Derek locked himself in the study after returning from the racecourse and only showed up when it was time for dinner.
"Daddy, are you in a bad mood?" Ian looked at Derek. Derek paused for a moment. "No. Try not to talk while having a meal." He handed the sliced beef to Ian and helped Aaron disinfect the tableware. Aaron looked at Derek worriedly. He was more sensitive to others' emotions. "I'll sleep with you tonight, okay?" After dinner, Derek suddenly said as he had fun with Ian and Aaron. Ian did not feel that something was wrong. He was happy that he could sleep with Derek because he liked Derek and Aaron the most. "It's great! Daddy, I want to listen to a story. Can you tell me one?" Ian requested. He held Derek's hand and shook it. Then he ran to Aaron, "Aaron, how about it?" Ian was afraid that Derek would not agree with his request, so he turned to Aaron for help. Aaron was playing a number puzzle. When"Daddy, me! Me! Take me!" Ian had never spent a night outside before. Aaron got to live at Emily's place alone the last time, which made him jealous for a long while. He was jealous that Aaron was so sweet to Emily and also hoped that he could stay at Emily's place the next time. So, the moment he heard Derek's words, he jumped up anxiously. Derek looked at Ian, who was bouncing around his legs. He decided to persuade Emily from a different angle, "Aaron misses you very much. The shrink said he should spend more time with you. I've been very busy recently, and I think it's good for him to stay at your place for a night. Besides, Ian wants to go with Aaron as well. He has never been apart from Aaron, and they both want to see you badly." Emily hesitated. She could reject Derek directly if it was him who wanted to stay at her place. However, for some reason, she was always soft-hearted when facing the two kids. Aaron and Ian always reminded her of Chris and Diane.
"What a good-for-nothing." Jenny was embarrassed that Jessica was frightened by Emily so easily. Jessica didn't dare to say or do anything else. She could only walk behind Jenny. "Why don't we talk about how you seduce someone's fiancé? How's that?" Jenny raised her voice and glared at Emily. "As far as I know, the Field family has yet to agree to the marriage. Nick is not your fiancé yet. Besides, Nick is so outstanding. Isn't it normal for someone to fall for him?" Emily said contemptuously. Emily was fed up with Jenny's unreasonable challenge and she said so to agitate her. "You bitch! So I was right. You do want to snatch Nick!" Jenny took a step forward angrily. She pointed at Emily with a trembling hand. "Calm down, Jenny. Calm down." Jessica pulled Jenny anxiously. She grabbed Jenny and did not dare to let go. She thought, 'If Jenny gets into a fight and gets hurt, she'll be scolded by her family, and that will b
Eric had been Derek's assistant for years, so he knew Derek well. Although Derek did not say much, Eric knew that Derek was in a bad mood. Eric left Derek's office and returned to his desk. He started to sort out the documents quietly, though Derek could not hear him. Suddenly, Eric saw someone walking toward Derek's office. "Wait. Don't go inside now." Eric stopped the person. "Mr. Scott asked me to come here to brief the project. It's about time." The staff checked the time. "If you go inside now, you may kiss the project goodbye," Eric said. He told the guy to come back later and then tried to listen to any sound that came out of Derek's office. However, the office was made of sound-proof materials, so he could not hear anything. In the office, Derek watched the video over and over again. The sound of the video echoed in the office. When it stopped playing, he would replay it again, deadpan. With his extraordinary memory, he had already memorized the words the woman s
Emily didn't know that so many things had happened in just a few hours. She and Teresa were trying their best to hold Louise still and bring her upstairs to Emily's bedroom on the second floor. "Oh my, we finally made it." Teresa panted heavily as she held her knees with both hands. Emily and Louise fell onto the bed together. "You have to wash the sheets for me after you wake up tomorrow." Emily pinched Louise's cheeks. Her cheeks were now as red as an apple, and Emily felt that it was tender. "I'll get a cup of honey water for Louise. Otherwise, she'll have a headache tomorrow," Teresa said considerably. After Teresa left, Emily sat up on the bed as well. She helped Louise take off her shoes and coat to make her feel more comfortable. At this moment, Louise's phone rang. Emily took a look and saw that it was Louise's brother, Nigel. She picked it up. "Louise, where are you? I called you several times. Why didn't you pick up the phone?" As soon as the call was connecte
At the same time, at the breakfast table in the Scott's, they were talking about the same thing. "What? Go to school?" Ian cried out in fear. Derek slowly stirred the oatmeal. He ignored the surprised Ian. Derek had thought about this matter for a long time. He had also checked the school out. The education of the two children was important. Now that Aaron was getting better, Derek hoped that Aaron would be able to interact with more kids of his age and gradually open himself to others. This news gave Ian quite a shock that he lost his appetite for breakfast. He was depressed and put the food back on the plate. For Ian, going to school was like locking a bird in a cage. He wouldn't be as free as before and he wanted to play with Aaron all the time. Moreover, the two of them had played with other children before. Those children always bullied Aaron when Derek was away. Ian had fought with them several times. Later, he rarely saw those children. If they went to school, w
