"You were amazing, but I'm still sore. Can we stop for today? I’ll make it up to you tomorrow!"Newman narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're not brushing me off, are you?"Odelia's heart skipped a beat, and she forced a smile. "How could I dare? I'm counting on you to help me connect with Knife!"Newman spat and slapped Odelia across the face. "Thinking about another man while you're in my bed? If my brother hadn’t turned you down, you wouldn't even be with me!""That's not true! I need to talk to Knife for business, nothing more."Before Odelia could finish her sentence, Newman pressed her down again.Meanwhile, Lambert and Lydia were basking in the limelight. Since revealing their relationship at the celebration party, Lambert often posted photos on his social media account.A new photo he uploaded showed Wythe sitting obediently at the table, a plate of cookies in front of him.With a serious expression, Wythe nibbled on the cookies like a little hamster. Lambert captioned the photo,
She paused for a moment, with a half-smile, "Still calling me 'auntie' after all this time?"Nydia let out a mocking laugh, while Lydia remained silent.Yes, she had her faults too. She never considered Lambert's parents as her own family.To her, they were just her husband's family, not hers. But could she be blamed for that?Relationships are a two-way street. One person's efforts alone aren't enough.In the study on the second floor, Lambert held Wythe's little hand as they stood facing Odgen, who was sitting thoughtfully behind his desk."Dad, is there something you wanted to discuss?" Lambert initiated."Lambert, this matter should have been addressed earlier, but we never had the chance. Wythe is no longer a child. Next month, on the third day, we have our family ancestor worship ceremony. I want to take this opportunity to officially acknowledge Wythe in our family genealogy."Lambert frowned. "What about Lydia? She's my wife and should naturally be accepted together."How coul
Seeing Odelia in such a state, Lydia felt an uneasy sense of foreboding, though she knew this woman could no longer pose a real threat to her.“What are you doing here?” Nydia spoke first, her voice tinged with anger, her gaze filled with loathing as she looked at Odelia.Odelia lowered her head, her long hair casting a shadow over her face, adding an air of fragility and pain. "Auntie, I'm sorry. I came to apologize."“Apologize?” Nydia echoed, her words barely out when Odelia suddenly knelt before her, tears brimming in her delicate, almond-shaped eyes.“Auntie, I know you may never forgive me, but I didn't mean to deceive you. I made mistakes because I thought I loved Lambert. I believed that by staying by his side, staying in the Halsey family, I could win his love. But I never expected to ruin everything.”Tears glistened as they fell from Odelia's eyes onto the floor.“Auntie, I didn’t know about the child at first. I truly believed it was Lambert’s child. Otherwise, why would I
Lydia's eyes reddened immediately, but no tears fell. Wythe looked up at her worriedly, but she took a step forward, standing in front of Nydia, her voice choked with emotion."Auntie, is this the reason you don't like me?"Nydia, seeing Lydia’s reaction, decided to let everything out, come what may. “Yes, so what? Am I wrong? I think you’re nothing but a jinx. You brought death to your father, your mother, and even your stepmother, causing your half-sister to disappear. You’re a walking disaster, and I don’t want you bringing this bad luck to Lambert or the Halsey family. As the matriarch of the Halsey family, it’s my duty to protect my husband and son from trouble and danger. Is that wrong? Everything I did was for Lambert!”Hearing this, Lydia instinctively took two steps back, feeling deeply depressed. She had thought Nydia's hostility was just a temporary reaction to losing her son.After all, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships were historically difficult to manage.
