Harlan stared intently at Melody.He was able to relax once he realized she was being genuine, showing no grievances in her tone or demeanor."Mel, you have to tell me if you run into any problems!" stressed the old man.Harlan genuinely cared about Melody. His remarks nearly brought her to tears.To mask her feelings, she hastily retrieved the gifts prepared by Jenson."Look at the gifts I've prepared for you, Grandpa. Do you like them?""Oh my goodness, you even bring gifts when you come to see us? Your presence is the most precious present. Don't blame me for kicking you out if you bring gifts again!" Harlan put on his serious expression, acted as though he were mad, and reprimanded her.Una laughed gently as she patted Melody on the back. "Sweetie, you need to come by and see us more often. Ever since he found out you were back, Grandpa hasn't stopped talking about you. From now on, consider this your home.""Exactly! Consider our house your home," Floyd Bailey added.
Melody was a little surprised to hear the familiar name, though she soon lowered her head to take a sip of the tea.It was good tea—sweet, refreshing, and having an aftertaste that lingered in the mouth. One could feel their throat being nourished with just a sip.After a moment, she put down the teacup and asked quietly, "Mr. Bailey, would you trust me to check your father's pulse?"Everyone who had been trying to dissuade Harlan from drinking were left stunned.Floyd and Una were looking at each other in surprise, while Luna was gaping at Melody in disbelief. "You have medical knowledge, Mel?"She knew that Melody had plenty of interests, but medicine was not one of them. Melody did not explain and simply smiled. "I know just a thing or two. But I'm willing to help Mr. Harlan if you don't mind.""Oh, why would I mind?" Harlan exclaimed, agreeing to it with a smack on the table. "You're just checking my pulse—go on, Melody. See if I'm allowed to drink!"He was never going to
The voice that spoke out of nowhere was like a bomb erupting in a placid lake.At the same time, Melody's heart skipped a beat—she had only mentioned him once, only to experience the literal meaning of 'speak of the devil' for the first time. However, she was telling nothing but the truth.And unlike before, Christopher could not do anything to her now!Turning around, Melody leveled a faint smile at him. "Why, Mr. Bolton? Is your conscience gnawing?"Christopher's expression was way colder than days ago.Dressed in a black suit, his jet-black gaze appeared filled with troubled emotions. Even so, he was glaring at Melody so sharply it looked like he would peel her apart.Beside them, Luna was actually astounded—her bestie was hitting her with one surprise after another since her return!The handsome man before them was Christopher Bolton—CEO of Bolton Enterprise—and he was questioning Melody with such a hostile tone…Luna was left gaping when she came to a realization.So, M
Harlan's words certainly caught Melody off guard—if Harlan exposed her right then, every effort she made to disguise her identity would all go to waste!Moreover, Christopher appeared to be all ears. He was actually interested in finding out who Melody really was and was capable of turning into a completely different person after their divorce!As such, Melody promptly shot a look at Luna, who instantly deciphered her best friend's distress signal thanks to the years spent with each other.Just then, Harlan slowly began, "Mr. Bolton, the lady you see her is Nolan Enterprise's—""Bleurgh-ahem-ahem!!!" Luna was suddenly clutching her throat and hacking violently, cutting Harlan short.While he leveled a look of annoyance at his granddaughter, Luna cleared her throat and smiled at him. "Ahem, ahem… Sorry, something just got stuck in my throat. Anyway, I can do the introductions, Gramps—Mel's my bestie, after all."Then, turning toward Christopher, she put on a solemn look and said,
As the lights in the hall illuminated Christopher's handsome visage, it was clear he was glowering at Melody.But why was he looking at her? Did he suspect her identity?Melody rolled her eyes and turned away coolly—there was no point in suspecting, not when none of his people were at the level of unraveling her true identity!She headed over to a quiet corner to text Luna, who told her she was going to fix her makeup in the ladies' room.However, Luna was nowhere to be seen since.And unbeknownst to Melody, Christopher promptly excused himself from Harlan after seeing Luna leave. "I happen to be planning a collaboration project with Ms. Nolan. Since Melody is her assistant, I could discuss it with her."Then, when Melody finished sending her text, he already caught her wrist. "Come with me."He was so close that he could smell the expensive woody perfume he was wearing. He reached out to push Christopher, but he was like a wall—unbudging.Frowning, she demanded, "What are yo
Melody also saw that Christopher's rage was not feigned, and an outrageous thought suddenly struck her.Could he be talking about the gift she had thrown away the other day? That was the Seascape Painting?!No way…Melody was suddenly a lot less confident when she remembered the box she threw into the trash can, and she was also avoiding Christopher's gaze.Her sudden silence only left his brow furrowing deeper. "Nothing? Feeling guilty, are we?"As Melody stayed silent and continued avoiding his gaze, Christopher was left scowling as an idea occurred to him. "You threw it away?!"The situation was simply so outrageous he could get a stroke right then. His handsome visage was left contorting as he glared at her with the rage of a storm. "Well done, Melody! Took everything personally, didn't you—""I-I'm sorry! Help, please!!!"Christopher, however, was cut off, his face falling as he noticed something with the corner of his eye—a waiter was just turning around the corner wh
Olivia was sitting on the couch in Bolton Manor, fuming.Everything about the painting only became more suspicious the more she thought about it, but she could not quite put her finger on it… until she had her tea.'Damn it! Melody must have had a hand in this!'Naturally, Talia found her in a sullen mood when she arrived at Bolton Manor. "Mrs. Bolton?" she called out sweetly just then.Olivia looked up, cheering up a little just then. "Oh, hello. Come here and sit with me."Even as she beckoned at Talia, her eyes were already fixed on the presents Talia brought, which Talia could see as bright as day.A few presents were enough to control her already? Her soon-to-be mother-in-law was as shallow as she was dull."Chris told me that Nat would be out for a couple days, so I came to keep you company since you might get lonely here," she said, handing Olivia the nutritional supplements and branded beauty products. "I saw these along the way here, and I bought them since I thought
Melody was in the parking lot, which was so brightly lit it was almost blinding.She was unaware that she was now being targeted, though she would not be afraid anyway.However, her mind was still on the painting as she forked out her car keys from her handbag.Seeing that she was distracted, Jensen called out softly, "Ms. Nolan?"Melody turned, her gaze as cool as ice beneath the lights. Despite that, Jensen extended his hand to take her handbag. "Where to, Ms. Nolan? I can take you there.""It's fine—you can head home. I'd like to take a stroll alone," Melody replied. She would rather keep Jensen in the dark, since he would not be helpful even if he knew anyway. Jensen remained hesitant but quickly turned away when Melody shot him a cool look, her sense of superiority seemingly projected into the air around them."Yes, Ms. Nolan—I'll head home now. Just call me anytime you need me," he said.After sending Jensen away, Melody thought she should verify if Christopher was tel