"Is that so?" Yardley's cold gaze swept over Lisa.His intimidating presence almost made Lisa's legs go weak.She took a step back, took a deep breath, and forced herself to say, "Mr. Hughes, everything I said is true. You can ask them if you don't believe me. All of the reporters present witnessed it with their own eyes."Yardley turned around and asked Celia, "Did you?" "I didn't," she replied as she crossed her arms and looked at Lisa with a mocking smile."I believe you."Lisa's eyes widened in surprise when Yardley said that.Everyone had seen Celia and Parker in a disheveled state inside the lounge. But Yardley didn't ask a single question and just believed her.He believed Celia unconditionally!A wave of unease washed over Lisa when she noticed Celia's confident demeanor.She instinctively clenched her fists. Her heart raced as she wondered if these two had planned this ahead of time.That couldn't be!She had clearly instructed the waitress to take Celia's phone w
Celia's imposing presence made Lisa take a step back involuntarily.Lisa tried to calm down. She told herself she had been careful and shouldn't have left any loopholes. Even if the police were here, there would be no other evidence that she had drugged anyone. If there had been any proof, it would already have been presented.In this regard, Lisa felt much more at ease.However, the next second, Celia pointed at Lisa. She said to the police, "The mastermind behind this incident is her! I hope you'll conduct a thorough investigation.""That's slander!" Lisa fumed. "When did I drug you? It was those two waitresses. I don't have any powder on me!""How did you know it was powder? I don't recall those two waitresses ever specifying whether they used powder, liquid, or pills. Are you admitting that you're guilty, Ms. Burke?" Celia smiled mockingly.Celia was poised, confident, and radiant. Her orange dress made her shine like the brightest star in the night sky, dazzling."I …"
Yardley's heart skipped a beat. Where had Celia run off to?How could she suddenly vanish into thin air when her body had gone limp and weak under the influence of drugs?Had something happened?He frowned as he scanned the surroundings, but he couldn't see Celia.His tone was urgent as he called out, "Celia! Celia!" The next second, Celia climbed onto his strong back from behind.Then, she wrapped her slender, fair arms around Yardley's neck. "I'm right here, Yardley." Yardley stiffened as he felt the heat on his back. His voice was low and husky as he reprimanded, "Why aren't you resting in bed?"Celia's eyes were glassy as she tiptoed, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "I'm so uncomfortable, Yardley. Can you please help me …"He narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip around the towel he was holding. He stood frozen in place and asked in a low and deep voice, "Are you sure?""Yeah …" Celia lifted his chin playfully. She nibbled on his earlobe lightly and trace
Celia rolled her eyes at Yardley. "Jerkface!""What's the matter? Would you rather something had happened between us last night?" Yardley smirked, his tone playful."You wish!" Celia fumed, her face flushed with anger.Chuckling, he leaned in and whispered in her ear huskily, "You're not wrong. That is something I wish for …"His voice was too seductive. Celia couldn't help but blush as she hurriedly pushed Yardley away. "Didn't you say you were going to prepare breakfast? Well, go on then!" she exclaimed after clearing her throat."Alright," he said. He stopped teasing her and went downstairs. "That man!" she cursed under her breath. Celia watched Yardley leave the room before rushing out of bed and getting dressed.The inappropriate scenes from last night gradually emerged in her mind and became clearer and clearer.Celia remembered that Yardley had carried her to the bed and kissed her passionately last night. But why had he stopped?Was it because she wasn't alluring
Celia was lounging on the couch when Yardley's breathtakingly handsome face leaned down.Feeling uneasy under his intense gaze, she backed up instinctively. "What are you doing—"His sensuous lips sealed her mouth before she could finish her sentence.Her breath hitched in her throat as their lips met. Celia let out a soft moan involuntarily.Yardley's eyes darkened in an instant, and he couldn't help but deepen the kiss.His passionate yet gentle kiss swept Celia off her feet, leaving her breathless. The temperature in the living room gradually increased …After what felt like an eternity, Yardley reluctantly ended the kiss.He lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers. He looked into her eyes, his gaze as deep as the ocean. "Please come back to me, Celia.""I …" Celia was gasping for breath after his kiss.Yardley's phone abruptly rang at that moment.His melodious ringtone ruined the intimate and amorous atmosphere. Celia snapped back to reality and pushed hi
"Celia Stanton, release Quinny this instant! You're going too far. "Why are you throwing a fit at us? We didn't say anything wrong. Your scandal with that actor is all over the internet and the news!" Lillian bellowed. Celia frowned when she heard that. Then, she released Quinn and gave her a shove.Quinn slipped and fell into the bathtub next to her.The bathtub was made of porcelain, so the pain was excruciating.Quinn was in so much pain that she felt like her tailbone was about to snap."Are you okay, Quinny?" Lillian felt so bad for Quinn that she immediately rushed over to help her up."It hurts like hell, Aunt Lillian!" Quinn grimaced in pain and glared at Celia menacingly."Aunt Lillian, you must kick this despicable woman out!"Celia, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered to pay them any more attention and went back to her room.Yardley had already retrieved her phone, which the waitress had taken from her last night.Celia casually picked it up and took a loo
