Joe had not lied to her. The photos did not contain any concrete evidence. Most of them were just pictures of Yvonne drinking and socializing at dinner parties. The men in the photos leered at her, and it was clear that Yvonne was very uncomfortable. The most misleading photo was one of her entering a hotel with a man. But it was obvious that the man was drunk and unsteady on his feet. A closer look revealed a faint shadow on his suit jacket, indicating that a third person might have been present.Haley felt a surge of anger. How much did the person who took these photos hate her mother to take such misleading pictures and cause her to be misunderstood for so many years?Shane held her hand tightly and whispered, "I recognize a few people in these photos. I'll have someone investigate right away.""Okay," Haley nodded and reached into Shane's suit pocket. Shane did not move, allowing her to take what she needed. A moment later, Haley held a lighter in her hand.Seeing thi
Dean nodded, lifted the limp Jack off the ground, and left with his team.Haley leaned on Shane's shoulder, and after holding back her tears for so long, they finally started to fall. "Mr. Ford, I never knew that Mom went through so much pain."She had always seen her mother as busy, often away from home, with a passion for playing the violin. But over time, her mother grew more melancholy, lost in thought. Haley now understood that her mom had been struggling all along, hiding immense pain and hardship behind every smile.Hearing her words, Shane felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He gently patted her back, comforting her, "It's over now. She's in a better place, watching over you.""But it still hurts so much..."Her mother had protected her so well, bearing all the burdens alone without ever letting her know. Haley felt like she had failed as a daughter."She loved you too much to let you worry. Don't cry anymore. Your mom wouldn't want to see you sad," Shane said softly
Haley instantly looked innocent, blinking her eyes. "No, absolutely not."Shane chuckled and turned away. He then unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up, revealing his well-defined arms. His fair skin made the veins stand out prominently. Each inch of his arm displayed raw power, impossible to look away from.Haley was mesmerized, her eyes full of admiration. Then Shane turned back to her, beckoning. "Come here and tie the apron for me."Haley snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She could not believe she had just been staring at his arms. Damn, why did every little thing he did have to be so attractive?Cursing herself inwardly, she moved to tie the apron around his waist. Shane was tall and well-built, and even through the fabric, she could feel how firm his waist and abs were.Her face flushed bright red as her mind wandered to how Shane looked in bed without a shirt. That waist, those legs, and...Stop! She couldn't keep thinking like th
Shane picked up some garlic butter mushrooms with his utensils and placed it in her bowl. "Don't just eat fried food. Have some mushrooms too."Haley nodded with her mouth full of food. She had been so busy all day that she was starving. Now that the photos were destroyed and no one could slander her mom anymore. She felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, making the food taste even better. Watching her eat heartily, Shane's lips curled up in a smile, and his own appetite improved.After the meal, Haley leaned back in her chair, rubbing her full stomach with a satisfied look on her face. "That was delicious. I wish I could eat like this all the time."Shane, catching her hint, chuckled. He ruffled her hair without hesitation. "What? Have I been starving you before?""Not exactly, but the chef's food doesn't taste as good as yours," Haley said, blinking her innocent eyes and effortlessly delivering sweet words.Even though he knew she was being playful, Shane couldn't help but
Shane chuckled helplessly, "Saying thank you to me?"Haley playfully stuck out her tongue, "Okay, I won’t say it then."As she spoke, she stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Shane's neck, and kissed him on the corner of his lips. Her bright, almond-shaped eyes stared at him without blinking. Shane's heart softened under her clear gaze. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her close, and lowered his head to rest his forehead against hers."Give me another kiss," he whispered. His warm breath brushed against Haley's cheeks.Haley's face turned red. She giggled and turned away, "No!""Just one more?" Shane leaned in closer, a light smile playing in his deep-set eyes.Haley's eyes darted around, then she quickly pecked him on the lips. "Is that enough now... Mmm..."Before she could finish speaking, Shane pressed his lips against hers, deepening the kiss. Caught off guard, Haley's mouth was gently pried open, leaving her no choice but to accept his pas
She waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, I got it. You can leave now."After Layla left, Haley took a deep breath and opened the files, starting to go through them. As she signed papers, she muttered to herself, "Being a CEO is really not easy." She couldn't help but wonder how Shane managed to run such a large company when she already felt overwhelmed managing JY.Despite her complaints, her hands never stopped moving. It was tiring, but the results were worth it. For instance, last quarter's product sales had hit a record high, and customer satisfaction with the JY brand was very high, successfully reopening the consumer market. At this rate, returning JY to its former glory was just a matter of time.Seeing a significant increase in revenue, Haley felt reenergized. It gave her a push to keep going!...At the hospital, the doctor finished examining Joe. The doctor reminded Xena to keep an eye on him and to seek help if anything happened. Xena nodded. After the doctor
At that moment, Evelyn suddenly walked out of the room, frowning, "What's all this noise? Don't you know I'm entertaining guests?"Xena's eyes lit up as she quickly called out, "Mom, it's me, Xena! These helpers won't let me in. Fire them right now!"Evelyn was taken aback. "Xena? Why are you back?"Xena thought Evelyn was showing concern, and her eyes reddened. "Mom, you have no idea what it was like for me in jail. Thank goodness I'm out now. Mom, I missed you so much..."Even though Evelyn was tough and often critical of her, after being locked up for so long, Xena felt a sense of closeness to anyone she knew. She looked at Evelyn with eagerness, hoping for some comfort and sympathy.However, Evelyn coldly laughed and mocked, "Xena, since you're back, find a time to get the divorce done quickly.""What?" Xena stared in disbelief."I said, you should recognize and accept the situation. Go and finalize the divorce with James as soon as possible," Evelyn replied, giving Xena a d
Evelyn's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, Ria, I promise to resolve this matter as soon as possible. You won't suffer any grievances!"Xena became furious at Evelyn's attitude. "You want to replace me as the Ford family's daughter-in-law? Dream on!"Ria frowned and took a step back in disdain. "With you acting like a shrew, replacing you will be a piece of cake."She had heard that James had given up an engagement for Xena and had even been kicked out by Shane because of her. Before meeting Xena, Ria had thought she was a cunning woman. Now, she realized Xena was nothing special.Ria’s words made Xena so angry that she nearly spat blood. She rushed forward and aimed a slap at Ria. Her hand cut through the air, landing on Ria's face with a loud "smack." A red handprint quickly appeared on Ria's fair cheek.Ria clutched her face and screamed, her eyes flashing with malice. But in the next second, she seemed to realize something and quick
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