His conversation was all over the place, fragmented and incoherent.Shane shook his head helplessly. Seeing that Henry was about to take another drink, he quickly grabbed the glass from his hand. "Enough, drinking alone won't help.""Shane, I'm feeling really down!" Henry leaned back on the sofa, looking pitiful.Shane's heart softened, and he asked again, "What's going on? What could make our usually cheerful Henry so upset?"Henry's head drooped, his hair unusually unstyled, looking soft and adding to his pitiful appearance. Zac and Shane both looked at him, waiting patiently for an answer. Anyone familiar with Henry knew that he could not keep a secret to save his life. If you wanted to know something, all you had to do was ask him once. If he did not spill everything the first time, ask again. He would end up telling you everything, down to the last detail.Sure enough, after a moment, Henry looked up with a pitiful expression. "Shane, Zac, I... I got dumped."Shane was s
Shane frowned slightly and asked, "What kind of girl are we talking about? Have we met her? How come you never mentioned her before?"Henry's eyes flickered with hesitation as he mumbled, avoiding the girl's name, "You probably don't know her. Anyway, I just got dumped, and I feel awful. I'm not going home tonight until I'm completely wasted!"Shane was silent for a moment before saying, "You've been with a lot of women over the years, and I've never seen you like this before."Zac nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this is a first." As he spoke, he pulled out his phone from his suit pocket and aimed it at Henry.Henry noticed and looked up, puzzled. "What are you doing?"Zac replied, "Taking a few photos to commemorate this. It's rare to see you like this. It needs to be documented."A good friend always kept a record of the other's embarrassing moments for future laughs.Henry was speechless.Was this even human behavior? Was Zac still human?!"Zac, are you looking for a beating? H
Absolutely infuriating! No, he could not let this go. He had to settle this score. Otherwise, he would not be able to swallow his anger!Shane glanced at Henry thoughtfully....Haley and Jenny stayed up almost all night. It had been a long time since they had shared a bed and chatted all night, talking about work, their favorite TV shows, celebrity gossip, and the latest handbags and jewelry.As dawn approached, they finally could not stay awake any longer and fell into a light sleep. The alarm clock rang, waking Haley. She reached over and nudged Jenny, who was still asleep. "Jenny, get up. We're going to be late for work!"She had an early meeting to attend this morning!Jenny mumbled a sleepy "hmm," shifted slightly, and then fell back asleep.Haley, both amused and exasperated, pulled her up. "Come on, no more sleeping. Time to get up, or you'll be docked pay!"At the mention of "pay," Jenny was instantly awake. She quickly freshened up, grabbed her bag, and rushed o
Shane turned to look at Haley with raised eyebrows. "Talk about what?""Work, of course. Although he's very capable, having him around is a liability," she replied. She still had not figured out what William was up to. His presence felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Rather than living in constant fear, she thought it was better to take the initiative and force William to reveal his true intentions.Shane nodded. "You can handle this as you see fit, but try not to be alone with him. His personality has always been extreme.""I understand," Haley nodded obediently.Passing by a breakfast shop, Shane parked the car and went to buy some breakfast, handing it to Haley. The warmth of the food in her hand made her feel cared for and loved. She smiled softly and took a bite of the sandwich.Seeing her enjoying the food, Shane asked with a smile, "Is it good?""Delicious!" Haley nodded enthusiastically. Her cheeks were puffed out, filled with food. A small r
But before she could, a warm hand grabbed her wrist firmly, pulling her back. Before Haley could react, she found herself back in the passenger seat, staring blankly at Shane.Shane pressed his lips together, his eyes fixed on Haley without a word. In an instant, Haley understood his intention. She sighed softly, then leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his lips. Smiling, she waved her hand, "Goodbye, hubby, I'll miss you!"Without waiting for a response, she quickly opened the car door and got out. Shane watched her walk away, his fingers lightly touching his lips, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.Back in the office, Haley summoned William. He seemed off, his face pale and filled with a sense of despondency. Anyone looking at him would see a man who seemed heartbroken and devoted. But after witnessing his cruelty the previous night, Haley was not fooled by his appearance.Noticing Haley's gaze, William slowly lifted his eyes and saw the disdain in hers. He let
Haley froze, feeling as if something had exploded in her mind. "What did you say?"She thought to herself, "How could the child not be William's? Even though Jenny is a bit of a romantic, she's definitely not someone who would fool around. It's impossible!"Seeing her shock, William decided to explain. "That night, it wasn't me."Haley was too stunned to respond. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.William seemed satisfied with her reaction. He leaned closer, whispering in her ear, "So, all your worries are unfounded. If you want, I can take you away.""Crazy!" Haley pushed him away forcefully, interrupting him with a cold laugh. "I'm not interested in you, and besides, I'm already married."William was unfazed. "Married? You can always get a divorce. If you want, I can steal you away from Shane."Haley seemed to hear the most ridiculous joke ever, her gaze turning increasingly mocking. "What makes you think you can compare to Shane? Where do you get the confidence that
At this point, everyone else was even more suspicious.They could not believe their Miss Haley would be such a person!Having Mr. Ford was not enough, she was also doing this kind of thing with an employee in the office.One really couldn’t judge a book by its cover!Haley could tell they misunderstood immediately, feeling a tightness in her chest.She glared angrily at William, lowering her voice to warn him, "Don't be so arrogant.""How could I? I can’t get enough of Miss Haley," he replied ambiguously, as if confirming his relationship with Haley.His tone was outrageously bold, with no intention of hiding anything, sparking wild imaginations.After he finished speaking, he chuckled softly and walked out without looking back, ignoring the various looks from the crowd.Haley took a deep breath, wanting to pull William back immediately to explain everything to everyone.However, his figure quickly disappeared, and he was already too far to call back.In the large office, th
In the afternoon, Sue came to the office and said to Haley, "Miss Haley, there is a charity banquet at Cloud Court Hotel tonight. The organizers have invited you to attend, and the dress is already prepared.""Alright," Haley nodded, acknowledging the information.After a moment, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Sue behind her."Sue, you don't need to accompany me tonight. I'll take Cathy with me."Sue was taken aback, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes as she asked urgently, "Why? Miss Haley, have I done something wrong?"Haley smiled and shook her head, her gaze falling on Sue's abdomen as she spoke, "You're pregnant now. It's best not to wear such high heels. The banquet will be crowded, and it wouldn't be good if the baby got hurt."Haley had always loved children. Although she had not planned on having any soon, it was part of her future plans. A perfect and happy family would not be complete without a child, the symbol of love.Sue had not expected
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