"I've never thought of getting anything in return for saving someone, even if he was the second son of the Norwalks!"There was a slight smile on Angeline's lips. "I can remain silent about this, but if I take the money and Ingrid is revealed to be the impostor who claimed to save Mr. Norwalk when she didn't, then I'll be forced to stand out and explain this! Or you might even reveal all the transaction records and push the blame on me to save Ingrid." She was right. Ned looked grim. "You brought a non-disclosure agreement with you, didn't you?" The smile on her face remained unchanged, but the sinister look in her eyes sent a chill down his spine. "Ned, I was so wrong about you. You really disgust me! Since we're divorced, why can't you just be gone? Why do you have to keep tangling with me? I'm just your despicable ex-wife with a questionable character, right? Can't you two live without me?"Ned's expression contorted. "Angeline, do you want the Emmersons to go and make a fuss
On Ned's birthday, Ingrid had looked at Angeline imperceptibly when she refused to attend Ned's birthday party. That was what had triggered Ned. When Anne passed away, Ingrid stood in the doorway of the morgue and righteously rebuked Ned for pushing Anne, intending to make Angeline fall out with Ned completely. Angeline knew it all.She thought Ingrid had only used those means because she truly loved Ned. After all, at that time, Angeline had already decided to dump Ned.However, everyone in Oceanford knew Ingrid and Tommy were very close. Tommy had been humiliating and bullying Angeline for over two years. She believed Ingrid wasn't the one who instructed Tommy. Ingrid didn't encourage Tommy, but she had always turned a blind eye to his doings and condoned his actions. Because of her indulgence, Tommy ended up drugging Angeline and hiring people to bully Henrietta. After Angeline fled from Emmerson Village, the tragedy began after she got involved with Ned and Ingrid.S
"Okay!" Ned replied kindly.After hanging up the phone, Ingrid looked at Linda, who was looking at her with an unsatisfied look, and said with a smile, "Ms. Davis, please help me contact Norwalk Corporation."Ned is right. This issue has always been a hidden risk to us. Now that we've signed the contract, it's time for me to reveal the truth to Simon."Linda stared at Ingrid with her eyebrows furrowed in disagreement."Don't worry, Ms. Davis. I believe in Angie! If she said she won't take the initiative to expose us, she won't do it." Ingrid affirmed. "Plus, the CEO of Norwalk Corporation said during an interview that they chose me because I fit their style."I'll let Norwalk Corporation know I've communicated with Angie later during our connect. Since the endorsement contract had been signed and settled, I'm sure a pretty person with a beautiful heart like Angie will not expose us."Ingrid continued reassuring Linda with a smile, "I'll try to be more sincere. Regardless of wheth
After hanging up the phone, Linda looked at Ingrid and said, "Ingie, I just received a call from Wleyold's director, Stephan Garrison's assistant. You're going be the lead actress for 'Catastrophe Three'!"Ingrid's eyes widened in surprise.Linda grabbed Ingrid's shoulder and continued, "Do you know why? It's because you're the brand ambassador for Norwalk Corporation! If you were to terminate your contract now, you won't be getting all of this!"Just think about it, 'Catastrophe' was the best-selling movie of its time worldwide, and it was the film by your idol Stephan Garrison!"Ingrid bit her lips. She felt like she was in a predicament....The seminar went well when Angeline saw the announcement that Ingrid would be the lead actress for 'Catastrophe Three.'She smiled and locked her phone before focusing on the seminar.Gregory had heard of Angeline's record and her nickname of Gifted Maiden before. But he had yet to witness it for himself.He finally understood how terri
"Let's go get some food!" Sean said.Gregory squeezed through the crowd, planning to go with Angeline. But he saw her walking away with another man.Gregory's forehead creased. He thought to himself, "Who is that man?"After dinner, Sean invited Angeline to the hotel where he was staying.Sean said, "I'm on a tight schedule for this visit. I'm sorry you'll have to bear with my schedule. We'll have to get everything for the marriage registration ready by tonight, and we'll have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."Angeline couldn't decline Sean's offer after hearing his reasons.Tanisha volunteered to bring Angeline's toiletries over from her hotel. Then she called a cab back to her hotel.The hotel Sean was staying at was close to the restaurant.Sean smiled after seeing Angeline trying to catch the snowflakes at the restaurant entrance. "Since the road wasn't covered in snow, how about we walk to the hotel?""Sure!" Angeline's eyes twinkled.Sean took the umbrella from Ta
Ned knew Ingrid's favorite flowers were white roses!Feeling confused, Ned threw the sunflower bouquet into the trash can and left after taking a glimpse at Angeline.But Ned stopped after taking a few steps. He felt strange about how overly intimate Sean and Angeline were.Linda watched as Angeline and Sean left with the flower bouquet from the other side of the road. She quickly snapped a few photos and then called Ingrid."Hello, Ingie! Do you know who I saw while I was buying a coffee earlier? I'll send you the photos!" Linda hung up and was about to send all the photos, but suddenly, she hesitated.She was looking at the photo where Ned was holding a sunflower bouquet and stood before Angeline and Sean. Then, she looked at another photo where Angeline was holding the sunflower bouquet with a smile while leaving with Sean.Linda was still very concerned about getting Angeline to sign the NDA. So, she did some quick thinking. In the end, she only sent the two photos to Ingrid.
