Shane opened the passenger door and let Haley get in. He then drove her home.After dinner, Haley took her drawing board and headed straight to the room at the end of the hallway. Although everything in the room was over a decade old, it was well-preserved, with no signs of damage. A carpet had been specially laid, and the room was regularly cleaned. So, when Haley closed the door and sat on the floor, it did not feel cold. This room held many childhood memories of her and Shane. Even though some memories were fuzzy, being in this room always calmed her down, no matter how restless she felt. Haley spread out her drawing paper, and inspiration quickly came to her. Her hand gently held the paintbrush, swiftly sketching on the paper. When she focused on something, she always lost track of time. She did not even notice when Shane pushed the door open and stood behind her. Finishing her design sketch, Haley set the paintbrush down and lazily stretched. When she turned around, s
The next morning, Shane woke up to find the space beside him empty. He got out of bed, looked around the room, and finally found Haley on the balcony.She was sitting on the balcony sofa, her head bent down, intently working on her sketches. The morning sunlight poured down, casting a soft glow on her fair face, making her look exceptionally beautiful.Shane walked over and sat beside her without saying a word, just staring at her. Haley was busy revising her sketches when she suddenly felt the sofa sink beside her. A look filled with silent frustration settled on her.She looked up and met Shane's eyes. She smiled brightly, "Good morning, Mr. Ford.""Why are you up so early? Why not sleep a bit more?" Shane asked, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and feeling a pang of heartache.Haley stretched lazily and replied with a smile, "I still haven't finished my sketches. The design competition is in two days, and I don't want anything to go wrong."JY could not afford any setb
"Sir, everyone is already here. We're just waiting for you," Dean said. Even through the phone, he could feel the murderous intent.He could not help but shrink his shoulders and quickly added, "If you're busy, I can send them back?"Shane responded with a grunt, "Delay the meeting by an hour." He had to personally take Haley to work. The car accident from some time ago still sent chills down his spine whenever he thought about it. He would never allow such a thing to happen again.Haley came out of the bathroom after washing up and was surprised to find that Shane had not left yet. A hint of astonishment flashed in her eyes as she asked, "Mr. Ford, aren't you going to work?""Waiting for you," Shane replied. He walked into the dressing room, took out a shirt and suit, and began changing right there.As he removed his robe, revealing his broad shoulders and narrow waist, an alluring sensuality filled the air. Before Haley could react, her cheeks were already flushed. She quickly
Shane let out a low chuckle, the vibration of his laughter resonating through his chest. Hearing this, Haley could not help but blush again.Just as she was about to say something, Shane continued, "I'll pick you up after work tonight." He did not give her any chance to refuse, turning and going back into the dressing room. This time he thoughtfully closed the door.Haley was left speechless.After getting dressed, Shane drove Haley to the JY building. As Haley was about to get out of the car, a strong hand grasped her wrist. She turned her head in confusion to see Shane looking at her intently, without saying a word.Haley instantly understood what he wanted. She smiled helplessly and leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. "See you tonight, Mr. Ford."The sweet, soft sensation on his lips erased all the frustration from Shane's eyes. Haley found it amusing and waved to Shane as she exited the car, "Bye, Mr. Ford.""Mm," Shane responded, maintaining his composure. Only af
The meeting room fell silent instantly. Everyone's gaze was drawn to Shane's phone, and they instinctively held their breath. Shane glanced at them, then picked up his phone. Assuming it was just some trivial notification, he did not think much of it. But when he saw the message on the screen, he froze. He stared at the message for a long time, his eyes revealing a deep, unhidden longing.Haley was thinking about him.Clearing his throat, Shane spoke, his mood notably improved, "Let's break for lunch. We'll continue in the afternoon."At his words, everyone could not help but cheer, "Long live Mrs. Ford!" They had been starving for hours. They realized that the only way to soften their boss's mood was through Haley. Many silently prayed for more messages from her, hoping it would keep Shane's temper in check, making their work lives easier.Shane left the meeting room with his phone, heading to the window at the end of the hallway. He called Haley, who answered quickly, her c
After work, Haley immediately called the driver and headed to the agreed location. Jenny had chosen a high-end restaurant with a serene environment and a great atmosphere. When Haley arrived, Jenny was already there, ordering food. Haley walked over, sat down, and asked with a smile, "Busy lady, what made you decide to invite me to dinner today?"Jenny looked up and gave her a sidelong glance, "You, the CEO of a listed company, are calling me busy?"Haley thought of the stack of unfinished documents waiting for her and slumped her shoulders, leaning into Jenny's arms. "Jenny, I'm so tired!"Jenny quickly patted her back, consoling her, "If you don't want to do it, then don't. Your husband has plenty of money. He won't let you suffer."Haley pouted, "But it's not the same. I want to achieve something on my own."She did not want to be a woman who relied solely on a man.Jenny opened her phone's selfie mode and aimed it at Haley's face. "But you need to take care of yourself fi
The two exchanged disdainful looks and turned away from each other.Haley glanced at Jenny, then at Henry, feeling like something was off. She looked questioningly at Zac.Zac's lips curved into a barely noticeable smile as he lowered his voice, "If he didn't like her, he wouldn't even look at her."In other words, Jenny was special to Henry.Haley was stunned for several seconds, her eyes gradually filling with disbelief.Jenny and Henry? How could that be? They seemed like two people who would not even cross paths.Unaware that his friend had sold him out, Henry thought he had hidden his feelings well. After saying goodbye to Haley, he left with Zac, looking almost childishly naive.Haley watched Jenny, hesitant to speak. She could not imagine that a man like Henry, who was known for being a ladies' man, could actually have feelings for Jenny.She tentatively asked, "Jenny, why do you and Henry always clash whenever you meet?"Jenny sneered, "He's the one who always picks on
Haley calmly smiled and said softly, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. Shane just happens to like me."This remark hit Stella right where it hurt the most. All her life, she had taken pride in her looks and having an aunt married into a wealthy family. She was always the one being pursued and admired. She had only ever faced setbacks from two people. One was Shane, and the other was Haley. In front of Shane, her beauty had no effect. No matter how much she tried to seduce or hint at him, Shane would not even spare her a glance. What she could not get no matter how hard she tried, Haley received effortlessly. How could she not hate her?Stella sneered, "Haley, Shane likes you only because of your looks. Can you guarantee he'll love you forever?"Stella knew men well and understood their inherent flaws. Many men were never satisfied with what they had. How could a man as powerful as Shane be content to devote himself to just one woman for life?Thinking about this, she
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