Haley sniffled and nodded softly. "Yes, I'm happy."It was not the apologies that made her happy, but rather the fact that she had met Shane in her life.Shane pulled her into his arms and addressed the audience, "I accept your apologies on behalf of my wife, but beyond that, I expect the competition organizers to provide an explanation to all the contestants."The organizers exchanged confused glances, unsure of the meaning behind his words.Shane continued, "My wife has proven her abilities through a second round of competition. Now, what about those who truly cheated? What consequences should they face?"His words sent a shockwave through the crowd, reigniting the tense atmosphere. Everyone turned their puzzled gazes toward Shane.Louis could not sit still any longer. He yelled at Shane, "Mr. Ford, what on earth are you talking about? Please don't delay our award ceremony any further!"Shane, uninterested in arguing, gave Dean a quick signal. His deep voice was laced with col
Professor Wood who was always a man of integrity, was so furious. His chest heaved as he pointed at Louis and scolded, "How could you be so foolish? Cheating is absolutely forbidden. You're ruining your own future!"Louis, unable to lift his head, pressed his lips together and remained silent. He had acted impulsively, fueled by alcohol and Stella's overly enthusiastic advances that night. In the heat of the moment, he agreed to everything. Although he had regretted it afterward, it was too late to turn back.Stella was equally terrified, her face pale and almost devoid of color. The disapproving and disgusted looks from the audience told her that everything was over. She had come here simply to take revenge on Haley, but instead, she had destroyed her own reputation.Lost in her thoughts, she was suddenly jolted by an icy, stern voice announcing, "After a unanimous decision by the organizers and judges, Stella is disqualified from the competition, and Mr. Louis will no longer be em
Shane laughed softly as he ruffled her hair. "Things will only get better from now on.""Yeah, I think so too."Haley nestled into his arms, her slender arms wrapping tightly around his waist as she snuggled closer. She only felt this relaxed when she was with Shane.Shane tightened his hold on her, thinking to himself that the collaboration between Ford Corporation and JY needed to be expedited. Otherwise, his image in his wife's heart might get overshadowed.When they got home, Haley was surprised to find guests waiting for them. As soon as she stepped through the door, a chorus of cheers erupted, "Welcome home, our winner!"Immediately following, a "bang" resounded as confetti rained down on Haley and Shane.Haley blinked, turning to Shane. "Mr. Ford, did you plan this?"Before Shane could reply, Henry spoke up, displeased. "Hey, hey, hey, Haley, don't be too biased. It was Zac, Jenny, and me who planned this. It has nothing to do with a certain someone!"As soon as he finis
Haley and Shane exchanged a glance, immediately guessing that Jenny was thinking about James. Henry noticed the shift in mood too and cleared his throat, "Eat up, everyone. Eat more."He added food to Jenny's plate, trying to cheer her up.Jenny, understanding that everyone was concerned about her, smiled faintly. "I'm fine. Everyone's been through a bad breakup when they were young, right? I've moved on."Haley put down her utensils and said softly, "Jenny, no matter what happens, I'll always be on your side.""Yeah, I know," Jenny replied with a smile.Henry tried to lighten the mood. "It's such a good day. Why bring up that jerk? Eat more. If it's not enough, I'll have the hotel send more dishes."With Henry's efforts, the atmosphere at the table became lively again.After sending off their friends, it was already past midnight. Haley was exhausted and collapsed onto the sofa.Shane looked at her lazy and relaxed posture, unable to suppress a smile. "Tired? Let’s go upstai
At that moment, the sound of ripping fabric echoed in the room as her nightgown was torn in two. Her fair, delicate skin was exposed to Shane’s burning gaze. His eyes were blazing with desire. Haley sighed inwardly, counting how many nightgowns she had gone through. Too many to remember. Since marrying Shane, she had bought countless nightgowns. To make things easier, Shane had dedicated an entire wall in their closet just for her nightgowns. The wardrobe was filled with every kind of nightwear imaginable—from modest round necks to thin spaghetti straps, and even some daring, sexy lingerie. She could wear a different one every night for a year and still have some left. Despite this, Shane thought it was not enough. If Haley had not stopped him, he probably would have set up another closet just for nightwear.Noticing that Haley was distracted, Shane moved his hips, deliberately intensifying her sensations. A wave of tingling and intense pleasure surged through her, causing
Ten minutes later, everyone reluctantly gathered in the conference room. When they saw Haley's cold, expressionless face, they felt a sinking feeling of dread.Hearing the footsteps, Haley turned her head toward the door. Seeing them standing there without coming in, she raised an eyebrow. "What? Is there a monster inside?""No, no!"Everyone shook their heads vigorously, afraid Haley might get angry.Once they were seated, no one dared to breathe too loudly, fearing Haley might settle scores.However, five minutes passed, and Haley had not said a word. She just stared at them quietly. Though she was beautiful, their guilty consciences made her gaze unsettling.Finally, someone could not bear it anymore and stood up abruptly. "Miss Haley, I'm sorry. I apologize for my past mistakes."Seeing this, others followed suit, standing up and apologizing one by one. Their voices were so loud that even with the conference room's good soundproofing, people in the hallway could hear them.
With this reassurance, everyone who had been nervous felt a wave of calm wash over them.Yes, they had Miss Haley! She was so capable and under her leadership, they were bound to succeed! Gradually, everyone began to feel hopeful and confident about this collaboration.Haley observed everyone's expressions, a hint of a smile in her clear eyes. She began to assign tasks, instructing everyone to be diligent and strive to secure this partnership. The team, excited and motivated, eagerly took on their assignments and immediately dove into their work.After the meeting, Sue approached with a file in hand, her expression one of surprise. "Miss Haley, I just received a call from Morning Dew Design Co. They said they're coming to visit this afternoon. Is that true?""Of course," Haley replied with a slight smile.Sue covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes wide with surprise. "Miss Haley, when did this happen? Why didn't you tell me earlier? You gave me quite a shock!"Haley glanced a
"I might be home late tonight. There's still a lot to do. Don't wait up for me," Haley said into the phone.On the other end, there was a brief silence before Shane's low, slightly aggrieved voice replied, "Alright then, just don't drink tonight and come home early."A sweet smile appeared on Haley's face. "Okay, I know."After hanging up, Luna teased, "I never would have guessed that the famously cold-hearted Mr. Ford could be like this in private."Haley's cheeks turned a bit red. "He can be a bit childish sometimes. Sorry you had to see that."Luna waved her hand dismissively. "Not at all, I find it quite refreshing."She could not fathom how a man as powerful and aloof as Mr. Ford could be so submissive to one woman. It was almost unbelievable. Luna's eyes held a newfound respect for Haley.After dinner with Luna, it was past ten at night. Though Haley had only had one glass of wine, her head was already feeling light. Her pale cheeks were tinged with an unusual flush, and