"She hadn't expected Reginald to figure it out so quickly. Remembering what Northridge had said about keeping certain things from him to preserve the father-son relationship, she tried to maintain a facade of nonchalance."You mentioned divorce before. I've told you, I can't bear being with Chloe."Reginald's hand rested on her back. "You're lying. I've deliberately distanced myself from her recently."Arabella's lips curved upward, but her eyes held no mirth. "You two are childhood sweethearts, a perfect match. I'm just a hired hand for you. Now that your leg's better, this hired hand should leave."She heard Reginald sharply inhale, and he held her tighter. "By saying that, you're demeaning yourself."But he leaned in and whispered softly to her."I've never seen you as a hired hand, truly. You're my lawful wife, and I've always respected you."Arabella felt a pang, but her tone remained light. "You were the one who proposed divorce first, and now you're dragging your feet. I admit,
Northridge's face darkened as he spoke, "Business and compassion don't go hand in hand, nor do profit and virtue. I am, first and foremost, a businessman; business revolves around profit. A businessman who doesn't prioritize profit isn't truly a businessman. As for why I did what I did, I explained it to Arabella a few days ago, and she agreed."Recalling the humiliation at the café, Arabella felt her scalp prickle, a discomfort she didn't wish to relive.She gently released Reginald's hand and stood up. "Mr. Northridge, may I speak with you alone?"Northridge glanced at her icily. "To the study, then."As Arabella started to follow, Reginald accompanied her.She shook her head at him. "No need."Reginald squeezed her hand. "Come out if it gets too much. There's no need to endure.""I will," Arabella replied.In the study, her grandfather practiced calligraphy, his brush dancing on parchment, leaving tranquil characters in ink. He looked up as Arabella entered, offering a kind smile.
Alarabella's heart ached as if cruel fingers were gripping her neck. She longed to say, "Let's not get divorced."However, Northridge's words echoed in her mind. She was chosen to be Reginald's wife because Chloe was overseas at the time, and Alarabella was so similar to her. She was replaceable. Over these three years, any woman who replaced her would eventually win Reginald's love and attachment.It was like losing a precious pet cat or dog suddenly. There would be some sadness for a while, but as life continued, it would soon be forgotten. At most, a fleeting regret in moments of reminiscence.Alarabella held back her tears, gently stroking Reginald's chin, her voice filled with cheer. "It's getting late, you should go back."Reginald held her hand. "Let me take you to your building."Alarabella silently agreed.The night breeze carried a hint of intoxication as they strolled among the buildings, shadows dragging lazy footsteps under the dim light of the street lamps. Though they w
Chloe's injuries have now surpassed the slap Arabella gave her yesterday. Clearly, someone followed her, seeking additional revenge.Arabella called Allison directly and asked, "What happened to Chloe's face?"Allison burst into laughter uncontrollably, giggling until she finally managed to convey, "That fool went to flirt on her way home last night, and when the thugs stopped her car, they dragged her out and knocked her unconscious with her useless bodyguard! Now her face looks like a pig's butt. It's too perfect! Let me laugh a little more. Hahaha!"After Allison calmed down, Arabella asked, "Did she report it?""Of course. The police checked the security footage, but that section of the road recording is corrupted, no leads whatsoever!"Arabella secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Whoever targeted Chloe, they were friends in common hatred. She hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously, "Did you go see her?"She really wanted to know if Reginald went to see her, but the thought e
Reginald glanced at her, nodded slightly, gave a faint smile, exchanged a few brief words with the gallery director, and then strode over to where they were standing.Emily suddenly halted, lightly adjusting her dress.Arabella also paused, puzzled. "Why did you stop all of a sudden?" she asked.But at that moment, Emily became flustered as Mr. Reginald approached, unable to pay attention to Arabella's question, her eyes bright as she gazed at him.Before Arabella could speak, Emily enthusiastically extended her hand. "Hello! I'm Emily, nice to meet you. And what should I call you?"Reginald only gave her a cold glance, not taking her hand. "I'm here to see Arabella," he said calmly.Emily looped her arm around Arabella's, flashing a bright smile. "Oh, she's my dearest friend, we share everything, even our birthdays. So, whatever you need to tell her, you can tell me too!"Suppressing a laugh at her friend's boldness, Arabella held back.Reginald evidently had no interest in wasting t
Chloe kicked into the air, her eyes widening in astonishment as she looked at the man who appeared out of nowhere.Arabella caught a whiff of a familiar men's cologne, fresh and mild with a hint of tobacco. She looked up to see Reginald.She quietly let out a breath, a hand against her pounding heart, and smiled as she asked him, "How did you get here?"Reginald's face remained expressionless, but his eyes were as icy as his tone when he glanced coldly at Chloe and said to Arabella, "I finished the call, didn't see you, asked the waiter, and found this place. Are you okay?"Arabella shook her head.Chloe reacted quickly, abandoning her previously arrogant demeanor and standing obediently, head bowed. She said softly, "Reginald, I wasn't trying to kick Arabella. My shoe was uncomfortable, I just wanted to check it. You misunderstood me."Reginald sneered, "I'm not blind."Chloe paused for a moment, her lips pursing as if about to cry. She said, "Reginald, please don't accuse me wrongly
