In fact, everyone had long noticed that there seemed to be constant tension between William and Haley. Although Haley usually treated William with professional courtesy, it was strictly limited to work. Outside of that, she often had an attitude that practically screamed, "Stay away from me."Yet, for some reason, William kept trying to get close to her.In the conference room, Haley sat back in her chair, her gaze cool as she looked at William. "Go ahead, what do you want?""Miss Haley, there's no need to act like I'm a threat. I'm not going to eat you," William said, his hands casually resting on the table, a smile playing on his lips. When he smiled, his whole demeanor seemed gentle, and his eyes appeared harmless. But Haley knew better that this was all just a facade."I don't have time for small talk. If you have something to say, get to the point," Haley replied, tapping her pen lightly on the table, producing a crisp sound.William did not hesitate and said, "I just want
Back in her office, the more Haley thought about it, the angrier she became. She could not figure out what William was trying to do or what kind of unresolved issues existed between him and the Ford family. Although he had not explicitly said anything, she could sense the hatred in his eyes every time he mentioned Shane. It was a deep-seated hatred, like a dark, swirling vortex ready to consume everything.She could not understand what had happened in the Ford family’s past. What could Shane have done to drive William to such madness?After some time, she finally calmed down and decided to call Jenny. She wanted to warn her that William was not as harmless as he appeared and to be cautious around him. But before she could speak, Jenny's voice, filled with excitement, came through the line, "Haley, I have great news to tell you. When do you have time? Let's meet up."Haley frowned, feeling a sense of foreboding. "What's the good news?"Jenny replied mysteriously, "It's a secret
Not receiving her friend's blessing, Jenny pouted unhappily. "What? Do I look like someone who would joke about this?"Hearing this, Haley realized she had overreacted and quickly adjusted her emotions. "Jenny, that's not what I meant. It's just hard to believe, especially since you only recently made your relationship official, right?"She knew Jenny too well. Every time she fell in love, she ended up heartbroken, crying in Haley's arms. If it were anyone else, Haley would not be so concerned, but it was William. He was a man she could not figure out. Was he genuinely interested in Jenny, or did he have ulterior motives? She feared that Jenny would get hurt.Blushing, Jenny said, "Actually, we had already been intimate before we officially got together. I got drunk one night and... well..."That night, she had been feeling down because her parents had called to ask for money. When she refused, they cursed at her over the phone, using every foul word imaginable, treating her like
Seeing Jenny so deeply involved, Haley did not know what to say. The atmosphere in the private room grew tense and stagnant.Noticing the change, Jenny asked in confusion, "Haley, you used to support me in pursuing my own happiness. Why do you suddenly have such a strong opinion against William?"Haley hesitated for a moment. Just when Jenny thought she would not speak, Haley said, "William is Shane's half-brother."She quickly tried to calm Jenny, who seemed startled. "Don't get upset. I only found out a few days ago, and I suspect that William has an ulterior motive for coming back.""What do you mean?" Jenny's mind went blank for a moment. What did she mean by William being Shane's half-brother? Was the world of wealthy families always this complicated?Haley sighed and explained everything she knew. Jenny fell silent, her head bowed with her long eyelashes hiding her thoughts.Haley could not guess what was going through her mind, so she quickly grasped her hand to reassure h
William lowered his gaze, a fleeting emotion flickering in his eyes before he smiled and gently placed his hand over Jenny's. "What's wrong? Are you upset?""Yeah, I went to several job interviews today, but I haven't heard back from any of them."Jenny was different from Haley. Not only did she come from a less fortunate background, but her academic performance was also average. Luck had never seemed to favor her. If she were to count her blessings, there were only three. The three blessings were becoming best friends with Haley, getting accepted into Jasper City University, and meeting William.William was kind and considerate. After they got together, he did not mind her lack of a privileged background and was even willing to live with her in this small apartment. He was the brightest light in her dark world, and she clung to that light with all her might.William held Jenny's hand and turned to embrace her. "It's okay. Even if you can't find a job, I can take care of you."
William sensed that something was off with Jenny, but he could not figure out what had happened. Ever since they started dating, every time Jenny saw him, she would either blush or chatter non-stop as if she had endless things to say to him. But today, her mood seemed different.However, William had other matters to attend to, so he did not press further. He picked up his phone and car keys and left.In the bedroom, Jenny clearly heard the sound of the door opening and closing. She hugged her knees tightly, burying her face in her legs, and finally let herself cry. Her pale hands clutched at her sleeves, trying to hold back the waves of emotion. Although it was summer, the floor was still cold, but she seemed oblivious, letting the pain engulf her.The next morning, Jenny woke up with a sense of discomfort. Her eyes were swollen from crying. As she ate breakfast, she tried to reduce the swelling with ice packs, but with little success. In the end, she had to go to a job intervie
"Mr. Green, here's your pen."Henry reached out and took it, letting out a small scoff. "At least you have some sense, but you should know, fresh graduates don't stand a chance in a big company like ours."Jenny bit her lip, feeling a bit down. Was she going to be rejected again? But she gathered her courage, her tone firm. "Experience is built up little by little. I believe I can do this job. Please give me a chance to prove myself."Henry tapped the pen lightly on the table twice, chuckling. "A chance? Do you think our company is a charity? Skywise is looking to climb higher, and we need the best of the best."His words were harsh, practically spelling out, "You're not qualified."A strong sense of inferiority and humiliation surged in Jenny's heart. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Mr. Green, I may not be perfect, but there's no need to make me feel worthless. If your company is so arrogant, then I don't need to lower myself to beg for this job."With that, she
Just as Haley finished her meeting and was about to take a break, her phone rang. She answered it, and immediately heard Jenny’s wailing voice.“Haley, that jerk Henry scolded me! You have to stand up for me!”Haley was taken aback. “Henry? Why would he scold you?”Jenny, feeling she had found an ally, quickly recounted the day’s events in great detail. She ended with, “I think Henry did it on purpose. I never did anything to him, so why does he hate me so much? It’s infuriating!”After hearing the story, Haley couldn’t help but laugh. “Jenny, if it doesn’t work out, just come to my company. I guarantee you’ll get better treatment than at Skywise.”Although JY’s main business was fashion, it dabbled in other industries too.Jenny pouted. “Thanks, but I want to try finding something on my own first. If I can’t, then I’ll ask for your help.”Haley sighed. “You don’t need to be so formal with me.”Jenny felt comforted but still insisted, “I just want to see how far I can go on my
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