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
"James, you're a jerk! I've sacrificed so much for you, and this is how you repay me?" Xena screamed, her voice loud and shrill. She was completely lacking the poise and grace expected of a lady of her standing. Instead, she came across as a common shrew.James looked at her with disappointment. How had he not seen this side of her before? "Are you done with your tantrum? If so, go back to your room!" he snapped, signaling the helpers, who immediately took hold of Xena and led her inside.Turning to Ria, James's expression softened with apology. "Miss Watson, I'm truly sorry. It's my fault for not managing Xena better."Tears streamed down Ria's face, but she maintained a composed demeanor. "It's okay, I understand. Miss Xena only acts this way because she loves you so much and sees every woman as a threat."James's guilt deepened at her words. "Regardless, this was unacceptable. Let me make it up to you. I'll take you out for dinner as an apology."Ria nodded happily and bid
Seeing Xena softening, James felt a brief moment of compassion. But he quickly hardened his resolve and said, "If you don't want to keep this child, you can get an abortion. If you decide to have it, I'll fulfill my responsibilities as a father."Xena was crushed, breaking into painful sobs. "James, how can you be so heartless? What did I do wrong?"James sneered, "Do I need to remind you of everything you've done? How long were you planning to deceive me? When you got together with me, it wasn't out of love. You wanted to use my position in the Ford family to get back at Haley."Xena's eyes widened in shock. "How did you find out?"She had initially approached James and used every trick in the book to seduce him, all to take away what belonged to Haley. But somewhere along the line, she had genuinely fallen for James."James, please, let me explain..." Xena pleaded.James shook off her hand and said coldly, "If it weren't for you, I might still be part of the Ford family. My p
Xena was already upset about the divorce, and this incident ignited her anger. "Stop trying to sow discord, you homewrecker! Get out of here!" Her mother was her father's legal wife. What right did this woman have to be here?Sue was not one to back down. As Xena charged at her, Sue grabbed Xena’s hair. "I'm a homewrecker? What about your mother? I'm young and beautiful, and I take good care of him in every way. Where were you when he was sick and needed someone?"Xena screamed in pain and retaliated by grabbing Sue’s throat. Sue quickly stepped back, hitting a bedside table with a bowl of hot chicken soup on it. The soup spilled onto Joe, scalding his skin.Joe felt a burning pain and the noise around him only made it worse. He shouted, "Enough! Both of you, get out!"The two women finally snapped out of it, horrified at the red burns on Joe's arm. They quickly ran out to get a doctor.After this incident, Xena still resented Sue but refrained from open confrontations. The divo
Layla's eyes widened in shock, and she swallowed hard. "A house in downtown?" She could not believe her ears. Even though she had not grown up in Jasper City, she knew how insanely expensive property was there. Was Dean really that impressive?She had always dreamed of owning a house in Jasper City, even if it was in a more remote area. As her mind wandered, she found herself thinking about Dean. Despite his stern demeanor, he was meticulous, considerate, and very caring. She recalled the day he picked her up from jail, how he had comforted her when she was completely shaken. But then she sighed. How could a man as outstanding as Dean ever be interested in someone like her? She felt too ordinary by comparison.Layla pressed her lips together, pushing those unrealistic fantasies aside. "Miss Haley, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't think it's a good idea. We're not from the same world."Even if they tried to be together, conflicts would inevitably arise. Knowing the lik
After work, Shane came to pick them up. Layla followed Haley downstairs and was surprised to see Dean there as well. Remembering what Haley had said, her cheeks instantly turned red.Dean noticed Layla right away.Seeing her head down, her cheeks flushed as if she couldn't bear to meet his gaze, he couldn't help but feel an urge to do something. His fingers gripped the steering wheel slightly, and he quietly clicked his tongue."She's so timid. But... she's really cute." Dean thought to himself.He had no idea how intense his gaze was. Even without looking up, Layla could feel his fiery stare on her.She shyly bit her lip. Why was he so direct? His gaze seemed to be melting her.Haley observed their interaction with a meaningful smile. She knew it!Layla couldn’t be indifferent to someone as outstanding as Dean. Just look at that blushing face, she almost wanted to pinch it.Shane, seeing Haley's expression, couldn’t help but laugh. He never realized his Haley had a knack for m
Haley noticed Shane staring at Jenny and tugged at his sleeve, "Mr. Ford, you're scaring her!"Shane shifted his gaze, the coldness in his eyes melting away like ice in the sun, leaving everyone else in awe. Shane's ability to switch moods was almost legendary.Henry cleared his throat, "Everyone, let's sit down. Jenny and I ordered a few dishes already, but feel free to add more if you want."Everyone quickly took their seats and ordered more dishes. Once the food arrived, they began to eat.Henry asked, "Haley, I heard you agreed to let Xena and Joe's girlfriend out of jail?""Yes," Haley nodded lightly.Jenny huffed, "If it were up to me, they would never get out. They were so awful to you! You shouldn't have gone easy on them!"Haley swallowed her food and explained, "It's not about being lenient. Joe had something I needed."Without those photos, Xena and Sue would still be in jail for a while. Sue, even though pregnant, couldn’t escape the consequences of her financial cr
After dinner, everyone was feeling quite full. Some were full from the meal, while others were stuffed with Haley and Shane’s blatant display of affection.Henry glanced at Haley and Shane with a miserable expression. Next time, he would not join them for dinner. He was definitely cutting ties. How dare they bully him, a single guy?His glare was so obvious that Shane noticed it and slowly turned his head, locking eyes with Henry. Henry blinked and quickly averted his gaze, looking everywhere except at Shane.Shane shook his head and redirected his focus. "Henry, you’re responsible for taking Jenny home. Since we’ve been drinking, get a driver.""Got it," Henry agreed with a nod.Jenny wanted to refuse but thought better of it. It was almost 11 PM, and being a pregnant woman, it was not safe for her to go home alone. In the past, she would not have worried, but now she had a baby to consider. She could not take any chances.After Henry and Jenny left, Dean drove Layla home be