Emily and Andrew left the coffee shop and returned to the company. During this time, due to Emily's efforts, the orders received by the branch company had increased by 20 percent. Although it still couldn't make a profit, it brought the employees hope. Thus, when everyone saw Emily, they would greet her happily. She earned a place in the branch company. If Cecil, the branch company's senior executive, incited the employees to oppose Emily, there would probably not be many people responding. This was quite different from when Emily first arrived. "Cecil, are you looking for me?" Emily met Cecil in the corridor. "I have something to tell you." Cecil had a serious expression. "Alright, come to my office." Emily decided to improvise. Cecil had long been on Emily's suspect list. Emily wanted to see what Cecil could be up to. "Emily, there's a meeting that requires you to attend in half an hour," Andrew said deliberately as he glanced at Cecil. "It won't take long." Cecil ra
Meanwhile, Derek gave himself a rare day off, so he took the initiative to ask Nick and Terry to play tennis with him. "Terry, I'm here." Nick waved his hand happily. It was not easy to make Derek put aside his work. Terry was not as happy as Nick. Nick had just sent the video to Derek yesterday afternoon, and Derek asked them out today. Terry felt uneasy. Nick placed his hand on Terry's shoulder and asked, "Do you think Derek found that his charm was not working, so he wanted to interact more with me?" "Stay away from me. I don't want to be affected by you," Terry said in disgust and pushed Nick's hand away. When they arrived at the tennis court, Derek had already finished warming up. Terry did not know if he was hallucinating. He felt that Derek was full of fighting spirit. Terry felt he must be right. He decided to break off relations with Nick today and resume their friendship tomorrow. Nick did not know about Terry's thoughts. After greeting Derek, Nick began to wa
Emily and Andrew went to a meeting. Cecil walked in front of them. When he returned to the office, Cecil slammed the door in front of Emily to express his dissatisfaction. Emily and Andrew entered the meeting room, ignoring him. The meeting went smoothly. After the meeting, Andrew gave Emily her schedule for the day. "I have something to do tomorrow afternoon. Cancel all the appointments in the afternoon," Emily said to Andrew. She remembered that tomorrow was Friday, and Derek would send Aaron and Ian to her place in the afternoon. She had to go back early. Andrew nodded, and then let Emily check the updated schedule. After returning to the office, Emily took out a bank card from the drawer and handed it to Andrew. Andrew looked at it, but he did not take it. "What is this?" Andrew asked. "You spent a lot of money investigating the hospital. The salary I gave you in advance must not be enough. I can't let you pay for t
Time flied, and before everyone realized it, a year had gone by.During this time, Charlotte's life abroad appeared calm and routine. She woke up early every day for classes, diligently completed assignments, engaged in academic discussions with her classmates, and participated in various club activities. In the eyes of her friends, she was a positive and energetic girl.Only she knew deep down that she had been waiting, waiting for the one she loved so dearly, the prince who had promised to come back for her.Late at night, Charlotte often found herself sitting alone at her small dormitory desk, gazing out the window at the starry sky, feeling a lingering sense of loss and loneliness in her heart. She had asked herself more than once where Kingsley was and why he never wrote or called.On this sunny day, Charlotte went to the school library as usual, ready to work on an important paper. She sat by the window, her desk piled high with various referenc
Kingsley knew deep down that Charlotte wasn't that kind of person, but the beast suppressed within him was roaring uncontrollably, and the malice rooted in the marrow of his bones surged through him, causing even his blood to boil.His eyes turned cold and gloomy as he glanced towards Charlotte's siblings, emotions spiraling out of control within him.If without them...If...Kingsley suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders.He turned to see Freya's hand resting there, her expression hardened, eyes gazing up at him with concern.Charlotte pushed past Aaron and edged forward.Seeing Kingsley's obviously troubled eyes, her heart raced, her voice becoming raspy and hard to hear. "Wait... for me..."At the sound of her voice, Kingsley visibly froze, then the darkness in his eyes lifted abruptly as he stared into hers, his tone somewhat uncertain. "Charlotte? What's with your voice?"Charlotte's eyes reddened, but she bit her
On this day, Charlotte's siblings took her to the hospital to visit Kingsley at Derek and Emily's insistence.At the hospital entrance, Freya and Chris chatted as they walked toward Kingsley's room. Charlotte's footsteps behind them were eager, and Diana held her back, squeezing her hand to calm her.Charlotte glanced at her sister, understanding the concern in Diana's eyes, biting her lip to suppress the impatience in her heart.She couldn't be blamed for being eager; since witnessing Kingsley jump from the school building rooftop, she hadn't exchanged a word with him.Their closeness was stark, yet they were almost separated by life and death. The image of Kingsley jumping from the building was like a nightmare etched in her mind.Thinking about it brought back that choking feeling, making her breath quicken. She forced herself to endure it, following her siblings into the exclusive elevator that took them straight to Kingsley's floor.&nb
