Haley nodded with satisfaction and praised, "Not bad, hubby. Keep up the good work."Shane ruffled her hair with a hint of helplessness. "Alright, let's get up. The kitchen should have the food ready by now. Are you hungry?"Haley had not realized it until he mentioned it, but she was indeed feeling hungry. She nodded obediently and let Shane help her up and guide her downstairs.After taking two days to rest at home, Haley returned to work. Having spent most of her time recently in the capital, she had been managing everything online. While modern technology made communication easy, it still could not replace face-to-face interaction.As soon as she returned, Haley gathered everyone for a meeting to prepare for the upcoming international fashion competition."In the past few months, we've all seen JY's performance. I believe that if we can place in the international fashion competition, JY will reach new heights. Let's work hard together."The competition was not just crucial fo
When Haley returned to her office, she was surprised to find someone waiting for her."Why are you here?" she asked, slightly taken aback."What, surprised to see me?" Rachel stood up from the sofa, smiling at Haley.Haley's lips curved into a smile as she nodded. "Yeah, a bit. What brings you here all of a sudden?""I told you before, I feel more comfortable here. So I decided to work with you for a while after graduating."Haley reached out and playfully pinched her cheek. "You think my office is a hotel where you can come and go as you please?"Rachel winced and glared at her. "I didn't want to, but I was busy with my graduation project. Now that I have my certificate, I promise I won't leave so casually anymore."Seeing a hint of sadness in Rachel's eyes, Haley sighed. "Alright, you can stay. But let's be clear, I won't give you any special treatment. We're gearing up for the international fashion competition, so be prepared.""No problem!" Rachel agreed eagerly.After dis
Haley gently coaxed, "Since we're already here, let's give their food a try. If it's good, we'll forgive the place this time, okay?" Her tone was soft, as if she were comforting a child.Rachel's cheeks flushed a little as she cradled her face and nodded. "Alright, I'll give it another chance."The food arrived quickly, but the server turned out to be someone familiar. Haley looked at the woman in surprise. "It’s you?"The woman heard the voice, looked up slowly, and was momentarily stunned when she saw Haley's face. "Miss Haley?"Charlotte never expected to run into Haley here. She suddenly felt a bit awkward, unsure of what to say, her expression turning slightly unnatural.Haley asked curiously, "Aren't you working as a housekeeper at my brother's place? How come you're working here as a server too?"Charlotte explained, "Mr. Zac went to the capital recently, so there's not much to clean at home. I only need to go by once a day. I was bored, so I found a part-time job."Haley
Charlotte's face turned pale as she struggled hard. "No, let go of me!"When she realized she could not break free, she bit down on the hand gripping her wrist."Ah! You wretched woman! You think you can get away with this?" the man cried out in pain, angrily throwing Charlotte to the ground and slapping her hard.Just as Haley arrived, she saw Charlotte being tossed aside. She quickly stepped in, pushing the man away. "Stop! What do you think you're doing?"The man's menacing expression froze when he recognized her. "M-Miss Haley?"An acquaintance?Haley looked closely at him, finding him somewhat familiar but unable to recall where she had seen him before.The man forced a flattering smile and spoke softly, "Miss Haley, you don't remember me? Our companies are business partners."With that reminder, Haley recalled who he was. "So, it's Mr. Wilson. It's been a while. I used to think highly of your company, but now, I think we'll be reconsidering."Mr. Wilson turned pale with
After a brief goodbye with Charlotte, Haley turned and left. Charlotte watched their departing figures for a moment, lost in thought. She then headed back into the restaurant, where the manager immediately called her over."Charlotte, you’ve caused us a lot of trouble. Mr. Wilson specifically asked us to fire you, and we can't afford to offend him," the manager said sternly.Charlotte's face turned pale. "Manager, I really need this job, can't you...""No!" The manager cut her off coldly, pulling some hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and handing them to her. "Take this and leave. Our place is too small to accommodate you."Holding the money, Charlotte could not stop her tears from falling. Why was life so cruel to her? Since her father passed away, she and her mother had not had a single peaceful day. Everywhere they went, they faced obstacles, as if the world was playing a cruel joke on them.……Meanwhile, after getting into the car, Haley called Dean, asking him to in
Haley looked at Shane with surprise. "You got here so fast! Rachel and I were just nearby. What about you?""We were nearby too, having drinks with Henry," Shane replied, his eyes fixed on Haley, unable to look away for even a moment.Meeting his intense gaze, Haley's cheeks flushed. She gave him a gentle push. "Why are you staring at me? Let's go inside, it's too hot out here!"It was the hottest part of the day, and the sun was so bright it was almost blinding. Shane shifted his position slightly, using his tall frame to block the sunlight. "Is this better?"Haley smiled and nodded, taking his hand as they walked inside. Meanwhile, Rachel stood to the side, feeling completely ignored. She stomped her foot in frustration and glared at Shane's back, nearly bursting with anger. "Can you two tone it down a bit? There are other people around!"Haley exchanged a glance with Shane and laughed. She ruffled Rachel's hair and said softly, "Don't worry, you'll find someone who loves you
Zac opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Shane’s hand swatted his away in a jealous fit."Talk without all the touching! Keep your hands to yourself," Shane grumbled.Zac and Haley exchanged a glance, smiling helplessly.After chatting for a while, Zac checked his watch and said, "I have a patient coming this afternoon. Why don't you all come back in the evening?"Henry protested, "Come on, Zac! We came all this way to see you, and now you’re kicking us out?"Zac pointed to his watch, reminding them, "You know my rules when it comes to seeing patients."He never liked being disturbed while treating patients. Moreover, those who sought a psychologist often carried pain and experiences beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Privacy was extremely important to them.Seeing the reluctance to leave, Haley spoke up, "There’s a new amusement park nearby. Rachel, want to go?"Rachel’s eyes lit up. "Yes, I love amusement parks!"They quickly agreed and turned to S
Haley nervously shrank back, turning to Shane with a soft, apologetic smile. "I was just kidding, honey. Really.""Is that so?" Shane chuckled, giving her a sidelong glance. "Why do I feel like that's your true feeling?"Shane thought to himself, "What's so great about those young guys anyway? They're weak and lack any real masculinity, even needing women to support them."Haley tugged on his shirt, gently shaking it as she pouted, "It was just a joke. You know you're the only one in my heart."She batted her eyes at him, her gaze sparkling and beautiful, like it could speak volumes.Shane grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his lap with a bit more force. Haley, caught off guard, let out a small yelp as she landed on Shane's thigh lap the next second. Being in such an intimate position in front of everyone made her feel awkward, and she tried to wriggle free. But Shane just held her tighter."Don't move," he murmured, his voice low and husky, as he nipped her earlobe lightly.
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