Dean couldn't help but shrug his shoulders and took two steps back.Having been by Mr. Ford's side for so many years, he knew better than anyone else that Mr. Ford was on the verge of getting angry.At this moment, it was often best to stay as far away as possible.Unfortunately, James had no idea and continued speaking: "Once the debt is paid off, Haley and I will be even. Uncle, I like Xena, I want to marry her.""Fine," Shane said.James had originally expected strong opposition from his uncle to his proposal, but he didn't expect him to agree so readily.He tightened his grip on the phone, almost too excited to speak."Uncle, I knew you were the best to me!"Shane's affirmation was almost like a pleasant surprise to him.But he was too happy too soon.Shane continued, "I haven't finished. If you want to marry Xena, fine, but you'll be cut off from the Ford family."The smile on James's lips froze instantly, the joy in his eyes instantly dissipated, replaced by disbelief.
James closed the door behind him, hesitating as he approached the bedside, uncertain of how to start.He had acted impulsively earlier, and now he worried about upsetting his grandmother, especially given her fragile health.Just as he debated whether to broach the subject, Mrs. Ford Sr. spoke up, "I'm already aware that you want to call off the engagement with Haley. Is there anything else?"Observing his hesitant demeanor, Mrs. Ford Sr. wondered what else might be troubling him. After all, she knew her grandson better than anyone.If Haley hadn't visited her a few days ago, she wouldn't have agreed to the engagement. This engagement had been arranged by her and Haley's mother, Yvonne, years ago.Now that Yvonne was gone and Haley's father showed bias, without the backing of the Ford family, Haley would undoubtedly face hardship.But now she understood Haley's intentions and wouldn't force her to stay engaged.James widened his eyes in astonishment. "Grandmother, how did you fi
James hardly registered the latter part of Mrs. Ford Sr.'s statement. All he knew was that his grandmother had finally consented to the termination of the engagement. He raised his head eagerly, grasped Mrs. Ford Sr.'s hand, and exclaimed, "Really? Grandma, I always knew you cared about me the most!"Observing his uncontainable excitement, Mrs. Ford Sr. shook her head slowly. She explained, "A few days ago, Haley came to the house herself and brought up the termination of the engagement. I agreed then, but your phone was unreachable."A flicker of surprise danced in James's eyes. Haley had initiated the termination of the engagement herself? So, she hadn't deceived him. He had misjudged her. He had always assumed that Haley was reluctant to call off the engagement because she couldn't let go.Yet, unbeknownst to him, Haley had already proposed to call off the engagement. Recalling the times when he had lashed out at Haley in anger, James felt a hot flush of embarrassment spread acro
He didn't want his grandmother to get the wrong idea about Xena, so he decided to shoulder the responsibility himself. Mrs. Ford Sr. waved him off, saying, "You don't need to explain these things to me, and frankly, I don't care to hear them. Is there anything else you want to discuss with me? If not, then please leave. I need to rest."Observing Mrs. Ford Sr.'s tired expression, James swallowed his explanations and remained silent. "Grandma, I genuinely care for Xena. I want to marry her. I hope you can approve of us."Mrs. Ford Sr. gave him a brief glance and inquired, "Are you truly unable to live without her?"James nodded firmly, "Yes, she holds a significant place in my life."Mrs. Ford Sr. fell silent, taking her time to respond.James pleaded, "Grandma, I hardly ever ask you for anything. Please consider this request.""Don't bring up this matter again in the future. I won't agree to it," Mrs. Ford Sr. declared firmly.James hesitated, wanting to say more, but upon see
James shook his head, his eyes filled with disbelief.He exclaimed, "No, absolutely impossible!"Haley was his fiancée. There was no way she would suddenly marry his uncle. Why would this happen?James felt a mix of emotions, unable to articulate exactly what he felt. It felt as though a part of his heart had been hollowed out, though he hadn't fully grasped it yet. He simply attributed it all to being overwhelmed by shock.There had been no prior relationship between Haley and his uncle, which made the situation all the more bewildering.Mrs. Ford Sr. noticed his disbelief and chuckled, "Why impossible? Haley has every right to pursue her own happiness, something you couldn't provide her. Perhaps someone else could.""But... it couldn't be Shane. They have absolutely no connection," James muttered to himself.After a moment of contemplation, everything clicked into place for James. His reserved and stern uncle would never harbor feelings for Haley. It must be that Haley res
Instead, there was a touch of gentleness in his demeanor.Observing such a significant transformation in him within such a brief period, Mrs. Ford Sr. felt immensely relieved.Since Shane's abduction, his demeanor had become increasingly withdrawn.Psychologists even diagnosed him, suggesting his symptoms resembled emotional detachment because he could keep his emotions under control at a steady level, without any fluctuations regardless of the circumstances.It was not to say there were no fluctuations at all, but they only occurred in specific contexts and were very subtle.Even psychologists couldn't probe into his inner world.Thus, nobody knew what exactly could trigger emotional fluctuations within him.Now, it seemed that Haley had a significant impact on Shane's emotions.For Shane, perhaps this was a positive development.Therefore, Mrs. Ford Sr. was grateful to Haley, treating her with extra affection and warmth, a sharp contrast to her attitude towards James.James
Shane retracted the sense of oppression around him and remarked casually, "Ah, I see. Well, make sure to keep an eye on your phone from now on."James sensed there was more to Shane's words, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was. He simply nodded in response."Sure, I will," James replied.Shane continued, "Recently, Haley came to call off the engagement. You weren't around then, but now that you're back, let's address it once and for all."Upon hearing this, Haley turned her head towards Shane, only to find him also looking her way.Shane offered her a comforting smile before nonchalantly shifting his gaze elsewhere.Suddenly, Haley recalled what Shane had mentioned to her earlier.He had said, "Let's head over to the Ford estate and watch an interesting show."Initially puzzled by his words, she now understood the meaning.So, Shane had known long before that James had returned to the Ford estate.Observing their interaction, James felt a pang of frustration.Why did Sha
Even when they met face to face, they never exchanged a single word.Haley once softly complained to him, wondering if Shane had any opinions about her due to his cold demeanor.At that moment, his mind was completely absorbed by thoughts of Xena, so he couldn't care less whether Haley felt wronged or not.So, he casually replied, "How could that be? If my uncle truly dislikes someone, that person's fate will be miserable, and you haven't provoked him."Now, looking back, everything seemed to have had signs.Just when James was lost in his thoughts, Shane suddenly turned to him."James, now that everything is out in the open, we shouldn't forget about manners. Haley is now your senior, so you should address her as 'Aunt Haley'."This statement hit James like a sudden jolt, leaving him stunned.James had never considered the possibility of his former fiancée becoming his senior.He parted his lips, but couldn't find the words to speak.Previously, he addressed Haley by her nam
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