Countless thoughts raced through her mind, finally settling on Nydia's delicate yet disdainful face.Is she truly a jinx? Reflecting now, perhaps Nydia wasn’t wrong. Ever since her mother passed away, everything seemed to change. After she returned to her homeland, every event seemed tied to her - her father's death, her stepmother's death, Maggie's disappearance, and even Lambert’s recent car accident.Anyone connected to her, Lydia, seemed to suffer in some way.Lydia's expression darkened as she gave a self-deprecating smile. Maybe she really was a jinx, bringing misfortune to those around her. But did that mean she had to surrender to fate?She refused to give in!Coming back to reality, she met Wythe’s wide, blinking eyes and Lambert's occasional deep gaze. Her heart found solace as she rested her head on Lambert’s shoulder without saying a word. Lambert focused on driving, offering no further comfort.From the backseat, Wythe sighed in relief. Seeing Lydia lean on Lambert meant
When Odelia returned, Flora's face immediately darkened. "Where have you been messing around again? Look at the state you're in!"Already frustrated by her futile job search earlier that day, Flora's scolding only exacerbated Odelia's irritation.However, knowing she was staying under their roof, she had to swallow her anger.Her uncle glanced at her nonchalantly, then turned to Flora. "Alright, alright, Odelia’s old enough to know what she's doing. Since she's back, let’s have dinner."Mayor Zigler set down his newspaper and joined Flora at the table, instructing the servants to serve dinner. Odelia’s expression softened slightly.To be fair, her uncle treated her well; he waited for her to come home before eating, unlike Flora, who was already seated at the table.Flora huffed but didn’t say anything more.During dinner, Mayor Zigler suddenly asked, "Odelia, I heard you’ve been job hunting lately."Swallowing her food, Odelia replied, "Yes, I can’t just stay home doing nothing.""Th
"Knife, someone's disrespected our sister-in-law. Should we...?"Before Odelia could finish, a subordinate eagerly chimed in, trying to please her. Knife stroked his bald head thoughtfully."Brothers, let's stay out of this for now. I trust Odelia. Once she's settled with her job, I'll handle those who offended her.""Knife is wise!" Odelia beamed. "Thank you, Knife, and thank you, brothers. I, Odelia, toast to all of you.""But Boss, why can't we cause trouble now?" a subordinate named Saxon asked, confused.Knife smacked him on the head. "Are you stupid? If we cause trouble now, it’ll be even harder for Odelia to find a job!"Odelia laughed. "The boss is considerate. Don't worry about my job, brothers. I contacted an old friend today. She said she’d help me. If it doesn't work out, I’ll go back to my old place and give everyone a new look makeover. How does that sound?""Great! I'll definitely come support you then!" Knife replied with a smile.After a night of drinking and laughter
“Chairman, we’ve rechecked all the food meticulously, and we didn’t find anything that could cause food poisoning. So, I suspect those food poisoning cases might be fake!”“……”The managers were all talking at once, sharing their opinions. Ogden felt a headache coming on and impatiently knocked on the table. “Enough! I just want to know your action plan and investigation results. Since we’ve established it was deliberate, we should have found the culprits by now, right?”The managers exchanged glances and then lowered their heads in shame.Ogden roared in anger, “You haven’t found anyone yet?”One of the managers stammered, “Actually… we did catch some suspicious people.”“Then why are you stammering? Are they people we can’t afford to offend?”“No, no, it’s just that those people are street thugs, and we can’t get much out of them.”“Thugs?” Ogden questioned. “Are you sure you got the right people? How could thugs dare to cause trouble?”The speaking manager wiped sweat from his fore
"Lambert, at this rate, you could almost switch careers to become a nanny!" Horace teased, noticing how expertly Lambert cradled the baby.Unfazed by his friend's jest, Lambert beamed with happiness. "You wouldn't understand if you don't have kids. Once you get married, you'll know. This is my legacy, and I didn't get to care for Wythe when he was a baby, so I'm determined to be hands-on with Candice."No one could truly grasp this sense of compensation!Horace rolled his eyes, clearly at a loss for words. It was pointless to engage with someone so enamored with fatherhood.While the men gathered to chat, Thera leaned closer to Lydia and whispered, "So, Lydia, are you really back together with Lambert?"Lydia nodded. "Yeah. After everything that happened, I realized I need to cherish every single day. And Lambert is sincere—I can feel it.""That's great!" Thera sighed in relief, finally putting her worries to rest."What about you, Thera? I see you and Andrew getting along quite well!
At this moment, Lambert felt completely at ease. It seemed that Lydia's earlier words were not just talk; she was genuinely ready to give them a chance!A smile crept onto Lambert's lips, but there was no time to think of anything else; he needed to take care of their baby, Wythe. Thanks to the maternal training classes he had attended with Lydia, he had learned a lot about caring for newborns. Gently, he picked up his daughter and quickly checked her diaper, only to find that she had wet it.With nimble hands, he changed her diaper, and the little one fell back asleep. Looking at her innocent face, Lambert's heart melted. This was his child, the result of his and Lydia's love.The baby slept soundly, and Wythe had been temporarily taken away by Bob, who had come to deliver some items. Now, only Lambert and Lydia remained in the room, but Lydia, having slept quite a bit earlier, was no longer drowsy."Are you still feeling unwell?" Seeing Lydia frown slightly, Lambert asked with conce
