Shane gently touched her cheek, his heart aching. "Why are you crying so much? Your eyes are all swollen."Haley grabbed his sleeve and wiped her tears, her voice full of grievance. "It's nothing, just feeling a bit overwhelmed."Shane was silent for a moment, then intertwined his fingers with hers and led her towards the door. "Let's go home.""Okay!" Haley obediently let herself be led, a faint smile appearing on her lips.As soon as they stepped into the house, Haley was greeted by a delicious aroma. Her eyes lit up as she let go of Shane's hand and quickly walked towards the kitchen."Bob, what delicious food did you make today? It smells amazing!""Madam, you're back? Come and see, it's all your favorite dishes. Sir specifically instructed me to have everything ready before you came home."Haley paused, turning to look at Shane in surprise. "Mr. Ford, when did you arrange this? I had no idea."Shane's lips curved into a slight smile. "Take a guess."Haley playfully glared
Seeing Haley shyly trying to shrink into herself, Shane could not help but chuckle. He reached out and ruffled her slightly messy hair, his voice low and clear, “No, I won’t open it.”Then, raising his voice, he called to the butler outside the door, “Got it. You’ve all had a long day, go ahead and rest early tonight.”The butler hesitated for a moment before realizing he might have interrupted something. With a knowing smile, he replied, “Very well, sir. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you tonight.”Hearing the butler's response, Haley knew he had misunderstood. She lifted her flushed face from Shane's chest and glared at him. “Did you do that on purpose?”Shane laughed, “Yes, I did.”Haley wanted to hit him, but before her clenched fist could strike, it was gently held by his warm, strong hand. “We haven’t had our alone time in a while. Tonight, no one will disturb us.”Looking up, Haley met Shane’s deep eyes, which seemed to draw her in. Her heart skipped a beat, and she nerv
Although still on the slim side, the areas that needed to be full were definitely not lacking. Shane could never get enough of her. When Haley met his intense gaze, memories of their times together in bed suddenly flashed through her mind. Her face flushed instantly, and she quickly got up, wanting to escape.“Mr. Ford, I’m full. I’ll go rest now!” However, as soon as she stood up, Shane grabbed her wrist. With a slight pull, she found herself sitting on his lap.Blushing, Haley whispered, “What are you doing?”“What do you think?” Shane leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers, his eyes burning with desire.Haley's long lashes trembled as she looked at him pitifully. “I don’t know.”Shane brushed his lips against hers, his voice husky, “I...want you. Now.”Before Haley could react, she was consumed by his intense presence. His tender yet passionate kisses overwhelmed her, leaving no room for other thoughts.Just as she was losing herself in his tenderness, she heard th
Haley rubbed her sore and weak waist, struggling to get out of bed for her morning routine. The exertion from last night had left her feeling drained, and each step she took made her complexion paler. The short distance to the bathroom took her several minutes to navigate. After freshening up and changing clothes, she realized she was running late for work. Haley hurriedly greeted the butler as she rushed out. "Good morning, Bob. I need to head to work now. See you tonight.""Wait a moment, why don't you have breakfast before you go? Work can wait, but your health can't," Bob interrupted, concerned.Haley waved her hand, feeling anxious. "I don't have time. There's an early meeting at the office this morning, and I'm already behind schedule."Bob frowned disapprovingly, pulling her back gently. "Skipping breakfast isn't acceptable. Madam, Mr. Ford specifically instructed me to ensure you eat breakfast. What if you experience low blood sugar?"Reluctantly, Haley sat back down
She coldly remarked, "Instead of worrying about that, you'd better reflect on how much you've contributed to the company."The man hesitated for a moment, then erupted in anger, slamming his hand forcefully on the table before him. "What do you mean?""I mean exactly what I said." Haley's demeanor remained unchanged, her voice calm and incredulous. "The reason the company has fallen into its current state is partly due to people like you, who only know how to loaf around and reap the benefits."The man opened his mouth to retort, but was suddenly met with Haley's piercing gaze, as cold as ice."If you don't want me to bring all your misdeeds to light, then keep quiet."Her voice was cold, her eyes sharp, exuding a powerful aura that seemed to impose an invisible pressure on everyone present.The man's face flushed red, unable to utter a word of rebuttal, and was forced into silence.The conference room fell into a tense silence, as everyone gained a new understanding of Haley.
The low, chilly voice, full of oppression, suddenly resounded in the vast conference room. It sent shivers down everyone's spine. Every person present turned their gaze, their eyes widening in astonishment."Mr. Ford?" How did this ominous presence appear again? The intimidating aura he brought with him during his last visit to the conference room seemed to linger even now. Many instinctively held their breath, not daring to make a sound, watching Shane intently, trying to discern his intentions.Shane did not spare them a glance, completely ignoring their presence as he walked straight to where Haley was standing."Are you okay, Haley? Has anyone bullied you?"Haley's expression mirrored everyone else's surprise. She could not believe her eyes. "Mr. Ford, why did you come here?"Shane's gaze softened suddenly as he reached out to ruffle Haley's hair gently. His voice was warm. "Of course, I was worried you might be mistreated, so I came to check on you."Haley stared at the
Shane had no intention of letting them off the hook. His eyes narrowed slightly, releasing a dark coldness from deep within, "Oh? Are you suggesting that I'm lying?" With these words, those people became even more flustered. "No, absolutely not!" "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!" "Mr. Ford, we still respect Miss Haley, how could we threaten her? We just want to clarify the matter about the video, that's all." Shane chuckled coldly, his sharp eyes scanning everyone present like a hawk. He spoke in his chilly voice, each word carrying weight and sending shivers down everyone's spine."Misunderstanding? I've seen that video. It's clearly shot from selective angles. Seems like none of you even grasped that. Maybe it's time to shuffle some seats among the JY board members?"Although Shane's tone was calm, everyone could feel his anger rising. They instinctively wanted to flee. However, when they met Shane's cold and profound gaze, they stiffened and were una
The joy in Haley's heart was as immense as the bitterness in the hearts of those forced to apologize. They regretted their actions deeply. Why did they overestimate themselves and provoke Haley? Why were they so convinced that Haley had betrayed Shane, and that he would be enraged and abandon her? Shane's gaze toward Haley was filled with undisguised affection. There was no hint of a rift between them.The once arrogant people now hung their heads low, wishing they could shrink into quails. "We shouldn't have bullied Miss Haley just because of age and status.""And?"Shane's eyes were cold and oppressive.And... Everyone was secretly in agony. Why did they provoke this living demon of all people? "We were blind and misunderstood Miss Haley.""We shouldn't have spread baseless rumors to attack her.""We won't dare to do it again. If Miss Haley says east, we won't go west. If Miss Haley says one, we won't say two!"...Haley listened quietly. Although they were piti
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