaned down, bringing his lips close to her ear, his breath lightly brushing against her skin. "My brother is really lucky to marry such a smart, beautiful, and faithful wife like you. I'm a bit jealous," he whispered.Haley took a step back, looking at him warily, her brows furrowed. "What are you trying to do? Have you forgotten that you're Jenny's boyfriend?"William raised his hand, adjusted his collar, and chuckled. "Yes, but you probably don't know. Actually, you were the fir
Haley shyly nodded, "Yes."Shane rubbed his ear, pretending not to hear clearly, "What? I didn't catch that, could you repeat it?"Knowing he was teasing her, Haley glared at him irritably, "Never mind, I said I'm going to sleep now. Do you have anything else to say?"Seeing the slightly ruffled look on her face through the camera, Shane's smile deepened. He decided to stop teasing her and coaxed in a soft voice, "My bad, wifey. Rest well. You don't need to hang up. I just want to watch over you like this."Haley settled back onto the sofa and pulled the blanket over herself. She then placed the phone aside, and slowly closed her eyes.Shane remained silent, watching Haley sleep for a long time. Her delicate features and sharply defined side-profile, along with her long eyelashes, stirred something in his heart.After a while, there was a knock on the door. Dean walked in, saying, "Mr. Ford, there's a banquet the day after tomorrow..."But as soon as he felt the icy stare, his w
Shane tugged slightly at his slightly open collar, revealing his delicate and sexy collarbone. He said meaningfully, "It would be rude to decline."This man...Haley glanced at him and saw the bite marks she had left on his collarbone last night. Her face flushed bright red as she hurriedly hung up the phone.On her way to a meeting, she ran into William again.William was wearing a white shirt, his hair perfectly groomed. He looked so dazzlingly handsome that it was hard to take your eyes off him. Many young women in the design department were excitedly covering their mouths, quietly squealing.From time to time, there were burning, adoring glances cast his way. Only Haley glanced at him briefly before quickly looking away as she felt that her husband was much more handsome than William!But to others, they had a deep admiration for Haley. They thought to themselves, "Miss Haley is really determined. Facing such a handsome guy like William, she can still remain unmoved."Mr
As she was about to leave work, Haley suddenly received a call from Jenny. "Haley, are you very busy? Are you adapting to the company? Is anyone giving you a hard time?"Hearing Jenny's voice full of worry and concern, Haley felt a warm feeling spread through her heart.She smiled and reassured her, "I'm doing great, don't worry about me. Think about who I am! I've easily managed to get everyone on my side and now I'm thriving."Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried that with your gentle nature, you might get bullied.""I'm not the same Haley as before. Besides, this company is my mom's life's work. I can't just watch it get ruined by Joe."Jenny nodded and laughed. "I'm relieved to hear you say that."Haley laughed along. "How have you been lately? Did you know William started working at JY?"Jenny replied, "I know. He told me. He knows I've always been worried about you and volunteered to help. I was quite shocked at the time."She had never imagined th
The man's features were deep and refined, his sharp eyes and brows now softened, which balanced his otherwise cold and powerful aura.Haley's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. "Mr. Ford, what brings you here?"Shane chuckled and naturally pulled her into his arms, ruffling her hair. "Of course, I came to see what our Haley is so busy with that she forgot the time to leave work."Haley glanced at the clock and realized she had been off work for half an hour already. Remembering that Shane had mentioned he would pick her up after work, she felt a twinge of guilt."Mr. Ford, I'm sorry. Have you been waiting long?""Not too long," Shane replied, lowering his head to plant a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead. "I'd wait for you as long as it takes."Despite the flirtatious nature of his words, Shane's tone was completely sincere. It was as if waiting for her was the most natural thing in the world.Haley's heart skipped a beat. Smiling, she cupped his face and gave him a quick k
When they got home, the butler came out to greet them respectfully, "Sir, Ma'am, you must be exhausted after such a busy day. Dinner is ready.""Thank you, Bob," Haley said with a smile, holding Shane's hand as they walked inside. "Hurry up, my stomach has been growling for a while."Shane had no choice but to quicken his pace to keep up. Seeing them return, the helpers hurried to set the table with the prepared dishes.Haley eagerly sat down and started eating right away. The chef watched with satisfaction.Before Haley moved in, he had doubted his culinary skills. Shane only cared about eating enough to stay full and never commented on the taste. Whenever the chef asked if there was anything he could improve, Shane would always say it was fine and to keep up the good work, which left the chef feeling a bit defeated.But Haley was different. Even though she ate in small bites and did not have a large appetite, she always enjoyed her meals. She would seriously critique the dishe
Shane did not move an inch. "You came to me willingly. How could I possibly let go?"Haley pouted in displeasure. She had just wanted to tease Shane a little, but it turned out she was the one at a disadvantage.The next second, a pair of large hands pinched her cheeks, distorting her delicate face."Mmm..." Haley's soft, pink lips were forced into a pout, making her look adorable.Unable to resist, Shane lowered his head and gave her lips a quick peck. Because she had just had strawberry juice, her lips still carried its sweet flavor. Just one taste was enough to make him crave more.Being a man of action, Shane did what he wanted without hesitation. He let go of her cheeks and instead cupped the back of her head. He leaned in, and his passionate kiss engulfed Haley, carrying a force that brooked no resistance.Haley had not expected Shane to be so shameless. A simple kiss was not enough for him. He wanted more. Her eyes widened in anger, silently expressing her displeasure. S
Haley stood up, not interested in finishing her meal, and pulled him upstairs.Shane obediently followed her.The helpers cleaning nearby noticed the couple holding hands and couldn't help but remark, "Their relationship is really wonderful!"They had heard that in wealthy families, there were constant fights over inheritance, and many marriages were just business arrangements without any real feelings. Some rich men even had numerous affairs and illegitimate children everywhere.But since Haley and Shane got married, they had never seen them argue. Haley had a good temper, and her occasional little whims only made her more endearing. Shane was even more accommodating. Since they got married, Shane would come home on time every day, unless he had unavoidable work. He truly embodied the ideal of a perfect family man down to his very core.This level of commitment was enviable even for ordinary families. Haley and Shane were completely unaware that they had become the epitome of a
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