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the curtains, spilling onto the carpet.Charlotte opened her eyes just in time to see Emily changing the water at her bedside. Emily was surprised when she noticed Charlotte waking up. "Charlotte, you're awake!"Charlotte nodded silently.There was a faint sound coming from outside the door. Charlotte glanced over, her expression puzzled. Emily explained beside her, "Ian and Diana are both back, and your father is outside interrogating them."Charlotte's expression shifted slightly at that news. She looked somewhat anxious.This matter was clearly her own problem, yet it seemed her father was pursuing it as if her brothers and sister were solely responsible, which felt unfair to them. The guilt inside her intensified as she thought about it.Seeing Charlotte attempting to get up, Emily quickly intervened, "Hey, Charlotte, don't move! Your injuries haven't healed yet!"As if sensi
The Scott family manor was brightly lit.After more than three years, the Scott family once again activated the first level of defense. The black-clothed bodyguards, who were early at the Scott family manor, stood firmly on guard, while the Scott family servants gathered in the hall and garden, heads lowered, waiting strictly.Vehicles neatly lined up and entered the gates of the Scott family, bypassing the open-air fountain and proceeding towards the main house.Chris's face was vaguely pale; he had learned from a phone call with Diana on the way that their parents had returned. Emily and Derek were already aware of everything that had happened.Judging by their current demeanor, one could see that Emily and Derek were genuinely angry. After all, they had kept the truth from Emily and Derek for so long, and now it was revealed after such a significant accident.Beside them, Charlotte remained silent and withdrawn. Her once clear and bright
It was hard for her to believe that the clean, even a little shy Kingsley she knew and the bloodthirsty, horrible person in front of her were the same person.She had always known that Kingsley's condition was serious, but it was only when she was confronted head-on for the first time that she realized just how horrible it was. Kingsley didn't even look like a normal person at this point."Kingsley!" Freya's expression changed; she became nervous and cautious as she slowly stepped forward. "Drop the knife and come here, let me see your wound."At this point, Theo's death was completely unimportant. If Kingsley is allowed to see more bloodshed or even directly kill Theo, I'm afraid his condition will worsen, and he won't be able to regain his sanity at all.In the face of Freya's coaxing, Kingsley did not react at all. Holding the knife in one hand, he pressed his other hand against Theo's neck harder and harder."Kingsley!" Freya was anxious, but she d
Outside the school, Charlotte was escorted to a waiting car. The vehicle was equipped with special materials, bulletproof and resistant to various thermal weapons. Even though the school's premises had been cleared of bombs, Theo had come prepared, and no one knew if he had any other plans lurking in the shadows. Chris wasn't about to let his sister take such a risk.The people at the school had no idea what kind of life-and-death disaster they had just narrowly avoided. They all emerged from the school, unaware of the danger they had faced. They got into various luxury cars and departed one after another. Originally, Carl wanted to wait at the door, but with too many acquaintances coming and going, he had no choice but to hide in the Scott family's car.Chris voiced his concern, "Are you sure Theo will keep his word?""Not entirely," Carl replied, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses and impatiently rubbing his brow. "But Kingsley had to take a gamble on whether Theo still had it in
When these words were spoken, all the bodyguards present were shocked. Theo was filled with disbelief."What did you say? You're going to declare war on me in the manner of the Livingston family?" Theo almost laughed out loud. "Do you know what you're talking about?"Carl's face hardened for a moment as well. "Kingsley, calm down!"Kingsley, however, paid no attention to him. He stared into Theo's eyes, showing no hint of hesitation or fear. He said, "I know exactly what I'm doing, so don't you dare underestimate me."This declaration made Theo's face darken, his expression obscure, filled with deep thoughts.Charlotte looked at Chris somewhat helplessly. She didn't understand what was happening. Was this a big gamble by Kingsley?Chris composed himself, looked towards Kingsley and Theo's confrontation, and softly explained, "The Livingston family has rules. Members can challenge each other when there are disputes or unavoidable conflicts. They fight one-on-one in a life-and-death due
Ben held Charlotte at gunpoint, then glanced at Theo, who sat calmly and inquired, "What do you want?""I know you plan to use her against Kingsley and the Livingston family. My request is simple: ten million dollars and a getaway car," Ben stated viciously."Oh? You're not seeking vengeance for your family?" Theo remained composed."I'm not naive! I know how to negotiate with someone like you for maximum gain. You never intended to aid in avenging my family, did you?"Theo chuckled softly. "Looks like you're still somewhat sharp, but... still an idiot!"At Theo's words, two black-clad bodyguards suddenly emerged, advancing toward Ben."Aren't you worried I'll kill her? Then you'd have nothing to hold over Kingsley!" Ben exclaimed in panic."Foolish! My aim was always to destabilize Kingsley mentally. If you did kill Charlotte, I'd owe you gratitude."Hearing this, panic flashed in Ben's eyes, and in his haste, he aimed his pistol at Theo.