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
Haley's face was full of surprise and disbelief. Hadn't Zoe always claimed to love Joe the most? How could she be secretly meeting other men in hotels?She checked today's gossip news on her phone, and sure enough, the internet was flooded with stories about Zoe's affairs. There were not only reports but also many high-definition photos. Zoe was seen entering hotels with several different men, behaving intimately with them. The most recent incident had two comparison pictures. In the first, she was dressed seductively and stylishly, while in the second, she emerged disheveled and covered in bruises.As Haley looked at the news, she could not help but recall what Shane had told her a few days ago. He had said he found something incriminating about Zoe, and that she would find out soon. Haley gripped her phone tightly, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Shane was the only person in the world who loved her wholeheartedly and could not bear to see her suffer even a lit
"Mr. Carter, no matter how much you resent it, our Miss Haley remains the most outstanding and wonderful person. Even though you have never cared for her all these years, she has still worked hard to live her life. You have no right to slander her."Joe had not taken this young girl seriously at first, but hearing these words, he could not help but look at her with new respect. "Hmph... Haley is just like her vile mother, getting better at bewitching people."Layla's face turned red with anger. She pulled out a stack of documents from her bag and coldly said, "Mr. Carter, you have no right to insult Miss Haley's mother. Miss Haley asked me to give this to you. Take a good look."With that, she did not want to stay a moment longer and quickly left.Joe sneered, picking up the documents. He was curious to see what tricks Haley was up to now. However, as he read through the contents, he froze. His initially nonchalant expression turned to shock, his expression growing darker and h
After hanging up the phone, Haley immediately arranged for someone to investigate which hospital Joe had been taken to. However, before she could start the search, the hospital called her."Hello, is this Miss Haley? This is Jasper City Hospital. Mr. Joe Carter had a heart attack and is in critical condition. We need a family member present."Haley took a deep breath, realizing the situation was dire. "Alright, I'll be there right away."After hanging up, Haley grabbed her car keys and rushed out. Half an hour later, she arrived at the hospital and ran towards the emergency room.Despite her anger towards Joe, Haley had never wished for his death. It was not about harboring any lingering affection. She simply did not want blood on her hands or to deal with the legal ramifications. Joe could die, but not yet. There were still many unresolved issues for him to explain, so he could not just die now.Panting as she reached the outside of the operating room, Haley did not waste a m
Haley came back to her senses and gently shook her head. "I’m not feeling guilty, I’m just wondering why my mom fell for Joe."Joe had nothing going for him except his looks. He had no skills, a chauvinistic attitude, loved saving face, and wasn’t kind or caring to her mother at all. She could not understand what her mother saw in him that was worth holding onto.Shane chuckled. "Love doesn’t make sense. It’s like how I love you. There’s no reason for it. I just do."Haley blushed, not expecting him to flirt in such a serious moment. "Stop talking nonsense. Behave yourself."Shane’s smile deepened, and he leaned in close, his lips almost touching hers. "Everything I said is true. I just love you, and I will never let you down."Facing Shane’s deep, sincere gaze, Haley’s heart raced. She stared at the man in front of her, and when he was about to kiss her, she closed her eyes.Just as their lips were about to touch, a loud cough erupted from the hospital bed. Joe glared at the c
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