Seeing the worry in Zac's eyes, Haley moved closer and reassured him with a smile, "There was a little incident, but as you can see, I'm perfectly fine."Zac opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. "Never mind, you should go rest. I'll go find Shane and bring him back."With that, he stood up and left the villa in a hurry. Haley frowned slightly, watching his hurried steps. Was Zac hiding something from her? Why did he look like he had more to say but didn't?Not dwelling on it, she took the painting upstairs. Even though the car accident was not serious, her head still hurt a bit. She had been holding it together while chatting with Gaius, not wanting to disappoint him.Back in her room, Haley placed the painting carefully and lay down on the bed. She soon fell asleep....Meanwhile, Shane arrived at a hotel owned by the Fisher family and went straight to the top-floor suite. Guards were stationed outside the door. Seeing Shane, they
Charles sneered, "I thought Mr. Ford was a sensible man, but it seems I was mistaken."He straightened up slowly, extinguishing his cigarette with an air of cold authority. An ordinary person would have been intimidated by his presence, but Shane stood his ground, unfazed.The two men, both radiating a formidable aura, stared each other down in silent confrontation. After a while, Charles broke into a smile. "I knew I wasn't wrong about you. You're the first person to stand before me and speak so boldly without backing down."Shane's expression remained unchanged, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. "Oh? Should I feel honored?"Charles did not answer directly but said, "I understand your purpose for coming to the capital with Haley. But I'm telling you, you're looking in the wrong place. You should leave."Shane was about to respond when a familiar, clear voice rang out from the doorway. "Looking in the wrong place? Is that so? Then why is Mr. Fisher so eager to send us aw
Shane stepped forward protectively, positioning himself between Haley and Charles. "Mr. Fisher, I apologize for this mess. I'll transfer you the money for the damages right away. Consider it a purchase."But Haley was not done. She walked over to the coffee table and began smashing the cups one by one. The bodyguards outside could hear the commotion and were visibly anxious, yet they dared not enter.The racket finally disturbed someone resting upstairs. Yvonne, draped in a light robe, descended the stairs with concern etched on her face. "Charles, what's going on down here? Why all the noise?"Charles’s breath caught for a moment. He rushed over, gently taking Yvonne’s hand and guiding her down the stairs. His voice softened to a tone Shane and Haley had never heard before. "Yvonne, you should be resting. Don't worry about this. Go back upstairs and take care of yourself."Haley and Shane exchanged a look of surprise, stunned by this side of Charles.Yvonne waved off his concern
Charles quickly looked at Yvonne, only to see her staring at him with disapproval. "Charles, you're too old to be bullying the younger generation.""I didn't..." Charles felt helpless, casting another glare at Haley. This clever girl was as cunning as her scoundrel father.Haley, feeling her mother support her, felt a rush of warmth. "Thank you, Mo... Mrs. Fisher, you're so kind to me."Haley clung to Yvonne's arm, her voice sweet and endearing. Yvonne felt her heart melt. How could a girl be so obedient and adorable? If she had a daughter, she would probably be just like Haley, sweet and lovable. Unfortunately, her health had always been poor, preventing her from having children.With this thought, Yvonne's gaze toward Haley became even more tender. The more Yvonne's kindness showed, the angrier Charles became inside."Yvonne, don't be fooled by her. This girl isn't as innocent as she looks. There are many people who look alike in this world. What fate? They just want to make a
After Charles put Yvonne to sleep, he came downstairs and saw Zac sitting on the sofa, waiting for him.Charles raised an eyebrow and spoke in a flat tone, "What are you doing here? Your two friends have already left."Zac looked up at him, his eyes betraying no emotion. "I'm not here for them. I'm here for you. Was the car accident your doing?""So what if it was?" Charles sat down across from him. He had never paid much attention to this son, and now he found himself caught off guard by him.Zac remained silent for a long time before handing over a file, indicating that Charles should take a look.Charles, puzzled, opened the file. His pupils contracted sharply when he saw the contents, and he nearly stopped breathing.He shot up from his seat, his eyes filled with disbelief and his voice trembling. "Haley... is my biological daughter?"Zac sneered. "People say that even a tiger doesn't eat its own cubs, but you... you're worse than an animal. Haley is pregnant. If she had bee
At Zac's private villa, Haley had just finished her shower. She tidied up, and stepped out wearing a thin camisole dress. Shane was sitting on the couch, lost in thought, until he looked up and saw a large expanse of her pale skin. His eyes immediately turned intense, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed, unable to hide the heat in his gaze.Haley dried her hair with a towel as she approached the bed. As soon as she got close, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her onto the bed. Startled, she yelped, finding herself suddenly in Shane's embrace.She glared at Shane. "What are you doing? You could scare the baby! How can you be so reckless? You're supposed to set a good example for the baby!"Shane chuckled, tightening his arm around her and leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "It's okay. It's still early, the baby isn't fully formed yet."In one swift motion, Shane flipped over, pinning Haley beneath him. His eyes were dark and full of desire, and his voice
Beneath her palm was an unmistakable heat, clearly palpable even through the fabric. Haley shyly tried to pull her hand back, but Shane firmly held it in place. She looked up, meeting Shane’s eyes filled with amusement. "Trying to escape? It's not that easy."Haley blinked and pouted, "Oh, come on, don't you love me anymore? I'm carrying your child, and you still make me do all this hard work!"Shane chuckled, pinching her soft cheek. "Nice try, but I'm not going to go easy on you."Seeing Shane's discomfort, Haley bit her lip and sighed, giving in. "Fine, just this once."Shane's lips curled into a smile. "Just once, I promise."Haley breathed a sigh of relief, silently deciding that if he tried to push his luck, she would banish him to the guest room. However, she underestimated Shane's stamina. He lasted for over an hour."Are you done yet? My hand is so tired!" Haley complained.Shane buried his face in her shoulder, his kisses leaving a trail of warmth along her ski
He wrapped an arm around Yvonne's shoulders and said softly, "She’ll love anything you make. Just make a few, don’t overexert yourself.""You're right," she replied with a nod. "Can you go out and order some extra treats? I'm worried we might not have enough."Charles instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Yvonne so happy, he swallowed his words.When Haley arrived, the ordered desserts had just been delivered. Shane and Zac came along with her. As soon as Haley saw Yvonne, she eagerly ran over, hugging her arm and sweetly calling out, "Mom!"Yvonne, caught off guard, stumbled back a couple of steps before regaining her balance. Her heart melted at the sight of Haley's sparkling eyes. "You got here so early, Haley. I thought you youngsters liked to sleep in."Haley beamed, "I was so excited to see you, I couldn't sleep!"If anyone else had said that, Yvonne might have thought they were trying to flatter her. But Haley's sincerity shone through her clear eyes, making Yvonne
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