"You're kidding. Passing up such a great opportunity like this would make it seem too obvious if I ask for his contact information next time. I haven't figured out how to approach him yet," Jenny remarked.Haley pondered for a moment and then suggested, "Isn't it simple? Your injured foot is the perfect excuse."Nodding in agreement, Jenny propped her chin on her hand and asked, "You're right. Do you think it's still okay for me to go back now?"That guy was incredibly handsome, sporting well-defined eyebrows, bright eyes, a prominent nose bridge, and a lean physique. Yet, what truly stood out was his gentle demeanor.He practically embodied all her fantasies about her ideal partner."Given your injury, it's better to wait until next time. I'll take you home first," Haley offered.Resting her head on Haley's arm, Jenny pouted, "Haley, I've been preparing for this performance for a long time. I didn't expect it to end up like this. It's really frustrating!"Understanding that Jen
"You can cut the sweet talk. I still have some self-awareness!" Jenny chuckled at Haley's attempt to flatter her. She raised her chin and added, "Well, I suppose I'm just your average pretty."Unable to hold back a light laugh, Haley replied, "You crack me up."Jenny's expression turned serious as she recalled something. "Haley, is your dad in the hospital?""Yeah, how did you find out?"A few days ago, Haley had visited the Carter family and had been quite harsh with Joe, who had a heart attack due to the stress. But she felt no sympathy. Compared to the suffering she and her mother had endured, it wasn't nearly enough. It was probably just Joe's karma.Jenny replied honestly, "Zoe called me this morning, saying she couldn't reach you and complaining that you're causing your dad's illness by being so irresponsible."Haley advised her, "If she calls you again, just ignore her."Jenny reassuringly patted Haley's shoulder. "You're doing great. I've long been fed up with your dad;
As noon approached, Haley stepped onto the stage for rehearsal. She was about to perform a violin piece, one that was both melodious and skillfully composed. When the piece concluded, the hall erupted into thunderous applause, with many in the audience cheering and praising, their voices filling every corner of the space.However, Haley didn't share in the excitement because this particular piece was her late mother's favorite. It was said to be inspired by a sad love story. Perhaps influenced by the music, Haley's mood remained low even after the rehearsal ended.Jenny noticed Haley's distraction and sighed inwardly. She whispered words of comfort, "Haley, it's all in the past. We have to look forward and think positively. Maybe in heaven, there's no pain or emotional turmoil. It might even be a relief for your mom."Haley nodded, mustering a faint smile. "I'm fine. It's getting late, and you've been with me at school all day. You must be tired. Go back and rest.""Are you sure yo
The driver, having followed Shane for so long, immediately understood his intention. He stepped out of the car, addressing the individuals snapping photos with their phones.Their expressions turned crestfallen as they reluctantly turned away from the vehicle. Luxury cars of this caliber were a rare sight, with only one or two in the entire city.The man and woman inside the car were strikingly attractive, almost resembling celebrities, making them stand out even more.Inside the car, the atmosphere between Haley and Shane became incredibly awkward. She kept her head down, nervously toying with her dress, too apprehensive to meet Shane's gaze at that moment.Suddenly, Shane broke the silence, his tone laced with playful teasing. "Who would've thought our Haley would grow up to be so sensitive. Back in the day..."He trailed off mid-sentence, a hint of darkness flickering in his eyes. Haley couldn't decipher Shane's thoughts. She gently countered, "I used to be like this when I was
The driver sat in the driver's seat, listening to their conversation and stealing a glance through the rearview mirror. What was initially a casual look turned into disbelief as he saw the typically cold-hearted Shane sporting a faint smile.The driver couldn't believe his eyes, taking several consecutive glances. Sensing the driver's gaze, Shane, seated in the back, cast a faint glance in his direction. Though his eyes appeared calm, it sent shivers down the driver's spine. He quickly averted his gaze, focusing on driving, afraid to look again.Haley felt like she had forgotten something important. It wasn't until they were halfway to their destination that she realized, "Oh no, oh no, Mr. Ford, did we leave Jenny behind?"Shane glanced at her with surprise, then suddenly flashed a mysterious smile. "Yeah, Haley, you grabbed my hand and got in the car, leaving her behind. She must be very upset, right?"Haley quickly took out her phone and wanted to apologize to Jenny. Upon unlo
In simpler terms, as long as there was money in Shane's main card, there shouldn't have been any issues. Unless the card had been frozen. But he couldn't fathom why Shane would do that.Though their bond wasn't particularly tight, Shane wouldn't act so coldly as long as he didn't make any major blunders. That evening, he had been embarrassed in front of his friends, harboring resentment towards Shane ever since.Later, when he tried calling Shane, his calls were consistently rejected. Even inquiries to the butler yielded no information. So these past few days had been maddening for him. Unable to contain his impatience, he directly asked, "Uncle, I don't know what I did wrong. Why did you freeze my card?"Shane lowered his gaze, his tousled hair covering the icy expression in his eyes. In response to James's inquiry, Shane replied casually, "Why? Because the money in the card is all earned by me. I can give it if I want, and naturally, I can take it back."James was left speechless
James glared at the phone, now disconnected, feeling a surge of rage building up inside him. He gritted his teeth, tempted to hurl the device across the room. His buddy, Huxley Hall, who was often indulged in partying with him, acted fast, snatching the phone from his grip."James, this is my phone. If you smash it, my old man will kill me!" Huxley's dad was a self-made man, once a contractor at a construction site who struck it rich overnight. Huxley's lackluster academic performance and his love for partying often left his dad fuming.It was already the third phone he had gone through this month. He had drained his pocket money to settle debts with James. If this phone broke, he would have to ask his dad for money again. Given his dad's explosive temper, he might end up getting a lecture or worse.James looked at his empty hands. He was already furious, and now even more so. "I'll just buy you another one if it breaks. Why are you so stingy?"Huxley cautiously stowed away the pho
"What?" James didn't catch it clearly, so he asked curiously, "Mom, what happened? Who were you talking about just now?"Evelyn hesitated, recalling Mrs. Ford Sr.'s warning that day, sending a shiver down her spine. Ever since she found out that Shane had actually married Haley, she had been sick with rage, feeling light-headed and unable to get out of bed.Up to now, her condition hadn't improved. Every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but simmer with anger, her head throbbing faintly."I can't bring myself to say it. You'll find out when you come back."As she finished, her voice began to falter.James wanted to ask more questions, but his mom abruptly ended the call.He stared at his phone blankly, not sure what had happened.Huxley also overheard James's conversation with his mom, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became."What's happening?" he asked anxiously.James shook his head, indicating that he was clueless too.His mom had asked him
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