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
In the hospital room, Joe was enjoying the gentle and caring attention from Sue. Despite being attached to 24-hour monitoring equipment, he was already content just to be out of that hellish prison. He looked at Sue with satisfaction in his eyes.Sue was exactly the kind of secretary he had handpicked. She was gentle, considerate, and reliable. Compared to Sue, Zoe was miles behind with her seemingly gentle but actually malicious nature.Joe's gaze slowly shifted to Sue’s slightly rounded belly, a gleam of hope flashing in his eyes. His greatest wish had always been to have a son. Unfortunately, Zoe and all the other women had only given him daughters. If Sue bore him a son, he planned to withdraw the money stashed in his overseas bank account and live a blissful life with his new family of three. As for Zoe, despite being with him for years, she had caused him plenty of trouble. That wretched woman had dared to fool around behind his back. It was an unforgivable sin. If he e
"No, it’s not like that, Joe. Let me explain..." Zoe’s eyes flickered with guilt. Joe sneered. "The photos are right here. What more is there to explain?"Zoe felt like the sky was falling, her legs going weak. She shook her head frantically. "I… I was forced into this, Joe. You have to believe me, I didn’t want any of this."Before Joe could respond, Sue chimed in with a sweet smile, "So, Zoe, are you admitting that the woman in these photos is you?"Zoe’s eyes blazed with anger as she glared at Sue. "Shut up! This is none of your business. Get out!"Sue’s expression changed, and she suddenly looked pitiful as she leaned into Joe. "I was just being honest. Why are you so mean?"Her delicate demeanor instantly gratified Joe’s sense of masculinity. He put his arm around her shoulders and glared at Zoe. "Enough! The photos are right there. What else do you have to say? Get out of here and don’t ever let me see you again."Zoe shot Sue a hateful glance, her eyes full of resentment
Henry took a deep breath and smiled, "Perfect timing then. I'll host my birthday party on the yacht. You and Haley can come too, it’ll be like a honeymoon for you both.”Shane seemed to consider this, "You might have a point.”Sensing a glimmer of hope, Henry pressed on, "Exactly, Shane. Just lend me the yacht for a few days, and I promise you and Haley won’t have to worry about a thing. You’ll have a peaceful honeymoon.”But Shane just smirked, "Keep dreaming.”Henry sighed, "No love here."Dejected, Henry left Shane’s office, feeling like a wilted flower. As the door closed behind him, Shane shook his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. He picked up his phone and sent Henry a message, "That specific yacht is a no-go, but you can use the other one."Henry had just gotten to his car, ready to drive back to his company. Seeing the message, he nearly jumped in his seat with excitement, only to hit his head on the car roof. He sucked in a breath, wincing as he rubbed hi
Zac opened his mouth, trying to say something, but in the end, he swallowed his words."It's nothing, just asking. Shane, I've got something else to deal with here, so I'll hang up now."Staring at the disconnected call, Shane frowned in confusion. With his years of understanding Zac, he sensed something was off. However, he could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong.He placed the phone back on his desk, gently massaging his temples as he leaned back in his chair to rest for a moment....On the other side, Zac slipped his phone into his suit pocket. He was about to return to the hospital room, when someone blocked his way."Zac, I'm warning you. If you have any sense, stop eyeing the inheritance. You're just an illegitimate child. What right do you have to be here?"The speaker was Ken Fisher, the only son from the third household of the Fisher family, who had always looked down on the illegitimate children.Especially Zac.Zac was too outstanding, too dazzling. Wherever he w