Shane sat down on the nearby sofa, smiling. "If my mom saw you, she would be so happy."Yvonne nodded with a smile. "The last time I saw your mother, we barely got to chat. This time, I'll make up for it."Haley and Shane exchanged a glance but said nothing. Yvonne had lost her memory, so she didn't remember that she and Mrs. Ford Sr. were lifelong friends. But Mrs. Ford Sr. remembered it clearly. They both recalled how emotional Mrs. Ford Sr. had been when they first told her that Yvonne was alive.Speak of the devil. As soon as Mrs. Ford Sr. heard that Yvonne was in Jasper City, she dropped everything and rushed over. Her health had been deteriorating, and she sometimes needed assistance to walk, but nothing could stop her from seeing Yvonne.As soon as she entered the living room, Mrs. Ford Sr. quietly gazed at Yvonne, her eyes welling up with tears. She opened her mouth, wanting to say so much, but no words came out."Why didn't you let me know you were coming? I didn't pr
After the argument with Yvonne that day, Charles had been staying at the company. It was not that he did not want to come back home. There was simply too much work to handle, leaving him no time. Their argument had not been over anything serious, so he thought Yvonne would have calmed down by now after several days.However, when he returned to the villa, he found it empty. A sense of foreboding suddenly crept into his heart. He searched the villa thoroughly but could not find any sign of Yvonne, and his brows furrowed deeply."Yvonne? Yvonne... honey!"No matter how much he called, there was no response. Now, Charles was truly panicked. He quickly summoned the bodyguards who were stationed in the courtyard and asked, "Where did my wife go?"The two bodyguards exchanged a glance, a hint of hesitation flashing across their faces."Speak up!" Charles growled in a low voice. "Do you want to keep working here or not? If you don't, get lost now!"The bodyguards lowered their heads.
The two bodyguards standing nearby felt awkward. They did not know whether to leave or stay, so they kept their heads down, stifling their laughter. They had never seen Charles so flustered.Charles glared at them. "What's so funny? Get out of my sight. You're annoying me."The bodyguards exchanged a glance and quickly left.Charles tossed his phone aside and slumped onto the sofa, staring quietly at the ceiling. Just then, Emily suddenly arrived, looking at him with concern. "Charles, you look so unwell. Are you sick? Should I call the family doctor?"As she spoke, she reached out to touch his forehead, but before she could, Charles grabbed her wrist and flung it away.His gaze icy, he asked in a deep voice, "Who let you in? Get out."Emily's lashes trembled, and she looked like she was about to cry. "Charles, why do you always have to be so hostile towards me? Can't we get along like we did when we were kids? You're really hurting me."Charles took a deep breath, struggling
By the time Charles arrived in Jasper City, it was already the middle of the night. He had previously purchased property here, intending to retire with Yvonne once all their troubles were behind them and enjoy a life surrounded by their children and grandchildren. He never expected to return alone.Without wasting any time, he quickly took a car to Violet Grove.Haley and Shane were still awake. After a busy day, they were both exhausted. Haley lay motionless on the bed, not wanting to move an inch. Shane lay beside her, his warm hand gently caressing her belly."Sweetheart, why don't you stop working and stay home to rest?" he suggested softly. He couldn't bear seeing Haley work so hard and felt a constant ache in his heart seeing her so tired every day.Haley shook her head with a smile. "No way. Staying at home would be so boring. Besides, the company was Mom's legacy. If I don't manage it, who will?"Shane replied, "We could hire a professional manager. I know plenty of comp
Haley quickly waved her hands. "No, no, of course, you're welcome!"Charles snorted and got straight to the point. "Where's your mom?"Haley and Shane exchanged a glance, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Dad, you've come to the wrong place. Mom has been staying at the Ford residence with Shane's mom. If you want to find her, you should probably go there."Charles was nearly infuriated by her words. Despite the close relationship between the two families, he and Mrs. Ford were peers in status, but by age and experience, he was still considered a junior. It was almost 2 a.m. now. Showing up at the Ford residence at this hour would be highly inappropriate.This brat was getting bolder by the day, even daring to mock her own father!Charles shot her a sidelong glance. "It's too late now. I'll go over tomorrow. Has your mom mentioned me at all these past few days?"Haley shook her head. "No, Mom's been having a great time with Shane's mom. They've been drinking tea, discussing philo
Haley and Shane exchanged a glance and sighed silently."Why don't you stay here tonight?" Haley suggested. "We can talk more in the morning."Charles nodded, his wounded heart finally feeling a bit of warmth. He took back his earlier thoughts. His daughter could be relied upon in critical moments."You two should get some rest as well. Staying up late isn't good for you, especially with Haley being pregnant.""Got it, we'll remember that." After showing Charles to the guest room, Haley and Shane returned to their room hand in hand.The next morning, they brought Charles to the Ford residence.When they arrived, Yvonne was watering the flowers in the garden while Mrs. Ford Sr. sat in a rocking chair, watching her with a smile. The sunlight bathed Yvonne, giving her a soft glow.Charles stood still, quietly watching her, his deep eyes filled with tenderness.Haley and Shane teased him with a laugh. "Your eyes are practically glued to Mom. Haven't you seen enough after all these
Yvonne had not really doubted him. She just did not like other women coveting her man. She huffed lightly and asked, "Who knows if you're telling the truth? After all, we haven't been together all these years."Charles quickly hugged her, whispering in her ear, "My body only responds to you."Yvonne blushed instantly, pushing against his chest. "Aren't you too old to be saying things like that?"Charles took her wrist and kissed it tenderly. "No matter how old I am, nothing can stop me from loving you."They stayed for lunch at the Ford residence. Ever since James’ family moved out, the house had become increasingly empty, with only Mrs. Ford Sr. and the helpers remaining, making it quite lonely. But today was different. It was bustling with activity.Mrs. Ford Sr. instructed the household chefs to prepare several special dishes. Yvonne, holding Charles’s hand, said, "Make sure to try everything. The Ford family chefs are excellent.""Sure," Charles replied with a smile.Dur
Haley, feeling heartbroken, rushed into Mrs. Ford Sr.'s arms, softly comforting her, "It's okay now. All of that is in the past. You’ll get better and better from now on."Mrs. Ford Sr. felt a warmth in her heart from Haley's words. She gently patted Haley's head and nodded with a smile. "Yes, I will."Then she looked up at Charles. "Tell me honestly, how much longer do I have? I've been through a lot in my life. You don't need to sugarcoat it."Charles glanced at Yvonne, who nodded encouragingly. He then said, "The toxins from back then were never fully cleared from your system. They have spread to your vital organs. Complete recovery is almost impossible, but I can try to expel some of the toxins to alleviate your condition."For Mrs. Ford Sr., this was already good news. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I appreciate it."Charles shook his head. "It's no trouble. We're family, after all."Haley and Shane, who had been watching the entire exchange, let out a sigh of relief. As
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