Shane’s heart was instantly soothed by those words. His wife thought of him first when she was feeling wronged. Haley said she really wanted to see him. A faint smile appeared on his usually stern and serious face, and the corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably. That smile was impossible to suppress.Haley wrapped her arms around his and rested her head lightly on his strong arm, her lips curling up. “Yes, Mr. Ford, you hold a very important place in my heart.”Shane’s smile widened even more. He began to serve her food. “Eat more. After we’re done, let’s go home.”“Okay.”Haley readily accepted the food he offered, occasionally picking up his favorite dishes and bringing them to his lips. Both of them were very satisfied with their meal.Back home, Haley quickly kicked off her high heels, tossed her jacket onto the floor, and collapsed on the bed, not wanting to move. Shane followed her, straightening her shoes and placing them neatly in the shoe cabinet next to his. H
Hearing Shane's suggestive words, Haley's cheeks could not help but flush. She instinctively tried to pull her foot away from him, but Shane quickly noticed and did not give her the chance to escape. The dry, warm touch on her ankle sent an electric current through her body, making her feel tingly all over.She glared at him in frustration. "Mr. Ford..."Seeing her embarrassment, Shane decided to stop teasing her. He laughed and gently placed her foot back on the bed. "Alright, alright, I'll stop. You must be exhausted after a whole day of work. Get some rest.""Okay." Haley nodded obediently and slowly closed her eyes.Maybe she was really tired, or perhaps Shane's embrace was just too comforting, but Haley quickly fell asleep. Shane did not sleep. He watched Haley's peaceful sleeping face, seemingly mesmerized. Listening to her gentle breathing, he could not help but smile. Haley was curled up in his arms, her face nestled against his chest. Her delicate, beautiful lips wer
Moreover, Haley was a renowned fashion designer in the country. Her designs had even been praised by the international fashion master, I. What Shane was doing now was merely an investment. He believed that given time, Haley would bring him delightful surprises.After hanging up the phone, Shane held a video conference to finish his remaining work, then returned to the bedroom. Haley was still asleep, her delicate face buried in the pillow, one cheek slightly squished, making her look adorably soft.Unable to resist, Shane leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her rosy lips. The warm contact sent a tingle through his body. Despite the temptation, he refrained from waking her, opting to savor a few more light kisses before reluctantly pulling away and contentedly falling asleep with her in his arms....The next morning, Shane drove Haley to work. She was still drowsy, her head nodding like a pecking chick, ready to fall asleep at any moment. If not for the seatbelt, Shane h
Seeing Haley’s radiant smile, Shane’s mood inexplicably brightened. His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel before he turned to look at her. "Mrs. Ford, I’ve done you a big favor. Don’t you think I deserve a little something in return?"Haley blinked, instantly understanding his implication. Seeing the seemingly casual yet expectant glances he gave her, she could not help but find it amusing.The man known as the head of the Ford family, the president of Ford Corporation, who could easily get anything he wanted, was now sitting beside her. But at this moment, he seemed somewhat cautious in front of her. How could Haley not be moved by this?With a soft click, she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned closer to Shane, planting a gentle kiss on his face. The kiss was brief, almost fleeting, but it left Shane’s mood lifted, a subtle smile tugging at his lips.Just as Haley was about to pull away, a strong hand settled on her waist and pulled her closer. She gasped in surprise,
If he did not have work to handle, he would want to keep Haley by his side all the time, never letting her out of his sight. After a while, Haley finally felt the heat on her face subside. She opened the car door, ready to leave. But before she could step out, a hand grabbed her wrist.She turned around and glared at Shane. "What are you doing? Do you want me to be late for work?"Seeing her annoyance, Shane laughed softly. He leaned over to straighten her slightly disheveled clothes and hair, then planted a kiss on her forehead. "Go on, but remember to think of me."Haley lifted her chin slightly, pretending to be indifferent. "I might not have time. I'm quite busy now!"Amused by her cute demeanor, Shane wanted to pull her back for another kiss but restrained himself. He knew when to stop. This little one held grudges. If he annoyed her too much, it would backfire. He certainly did not want to end up sleeping alone in the cold study. There was nothing better than falling asle
Meeting Haley's puzzled gaze, Sue's eyes flickered as she smiled and said, "Miss Haley, I'll head out now."Haley nodded lightly, "You should go to the hospital for a checkup. This isn't something to delay."Sue quickly stepped into the elevator.Back in her office, Haley did not immediately open any files. Instead, she rested her chin in her hand and fell into deep thought.Pregnant... She and Shane had been married for a few months now. Should they start thinking about having a baby?As soon as the thought appeared, Haley quickly dismissed it. She had just taken over the company and was incredibly busy. Shane was also swamped with managing the vast Ford Corporation. Most importantly, she was not ready to become a mother. She was not even sure she could take care of herself properly, let alone a child.Realizing what she was thinking, Haley chuckled and shook her head, pushing the idea to the back of her mind.After handling some files in the morning, Haley gathered all the d
William pretended not to see the wariness and rejection in Haley's eyes, smiling as he said, "Isn't Miss Haley always too wary of me? Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."Haley sneered, a look of derision flashing in her eyes. "You think I'd believe you?"If he truly meant no harm, why would he deliberately approach her and apply for a job at JY?William did not argue, simply saying, "All you need to know is that I won't intentionally target you. I genuinely want to help you through this tough time.""You talk like I owe you a huge favor. You're here for a job, I pay your salary. It's a straightforward employer-employee relationship. Don't make it sound like we're so close."Ever since realizing William's ulterior motives, Haley had been eager to stay as far away from him as possible.Hearing her words, William could not help but chuckle softly, his gaze on Haley becoming even more gentle. "You're just too cute, just like when you were a child."Haley's pupils constricted i
Even after they got together, William remained distant. They had not been intimate again, not even sharing a basic kiss. The only time they were close was when she hugged him, but he quickly found an excuse to leave. She was so immersed in the relationship that she did not notice anything unusual, assuming he was just busy.It was not until she stepped back and looked at their relationship objectively that she realized she had been the one putting in all the effort. William responded only when it was convenient for him and ignored her the rest of the time. She felt like a fool for holding onto unrealistic hopes about him.Seeing the people around them starting to watch, William frowned, his voice turning serious. "Jenny, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go to a nearby cafe."He reached out to take her hand, but she quickly stepped back, avoiding his touch. "What? Are you embarrassed now? Where was this shame when you were playing with my feelings?"His hand fell short, a flash
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