Sean brought a glass of water over to the couch and sat down. "The safety of our staff is vital, and you can never be too careful. Yes, this trip may delay us by two months and cost us some money, but the value of each scientist far exceeds the cost and time invested."After a sip of water, Sean continued, "Since we can't partner with foreign companies to develop the chips, it's time for us to make a last stand and focus on domestic research and development."He lowered his glass and leaned forward to address the Lawson Global executives."Gentlemen, this time, against all odds, we will forge ahead and pursue development independently. Under optimistic projections, the next three to five years will be critical for our company. But if we persevere, we'll surely break the monopoly in the chip industry."The executives relaxed when the meeting ended. They drifted off to sleep.Sean rubbed his temples wearily, his eyes red and exhausted as he looked out the plane window.Knowing An
On the internet, a massive online campaign called "Protect Her" quietly unfolded without any organized effort.Even many celebrities joined in, calling to uphold the innocence of the victim and prevent the spread of videos that could further harm her.More and more people voiced their demands online, calling for severe punishment for the perpetrators and those who distributed the videos. They pled for the protection of the victims and their families.Angeline was initially horrified at the thought of Henrietta's videos being circulated online. After all, it was those videos that drove Henrietta to the point of taking her own life.She didn't want her sister to be subjected to further humiliation and torment after her death by having those videos spread across the internet.But to her surprise, countless women on the internet were also protecting her.Angeline bit her lip as tears streamed down her face.Alva sat on the bed next to her. She looked at Angeline with tear-filled eye
Ned kicked a pillar in frustration after he hung up on the call.The day Angeline's sister, Henrietta, jumped off the building, Ned was in Cloudsville.Angeline was still dealing with the pregnancy, but Tommy had made a mess of things.Ned sat in the hallway and scrolled through the trending comments. He felt an inexplicable sense of unease.He had to keep Angeline from discovering that Tommy was involved in the incident. Then, he would be responsible not only for Anne but also for Henrietta.The deaths of Angeline's loved ones would all be blamed on him. She would despise him and Ingrid.It was best to prevent any information from reaching Angeline. Not a single detail should reach her.Ned's phone vibrated.He looked at it and saw that it was Ingrid calling. "Baby...""Where are you? I finished my scenes this morning, and the director permitted me to take the afternoon off. I can spend it with you." Ingrid was cheerful."I'm out in the hallway having a smoke. I'll be ri
As she watched Ned faint before her eyes, Ingrid's face drained of color. She turned to her assistant, her voice shaking with fear as she ordered, "Get help! Quickly!"The assistant director hurriedly brought in several staff members and lifted Ned into a vehicle with the film crew's stretcher. They drove to the nearest hospital....Angeline had barely said goodbye to Anne before she had to do the same to Henrietta.Amid her grief, she forced herself to cheer up.She knew that Anne's death was different from Henrietta's.Henrietta's death involved school violence and sexual assault. Convicting the perpetrators would be a long process. Until those vile demons were properly punished, Henrietta could not rest in peace.The bullying incident at River Town High School had a significant impact, attracting widespread public attention.It was especially so when many women rose to defend Henrietta's dignity after her death, subduing the spread of the video and organizing the "Protect
She promised Robert that she wouldn't contact anyone from the Lawson family, especially Sean. So she didn't ask for his help.Yet, Riley emerged before her.When Trevor thought about Angeline and Sean's relationship, he wasn't surprised Riley would show up.Trevor looked at Angeline, then turned to Riley and said, "Mr. Gomez, would you please tell Ms. Emmerson that if this matter escalates and her relationship with Mr. Lawson is discovered, it won't be good for Mr. Lawson?""Mr. Marshall, thank you for your concern for Mr. Lawson." Riley smiled."Before Mr. Lawson appointed me as Ms. Emmerson's attorney, he made it clear that if this case doesn't bring the perpetrators to justice, then I'm finished at Lawson Global! Do you think I would give up that position so easily?"Trevor didn't look pleased with Riley's words.Riley was second to none in terms of professional standards and eloquence in the industry."Alright, I understand Ms. Emmerson's wishes. I'll pass them on to my c
Angeline closed her eyes, then opened them and said, "Riley, thank you!"As Angeline and Riley walked out of the cafe, Angeline saw Sean step out of the backseat of his sedan. Her steps slowed, and her eyes reddened again."Mr. Lawson!" Riley greeted Sean as he approached.Sean was dressed in a suit and didn't have his glasses on. He exuded the mature and steady demeanor of a businessman, though his deeply sunken eyes suggested fatigue."Angeline, get in the car." Sean gestured for Angeline to get in.With her fists clenched tightly at her side, Angeline recalled Robert's advice to stay away from Sean and the Lawsons.Riley tactfully said goodbye and left when he noticed Angeline's hesitation.Angeline looked at Sean before finally descending the steps and getting into the car with him.She knew she had to clear things up."Where are we going?" Angeline asked after enduring Sean's silence."We're almost there," Sean answered.The black sedan pulled up in front of an apartm
Angeline's heart raced. "No! We can't get married! The others view us as relatives. What would our marriage certificate mean? And what about the child? Do you want the child to grow up under constant scrutiny?"Angeline's emotions escalated before Sean could answer. "Or do you want to announce to everyone that we're unrelated? Then... What if information about my mom gets out? How would the Lawsons handle that? How would my mom handle it? No! I can't agree to this!"Besides, Sean was the Lawsons' future heir. Robert would undoubtedly find a suitable wife for him. She thought it impossible for her to have a relationship with Sean and the Lawsons."And... and..." Angeline lifted her head, her eyes red from crying. She met Sean's gaze. "My mom and dad... Those images keep replaying in my head. I'm scared! I never grew up in a normal family, nor did I ever receive parental love. I don't want my child to suffer the same hardships I did."Angeline spoke her true feelings. There w
Angeline's eyes widened in shock.Sean pressed his lips to hers. He was as dominant as before, taking her breath away.Her mind went blank. Sean's body pressed against hers, causing her to feel embarrassed.Angeline panicked and pushed him away with all her strength, but Sean pressed both of her hands against the door with one hand. He deepened the kiss.The feelings Sean had been holding back were released. He had replayed the scene of that night repeatedly in his mind.The greed and possessiveness he had never expressed before seemed to erupt after his confession.Despite Sean's usually calm and collected demeanor, his emotions always seemed to spiral out of control when it came to Angeline.When Angeline appeared to be out of breath, Sean finally freed her.Panting, Angeline looked at Sean. She was frozen.Without his glasses, Sean's features were strikingly aggressive, with deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and sharp facial contours.Neither of them spoke. The atmosphere