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