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
Feeling as if he had stumbled upon a big secret, Henry was left speechless. When there was silence on the other end of the line for a while, he grew nervous."Shane, are you okay?""Help me investigate Evelyn in detail," Shane instructed. Given how long ago this happened and its connection to Haley's mother, he decided it was best to keep the investigation discreet.Henry, feeling overwhelmed, sighed. Why did Zac have to leave at a time like this? Henry was not good at keeping secrets, and now he had this huge one with no one to share it with. "Alright, Shane, you can count on me," Henry replied, knowing he could not stand by and watch Haley get hurt.After hanging up, Shane rubbed his temples, feeling a wave of exhaustion. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his expression softened immediately. He answered, his deep voice filled with warmth, "Haley?""Mr. Ford, it's so late. Why aren't you home yet? Did something happen?""No, I'm on my way back now. I'll
Shane's eyes revealed a hint of surprise. "Why would you think that? Don't worry, I'm just tired from work and had a drink with my brother tonight.""Is your brother back from abroad?" Haley asked."Yes, we had some drinks together, so I got back late," Shane explained.Haley nodded, not pressing further. Although she respected Steven, the awkwardness from the broken engagement and the constant targeting from Evelyn and Stella made her reluctant to keep in touch.Shane lay on his side, one arm around Haley's shoulder, pulling her close, while the other arm circled her waist, his fingers playing with her hair. After a while, he looked down at her and cautiously asked, "I've made arrangements for Joe to have a rough time in prison, but since Xena is pregnant, she won't be held for long. How do you plan to handle her?""As long as she stays out of trouble, I won't bother her. But if she causes problems, I won't hold back," Haley replied, snuggling closer to Shane and finding a comf
Had she known, she should have driven this little bastard out of the Carter family, letting her fend for herself. Now, her entire family was ruined because of Haley, and their fate was miserable! She could not understand why a venomous woman like Haley still existed in this world. She put all her strength into that slap, whipping the air with her hand. Haley took two steps back, dodging the attack.The butler and the helpers did not relax for a second. The moment Zoe lashed out, they pinned her arms behind her back, rendering her immobile. "Stay still! The real vicious person here is you. You destroyed another family, abused the original wife's child, and even instigated your daughter to steal an engagement. How dare you call our madam wicked?"Zoe struggled desperately. However, the butler, a trained adult male, held her down firmly. It left her no room to resist. Hearing the butler's words, Zoe burst into a maniacal laugh. "Destroy another family? Do you think Yvonne wa
"When you condoned Xena stealing my engagement, did you ever think of giving me a way out?"When you secretly bribed a gambler to trick me into marriage and steal my inheritance, did you ever imagine you'd end up like this?"Who's more vicious than you?"Haley's voice was calm, almost devoid of any emotion, yet it sent chills down one's spine.Zoe felt her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her chest. Her mind went blank, consumed by a single thought, which was escape! Haley was a madwoman, even more terrifying than Yvonne had been.Despite her fear, Zoe had no intention of repenting. She did not think she had done anything wrong. It was normal for men to fool around. She had grown up poor and wanted to attach herself to a wealthy man to change her life. What was wrong with that?The one at fault was Yvonne. Despite her infidelity, she continued to occupy the position of Mrs. Carter. If it weren't for that slut, Zoe would have become Mrs. Carter long ago, enjoying a life
Hearing that Haley was in trouble, Shane rushed home without delay. The butler was directing the helpers to clean up the mess. Zoe had caused quite a scene in the yard, destroying many of the carefully cultivated plants. Looking at the devastation, the butler's face twisted with pain. It was not just about the value of these plants. He had nurtured them himself and had grown attached to them. That Zoe was truly despicable!"No, I’m not going to let it slide," he muttered to himself. "You there, make a list of everything that's been damaged. Zoe has to compensate for every single one of them!" the butler ordered.Shane walked in with a grim expression, surveying the chaos. "Bob, is Haley alright?""Sir, you’re back. Don’t worry, with us here, there’s no way Zoe could hurt her. Madam is resting in her room, but she might have been frightened. You should check on her."Relieved but still concerned, Shane hurried upstairs. However, instead of the expected fear and distress, he fo
Violet Grove had a dedicated garden area that the butler had been maintaining for years, filled with a variety of flowers. As soon as one stepped inside, the fragrance of the flowers wafted in the breeze, creating a refreshing and delightful atmosphere. Haley lay her head on Shane's shoulder, taking a deep breath and feeling an immediate sense of relaxation. Shane carried her around the garden, eventually sitting down in the pavilion. The butler thoughtfully brought them a pot of tea. Haley sat on Shane's lap, propping her chin with one hand and holding a teacup with the other, sipping slowly. Her mind wandered to Zoe's words:"You think you're so noble? You're just an illegitimate child!"Do you know why Joe cheated? Because your mother was a shameless flirt, always seducing men!"No man can tolerate his woman being so promiscuous and unfaithful..."Her mother was the kindest and most gentle person in the world. How could she be the way Zoe described? And Joe, how could