Molly fell silent for a moment, appearing somewhat melancholic. "Mom knows, dear. I just wanted to gift you a wedding dress, regardless of whoever you may eventually marry. I'd still give you one."Arabella felt both touched and pained, as if a cat were scratching at her heart. She managed a forced smile. "Thank you, Aunt Molly, but I really don't need it."Her pace of loving someone was slow. Once she loved, it was difficult to step away.As for remarriage, that seemed distant.Molly grew a bit upset. "Don't call me aunt. Even if you divorce Reginald, I'm still your mother. If you can't be my daughter-in-law, then be my daughter. I designed these, spent several nights perfecting them. If you don't want them, it's disrespectful to me."Tears welled up in Arabella's eyes. Deeply moved, she was close to tears. Unable to refuse, she sat beside Molly and earnestly reviewed the designs.Preferring a simple and elegant style, she chose a sleek, white, floor-length gown. The fabric appeared
"Arabella heard a saccharine voice beside her ear, 'Hey, Arabella, are you here for the photoshoot too?'Arabella felt a tingling sensation on her scalp as she turned towards the voice.Three feet away stood Chloe, already impeccably made up, adorned in a yellow chiffon gown, smiling brightly at her.The makeup room was bustling with people, but Arabella wasn't particularly keen on engaging. She simply nodded lightly in response.However, Chloe had no intention of leaving. She sneered, 'Arabella must have grown up in some remote woodland. I bet this is your first photoshoot, isn't it?'Her voice was anything but lowered, and everyone in the makeup room heard it.All eyes turned to Arabella.Their stares were quite conspicuous—they were looking at her as if she were some country bumpkin.Arabella was thoroughly infuriated.Her grandparents had, in fact, worked in the city when they were young. Upon retirement, due to her grandfather's illness, the doctors recommended they move to a hea
"Speak up! Who sent you?" Robert demanded sternly, his hand tightly gripping William's throat.William glared back at him, his face stained with blood, eyebrows furrowed in pain.Through gritted teeth, he insisted, "No one... no one sent me, I swear. If there was someone, I would have... I would have said by now."Seeing that relentless questioning yielded no results, Robert instructed the officer, "Check his call records and contacts, find out who he has been meeting recently.""Yes, of course," the police officer quickly agreed. "We will initiate an investigation immediately."Then he hesitated, wondering why he was following this guy's orders.Even if he was a special forces operative, that was abroad.He had no jurisdiction here. But he dared not voice his objections aloud.The police immediately recognized that this group of people was far from ordinary. They were individuals of significant influence in the big city—beyond the scope that regular police could handle.Robert glance
Arabella quickly grabbed a jacket to cover herself and then jumped off the bed to turn on the lights. The bright light illuminated everyone in the room, exposing them.Still panting, Arabella looked at the rude, rough man who had just attacked her. His weathered, dark skin, robust build, and ugly features suggested he was a local. The man with the gun pointing at her head had dark skin, a crew cut, handsome facial features, and a cold expression. He wore a sleek black leather jacket on his tall and straight figure.It was Robert.Arabella hastily put on her jacket, smoothed back her disheveled hair to regain composure. Feeling dignified, she asked, "Robert, what are you doing here?""I'm meeting a client in the area," he replied.Arabella was puzzled. "You came here to meet a client?""Yes, I'm here to collect some antiques," Robert said gently to her, then he moved the gun to the man's temple and sternly asked, "What's your name?"The man's raised hands trembled slightly, his rough l
Emily sighed as she looked at the mural, "Our Arabella's mind is sharper than a camera. She remembers every detail of something she has seen once, and can even perfectly recreate it. We should have brought her here."Upon hearing her words, Professor Graham's eyes flashed with admiration. "Heroes abound, your generation is truly talented!"Emily said, "Of course, Arabella is a once-in-a-century genius."Arabella lightly tapped her, indicating she should lower her voice.Emily quickly closed her mouth.Arabella modestly told Professor Graham, "Oh no, we still have a lot to learn from experienced professors like you."Professor Graham laughed heartily, "I heard you are the granddaughter of Percy Sisalvos?""Yes," Arabella replied."I have admired his work for a long time. In fact, I collaborated with him on several projects in the past. It's a pity the old professor passed away."Thinking of her late grandparents, Arabella felt a wave of sadness.She paused for a moment and then continu
After their marriage, they maintained a respectful distance. Following the storm of divorce, it seemed that their relationship had greatly improved. Their intimate and affectionate gestures resembled those of newlyweds. After a moment of contemplation, Arabella spoke, "I'll be working there, and it will take at least ten days to two weeks to complete. You're usually busy with work, so don't waste time on this."Reginald briefly considered and replied, "Then I'll assign a few more bodyguards to protect you. Four should be enough, right?"Arabella was taken aback by this suggestion – it seemed too extravagant. Going to restore some paintings while being followed by four well-dressed bodyguards. Just imagining that scene gave her a headache."One is enough; I'm going for archaeology, not warfare. Others aren't bringing bodyguards, and if I have them, it'll be too ostentatious and not aesthetically pleasing.""At least two, taking turns to protect you," Reginald's tone allowed no dissent.