Ingrid locked her phone screen in panic and looked up with a pale face.She tried to force a smile, but tears started flooding her eyes. She quickly lowered her head and wiped her tears. "I'm so sorry."Simon was caught off guard and passed his handkerchief to Ingrid. "Forgive me, but did the two of you fight?"Ingrid shook her head. "No, I just lost my manner. Mr. Garrison is waiting for us. Let's go."Seeing that Ingrid didn't want to share, Simon didn't pursue with more questions and nodded gentlemanly."Do I look okay?" Ingrid forced a smile and looked at Simon with watery eyes."You look gorgeous. Beautiful and innocent like a fawn lost in woods," Simon praised with honesty while opening the door to the private room for Ingrid.Simon felt an indescribable feeling in his heart as he followed behind Ingrid.Admittedly, Simon knew Ingrid was attractive, and he always had a soft spot for innocent women who made him feel protective.He couldn't tell if it was because many year
Angeline's voice was pleasant to Simon's ear. He felt he had heard it before."I'm sorry to ask, but you sound familiar. Have we met somewhere before?" Simon asked politely."Forgive me for asking. But trust me, I wasn't trying to hit on you."Angeline smiled kindly. "Maybe. Unfortunately, I was in a car accident two years ago and recently woke up from a coma, so I don't remember most things."If we did meet before, it's fate that we've met again today."Angeline's confidence and generosity left a good impression on Simon, and he smiled merrily. Angeline was surprised to encounter Simon, the second son of the Norwalk family, here. But she didn't want to expose Ingrid for her deceit just yet.She thought it would be better for Simon to discover the truth himself."The conference will start in 20 minutes. I'll give it my best shot to answer you if you have any questions," Angeline said."Is that so? Thank you very much, Angeline!" Simon felt grateful.He was a biology enth
As soon as the words were out of Angeline's mouth, the sound of lounge slippers padding across the floor rang out. Yasmine ignored the shock on Ned's face and turned to reach for Sean. "Hold me, Daddy!"Sean smiled and lifted her into his arms. Then, he stood beside Angeline and looked at Ned imperiously. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fletcher. I'm Shane Kingston. Thank you for pushing Angie away in the past—it led to my relationship with her."Ned knew precisely who "Shane" was. Just a few days ago, he'd seen the news about Melissa's press conference explaining her relationship with "Shane".His mind buzzed. He knew Sean and Shane looked similar enough for Dexter's men to have gotten the wrong person. However, he hadn't expected "Shane" to have anything to do with Angeline!"You… Are you the kids' father?" Ned's voice was incredibly shaky."Yes, and again, thank you for that!" Sean smiled. "We've never told anyone about this because I didn't want to endanger Angie and the kids.
Sean didn't give Angeline the chance to finish. "You were right to bring this up to me!"He wrapped his arms around her from behind and continued, "You and the kids will always be my main priority. I know I said I want Melissa to remain safe and happy under my watch, but my feelings for her are purely familial love."She's family to me, and I must care for her. But you and the kids mean more to me than anything else in the world, including her."His honesty made Angeline feel slightly more at ease. She said, "Those are your words, not mine…""I swear on my life that I mean every word." He pressed a kiss to her head. "Can I stay here tonight? I want to sleep with you and the kids. Also, I came from Brayden's place upstairs, so no one will know I'm here.""Granddad made it clear that if anyone finds out about this, he won't allow the kids to see you anymore.""Got it. Don't worry about a thing. Mr. Lawson Senior raised me, and I owe him for that. I won't put him in a tough
Angeline nodded without saying anything. Once Nathaniel was gone, she received a call from Sean."Now that everything has been taken care of, I want to give you a gift," he said, the smile in his tone evident. "Can you have the kids spend Friday night at Grand Court Residences? I want to show all three of you my gift on Saturday."He missed Yasmine and Xavier terribly. Before resolving the issue with Melissa, he hadn't dared to say he wanted to see them. Even if Angeline were okay with it, Robert probably would've objected to his wishes. Now that the dust had settled, he couldn't wait to see them."I don't call the shots regarding the kids now. I'll have to ask Granddad," Angeline said."I'll talk to him about it." Sean was worried Robert would take his anger out on her. "This all started because I insisted on being with you, so I'll handle it. I'll visit Mr. Lawson Senior later today."Angeline didn't know how Sean's conversation with Robert went, but Robert had Asher drop
That night, Melissa called Sean. "Shane, let's publicly announce our divorce. We can tell everyone that we only got married on paper so the Lane family could offer you its protection."Tell them that Dexter repeatedly tried to harm you so he could take the Kingston family fortune, and tell them how he tried to snatch you from the Lane family so he could secretly deal with you."She paused, then continued, "Now that Dexter's in prison, we can get a divorce, and Lori can adopt me as her daughter. We'll become cousins, and we'll still be a family.""Melissa…"Sean was surprised. He didn't expect her to see the light in such a short time."Since you don't have any feelings for me and won't ever make me your wife, I'll settle to be Lori's daughter. That way, you'll always be my family!" Tears streamed down Melissa's face as she spoke. "I adore Lori and want to be her daughter.""Alright," Sean said."Can you head to Keman with me, then? We can visit Dad together before getting
