In Jasper City, Haley had just finished dinner with a business partner and was about to head back when she unexpectedly ran into someone."Haley, long time no see."Stella stood there with her arms crossed, looking at Haley with a mocking gaze. "It seems you've been doing quite well while I was away."Haley raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Stella? Weren't you sent back to the countryside?"At the mention of this, Stella's expression darkened instantly."You have the nerve to bring that up? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been sent to that backwater town!"Just thinking about the miserable days she spent there made Stella wish she could tear Haley to pieces. The roads were all unpaved, the house was a simple one-story, and the yard was filled with chickens, ducks, and geese. It was filthy beyond belief. Most importantly, her uncle's family hated that she did not do any work and called her lazy.In Jasper City, she was treated like a princess. She had
Haley took out her phone and called the driver.The driver's apologetic voice soon came through the receiver, "Madam, I'm really sorry. It's rush hour, and I'm stuck in traffic. Give me another ten minutes, I'll be there soon.""It's okay, no rush. Safety first," Haley said softly to reassure him.After hanging up, she stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for the driver. However, her mind kept replaying Stella's words."You are just a bastard with an unknown father…"Your mother had an affair while married. She's a shameless whore, a slut..."Haley closed her eyes tightly, her fists clenching as she struggled to control the surge of emotions within her.After a long while, a honking sound pulled her back to reality. She opened her eyes slowly, only to see Shane's car.Shane stepped out of the car, his tall figure approaching her until he stood right in front of her.Seeing Haley standing there dazed, he smiled slightly and waved a hand in front of her face. "What's wrong,
Shane gently kissed Haley's forehead, soothing her in a low voice, "Don't worry about it. Leave these matters to me, okay?"Haley nodded, not saying anything more.When they got home, Haley was still feeling down, so Shane instructed the chef to prepare some dessert. The chef quickly made Haley's favorite tiramisu.As soon as she received the dessert, Haley's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Ford!""Go ahead and eat, but only a little. Don't eat too much, or you might have trouble sleeping tonight."Haley nodded obediently and took a big spoonful. The taste of chocolate and cream filled her mouth, instantly lifting her spirits.Seeing her enjoy the dessert so much, Shane also smiled.Halfway through, Haley noticed a warm gaze on her. She looked up and met Shane's eyes. She gave him a sweet smile and offered a piece to his lips."Mr. Ford, you try some too."Shane was slightly taken aback but opened his mouth to take a bite. It tasted a bit too sweet for him, but seeing Haley's exp
Evelyn's expression changed dramatically, and she glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. She finally exhaled a sigh of relief. She quickly covered Stella's mouth and whispered urgently, "Stella, are you trying to get me killed?"If Shane overheard any of this, he would come after her. She had experienced Shane's ruthless methods firsthand. He was practically a demon. If not for being Shane's sister-in-law, she wouldn't have been able to hold sway in the Ford family for so many years.This secret must never reach Shane!She warned sternly, "Listen to me carefully. Never mention this again. If anyone hears, we're both finished!"Stella did not understand why Evelyn was reacting so strongly, but seeing the serious look in her red-rimmed eyes, she reluctantly nodded. Fine, she would just keep quiet.After Stella left, Evelyn sat alone on the sofa in the living room, feeling anxious. What would she do if Haley complained to Shane? Evelyn was so distraught that she
Hearing a knock on the door, Shane did not look up. He simply called out, "Come in."As soon as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open from the outside. Evelyn walked in with a stiff smile plastered on her perfectly made-up face."Shane, why did you ask me to come here?" she asked.Shane glanced up at her briefly, then gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit."Evelyn sat down, her whole body tense. Shane did not speak immediately. Instead, he continued working on the documents in front of him. He flipped through the pages quickly, signing his name at the bottom of the last page.Time passed, but Shane still did not say anything, making Evelyn increasingly anxious.Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up again, "Shane, you didn't call me here just to watch you work, did you?"This time, Shane finally looked up, placing his documents neatly to the side. He clasped his hands casually on the desk."Why do you think I asked you to come here?" he said, his to
Shane's eyes stared intently at Evelyn without saying a word. His gaze made her increasingly uneasy, a sense of foreboding rising within her.True to her fears, the next moment, Shane took out his phone and made a video call. The call was quickly answered, and her brother and sister-in-law appeared on the screen, looking excited. "Mr. Ford, you're such a kind person, finding us such a big house. Thank you so much!"Yes, we've never lived in such a nice place in our lives!""Brother, Sister-in-law? Where are you?" Evelyn's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.Her brother and sister-in-law grew even more excited when they saw her. "Evelyn, we're in Jasper City! The people here look down on us because we don't have degrees and skills, but thanks to Mr. Ford, we have a place to stay!"Originally, they had decent jobs despite living in the countryside. Even though they had not finished elementary school, Evelyn had used her connections to get them government jobs. But they were gre
"Victim?" Shane looked at Evelyn as if he had heard the funniest joke ever, his gaze dripping with sarcasm. "You think you qualify?"Evelyn was overwhelmed by Shane's powerful and intimidating presence, making it hard for her to breathe. Nervously, she swallowed and said, "What, do you think I'm wrong? Ever since Yvonne came into the picture, your brother has been neglecting home more and more. Do you know how much I suffered during that time?"Shane's expression darkened, his eyes simmering with anger. He pulled a document from a nearby drawer and threw it in front of Evelyn."Take a good look. Yvonne never had any inappropriate behavior with my brother.""Impossible!" Evelyn grabbed the document and started to read. The events dated back 20 years, so the information might not be complete. However, it showed that whenever Yvonne and Steven were together, others were always present. Even when Steven tried to give Yvonne a ride home, she refused. In short, nothing inappropri
"No, no way! I won't get a divorce, and I won't go to jail!" Evelyn's arrogant demeanor crumbled as she pleaded desperately, "Shane, please don't do this to me. I've worked so hard for the Ford family over the years. I deserve some credit, don't I?""Hand over the video," Shane demanded.Evelyn's eyes flickered, but she remained silent. Shane glanced at his watch, noting that he had a meeting soon. "I don't have all day. Make your choice."Evelyn shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "There's no video, I swear. Please let me go. I don't want a divorce..."Seeing her still in denial, Shane picked up the phone and called his assistant. "Dean, call the police."Before Dean could respond, Evelyn snatched the phone from Shane's hand and hung up. "No, I'm telling the truth! There are no videos, just a few blurry photos I took when they entered the room. Please, let me go..."Shane looked down at her tear-streaked face for a moment, then asked, "Where are the photos?""I..