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
Noticing the various gazes from the crowd, Haley pressed her lips together slightly, tightening her grip on Shane's hand. Shane glanced down, seeing her tense expression, and immediately wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.He lowered his head, whispering softly in her ear, "Don't be nervous, I'm here."Haley instinctively looked up, meeting Shane's eyes filled with warmth and encouragement. Whether it was his mesmerizing gaze or the sense of security he provided, Haley felt her tension melt away.She relaxed, her eyes curving into a smile as she beamed at Shane. "Okay!"In that instant, it seemed as if the entire banquet hall dimmed in comparison to her radiance. Shane smiled as he resisted the urge to kiss her. Instead, he guided her into the hall with an arm around her shoulders.The Cloud Court Hotel was part of the Ford Corporation's business empire, so the banquet organizer greeted Shane with great enthusiasm, even coming out to personally welcome him.
Jenny's expression turned cold as she struggled forcefully. "Sir, please show some respect. There are so many people watching. Aren't you afraid of losing face?"To her surprise, the man showed no fear. Instead, his grin grew wider. "Oh, so it's because there are too many people here that you won't agree? Then let's go upstairs. I have a presidential suite here. Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll make sure you have a great time!"He leaned in, attempting to kiss her lips. Jenny screamed and looked around for help, but everyone else either looked indifferent or even pitied her. No one stepped forward to help because the man was the father of a high-ranking official in Jasper City and the banquet organizer had strong ties with this official.Just as Jenny was losing hope, a figure suddenly rushed over and punched the middle-aged man in the face."Bastard! You dare touch my woman? You must be tired of living!"The man cried out in pain, falling to the ground and clutching his face."Wh
She grasped Haley's hand and gently shook her head, "I'm fine. It was Henry who helped me."Following Jenny's gaze, Haley saw Henry and felt a surge of anger. If Henry had not arrived in time, Jenny would have been bullied!Absolutely infuriating!When Henry saw Shane, his eyes brightened, and he called out, "Shane."Shane nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the man lying on the ground, groaning in pain."Mr. Lawson?"The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, thinking his savior had arrived. He nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I’m Frank Lawson. Mr. Ford, you have a great memory. Please ask Mr. Green to let me go. We're all friends here. What's the point of this?"Shane raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cold smile. "I do have a good memory, but I don't recall Jasper City being ruled by anyone named Lawson."Although he spoke calmly, his words carried an undeniable sense of intimidation.The middle-aged man's face twitched, and he quickly shook his head. "No, no, in Jasper
Noticing the hesitation and fear in Jenny's eyes, Henry immediately said, "There's no need. If you truly feel sorry, warn him that if he ever bothers Jenny again, he’ll be making an enemy of the Green family."His voice was clear and magnetic, and Jenny's heart skipped a beat when she heard it.The organizer nodded repeatedly, promising that the middle-aged man would never bother Jenny again. Only then did Henry relent.Satisfied with the response, Henry cast a cold glance at the organizer, took Jenny's hand, and led her out of the banquet hall.Watching them leave, Haley blinked in confusion, her eyes filled with bewilderment. "What is going on with them?"Seeing her puzzled expression, Shane chuckled softly. He placed his palm on Haley's head, gently ruffling her hair. "Isn't it obvious yet?"It was as if something exploded in Haley's mind, clearing away the fog. Her eyes widened in shock. "You mean... Henry likes Jenny?""Yes, I've known Henry for many years, and I've never s
Hearing her words, he laughed out loud. His deep, sexy voice resonated in his chest as he laughed.Haley's cheeks were burning, and she awkwardly rubbed her ears, feeling a current of electricity run through them. "Shane, that's enough! Stop laughing at me!"As soon as she finished speaking, a warm, strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Haley, unprepared, found herself pressed against a solid chest. She looked up instinctively and saw Shane gazing down at her with his mesmerizing eyes."I'm not laughing at you. I'm happy."Haley huffed, "What's there to be happy about? I think you're just laughing at me!"So what if she was momentarily enchanted by his good looks? What's so shameful about admiring her own husband?Feeling the softness in his arms, Shane's heart melted completely. He lowered his head and gently kissed Haley's smooth forehead, a smile playing on his lips. "Not laughing. I like seeing you get flustered over me."Haley blinked
Henry secretly smiled and made a "please" gesture. Jenny had no choice but to get into his car.Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of Jenny's apartment building. She glanced at Henry and said, "Thank you for helping me out today, Mr. Green."Henry lightly tapped the steering wheel and raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And how do you plan to thank me?"Jenny hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I'll treat you to dinner another day, but I can't afford anything too expensive."Although she had found a job, she was still behind on her rent.Henry did not seem to mind. He nodded slightly and said, "Alright, I'll look forward to it. Go get some rest now. It's quite late."Jenny nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car. Back at home, she let out a long sigh of relief. For some reason, being alone with Henry always made her inexplicably nervous.What was she thinking? Someone with Henry's background and status would never want to be involved with her. She patted
After finishing his morning routine, Shane walked over to the bed and gently kissed Haley on the forehead. Haley glared at him, annoyed. "It's all your fault! I overslept because of you!"Shane chuckled, taking the clothes from Haley and helping her get dressed. In a soft voice, he said, "Alright, alright, it's my fault. Does it still hurt, my baby?"Haley blushed, her ears turning red. "Baby... No one has ever called me that before," she thought to herself. This man always knew how to say just the right thing to make her anger melt away.She pouted slightly and huffed, "Fine, I'll forgive you for now."Seeing her adorable expression, Shane could not help but laugh. His Haley was still so soft-hearted, making it impossible not to want to cherish and protect her. Shane lowered his gaze and gave her a gentle kiss on her soft lips, a kiss free of desire but filled with sincerity and devotion."Haley, I love you."Haley had not expected such a heartfelt confession first thing in
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