A surprised look crossed Eli's face. He held the door and paused for a second before nodding at her as a greeting.He hurried up the stairs with a gift box in his hand.Millie quickly looked away. She wondered if Eli would notify Winston about her presence when he delivered the gift box.She felt nervous at the possibility of Winston coming down to greet her, but she calmed down when she remembered he was with Ivory. He couldn't possibly leave Ivory behind to greet her."Are you free this weekend? Do you want to go to this newly opened ski resort nearby?" Sean asked.She looked up at him. Did he suggest skiing?"Yes." She loved skiing, but Rachel was too busy to go with her, and Marvin couldn't ski. She rarely went skiing and jumped at the opportunity when invited to ski."How about Saturday?" he suggested.She shook her head. "I'm busy on Saturday. Let's do Sunday."She wanted to check out that diamond jewelry set at Aurora Jewels' event on Saturday."Sure. Anything you say.
"Never mind." Sean motioned at Millie to hold back."Why is he like this?" she questioned.Frowning, he explained, "He did this to you on purpose, which I'm sure you know. If you meet him up there, you'll be walking into his trap."Still, Millie couldn't get over the bitterness. Why did she have to eat the desserts Winston paid for? Would she have to stay if she declined to eat it? His behavior was that of a bully."Get these desserts out of my sight," she snapped at the waiter.The waiter and his colleagues exchanged looks. None was ready to budge.Millie's frustration was evident in her actions. Initially pointing at the desserts, her hand slowly curled into a fist. She stopped Sean from taking the desserts away.She wouldn't have this. Since the waitstaff would only take Winston's orders, she snatched the plate of dessert from Sean and went up the stairs before he could do anything.Sean tried to tag along. She turned and warned him, "Sean, just stay there if you're thinki
Though Millie felt apologetic for creating the mess, she believed Winston was responsible for cleaning it up.After she said what she wanted to say, she began to leave. However, Winston grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him.The strength of his grip caused a sharp pain. She inhaled sharply.He turned to address Ivory in an annoyed tone, "You head back for now. We'll discuss the agreement sometime later."Ivory nodded furiously. Knowing that she shouldn't stay a second longer, she escaped without saying a word.After the door closed, Millie struggled in Winston's grip. She was aware that his eruption was the culmination of days of tolerating her behavior.He was truly pissed.However, Millie didn't fear him. She wanted him to understand that he too pissed her off by crossing her boundaries."Millie Caldwell, that's very bold of you." He glowered at Millie and pulled her closer. He pinned her by the waist, forcing her body to press against his.They were very close to each
"To you, it's just something I could get over. That's because you're not the one who's hurt!" Millie yelled back at him. Rage colored her eyes.Smiling bitterly, he took a step forward and stared at her with a crazed look. "And how am I not hurt? Millie, do you think you're the only victim here? I'm being played like a fiddle. Does that not hurt?"He confronted her in a low growl.Of course it hurt. He should've led a peaceful life—a successful career and a happy family—but everything came crashing down!It was all doom and gloom in the room. Millie was speechless. Did he just claim he was hurt too? But she endured more pain than he ever did.He looked down and came to realize he had overreacted to Millie. Head hung, he guiltily avoided her gaze.Millie stared at his guilty demeanor. They breathed heavily.The pin-drop silence extended in the room. They could hear each other's beating hearts. The snowflakes falling outside added to the wistfulness of it all.Winston had nev
Winston believed Millie was decisive and level-headed. If she dated Sean one day, it could only be out of revenge."Stop fantasizing. You're not worthy of my revenge. Now, let me go." She shoved him away. It was time to head back.Head hung low, Winston lost the confidence in pestering her. Still, he looked at the back of her figure and declared, "Millie, I won't give up."She stopped in her tracks for a moment. Then, she remarked airily, "Don't be hung up on things that won't happen."That made him frown. He replied, "Millie, you are me, and I am you."He believed he too could love her stubbornly, just like she did."You'll never be me." She turned, her gaze sweeping past his face. No one could be like Millie Caldwell and replicate her love and her sacrifice for Winston—not even Winston himself.The door of the dining room slammed shut. Standing outside the door, Millie didn't realize that her fists were clenched. She kept her head low, and her throat tightened. She struggled w
Looking down from the 60th floor, the cars on the street looked like ants. Their backlights in the night illuminated the sprawling and prosperous city.Winston stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows. He twirled the wine in his glass and took a swig before the door was pushed open.He turned and saw Eli leading Joanna into the room. Joanna was surprised when he called. He even said to her that he wished to meet with her!She grew nervous, as she had been dreaming day and night to meet with Winston. Oh, how she wished to see him!"Win…" Joanna had no time to dress up before leaving home. She'd only applied some lipstick in the haste.Winston looked at her in silence. From her eager eyes, he could tell she was barely able to stop herself from hugging him."Sit." He pointed at the couch next to them.Instead of sitting, she couldn't help but walk toward him, still in disbelief that he was right in front of her eyes."Joanna Lowell, I will only repeat it once. Sit." He stopped
