"If there's no problem, I'm outta here!" Joe slapped the armrest of his chair. "Can't stand hanging around here listening to your nonsense!"He stood up, casting several suspicious glances at Shawn. "Are you sure you're okay?""Do you really wish something was wrong with me?""Not really. Just feel like you're acting weird today."Shawn took a sip of his coffee. "Do I need to send you out of the country again to make me seem normal?"Joe immediately headed for the door. No way he was going there again! Once was more than enough!Back in the CEO's office, silence resumed. Shawn sat in his chair, unmoving, as if frozen in place.Truth be told, he was not sure what he was doing. He really was not feeling normal. Since returning from the hospital, Shawn had this strong sense of unease, as if something was about to happen. Maybe it was the persistent coughing up blood that was making him anxious.Shawn summoned his lawyer and transferred all his shares to Gale, ensuring her unpara
"Rock-paper-scissors?""No way, you're cheating!"In front of the TV, Joshua held the front end of the remote while Nicole gripped the tail. Neither was willing to give in."I want to watch Ivy's historical drama. She wears such beautiful clothes, with lovely accessories, her skirts fluttering. She's like a real fairy!" Nicole insisted.Joshua countered, "Modern dramas are better, closer to how Ivy is in real life like she's right here with us!""I don't care. I want to watch a historical drama!""No, modern dramas are better!"They continued to argue.Watching this, Gale shook her head repeatedly, sighing. What should she do? Whom should she help? Helping either seemed inappropriate."Ahem!" Gale walked over, her face stern. "Stop arguing. Neither of you gets to watch. Give me the remote."Joshua and Nicole did not let go."What? Are you both pretending not to hear me?" Gale frowned.Joshua replied, "Nicole, if you let go, then I will.""You let go first.""I let go, and
"Some TV would be nice; any will do. Stop being picky, or there won't be any TV left to watch!"Gale chuckled in disbelief. "You guys really adore Ivy that much? Can't see her in person, but you'll let her take over the TV?"Joshua nodded earnestly. "Because she's pretty! Watching beautiful women keeps us happy, right, Daddy?"Shawn was puzzled at how Joshua directed the question to him. He was married and could not dare to look at other women. Besides, in his eyes, Gale was the most beautiful!Gale could not help but laugh. "Fine, fine, watch away. But once I turn on the TV, whatever I pick, we watch. Any objections?" she said.Joshua and Nicole chimed in unison, "No objections!"The minor disagreement was finally peacefully resolved. Once the TV was on, the kids instantly quieted down, totally absorbed in their show.Nicole squeezed in a question during a break. "Mommy, Daddy, when are we seeing Ivy again?""Didn't we just see her a few days ago?""I know we did, but I mean,
"I really love you, Galey.""I really love you too."Gale reached up and pinched his cheek absentmindedly, unaware that something was amiss. Ivy's drama had high ratings, and Gale thought she was truly born for this kind of success. It must feel nice to be favored by fate!At the weekend, on the TV set, the crew bustled around. There were cameras and equipment everywhere, and everyone focused on their tasks.Paul sat in front of the monitor, one foot propped on a chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Several assistant directors sat beside him.A voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, "Five minutes until shooting. All departments speed up preparations."At this moment, a small hand picked up a walkie-talkie and pressed the button. "Hello? Hello?"A child's voice echoed through every walkie-talkie on set."Hey! Kid! Don't touch things, put it back!" Paul shouted impatiently.Joshua glanced at him but obediently put it down. However, he stayed put.Politely, he asked, "He
"I am the same as them.""What could you possibly... uh..." Paul suddenly froze; realization dawned on him.Joshua grinned broadly. "How can you blind to be who I am!"Nicole interjected, "Joshua, it's our first time here, so it's normal they don't know us."Paul was sweating bullets now. This little brat he'd looked down upon turned out to be the young master of the Wood family, the future CEO of Wood Group, and heir to the Wood fortune! Oh no, how unlucky could he get?"Yeah, yeah, Ms. Nicole understands. It was my mistake not to recognize the young master, and I treated him like an extra! I'm so stupid, ha ha ha, I'm doomed!" Paul stammered.As he spoke, Paul quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie and handed it over to Joshua."Everything here is yours to play with. Whatever you want, it's yours!"Joshua did not take it, letting the walkie-talkie drop to the floor with a loud "thud.""I'm not interested anymore." Joshua shrugged. "You keep it for yourself."He coolly crossed hi
Joshua hated such opportunistic, two-faced people.Paul was filled with regret. How could he have known that the little brat who suddenly appeared was actually the young master of the Wood family? Looking at the walkie-talkie in his hand, Paul was full of remorse. He quickly thought of something. "Wait, I need to call Aurum! Yes, I have to inform Aurum about this!" He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Aurum's number. Meanwhile, Shawn and Gale had already walked away. "Are we just going home like this? I feel like Ivy was forced to take leave," Gale asked in the car.Before Shawn could answer, Joshua said, "No way, I specifically came here to see Ivy today. I must see her!""Right!" Nicole echoed, "If Ivy isn't at the set, she must be at home or at Uncle Aurum's place. Let's go there!""I'll call Ivy," Gale said, moving quickly to dial her number before Shawn could stop her. The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. Shawn's lips tightened. He had a hunch tha
"I don't know if you're genuinely on my side or just trying to placate me with lies," Aurum said.He walked over to her and gently took her wrist. "Look how thin you've become. Why aren't you eating? What if you harm your health? It would hurt me to see you suffer," he said softly.Next to them was a bowl of porridge. It was still warm as it was just made in the morning. Aurum picked it up and brought a spoonful to her lips. "Come on, have a little."Ivy did not open her mouth and stared blankly at him. She would not be swayed by Aurum's actions. He had not shown up for three days during her hunger strike, and now he was here suddenly. There had to be a reason. She knew Aurum too well; he never did anything without a purpose."Eat. Fill your stomach, then we can talk," Aurum coaxed patiently."I've promised you everything. My whole heart is yours. Why don't you believe me?" Ivy asked.Aurum nodded. "I believe you, I believe you. Now, open your mouth."The aroma of the porridge l
"Alright, I'll go prepare some tea and snacks."Aurum tossed the walkie-talkie aside and stood with his hands on his hips, his expression dark and menacing. Ivy watched his back silently, knowing that Aurum was contemplating whether to keep her confined or to take her to see Shawn. He was weighing the pros and cons.After a while, Aurum turned around, his gaze lingering on her with a meaningful look. "Come here."Ivy complied."Take off your clothes."She did not move, instead covering her front. "What do you want to do?""Do it yourself, or do you need my help?""Tell me why you want me to undress first!""I will conduct a full body search. What if you're hiding something and give it to Shawn the moment you see him?" Aurum replied. Aurum had meticulously planned each step to get to where he was today. He could not let everything be ruined by Ivy. Absolutely not!A body search? Ivy actually felt a sense of relief."Fine." She bit her lip. "To prove my innocence, to show tha