An ordinary worker dared to betray her!Chloe was furious, feeling like her lungs were about to explode. She angrily shouted at the driver, "Go after that worker! Damn it, I've been humiliated! Now Reginald will hate me even more!"The driver quickly responded, "Yes, miss."He started the car engine to locate the construction worker.The worker walked silently along the road. It was an affluent neighborhood with no buses, let alone taxis.His legs grew tired, and he couldn't find a taxi. Just as he looked around in confusion, someone suddenly threw a piece of clothing over his head. Soon, he was dragged behind the bushes by the roadside,thrown to the ground, and subjected to punches and kicks.As the assault began, the wailing siren of an alarm sounded in his ears. The driver felt guilty, abandoned the worker, and attempted to flee. Unfortunately, before he could get in the car, he was detained by police who jumped down from a patrol car.The driver was arrested for assaulting someon
Chloe could hardly believe what she was seeing.No mistake! The worker in front of her was the one who had spilled the bucket from the scaffolding that day. Her father had secretly bribed him so that she could capture Reginald's heart using the tricks of a distressed maiden.But now, this worker suddenly appeared on the estate.It's over! Only one thought remained in Chloe's mind — her conspiracy had been exposed!Although the weather was pleasant, she felt like she had been thrown into an ice cellar, shivering from the inside out.She really wanted to rush over and strangle the worker.This way, she could kill him and keep him silent.She regretted her previous overconfidence and carelessness. She should have been more vigilant and prepared. She had missed such a good opportunity.Reginald gave Chloe a cold look. "Miss Chloe, don't you have anything to say?"She sat there dumbfounded, unable to utter a single word.Northridge looked at her with confusion, then turned to Reginald. "Wh
Northridge looked at him with suspicion, "Why did you suddenly bring the workers home?"Reginald remained expressionless, spooning the food from the plate into Arabella's bowl, and slowly replied, "You'll find out soon enough.""Trying to keep secrets from me?" Northridge said with some annoyance.Chloe cleared her throat gently and said to Northridge, "Uncle Northridge, he might have something to attend to."Reginald's lips curled slightly. Looking at the steamed abalone Chloe had just placed in front of him, he picked up the entire plate and handed it to the servant behind him, saying, "Get me a new one.""Of course, sir."The servant took it and quickly replaced it with a new one, placing it in front of Reginald.Chloe stared at the plate in front of Reginald, feeling indignant. This was too disrespectful to her.Doing this in front of so many people made her lose face.Seeing her unhappy expression, Northridge's eyes turned cold. She picked up a piece of grilled steak with her for
He received a call from Olivia, "Your dad said you came to the hospital, but we haven't seen you yet. Chloe just woke up and has been calling your name non-stop. She hit her head, seems a bit confused, forgetting who some people are, but she hasn't forgotten you."If he had heard this ten minutes earlier, Reginald would have felt guilty.But now, he knew it was all a lie.They had manipulated him, orchestrating the entire performance to deceive him.For this, they went through so much trouble.Reginald said expressionlessly, "There's an emergency I need to attend to. You all take care of Chloe; I know she's in good hands.""But...""I'm busy." Reginald hung up the phone.A few minutes later, Northridge called, sounding accusatory, "Reginald, what happened? Chloe got hurt because of you. In the situation where our family is working together, you should be by her side. Unless there's something else, it's your duty."Reginald's face immediately turned cold.He didn't know if Northridge w
Arabella breathed a sigh of relief.Arabella had genuinely worried that Chloe might become mentally disabled or vegetative due to the impact.Given the temper of this family, they would undoubtedly endlessly blame Reginald.Reginald checked his watch. "It's getting late; you should go home. I might come back very late tonight."Arabella hesitated. "Don't forget to have dinner.""I know, you too," Reginald replied.As Arabella left, she encountered Reginald's assistant at the corner, reminding him to "make sure he eats dinner.""Of course, ma'am," the assistant respectfully said.Back home, Arabella freshened up and went to bed. She waited and waited for Reginald, but he didn't return. Exhausted, she finally fell asleep.In the middle of the night, Arabella woke up, opening her eyes to see an empty bedside. Her heart sank.Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized it was past two in the morning, and Reginald still hadn't come home.She grabbed her phone to call him, but it was tu