"By the way, did you check the surveillance? Did you find anyone suspicious?" Haley asked.Layla shook her head. "Only our staff were in and out, no outsiders."That left only one possibility. It was an inside job.Haley's eyes narrowed, her expression growing serious. Who would sabotage their fashion show on such an important day?Layla, fuming, said, "It's just too much! Why do some people always have to ruin things? Don't they have anything better to do?"Haley gently ruffled Layla's hair, soothing her. "Alright, don't get upset. The fashion show is about to start in ten minutes. Go and get ready."Feeling the warmth from Haley's touch, Layla swallowed her remaining complaints and left obediently. The other staff members also returned to their tasks.Inside the venue, almost every seat was taken. The audience eagerly watched the stage, while reporters prepared their cameras for the event.Soon, the lights in the venue dimmed. When they came back on, Haley stood at the center
Shane cast a brief, indifferent glance at Henry before opening the photo album on his phone and selecting the most recent photo. It was a clear shot of his side-profile. With a swift tap of his slender fingers, Shane deleted the photo and tossed the phone back to Henry."Behave yourself, or I'll expose all the dirt I have on you sooner or later."Among friends, it was common practice to hold onto each other's embarrassing moments. More accurately, Shane had a considerable amount of dirt on both Henry and Zac. Whenever they tried to poke fun at Shane, they were caught and forced to delete their attempts. Thinking about all the years he had been under Shane's thumb, Henry felt tears welling up in his eyes. He lamented, "Why am I so unlucky? Not only do I not have a girlfriend, but I’m also constantly oppressed by Shane! It's just so unfair!"Shane ignored Henry's resentful look and focused back on the stage, a wave of pride swelling in his heart. His wife was becoming more and
After the fashion show, Haley returned backstage and collapsed on the couch without even taking off her makeup. She was utterly exhausted. The constant stress of the past few days had taken its toll, and as soon as she relaxed, all the fatigue and sleepiness hit her at once. With her eyes tightly shut, she fell asleep in less than a minute.When Shane walked in, this was the scene he saw. He squatted down slowly, looking at Haley with a tender expression. Layla, who had followed him in, looked a bit nervous. Even though Shane had softened his usual intimidating demeanor, Layla couldn't help but feel scared."Mr. Ford, Miss Haley is..." Layla began to say."Shh..." Shane glanced back at her, placing his index finger over his lips to signal her to be quiet so as not to wake Haley.Layla quickly closed her mouth. Seeing this, Dean gently pulled her out of the room.Layla looked at him in confusion. "Dean, why did you bring me out? I still have a lot of things to report to Miss Ha
Haley quietly flashed a peace sign, her smile deepening.To her, "not next time" meant there would be a next time.Shane naturally did not miss her small gesture. He raised his hand and pinched her cute nose, his deep eyes full of indulgence. "You know, you're just spoiled because I indulge you."Haley chuckled, clinging to his arm and whining, "Well, you have to spoil me for that to happen, Mr. Ford!"Shane responded, "As long as you know it."They laughed and chatted as they walked into a bustling barbecue joint.Even though it was already past ten at night, the place was still packed. People sat around tables enjoying their food and drinks, their faces lit with smiles. The atmosphere was lively and full of energy.A billionaire CEO had never eaten street food before. He was dressed in a black suit, exuding an air of sophistication that seemed out of place here. His presence immediately drew attention.The owner came out enthusiastically. "What would you like to eat?"Shane
After finishing the skewers, Shane picked up a skewer of mushrooms. Just as he was about to take a bite, oil splattered onto his suit. A custom-made suit worth millions was ruined in an instant.The air around them seemed to freeze. Haley could see Shane's face darkening with anger. Watching his furrowed brows, she wanted to laugh but managed to hold it back out of respect for his pride.She pulled out a napkin, suppressing a giggle, and said, "Let me clean that for you."Shane shot her a glare and put down the skewer, refusing to eat any more. He was too irritated to continue.Haley was thoroughly satisfied with the meal, but Shane had only eaten one skewer. Feeling a pang of guilt, she took him to a pizza restaurant and ordered a pizza. Luckily, the restaurant was clean and not too crowded. The pizza was tasty, and Shane's mood visibly improved.By the time they got home, it was nearly midnight. They took a quick shower and fell into a deep sleep.The next morning at the office
Stella sneered and shouted, "Haley, stop pretending! Let me tell you, if anything happens to Evelyn, I will never let you off!"Haley stepped closer, frowning. "What do you mean by what you said earlier?""Stop acting!" Stella looked at her with a mocking gaze. "You'd better release Evelyn right now! Or I'll spread the truth about your mom everywhere.""What video?" Haley was puzzled. She had destroyed the photos Zoe had, so what video could there be? Could there be something she didn't know about?Stella mustered all her strength to break free from the security's grip, proudly lifting her chin."Looks like you don't know, huh? No wonder. With such a disgraceful thing, your mom wouldn't have told you."You aren't even Joe's biological daughter. You're just the illegitimate child from your mom's affair."An illegitimate child like you is not worthy of Shane."I can't wait to see how Shane reacts when he finds out. Will he still want you? I doubt it!" Stella laughed hysterica
"Mom, are you doing well over there? Do you miss me?"...Haley stayed in the storage room for a long time, not leaving until the sky outside darkened. When she got home, Shane was still at work. She greeted the butler briefly before heading upstairs. The butler, noticing her low spirits, felt a pang of concern and immediately called Shane.After receiving the call, Shane rushed home without delay."How is she?" he asked.The butler shook her head. "I'm not sure, but she seemed down when she returned. Maybe something went wrong at work."Shane nodded, acknowledging the information before quickly making his way upstairs.Inside the room, Haley was curled up on the sofa. She was staring blankly at the ceiling, her eyes devoid of focus. When Shane entered and saw her like that, he was startled."Haley, are you okay?"Haley snapped out of her daze, her eyes gradually focusing on Shane's concerned face. She shook her head gently. "I'm fine. Just feeling a bit sad all of a sud
Seeing those pictures, tears streamed down Haley's face. If before she had suspicions, now she was certain. Her mother hadn’t consented, she had been forced. And the person behind it all was Evelyn.Haley closed her eyes tightly, a surge of intense hatred boiling within her. Her jaw clenched, and her hands trembled as she held the photos, filled with the urge to tear Evelyn apart. And that man… Even though only his back was visible, making his face unidentifiable, he was also a major culprit in her mother's tragic life.Outside the room, Shane stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, his expression serious as he waited for Haley to come out. Time ticked by, but there was no sound from inside. He frowned, debating whether to go in.He was worried Haley might be spiraling into a dark place or contemplating something drastic. His hand hovered near the door, ready to knock, but he hesitated. Over and over, his anxiety grew.Just as Shane decided to open the door,
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