Celia felt at ease as she nestled against Yardley's chest and felt a familiar sensation wash over her. Her annoyance at Lillian and Quinn's provocation earlier dissipated instantly.Yardley gently carried her to the bathroom door and carefully placed her down as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. His eyes were filled with tenderness. "Go take a shower.""Thank you." Celia appeared dazed as she took the clean clothes he handed her and turned to go into the bathroom.Steam filled the entire bathroom as she stood under the shower, tilting her head back and letting the water wash over every inch of her skin.It was very warm and comfortable.After a long time, Celia turned off the shower and opened her eyes.The heavy feeling in her body gradually dissipated after she changed into dry clothes, and she felt much more comfortable.Celia yawned and walked out of the bathroom. To her surprise, she found that the bedroom, which Lillian and Quinn had left in a mess, had been cleane
Celia's heart sank when she heard that. "What happened to Grandpa Hughes?" she hurriedly inquired."Mr. Hughes Senior's condition is a little tricky. We're currently working on stabilizing his condition. You should come and check on him as soon as you can." Dr. Nero's voice was a little anxious."Alright, I'll come right away." Celia hung up the phone and rushed to the hospital.On the way there, she tried calling Yardley, but his phone was turned off. He was probably still on the plane.Celia arrived at the hospital in no time and found Lillian and Quinn standing near the entrance when she reached the operating room.The operating room's red light was still on.Quinn and Lillian were dressed to the nines and discussing which nail salon had the best manicure techniques, as if they were getting ready to check one out.Anyone who didn't know any better would have thought that the two women were just passing by. Celia's gaze gradually turned cold.Quinn glared at Celia menacin
In fact, Yardley didn't tell anyone. … Meanwhile, Morgan stumbled upon a surprising find. She discovered two healthy, month-old babies at the orphanage. "Director, is it true that no one wants such young babies?" Morgan felt a bit emotional. How could people be so heartless as to abandon their own babies? The director of the orphanage let out a deep sigh. "You don't know the whole story. Our janitor found these babies at the orphanage's entrance. Someone left them there and disappeared. "We've been taking care of them for about half a month now, and their condition has improved significantly." Looking at the adorable babies, Morgan couldn't shake the feeling that they belonged to Celia. "I'm here on behalf of Yardley Hughes else to adopt these children, but..." Morgan expressed her concerns. Morgan anticipated the orphanage director's refusal. To her surprise, he actually agreed. "The opportunity for these two babies to have some good days is preferable to nothing.
"Let's go, Celia. We shouldn't disturb the twins' rest," said Yardley as he supported Celia and got ready to leave. Celia waved her hand and stood in front of the incubator. Even with the glass barrier, she could still discern the condition of her children. She reached out to touch them, as if her touch could make them feel her presence. She resolved to take her children home safely. Celia lingered for a while before finally leaving the hospital. Once they were home, Celia locked herself in her room, disregarding any attempts anyone made to talk to her. Yardley headed to the company to attend to some matters, while the housekeepers remained at home. Meanwhile, Morgan couldn't shake her concern for Celia, so she came to visit her. Upon entering, she heard the housekeepers upstairs calling out, "Mrs. Hughes, are you feeling better? Come out and have some soup!" However, there was no response from inside. "What's going on?" Morgan asked. The housekeepers promptly briefed
Sophie had failed to get Celia's forgiveness. So, she had no choice but to pin all her hopes on Morgan.She took all the supplements to Morgan's apartment. Richard was staying there with her.Ever since the incident with Celia, Sophie's relationship with Richard had become very strained. They barely talked to one another.Sophie knocked on the door for a long time, but no one came out.She could only wait outside. After two hours, she finally saw Morgan and Richard. They came into view, laughing and holding each other's hands.This scene pained Sophie deeply."What are you doing here?" Morgan's cheerful expression faltered the moment she saw Sophie.Sophie could only put on a smile and say, "I brought all these for you. I was wrong to come between your relationship with my son."Richard glanced at the items on the ground. He could tell from a glance that they were meant for postpartum care and immediately understood why Sophie was there."Mom, you should be honest. You got the