Lambert glanced at his son's disapproving expression and was momentarily at a loss. "Wythe, you might've looked even more wrinkled than her when you were born, yet look at you now—a handsome young man," he teased, smiling at his daughter. Though wrinkly, he found her to be the most beautiful and precious little girl.Wythe huffed proudly, his lips in a slight pout. "I wasn't this ugly! Besides, you didn't see me when I was a baby." A hint of sadness crossed his face; he hadn't been as lucky as his sister—he hadn't had his dad by his side when he was born.Hearing the touch of bitterness in his son's voice, Lambert immediately understood. Wythe was jealous, understandably so. For all his maturity, Wythe was still just a child. For his first five or six years, he had only his mother and no father. He often envied kids with both parents, and when Lydia finally returned home, her on-again, off-again relationship with Lambert had left Wythe hurt and forced him to grow up faster than other
Lambert paced restlessly in the hallway, nearly losing his mind. Every moment was agonizing, with Lydia's screams from the delivery room piercing his heart. He prided himself on being strong, yet in that instant, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee, especially as her cries of pain echoed through. Angry at himself, he slapped his own face—Lydia was suffering because of him, and he'd never realized how terrifying childbirth could be."Calm down. This is what childbirth is like," a woman nearby said kindly. She was the mother of a little girl, and both she and her husband couldn't help but notice how visibly nervous Lambert was. "You've been through this once before, so you should be able to handle it," she added."Why isn't it over yet? Is she in danger?" Lambert's mind was in turmoil, fighting the urge to rush inside and see Lydia himself.The little girl's father stepped in, attempting to reassure him. "You and your family will be just fine," he said. The man recalled his own frantic
At that moment, Lydia was on the verge of total collapse, as if her entire world had crumbled in an instant, and sorrow overwhelmed her.What had she done? What had she been doing these past days?She had been recklessly indulging in Lambert's affection, without any sense of gratitude or restraint. Now, she regretted her actions deeply. If only she had known this day would come, she would never have argued with Lambert or dismissed his love and efforts out of a misguided sense of pride.All she wanted was for him to be safe, to live happily with her and their children, never to be apart.Lydia's vision blurred as she stood in shock, unable to step closer to the crowd to confirm what had happened. But through a gap, she caught sight of a blood-red stain spreading across the ground. The sight was so jarring that it felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest."Mom, are you okay?"Wythe ran over, panting, to see Lydia sitting dazed on the ground, staring at the red stain in
Lambert's words made Wythe roll his eyes, secretly exasperated. What was going on with his dad? Wasn't everything decided? Why was he suddenly backing out at the last moment?Men! Their thoughts are just impossible to figure out!Lambert had indeed changed his mind unexpectedly. He didn't want to deceive Lydia, even if it was just a harmless joke. Something about it felt wrong. Even if it was to bring them closer, lying to her didn't seem right.Wythe's plan had been simple he wanted Lambert to stage an accident, making it seem like he'd been hit by a car. He was certain his mom would show her true feelings; if she still cared for him, there was no way she'd just stand by. It was a good plan, but now that the moment had come, Lambert didn't want to test Lydia this way.People's feelings shouldn't be tested.Wythe grew increasingly anxious. They'd prepared everything, but now his dad was retreating? That wasn't like him at all! Taking advantage of n
Half a month had passed since Lydia's last check-up. Lambert continued caring for Lydia with the same attentiveness, unbothered by her cold attitude towards him. Although her indifference saddened him, he was undeterred; his determination grew in the face of difficulty, a testament to his personality.But little Wythe had had enough. He felt it was time to give his parents a nudge towards reconciliation. Yes, it was his turn to step up!So, one morning, when Lambert went out early to buy groceries as usual, Wythe found an excuse to tag along. Lydia didn't think much of it; over time, she had noticed Lambert's earnest efforts and couldn't deny feeling somewhat touched, even if her heart remained conflicted. Deep down, she feared reopening herself to love, only to be hurt again.After all, "Once bitten, twice shy," as they say. Lydia never saw herself as particularly brave—in fact, in love, she was timid and afraid. She longed for a peaceful, uncomplicated l
Once, Lydia believed she and Lambert would grow old together, inseparable and loyal. But her genuine love had only brought repeated hurt and disappointment. That's why she had fled Nova City, leaving behind everyone she knew, so this time, she refused to open her heart again.Lambert sighed, his tone gentle. He knew Lydia wouldn't easily open up to him again, but he didn't mind; he was willing to wait. Determined, he led her to the prenatal clinic, aware of the many tests ahead—ultrasounds, blood tests, monitoring the baby's heartbeat—a series of over ten examinations. Each department was exceptionally busy, requiring an immense amount of patience.Throughout, Lambert remained unwaveringly attentive, showing no sign of impatience. He stayed by Lydia's side with the eager anticipation of any expectant father, his heart fully in it.Before the ultrasound, Lydia needed to drink water, but Lambert, inexperienced in these matters, hadn't prepared any. She didn't feel inclined to remind him
Happiness, it seems, makes people wish the same for those around them. Like the husband in the next hospital bed—he had the sense to keep quiet the moment he sensed the tension between Lydia and Lambert.Lambert didn't seem to mind Lydia's sudden outburst. He simply took off his suit jacket, now stained with soup, and said regretfully, "The soup spilled, Lydia. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer. I'll have someone bring a new one right away! Why not have a piece of cake to tide you over?"Lambert's calm demeanor only made Lydia feel as if her anger was landing on nothing but soft cotton, frustrating her even more. What was Lambert up to? Was he mocking her on purpose?It was infuriating!Lydia knew her emotions were out of sorts lately. Ever since Lambert left, she hadn't had much of an appetite. When she found out his trip was delayed, everything around her began to irritate her. It was as though a cloud of anger clogged her heart, but she couldn't find a way to let it ou