The driver was waiting outside, and as soon as Haley came out, he got out of the car and approached her. Taking the luggage from Haley's hand, he opened the back door and gestured for her to get in. "Madam, allow me to take care of it. Please go ahead and get into the car," he said."Thank you." Haley handed him the luggage and got into the car.As the car door closed, emotions that had been suppressed for a long time erupted like a volcano, rushing out. Haley felt like her heart was immersed in magma, burning in flames. Tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably, and she bit her lip hard to stop herself from making a sound.The driver noticed that something was wrong as soon as he got into the car, and he turned his head to see Haley silently shedding tears. He was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to handle the situation in front of him. He had been Shane's driver for several years and had never encountered such a situation before.Just as he was at a loss, Haley suddenly wip
Jenny saw the recording sent by Haley, and only then did she realize that James had long been in bed with Xena. She was furious. "Damn, this scumbag is truly rotten to the core! He must be taught a lesson. Haley, why don't you go and seek support from Mrs. Ford Sr.? Otherwise, James will really think you're easy to bully!"As Haley's best friend, she knew better than anyone else that this engagement was sought after by the Ford family. Back then, the Carter family was thriving, with financial power even surpassing that of the top-tier Ford family today. Haley's mother and Mrs. Ford Sr. were old friends, with a very close relationship. Haley and James were about the same age and knew each other well, so they got engaged. Now that James dared to bully Haley so openly, wasn't it because the Carter family had started to decline and Haley had lost her mother's protection?Hearing her mention Mrs. Ford Sr., Haley inexplicably felt a bit guilty. "I'll handle this matter." Mrs. Ford Sr. do
Jenny knew that with Haley's thick-headedness, she probably hadn't figured it out yet, so she quickly changed the subject: "Haley, lighten up! Carpe diem, let's drink!"Haley nodded heavily, picked up her glass, and took a big gulp. "Yeah, cheers!"With so many men in the world, it wasn't worth getting upset over that scumbag James. Besides, she had agreed to the engagement not out of love for him, but because it was her mother's dying wish. But today, as she sat in the car, she realized that her mother had arranged the engagement to ensure she had someone to protect her and live a stable life. But James couldn't provide that; instead, he hurt her deeply so the engagement lost its original meaning.She ordered the lowest alcohol content drink, which tasted sweet like fruit, so she took a few more sips. After finishing, she licked her lips as if savoring a stolen pleasure. She was very pretty, especially her eyes, which, glazed with alcohol, added a touch of innocence and allure
In the car, Shane's brows furrowed tightly. A heavy atmosphere loomed in the cabin, and even the driver dared not breathe freely. His fingers trembled lightly as they gripped the steering wheel.Although Shane hadn't said a word, the driver could feel that he was definitely angry. What's worse, the culprit behind all this was carefree, intoxicated beyond recognition, only capable of silly laughter. Occasionally, she would smack her lips, seemingly still savoring the sweetness of the alcohol.Shane stared at her side profile for a long time, unable to hold back the question buried in his heart: "Why did you come here to drink?" Meeting Haley at the club today was something he hadn't anticipated. Because of the marriage agreement signed, he had a rare bout of insomnia last night. There was a fire burning in his heart, making him restless and excited, the whole day he was distracted, eager to see Haley, yet afraid to hear her change her mind.It was ironic. In all these years, whethe
Haley scratched her head, trying hard to recall what had happened last night, but couldn't remember anything. She looked at Shane and cautiously asked, "Mr. Ford, after I got drunk last night, I didn't do anything out of line, did I? I heard that some people go crazy when they're drunk..." Just the thought of that possibility made Haley's heart almost stop! Recalling a moment from the previous night when a tipsy girl clung to him and complimented his looks, Shane's lips curled almost imperceptibly. "Nothing much," he responded.Haley couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at his words. Thank goodness! Nothing happened. However, before she could fully relax, Shane added quietly, "Except being pestered by you all night and getting vomited on." Pestered all night? Vomited on?!! The thought of these scenes made Haley's heart skip a beat again, almost making her pass out. "N-no way?" "Hm? Do I look like I'm joking? Take a good look at what you've done." With that, Shane
The steady sound of footsteps echoing from upstairs interrupted Haley's thoughts. She turned around and looked up to see Shane already dressed and descending the stairs. He wore a black suit, exuding an air of elegance and nobility, with a handsome face tinged with a hint of aloofness, making people hesitant to approach easily. Meeting his deep, dark gaze, Haley's heart inexplicably trembled. She didn't know what had come over her, but as Shane approached, her heartbeat began to uncontrollably quicken. It felt like a mischievous bunny hopping around in her chest.Shane glanced at the piled-up boxes in the living room and said to Haley, "Let's eat first, we'll deal with these later." "Okay." Haley set aside the items she had picked out and asked the butler to take care of them before following Shane to the dining room.Looking at the tall figure in front of her, Haley pursed her lips and mustered up the courage to say, "Mr. Ford, thank you." Shane paused for a moment and turne
With each word he uttered, Haley's face flushed a bit more, until finally, that blush spread all the way to the base of her neck. Haley's mind was now filled with the memory of the love bite she had seen on Shane's collarbone when she woke up in the morning. Had she really done all those things after getting drunk? Why couldn't she remember anything at all? She wished she could find a hole to crawl into and quickly interrupt Shane."Mr. Ford, please stop. I really can't recall any of this." She sighed inwardly, realizing that alcohol truly could lead to trouble. Not only had she gotten drunk, but she had also behaved inappropriately with Shane. She felt utterly ashamed! Seeing her bowing her head, almost wanting to bury her face in the table, Shane couldn't help but chuckle softly."Nope, that won't do. Your actions went far beyond just this. You handed me your ID card yourself. Not only did you drag me to get our marriage certificate, but you also dragged me into taking ph
Haley pondered for a moment, then went out to ask the butler for Shane's contact information. After all, they were now husband and wife, and it seemed unreasonable not to have even added each other on WhatsApp. Though their marriage was merely a formality, certain things were still expected.When the butler heard Haley's request, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He first added Haley on WhatsApp, then handed her Shane's contact. Haley's phone chimed with a message, and she opened Shane's profile, finding it unusually clean. The profile picture was plain black, devoid of any color or design. His moments were also empty, fitting his cold and stern demeanor.She clicked to add him as a friend, typing in the note: "Mr. Ford, it's Haley." But feeling it sounded a bit stiff, too distant, she added a cute emoji at the end. After sending the message, she waited for a response, but none came for a long while. Holding her phone, Haley hesitated, unsure if she should send another message.
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