Haley nodded lightly. "I've already assigned someone to gather the evidence. It should be ready to post tonight.""I'll handle William. You just focus on resolving JY's issues for now," Shane said.A sweet smile spread across Haley's cheeks. She replied in her soft and clear voice, "Okay, thank you, Mr. Ford!"Late at night, as everyone was scrolling through social media and a new topic started trending.The words "JY Clarification" caught everyone's attention.Many clicked out of curiosity and found that JY's official account had posted a statement addressing recent online events.First, it clarified that Haley and William only had a former superior-subordinate relationship. The video was maliciously recorded and uploaded, and the mastermind had been identified. The evidence had been handed over to the police.The second point addressed the leaked design drafts. It stated that all the designs posted by that company were purchased from a JY employee. Surveillance footage had bee
Shortly after Dean left, Shane's phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he raised an eyebrow."Zac? What's up?"Zac was usually a man of few words and rarely called him. This was a rare occurrence.Zac's deep, slightly raspy voice came through. "I heard Haley's company is having some trouble. Do you need any help?"Shane replied, "What do you think?" With him as Haley's strong backing, what trouble could she possibly have?Zac was momentarily at a loss for words, falling silent. He knew calling was unnecessary, but when he saw the news, he couldn't help himself.Seeing the prolonged silence, Shane frowned slightly. "Is there something else?"After a moment of hesitation, Zac said, "I'm heading back to the capital.""What?" Shane sat up straight, his usually calm eyes showing a hint of surprise. "When are you leaving? What's happening in the capital?"Although Zac lived in Jasper City, he was actually from the Fisher family in the capital. Shane knew that the Fisher family was q
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly walked over. "Mr. Ford, I'm sorry for making you wait!"Seeing Haley, Shane quickly stubbed out his cigarette and reached for her bag. "It's alright. I'll wait as long as it takes for my wife."Haley's cheeks flushed as she gave him a playful glare and hurried into the car.When they arrived at the restaurant, everyone else was already there. Henry couldn't resist teasing, "Shane, your entrance gets grander every time. We were all waiting for you!"Shane shot him a glance and said coolly, "Keep that up, and you can forget about that limited edition sports car.""I want it! Shane, I'm sorry! Pretend I didn't say anything!" Henry immediately backed down, even eagerly pouring tea for Shane and Haley. "So, Shane, when do I get that car?"Shane sipped his tea leisurely and said, "Depends on my mood."Henry pleaded, "Shane, please. I love that car so much I can't eat or sleep. Please give it to me..."A grown man begging like this had its o
The gathering lasted until eleven at night. While Shane and the other two men discussed work, Haley and Jenny chatted about gossip.Recalling some recent online rumors, Jenny asked worriedly, "I've heard about the recent issues with JY. Are you okay?""Don't worry, Jenny. Things are mostly resolved, and everything should be back to normal soon," Haley replied, taking a sip of her drink. Perhaps due to JY's recent surge in sales, her spirits were high.Seeing Haley's radiant smile, Jenny felt relieved. She had wanted to meet up with Haley earlier, but her demanding boss had kept her too busy. Thinking about it, she shot a glare at Henry.Henry, in the middle of drinking, was baffled by the sudden glare. However, he was in a good mood and decided to let it slide, raising his glass to her with a smile.Jenny felt her anger deflate like a fist hitting cotton and turned away in frustration. Watching their interaction, Haley couldn't help but laugh."Jenny, you and Henry seem to be get
Henry and Zac quickly stood up, straightening their slightly wrinkled clothes, and said their goodbyes.Haley, having had a bit too much to drink, was now clinging to Jenny, refusing to let go. "Jenny, don't leave. I want you to stay with me..."Jenny, caught between laughter and tears, turned to Shane. "You know she can't handle alcohol. Why didn't you keep an eye on her? She's going to have a terrible headache tomorrow."Haley held on tightly to Jenny's neck, nuzzling her shoulder. "Jenny, I don't want you to go..."Jenny gently stroked Haley's flushed face, smiling as she coaxed her. "Haley, it's very late. Let's go home, okay?"Pouting, Haley protested, "No!"Shane's expression darkened as he watched Haley being affectionate with someone else. Henry, standing next to him, felt the chill in the air and discreetly moved aside. If he wasn't mistaken, Shane was jealous. And a jealous man could be quite scary.Realizing the situation, Henry quickly gave Jenny a meaningful look.
Haley, oblivious to the growing danger, happily wriggled in Shane's arms. She tilted her head up, her eyes glistening under the chandelier's light, making them sparkle even more brightly."Hubby, I want more," she cooed in a soft, coquettish tone that could melt bones.Shane's self-control crumbled in an instant. He tightly wrapped his arms around Haley's slender waist, pressing her body firmly against his. His eyes were gleaming with a dangerous light."What do you want, Haley? Come and get it yourself," he murmured.Haley made a few noises of complaint but did not move. Even though she was drunk and her reactions were slow, she was not foolish. She stared at Shane, waiting for him to kiss her.Shane laughed at her expectant look. "Even when you're drunk, you still expect me to serve you."With that, he leaned in and kissed her again, cupping her cheeks as he gently but passionately explored her mouth.Haley frowned in discomfort and tried to pull away, but Shane's strong h
Shane's heart melted as he watched Haley sleep. He quietly unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car. He gently lifted her into his arms, carrying her upstairs.The next morning, Haley woke up with her head pounding. Her temples throbbed, and as she sat up, a wave of dizziness nearly knocked her back down. She rubbed her temples, her face showing a hint of distress.When Shane came in with a glass of apple cider vinegar and water, he saw her looking pitiful. He chuckled and shook his head, sitting down beside her on the bed. "Haley, drink this apple cider vinegar and water. It will help with your hangover."Haley sniffed it and pushed it away with a disgusted look. "No, it smells awful!"Because of the hangover, she was acting incredibly delicate. Shane coaxed her softly, "Come on, be good and drink this. Otherwise, your head will hurt all day. It's better to get it over with."Haley pouted, "Isn't there something that doesn't smell so awful?"Shane sighed. How could he forg
In the morning, the head of Ford Corporation's design department arrived at JY on time to discuss the cooperation with Haley.The representative said, "Madam, I apologize for the delay. Ford Corporation recently took on a large order and hasn't had time to come to JY for the cooperation discussions. The contract is ready for your review."Because the CEO of JY was the wife of their CEO, and given Shane's explicit instructions, the contract was exceptionally generous. It was unmatched in the industry.As Haley read through the contract, she could not help but show a look of surprise. She had expected Shane to ensure a favorable deal, but she had not anticipated the extent to which the terms and profit shares favored JY.She frowned slightly, remaining silent for a while.Seeing her reaction, the representative couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy and asked cautiously, "Madam, is there an issue with the contract?"Haley shook her head and smiled. "The contract is perfect. It's just
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