Melissa stared at Lori, who chuckled gently. "It's alright. There's no need to rush into anything. Take your time to think about it. Get good rest for a few days, then go shopping with me. We can buy some clothes to keep up with the changing seasons."I heard from Brayden and Sean that you're the expert in fashion and dressing up. I've always wanted a daughter who could shop, exercise, travel, café hop, and go on spa days with me."She paused and continued, "I didn't get to do any of this with you because you weren't in the best state before this. Now, though, you're all better. You're back to normal, and you've regained your memories!""I'd love that!" Melissa said without hesitation. She'd only done these things with her mother and Emelia in her dreams, but that was all they were—dreams. She was delighted now that Lori was back and willing to make her dreams come true.Sean sat on the couch and sipped his coffee. He knew Lori was doing everything she could to make his life ea
Melissa nodded. Sean said, "I know you have no company management experience. Mr. Lane might have entrusted Trustworth Group to me, but it's still yours. Before you find someone to take over, my plan for the company is still to move its focus back to Lonla."The global situation isn't the best now, and Lonla is the safest place for expansion. That's why the company's focus has to return to Lonla—""You can hand the company over to Brayden," Melissa interrupted. "The only people in this world I trust are you, Dad, and Brayden. Now that Dad's in prison and you don't want me anymore, Brayden is all I have left.""I'm still your kin, Melissa. I won't kick you to the curb and leave you to die. Nevertheless, Trustworth Group is yours. You can have whoever you want to manage it. Brayden is capable of that." Sean looked at Brayden. "What do you think? Are you willing to take over Trustworth Group?""I'll do it as long as Melissa is okay with it!" Brayden nodded. He turned to look
"That's not it! I've always been willing to care for you, and I'm more than willing to care for you in the future! It's not something that I'm forced to do…" Brayden feared his words would inadvertently hurt Melissa, so he decided not to continue in that vein.He said, "C'mon, you should head downstairs to eat something. You've already slept the day away.""I don't want to eat!" Melissa lay down again and pulled the sheets around herself. She said dully, "I want to sleep for a bit longer. Shut the door on your way out."Seeing that she'd already shut her eyes and started weeping, Brayden said softly, "I'll have the kitchen keep the food warm for you. Remember to call me when you wake up, okay? I'll be right downstairs!""Okay." Brayden left the room after hearing Melissa's muffled reply. He shut the door behind him.Melissa remained upstairs. She didn't head downstairs, even when Sean returned. Sean had already spoken to Angeline on the phone and told her he wouldn't meet
Melissa slept in her room and only woke up at night. She removed her headphones and opened her red, swollen eyes. She stared dazedly at the night sky, only returning to her senses when her headphones fell out of her hands.Brayden, who'd been waiting outside this whole time, heard them fall to the floor and hurried into the room. He saw Melissa sitting cross-legged on the bed. She propped herself on one arm while leaning down to pick up the headphones.He hurried forward and picked them up for her, then remained on one knee by the bed. He looked up at her and said, "You slept for ages, Melissa. Do you want to have anything to eat? I got all your favorites, and there are different cuisines. I also got your favorite fruits and snacks!"He'd already had the maids throw out the food he'd bought at noon. Then, he'd had his subordinate buy a fresh batch.Melissa turned to look at him dazedly. She said hoarsely, "Brayden…""I'm here," he said. "C'mon, should we get something to eat
Melissa knew Sean well. So, it was impossible for her not to know if he was being serious. Sean was indeed threatening her, and he was using his life to do it. That way, she wouldn't dare to harm Angeline for fear of hurting him.She loved Sean so much that she could give up her life for him. She wondered why he was treating her that way. He knew she wouldn't allow even the slightest possibility of her threatening his safety.Just then, Sean received a call from Brayden. He said, "...Yeah, I've already picked Melissa up. We're heading to Southstream Manor now… Yeah, you can head over there. Buy some food on your way—Melissa probably hasn't eaten anything yet. She should be hungry."At his words, Melissa couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She covered her face and started sobbing. She'd spent her whole life dreaming of becoming Sean's wife, but he was now in love with someone else and no longer wanted her.Yet, she couldn't do anything about the situation, or she'd be hurting