Henry rushed upstairs, hoping to find a quiet place to calm down. To his surprise, he bumped into Shane and Haley at the top of the stairs. Shane maintained his usual stoic expression, but Haley's eyes sparkled with curiosity and amusement."Henry, well done!" Haley teased."Don't even start. I need to cool off," Henry mumbled, not daring to look at their reactions, and hurried off to his room.Watching his retreating figure, Haley and Shane exchanged amused glances and burst into laughter. "Who would have thought? The legendary playboy Henry finally met his match!" Haley chuckled.Patting Shane's arm, she said, "You go rest. I'm going to chat with Jenny."Shane frowned slightly, not wanting to be apart from Haley, but he remembered Henry's struggles and reluctantly agreed. But before she left, he reminded her, "Don't stay over there all night. Got it?"Haley smiled at his clinginess. "Why are you so clingy?"Shane pulled her into his arms, kissed her gently, and said, "On
"Why are you back so soon? Was the chat not good?" Shane asked, noticing her low spirits.Haley dove into his arms, her voice tinged with sadness. "Jenny... she feels insecure. She can't trust Henry easily because of his past, and then there's the baby..."Shane understood instantly. He gently patted her head. "Sweetheart, you've done your best. This is something Jenny needs to work through herself.""But she's my best friend. I want her to be happy," Haley said, her eyes clouded with worry.Shane pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Jenny and Henry care about each other. It would be a shame for them to miss out because of misunderstandings. Maybe we should tell Henry about Jenny's concerns directly."He believed that Henry was a responsible man. If he truly loved someone, he would not change his mind easily."Do you really think this is a good idea?" Haley asked, leaning against Shane, her eyes filled with uncertainty."We don't have a better one right now, do we?" Shane r
Henry's face turned ashen, unable to utter a word in rebuttal. He knew Shane was right.Seeing him like this, Shane felt a pang of sympathy but continued, "There's another issue you have to face."Henry looked up at him, listening as Shane slowly revealed, "Jenny is pregnant. The doctor said that if she terminates the pregnancy, it could harm her and possibly leave her infertile. Jenny wants to keep the baby."As harsh as it was, these were the insurmountable obstacles between Henry and Jenny. It was better to face them now rather than when they were too deeply in love to turn back. At least now there was a chance to cut their losses.Henry felt like his brain had exploded, his eyes widening in disbelief. He jumped out of bed, rushing to Shane, urgently asking, "What did you just say? Repeat it!"Shane, thinking Henry was simply shocked, sighed inwardly and repeated, "Jenny is pregnant, with William's child. She's about three months along.""Are you serious?" Henry swallowed hard
Shane rubbed his forehead in exasperation and called out, "No need to rush off. Haley went shopping with Jenny."Henry's face fell instantly. "Really? Guess I'll wait here for her then."Shane reminded him, "You should use this time to figure out how to handle things with your family."Henry froze and quickly pulled out his phone to call his dad. Shane was right. If he was committed to his feelings, he needed to sort out any potential issues now to avoid causing Jenny unnecessary pain later.As Henry hurried away, Shane shook his head in amusement. Did Henry forget this was his room?...Haley and Jenny returned from shopping, their arms full of bags and their moods significantly lifted. Haley had managed to help Jenny see things more clearly. No matter what the future held, Jenny could not deny her feelings for Henry. She had decided that tonight, she would confess her feelings to Henry but also lay out her conditions clearly. If he could not accept her child and her bac
Hearing these words, Jenny's face turned pale. She could barely speak a complete sentence, stammering, "Mrs. Green, you can rest assured, there's nothing between Henry and me. I know I'm not good enough for him and have never entertained any thoughts of being with him."Mrs. Green raised an eyebrow, surprised by Jenny's response. She had assumed that since her son had called to say he wanted to marry Jenny, their relationship must be strong and unbreakable. But now, it seemed that might not be the case. Could it be that her son was the one pursuing this relationship?Mrs. Green touched her face, puzzled. How could this be? Her son had inherited her good looks, a face that could easily succeed in the entertainment industry. Why was this girl backing down?Seeing Mrs. Green staring at her in silence, Jenny became even more flustered. "Mrs. Green, I assure you, everything I said is true! I have no interest in your family's money and won't cling to Henry."Jenny silently remark
Mrs. Green asked, "Perhaps this question is a bit forward, but I need to ask. Are you deeply in love with your ex-boyfriend?"Jenny gave a bitter smile. "If we were that serious, we wouldn't have broken up."Mrs. Green continued, "One last question. When were you last intimate with him? The time and place, and was it just that once?"Jenny clenched her hands, feeling unsteady. "Mrs. Green, why are you asking me this? It's personal.""I'm sorry if I overstepped," Mrs. Green said, silently cursing her son before explaining, "Here's the situation. Henry called me last night and told me that three months ago, he and you were intimate. I just want to clarify whether this child is your ex-boyfriend's or Henry's.""What? Henry and I... that can't be!" Jenny's eyes widened in disbelief. Fragments of that night suddenly flashed through her mind. She had gotten thoroughly drunk because of William, and in her dazed state, she thought she saw him. She had immediately rushed over and hugge
Jenny stood there in a daze, unable to process what was happening.Henry, holding a bouquet of vibrant red roses, slowly walked towards her. "Jenny, will you be my girlfriend?"Jenny looked up at him, feeling like she was in a dream. "When did you start planning this?"Henry scratched his head. "Right after you left. I wanted to surprise you."Jenny's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Henry continued, "I used to be a playboy, always surrounded by women, living a life of indulgence. I thought that was it for me, until I met you."Jenny, since I realized my feelings for you, I’ve cut off all ties with those women. I can’t change my past, but I promise you, from now on, you’ll be the only woman in my life."For the rest of my life, I will do everything to protect you and our child. Please, give me a chance."Hearing his heartfelt confession, Jenny couldn't hold back her tears. She was deeply moved, though a bit of rationality remained. She sniffled and asked, "Are
Shane was unfazed by Haley's deliberate provocation. He tossed her onto the bed and then sat down on the edge, pulling her onto his lap with an unreadable expression.Before Haley could grasp the situation, she found herself draped over Shane's legs. Just as she was about to get up, she heard a soft chuckle above her, followed by two sharp slaps from Shane's broad palm on her bottom."Do you know what you did wrong?"Shane controlled his strength, so it didn't hurt, but realizing what had happened made Haley's face flush instantly. Did she just get spanked?"Shane, you jerk!" she yelled, struggling like an angry little lion cub in his arms. Shane held her tightly, ensuring she wouldn't fall off his lap, his eyes showing a mix of exasperation and tenderness."Haley, be good."His deep voice, filled with a soft helplessness and warmth, sounded like a whisper in her ear. It caused her to calm down immediately, like a kitten being held by the scruff of its neck.Her lips pouted
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