Otto didn't back down and insisted on his right to see his grandchildren. However, Yardley paid him no mind. He shook his head and said, "Celia needs rest. Please come back another day."The next second, he instructed the housekeepers to close the door and left Otto standing outside. Otto stomped his walking cane on the ground in frustration but had no choice but to leave.As Yardley made his way back inside the villa, he thought of another troubling matter.Although they had brought their children home, the twins had been weak because they had been born prematurely. They had appointed a family doctor to treat the twins but hadn't seen much improvement in their health. Yardley sanitized himself before he went into the nursery. He felt pained when he heard the twins' weak breaths."Mr. Hughes." The family doctor spoke up with a frown, indicating that the situation was far from ideal."The baby girl has been slowly recovering, but the boy remains very weak. I don't think the n
"Don't worry. She's fine. She's just a bit weak at the moment."Remembering Yardley's words outside the ward, the doctor felt a wave of nervousness. He could tell that Yardley and Celia weren't ordinary people judging by their attire. They were certainly not ones to be trifled with."Did you say that we had twins?" Yardley turned to ask the nurse after learning that Celia was alright."Yes, sir." The nurse chuckled inwardly. She found that, despite Yardley's intimidating appearance, he was a very devoted husband.Soon, Celia was moved out of the operating room and into a VIP ward.Yardley gently wiped the sweat from Celia's face again. He took in her pale complexion; it was a sign of how much she had suffered."How's Celia?"Sounds of hurried footsteps came from outside. Ashley and the others had come over. Yardley turned and signaled them to leave.Celia had just given birth, so she needed a quiet environment to rest. Having too many visitors might affect her recovery.Ever
"How could you hit me because of her? I'm the mother of your child!" Sophie shrieked.She had never suffered such humiliation. She had been showered with love from a young age and wasn't accustomed to such harsh treatment. So, she became agitated and emotional."Isn't it all because of you that things turned out this way? Would such a thing have happened to our company? Would Richard suddenly want to break all ties with us? It's all because of your reckless behavior!" Chester vented years of suppressed grievances and dissatisfaction as if it would make him feel better.Celia watched as Chester and Sophie argued fiercely. She stepped forward to stop them, especially since there were many people outside watching the spectacle."Stop fighting. This isn't the time or the place for arguments!"Sophie went at Chester and started hitting him. Celia tried to break up their fight, but Sophie pushed her. Celia took a few steps back at that. She didn't attempt to intervene anymore."It's
"Mrs. Black, we'd intended to negotiate amicably with you and achieve a satisfactory outcome for both parties. "The decision to move out was mine, and I asked Celia to come over and help me out. If you're unwilling to be decent and compromise, then let's end things between our families here."Morgan felt relieved after expressing her thoughts. It was like a significant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "What do you mean?" Richard panicked. Just when their relationship had slightly improved, the situation took a turn for the worse again."We're breaking up for good!"Morgan left after saying that. Jessica and Darby left with her, leaving the Blacks behind."This is all your doing! Look what you've done! How many times have I told you not to be so assertive and bossy? Why don't you ever consider my feelings?" Richard punched the couch angrily, his heart filled with bitterness.Sophie hadn't wanted things to turn out this way either, but she had been too angry and spoke
"It's fine. You two can go if you have something else to attend to," Jessica said.Soon, Celia arrived at the Blacks' residence with Jessica and Darby.Sophie opened the door and was surprised to see Celia standing at the doorstep with Jessica and Darby. She couldn't understand what Celia was up to.Once they were inside, Celia didn't beat around the bush and stated her purpose directly. "I think you might be having some misunderstandings about Morgan."Sophie smiled without saying anything."Don't you think you're interfering too much in Morgan's personal life?" Celia questioned.Upon hearing this, Sophie realized why they were there. Having discussed the issue with Chester, Sophie had finally agreed not to interfere in Richard's and Morgan's lives.So, she didn't object to Celia's words. She even agreed with Celia, much to the latter's surprise.Under normal circumstances, Sophie would have argued with her. Why was she being so agreeable this time?"How about you sign a writ
After saying that, Celia hung up.On the other end, Quinn felt very displeased. After all, it was her party, and she had personally called Celia to invite her. Quinn felt that Celia had snubbed her by refusing to attend.Quinn thought about it for a moment. If Celia didn't come, Yardley probably wouldn't either. If both of them didn't show up, it would be embarrassing for Quinn.So, she decided to go and find Celia.…Morgan was taking refuge at Celia's place, so she answered the door when Quinn came over."I'm here to see Celia."Celia had instructed Morgan to turn away anyone she didn't recognize, no matter who it was. Hence, Morgan said, "Celia isn't seeing anyone today. Please come back another time."To Morgan's surprise, her words ignited the anger that Quinn had been suppressing in her heart. The two quickly started arguing.Celia listened to their argument from her room. She regretted asking Morgan to handle Quinn. She had expected that Quinn would come looking for her