"Am I wrong for saying that about you? Do you feel it was unfair?" Winston gritted his teeth and glowered at her. "Stop saying you did it all for me when it was to satisfy your own greed!"He added, "Joanna Lowell, I wasn't responsible for your lie about saving my life, and I never asked that you repeatedly hurt Millie for the past three years. It was all your fault for putting on an act around me!" He slapped the table as he grilled her.Joanna had rarely seen him lashing out this aggressively. She realized she had thoroughly made him furious."Win, I know I'm in the wrong, but I had no choice…" She stood up to sit beside him, but he got up from the couch and shunned her. He avoided her like the plague. His act of shunning her hurt her feelings. It was at that moment she realized that the man whom she had dated for three years never truly loved her. His tenderness and loving behavior were all for show.She was such a pathetic loser! Indeed, she'd lied to Winston about saving
Winston didn't anticipate Joanna to fight back. He walked up to her with a look of scrutiny. "Joanna Lowell, are you acting out at my place?" He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her down on the couch. The bloodthirstiness in his eyes suffocated her.Choking, she glared at him. "You forced my hand.""Believe me or not, I can end you right now." He narrowed his eyes and gripped her neck harder, suffocating her. It was an awful feeling.His eyes showed his confusion. What gave Joanna the audacity to challenge him?"Winston Greer, I do love you, but don't forget I'm first and foremost the daughter of the Lowell family! My family is one of the Four Great Families of Yerwick! How can you treat me this way?" Joanna reluctantly weaponized her social status against him.He studied her before bursting into laughter. "So what if you're a Lowell? I can ruin you with an order."She went silent for a moment. Then, she confronted him, "Are you ready to risk destroying the power balance amon
Millie glanced at Winston with initial shock and disbelief in her eyes. Then a hint of amusement appeared, and soon she couldn't hold it in and broke into laughter."Haha!" Millie raised her hand and placed the back of it on Winston's forehead.He didn't have a fever, right? Why else would he go along with such an absurd request?"Winston, where's your self-respect?" Millie tapped Winston's head.Winston furrowed his brow, wondering what exactly self-respect was supposed to be. Was it something edible, or could he use it to pursue Millie?She wanted to hear him, so he just played along for her. After all, women only needed a little bit of coaxing."I have none. It's all gone. Maybe the dog ate it." Winston spread his hands with a helpless expression on his face.Millie laughed and said, "You're being silly. Go help Grandpa put up the Spring Festival couplets!"Winston nodded. "Alright, let's get to work."Millie watched Winston as he bustled about, and a wave of emotions began
Winston nodded with a smile and said, "Grandma, I understand."Millie smiled warmly, unable to hold back her laughter. Layla was just so endearing."Alright, the lights are all set up. What's on the menu today, and who's cooking?" Thomas walked in casually.Everly took off her coat and saw that there was a painting in front of Layla."Oh, could this be something that Mr. Greer brought?" she asked. "This painting looks really expensive.""Mr. Greer, do I get a gift?" Everly couldn't help teasing Winston.Winston knew that this was yet another person coming to give him a challenge."Sorry. I didn't know you and Uncle Thomas were here, so I didn't prepare anything. If there's something you like, I can buy it for you," he offered."How hilarious! Do you think I can't afford it? Do I need you to buy it?" Everly scoffed.Winston smiled and said, "Yes, you can afford it, but there's always a difference between something gifted to you and something you buy for yourself.""Mr. Greer i
"Is this… a painting by Quentin Scott?" Layla asked, a bit incredulous.The Caldwell family held quite a respectable reputation in Yerwick City. Coupled with Layla's status, she was certainly not lacking in esteem.She wanted to buy this painting and had been trying to purchase it for over a year, but she still wasn't able to get it.The moment Winston nodded, she once again sensed the disparity between the Caldwell family and the Greer family.Although they didn't disagree that Winston wronged Millie, the truth was that they did have a good sense in their choices."Grandma, this is a painting by Quentin Scott. I bought it directly from Quentin Scott's assistant myself. It's absolutely genuine." Winston nodded, his demeanor gentle and well-mannered.Layla had thought Winston might give her something she liked, but she never expected that he would actually give her the painting "Where Mountains Meet the Sea" by Quentin Scott!Layla couldn't help but stand up and approach Winston.
