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
Under the expectant gaze of everyone, Haley nodded slightly, a soft smile spreading across her lips. "It's done."As soon as the words left her mouth, the office erupted into excited cheers. Everyone spontaneously formed a circle around Haley, shouting joyfully, almost as if they could raise the roof with their enthusiasm.Haley could not hide her smile. After celebrating with them for a while, she quickly calmed them down. "Alright, the other departments still need to work. Be careful not to get complaints."Upon hearing this, everyone toned down their excitement, but their faces were still lit with joy. Seeing them so happy made Haley feel happy too."This is a rare opportunity for you all. I hope you make the most of it," she said.Everyone nodded eagerly, looking unusually obedient. "Don't worry, Miss Haley, we will!"Haley's smile widened. "There's one last thing."Everyone held their breath, curious about what she would say next. Haley paused for a moment, building suspe
Suddenly remembering something, Henry leaned in closer and said, "Shane, you must have some experience in this area. Help a friend out!"Although he was not very good at pursuing someone, he could tell that Jenny didn't like him. She even seemed... annoyed by him. There was no spark between them at all. If things continued like this, he might never get a wife!With this realization, Henry felt a sudden sense of urgency and looked at Shane with even more anticipation.Shane, feeling slightly uncomfortable under Henry's intense gaze, instinctively took a step back. He cleared his throat and, maintaining his composure, said, "Honestly, I'm not that experienced either..."Henry gave him a skeptical look. "Come on! Don't tell me your wife just fell for you on her own?"Shane pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Not exactly. I found an excuse to bring her home."It was partly luck. At that time, Haley had just gone through a betrayal and was emotionally exhausted, so she didn't
Although they were strict with criminals, they never denied them the right to contact their families. After a moment of thought, Haley slowly said, "Fine, tell him that I'll come by this afternoon." She was curious about what Joe wanted.After hanging up, she asked Layla to reschedule her afternoon appointments, then headed to the police station. After explaining her purpose, a female officer escorted her to where Joe was being held.Haley waited in the visiting room for a while until she heard footsteps approaching from outside. She looked up to see Joe, whom she had not seen in a long time. He looked very different, much thinner than before, and his hair was now cut short. However, his spirit seemed better than before. His gaze was cold but less harsh than it used to be.As Haley observed Joe, he was also observing her. At first glance, Joe hardly recognized her. In the few months he had been in prison, he had rarely thought about his daughter. In his memory, she was still
"Ruthless?" Haley's lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. "The real ruthless person who caused all of this is you, isn't it?"If Joe had not been messing around outside, Xena would not even exist. He was the one truly responsible for all of this!Joe could not meet her eyes, his face full of guilt and shame. Softening his tone, he said, "Haley, I know I wronged you, but Xena is your sister, and she's pregnant. Can't you forgive her and let her go?"Haley stared at him with her icy expression. She shook her head slowly. "Joe, you don't even know what you're truly sorry for. You're not genuinely apologizing. How can I forgive you?"Joe was taken aback.Haley continued, "The person you truly wronged wasn't just me. It was my mom."Joe's greatest wrong was against Yvonne. He had an affair while married and fathered an illegitimate daughter. He even tried to take over JY, attempting to seize all of Yvonne's inheritance. He did not deserve her, let alone her love.Joe's expressi
"What... what do you think you’re doing?" Joe stammered.Haley did not answer. She slowly raised her hand. Joe instinctively tried to dodge, but his back hit the wall. There was nowhere to go. Panic seized him, and he shouted, "Haley, what are you doing? I’m your father! This is outrageous!"Seeing his fearful expression, Haley let out a scornful laugh. "Aren’t you the one who wronged me first? Joe, I’ve never met someone as shameless as you."Hitting him would only dirty her hands. Haley lowered her hand, suppressing her disgust. "I didn’t come here to listen to your nonsense. If there's nothing else, I’ll be leaving. Reflect on your actions while you’re stuck here."Joe was involved in economic crimes with solid evidence against him. He would not be getting out anytime soon. Haley turned and walked towards the door, but Joe’s enraged voice stopped her."Haley, don’t you want to know why I’ve always hated you and your mother?"Haley paused and slowly turned back. "What d
Joe's almost hysterical voice echoed down the hallway, drilling into Haley's ears. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists, and her almond-shaped eyes brimmed with intense hatred."Joe, no matter what you think of me, you have no right to speak about my mother like that!"My mom loved you so much. How dare you talk about her that way?""Hahaha..." Joe could not help but laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why? Because I was cheated on for years! Yvonne was nothing but a whore. I said it, what can you do about it?"Joe had kept this bottled up for over twenty years, a nightmare haunting him. Today, he finally let it out. He no longer had to bear this torment alone. Everyone thought he was lucky to marry Yvonne, but they did not know she was nothing but a disgrace to him!Unable to bear it any longer, Haley walked back to Joe and slapped him hard. This time, she put all her strength into it, making Joe's face turn."You must have gone mad from being lock
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