After hanging up, Haley focused on her paperwork. Soon, there was a knock on the door. Her assistant, Layla, walked in. "Miss Haley, Miss Jenkins from Morning Dew Design Co. has requested a meeting with you. What do you think?"Haley raised an eyebrow. "When?""Tonight, at the rooftop restaurant of the Sapphire Hotel. Do you want to go?"Haley noticed the slight puff of Layla's cheeks and could not help but smile. "From your tone, it sounds like you have some opinions about Morning Dew Design Co.?"Layla looked flustered. "Is it that obvious?" She touched her cheeks, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Back when our company was in trouble, Morning Dew quickly cut ties with us. Now that we're officially collaborating with the Ford Corporation, they want to cozy up to us. Their intentions are pretty clear."Haley nodded approvingly. "Well observed. In just a few days, you've already figured out their ulterior motives."Flustered by the praise, Layla's cheeks turned red. "Oh, Miss Haley
Luna’s face showed a hint of guilt as she apologized, "Miss Haley, I felt terrible for not helping JY when the incident happened and for pausing our cooperation."Haley smiled gently. "Miss Jenkins, it's all in the past. Let's not dwell on it. I understand your actions. If I were in your shoes, I might have done the same."Seeing Haley’s genuine understanding, Luna visibly relaxed and felt a growing sense of appreciation for her.After dinner, Haley said goodbye to Luna and called Shane. Within five minutes, Shane's car appeared at the hotel entrance. As soon as he got out of the car, Haley ran over and jumped into his arms."Mr. Ford! I missed you so much!""Mm, I missed you too," Shane replied, his lips curving into a slight smile as he held her close. "How did it go with Luna?"Haley replied honestly, "Miss Jenkins wanted to apologize, and I forgave her. Plus, I secured a big order for JY. Am I smart or what?"She looked up at Shane with sparkling eyes, a mischievous glint in
Haley was drenched in cold sweat, her clothes soaked through, and her face streaked with tears. She stared blankly at the ceiling and her eyes were filled with lingering fear. It took a long time for her breathing to steady.Haley came back to her senses and turned her head to meet Shane's worried gaze. He gently smoothed her disheveled hair and asked nervously, "Had a nightmare? Are you okay?"Remembering the scenes from her dream, tears welled up again. She threw herself into Shane's arms, sobbing softly. She clung tightly to his waist, whimpering like a child. Shane did not know what she had dreamt about but gently patted her back, repeatedly assuring her that he was there.After a while, Haley's emotions gradually calmed down. She lifted her head from Shane's embrace, her eyes and nose red from crying, looking incredibly pitiful. She sniffled and said in a choked voice, "I dreamt that Joe was choking me, trying to kill me."Shane gently caressed her face, his heart achi
Shane was already awake, leaning on his arm and staring at her with a smile. "Good morning, wifey.""Good morning..." Haley replied, realizing her voice was hoarse. Remembering what had happened last night, her eyes dimmed a bit before she snuggled into Shane's arms. "Thank you for last night.""You're still thanking me?" Shane chuckled, ruffling her hair until it was a mess. Haley pouted in annoyance and swatted his hand away from her head."Hungry? I had the kitchen make you some oat porridge. Want to get up and have some?""Okay." Haley blinked and slowly climbed out of bed. After the commotion of the previous night, several buttons of her nightgown had come undone. Her nightgown slid off her shoulder, revealing her delicate collarbone and smooth, round shoulder. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her skin and making it look even more fair and radiant.Shane's gaze lingered on her beautiful shoulder for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Babe,
Hearing Yvonne's name, Shane's expression hardened, his voice growing even colder. "Speak.""Shane, you need to prepare yourself for this," Henry cautioned repeatedly, worried that his friend might explode in anger.Shane remained expressionless. "If you won't talk, I'll hang up."Henry pursed his lips, realizing his concern was unnecessary. Shane's resilience was impressive, and he did not need Henry worrying about him. Clearing his throat, Henry revealed his findings."I discovered that over twenty years ago, Yvonne indeed had close relationships with several men. These men privately called her a homewrecker, claiming she ruined their families. One of these men is someone you know well."Shane's brows furrowed, his gaze icy. He asked, "Is it my brother?""Yes. How did you guess that? I found out that back then, there were rumors about your brother and Yvonne being very close. They often appeared together at various events. No wonder Joe felt he was being cheated on."Henry cou
Steven sighed, rubbing his temples. "Actually, I should be the one apologizing to you. If it weren't for Evelyn and Stella, you wouldn't be in such a difficult position."Shane took a sip of his wine without saying a word.Steven continued, "I've already heard about Stella colluding with the design competition judges. I've sent her back to her hometown. She won't have another chance to target Haley."A flicker of surprise crossed Shane's eyes. He had not expected Steven, usually so submissive, to actually send Stella away. For years, Steven had been known for being under Evelyn's thumb. He thought Steven would just let the matter go.Seeing the shock in Shane's eyes, Steven gave a bitter smile. "Do you think your brother is a failure? I've been controlled by a woman all these years."Shane's gaze shifted slightly as he cautiously asked, "Why have you tolerated Evelyn's behavior all this time? You weren't always like this in the past."Steven had once been a handsome, spirited man
After Shane left, Steven downed the rest of his wine in one gulp. He leaned back on the couch, lost in thought. His vision grew hazy, and he saw a frail figure before him. Unconsciously, he reached out his hand, murmuring, "Yvonne..." But as soon as his hand stretched out, he grasped nothing but air. The figure vanished, leaving his palm empty. Tears welled up in his eyes as his voice choked with emotion. "Yvonne, how could you be so heartless to leave me like this? I still have so much to say to you."At that moment, his phone rang loudly, disrupting his thoughts. Annoyed, Steven hung up. But the phone rang again shortly after. He picked it up, glanced at the caller ID, and answered. His voice was cold, as if he were speaking to an enemy rather than his wife."What do you want?"On the other end, Evelyn's heart skipped a beat, anger surging through her. "Steven, where the hell have you been? It's bad enough you were gone before, but now that you're back, you don't even come
Evelyn had been expecting Steven to relent, but she was stunned when he mentioned divorce. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say? Divorce?"Her voice was sharp and piercing, almost enough to burst eardrums. Steven held the phone away, frowning in disgust.Evelyn screamed into the phone, "I won’t agree! Steven, you bastard! I've worked so hard for this family all these years. Even if I haven't achieved anything, I've put in the effort. How dare you mention divorce! Aren't you worried that I'll release the video?""If you have the guts, go ahead. But let me warn you, you know what Shane is capable of. If he gets angry, he can strip you of everything."After hanging up, Steven turned off his phone and tossed it aside. He had been suppressed for too long. Years ago, he had not married Evelyn out of love. She had taken advantage of him while he was drunk and climbed into his bed. He had given her a large sum of money to buy birth control, but she had taken the money and not
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