Winston had already decided to humble himself completely to make sure his wife remained happy."Go on in," Thomas finally said.Millie and Winston went inside, where Everly was crouching next to Arthur, working on the lights with him.Winston put down the gifts he brought and asked, "Can I help with anything?""Ah, Winston, you're here. Come on in and warm up a bit." Arthur smiled and didn't say anything more.Millie nodded, indicating that Winston should go in first.Thomas and Everly stayed outside working on the lights while Millie, Winston, and Arthur went inside the house.In the living room, Layla was eating chips and watching TV. When she saw that Winston had arrived, she remained expressionless.Millie glanced cautiously at her grandmother with a gentle expression."Grandpa, I brought some good coffee beans." Winston placed a gift box on the coffee table.Arthur chuckled and said, "You didn't need to bring any gifts. You already brought plenty last time."The last gi
Soon, it was New Year's Eve. Yerwick City didn't have a ban on fireworks, so the neighborhood had been lively since early in the day.Arthur wanted to hang some lights to bring more festive spirit into the house. However, when he looked at the high places where he needed to hang them, he felt like he just couldn't manage it.Just as Thomas and Everly arrived outside the door, he called out to them, "Hurry and hang up these lights.""Oh dear, be careful not to fall at this age." Thomas quickly took the string of lights from Arthur's hands.Arthur replied, "I was just waiting for you all!"Everly joked, "Grandpa, are you upset that we arrived late?""Hmph! You weren't early enough. Millie hasn't even shown up yet!"But as soon as he finished speaking, Millie walked in holding some things. "Grandpa, I heard you talking about me from far away, and I've sneezed several times because of it," she said with a slight smile, her voice bright and cheerful.The group turned their attention
At that moment, a cold snort came from the staircase.Arthur looked up. Wasn't that Layla standing there?Layla walked downstairs, her tone sounding incredulous as she said, "Is this guy really willing to go to such lengths to get what he wants? He even had the nerve to say something like that?""When pursuing someone you like, there's nothing you wouldn't do, no matter how embarrassing. Back when I was trying to win you over, didn't I wait for you outside your house every day?" The thought brought Arthur a sense of sorrow.The Cadmores were a medical family, and Arthur was a businessman. Even though he also made a fortune in the medical field, the Cadmore family wasn't willing for the two of them to be together. They just wanted Layla to marry someone who was also studying medicine.Believe it or not, back then, there really was another medical student as her suitor. The Cadmore family liked them, and outsiders also thought they were a good match.In the end, the persistent suit
The car was parked in front of the Caldwell residence. Eli took out the items and silently handed them to Winston. He wanted to see if Winston could help escort the two elderly people to the door."No need to accompany me any further. Let's leave it here," Layla insisted, maintaining her refusal.She always maintained a sense of propriety, even in how she addressed Winston.Winston found Layla harder to impress than Millie."Grandma, let me help you take it inside. It's not far. I'll just go in and come right out. I won't stay long," Winston said with a smile.Layla was about to speak. Arthur nudged her arm, suggesting she let it go, as she had been bothered enough already.Layla remained silent for a moment before nodding.Winston was given permission, and he immediately followed the two elderly people into the Caldwell residence with the items.Eli sighed and couldn't help but take a video of Winston, feeling really humbled.It was really hard to believe this was Winston.W
"The shop shutting down for rectifications is necessary. If she keeps up this attitude, there's no point in having the store here. You all should remove her from this place," Layla said, intending to rid Clara of a job.When Clara heard it, her face turned pale. However, she didn't dare to speak at the moment, fearing that the more she said, the more mistakes she might make.These people all seemed to be important figures!"Alright!" Bernard clapped his hands and agreed, "Professor Cadmore, we agree. If she doesn't give the proper compensation, we will definitely fire her!"Arthur supported Layla and gently patted her back, gesturing for her to calm down and not be upset anymore.Layla had finally started to calm down a bit. She had actually become much more mellow with her temper. In the past, whether in the lab or outside, she was always decisive and assertive.This was also why Arthur had been obedient all these years. He would always go along with her."Hurry up, apologize t
Bernard gave Clara a strong push. She fell to the ground, crying out in anger, "What's the meaning of this!"Bernard approached Winston with his hands tightly clasped and bowed respectfully as he exclaimed, "Mr. Greer!"Winston raised his hand, signaling for him to get up.Clara sat on the ground, feeling completely dumbfounded. Why was Bernard treating him with such respect? Who was this person? What was his background?Winston, with a cold expression, adjusted his sleeve and looked indifferently at Clara on the ground.Bernard said, "Mr. Greer, you should have told us you were coming! I would have had someone prepared to welcome you long ago. I'm really sorry for any inconvenience you experienced. Please accept my apologies!""What's wrong with her? Is she unwell?" Winston asked, pointing to Clara on the ground.Bernard quickly said, "She…""No matter what's up with her, disrespecting customers is a big mistake. I am demanding that her shop undergo rectifications before reope