Eason, who had been listening from the sidelines, could not help but smirk with satisfaction.Charles had always lorded over him, using his position as head of the Fisher family to make things difficult. Now, Eason wanted to see how Charles would handle losing that position.Charles glanced at him briefly, his lips pressed together in silence. Behind him, Haley and Shane exchanged a look, silently relieved they had decided to come along. They had no idea Charles’s position within the Fisher family was far from secure and that he faced opposition at every turn.Haley stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Charles, and looked firmly at John. "You’re my grandfather’s uncle, so I respect you as an elder. But my father inherited the role of head of the Fisher family as my grandfather’s dying wish. No one has the right to challenge that."John's gaze fell on Haley, and he let out a derisive laugh. "And who are you to speak out of turn here?"Haley opened her mouth to respond
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Eason stared at Charles in disbelief, a cold laugh escaping his lips. "I went through hell to find this ring. How could it possibly be fake? Are you just saying that because you don’t want to give up control of the Fisher Corporation?"Charles took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. Eason’s heart skipped a beat, worried that Charles might try to snatch the ring. He quickly snapped the jewelry box shut and hid it behind his back, eyeing Charles warily."What…what are you trying to do?"Charles sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "What’s wrong? Afraid to let me take a closer look? Feeling guilty?""Why would I feel guilty? Fine, take a look. I'll prove you wrong!" Eason retorted, opening the box again and presenting the ring to Charles.Charles took the ring and examined it closely. Time seemed to stretch on as Eason watched Charles's deep, scrutinizing gaze, an unsettling feeling creeping into his chest. But he quickly sho
Eason stared at the ring in Haley’s hand in disbelief, shaking his head with a panic that had never been in his voice before. "No, that’s impossible. This can’t be happening!"John, the great-uncle, also looked shocked, his voice stern as he spoke. "Charles, as the eldest son of the Fisher family, you should uphold the family’s traditions, not try to deceive us with some fake ring.""How can you be so sure it’s fake without even looking closely?" Charles stood his ground, his gaze icy as it locked onto John.Under Charles’s cold stare, John felt a shiver run down his spine, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Fake is fake. There’s no need to look! The ring Eason holds is the real one. There’s nothing more to discuss."Charles scoffed. "Is it that you don’t want to look or that you’re too afraid to?"John’s eyelid twitched as he slammed his hand on the table again. "Watch your tone when you’re speaking to your elders!"Charles stepped forward, stopping just in front of John, an
Eason stared at the shattered remains of the ring in disbelief, his face twisted with rage. "No!" He rushed forward, shoving Charles aside. He then dropped to his knees, staring at the broken pieces as if his heart had been crushed along with them. "Charles, I’ll make you pay for this!"Charles did not move, standing firm as Eason’s fist came within inches of his face. Just then, a group of bodyguards burst into the room, forcefully restraining Eason. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free."Charles, what are you doing? Tell them to let me go!" Eason demanded, his voice trembling with fear."Let you go? Hah…" Charles sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Those rumors about Yvonne and Haley that spread online. Those were your doing, weren’t they? I’m here to settle the score."Eason’s shoulders trembled as a flash of guilt crossed his eyes. "What…what are you going to do to me? I’m warning you, if you lay a hand on me, I’ll never forgive you!"Charles’s expr
After resolving the situation with Eason and Uncle John, Charles summoned all the extended family members to the Fisher estate. This time, before seeing Charles, everyone was on edge, worried they might inadvertently anger him and meet the same fate as Eason.Soon, Charles entered the room with Haley, Zac, and Ken, even bringing Gaius along. The previously noisy crowd fell silent immediately, their nerves evident as they watched Charles, unsure of his intentions.Charles took his seat at the head of the table, surveying the room with a commanding presence. "I know it wasn’t easy for everyone to come here, and I hope your stay in the capital has been comfortable. If there’s been any inconvenience, I ask for your understanding."Everyone quickly waved off his concern, nervously agreeing, "No, no, everything’s been great. The accommodations have been excellent, we’ve been so comfortable, we don’t want to leave, haha..."Their laughter quickly died out as they caught sight of Charles
In the evening, after they all had dinner together, Haley and Shane announced that they needed to head back.Charles raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why the rush? Why not stay a few more days?""We can’t," Haley replied with a smile. "We’ve got a lot of work waiting for us in Jasper City. We can’t just leave it unattended."Charles nodded, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "Alright then, but I’ll go back with you to Jasper City. I’ve got some things I need to take care of there anyway."Haley blinked and teased, "Are you really going to leave Mom alone? Can you bear it? Maybe she should come with us to Jasper City."Without hesitation, Charles shook his head. "No way. I’ll be back tomorrow. I can’t stand the thought of her running around with me everywhere."Haley teased with a smile, "It’s winter in the capital right now. Mom might just prefer staying in Jasper City. What will you do then?"Charles shot her a playful glare. "What else? I’ll be right there with her, of course.
In the car, Haley gazed out the window in the direction where Charles had disappeared, her brows furrowing in concern. "Why do I feel like Dad is hiding something from us?" she murmured.Ever since they boarded the plane, Charles had seemed off. Whenever Haley tried to engage him in conversation, he appeared distracted, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.Shane wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close with a gentle smile. "He's a grown man. You don't need to worry so much. Trust me, he knows what he's doing."But Haley's frown remained. "I don't know… something feels different this time. It’s like there’s something strange going on."Shane glanced down at her, softly brushing a thumb over the crease in her brow. "Alright, stop worrying. We're in Jasper City, on familiar ground. No one can touch him here."Haley sighed, feeling somewhat reassured, and let the thought slip from her mind.Soon, they arrived back at Violet Grove. Shane stepped out of the car first, exten
Haley raised an eyebrow at him, "What are you up to?""Nothing much," Shane replied with a slight smile. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer. And with the other hand, he gently cupped the back of her head, drawing her into a deep kiss.The sound of their lips meeting filled the room, lingering for a moment before fading away. "Just wanted to show you who’s sweeter," he murmured against her lips."Mmm…" Haley tried to respond, but her words were muffled as Shane’s urgent, passionate kiss left her no room to breathe or escape. She felt herself becoming lightheaded, completely overwhelmed by his intensity.Sensing her struggle, Shane finally released her, resting his forehead against hers. "How is it that after all this time, you still haven’t learned?" he teased.Haley’s cheeks flushed pink as she avoided his intense gaze. His eyes were filled with a heat that made her feel as though she might melt under his stare. She pouted, feigning defiance, "I’m just n
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