"Remember not to talk nonsense in public. Make sure you keep your mouth shut!"Celine felt wronged by her mother's reprimand because Margaret had been partial to her younger brother since they were children. It was to the point where she would sometimes feel happy when Alexander suppressed him. She knew that if the situation were not so, her mother’s heart would only care for her maternal family."I know," she replied nonchalantly.…Heather went down to the basement. The lighting was not too dark, as it was morning, and the sun shone brightly.Hannah did not notice her arrival and was packing a bag with her back facing her. She did not have much to pack apart from a few ordinary clothes. She hardly had any clothes of her own, apart from two to three sets for changes. All of it had been washed until the colors faded. This was not because she did not have any money. The Riggs family would not skimp on her money to buy some clothes. She just felt it was not necessary!That’s righ
Hannah was at a loss for words. She did not understand what Heather meant. "About us?" She asked as she blinked her eyes in puzzlement.Heather grazed Hannah’s lips lightly with her fingers and put on a mocking smile. "You’re feigning ignorance, aren’t you? Hannah, I realized you’ve had many thoughts after this excursion." Heather said as she gazed into the panic-stricken eyes very similar to hers.Hannah quickly replied, “No, I didn’t, Heather. I know what you’re talking about, but I didn’t! I swear, Heather. I’ll admit I like him, but even so, I didn't say anything to him that I shouldn't have. Also, this is such a big matter. No one apart from Mom, Dad, or a few other family members knows about you and me. I didn’t say anything!"She spoke in a hurry and was anxious Heather would not believe her. She dared not move and allowed Heather to pinch her chin. Hannah did not dodge Heather’s gaze to prove she was not lying."I'm not stupid, Heather. I’m as good as dead if I told him abo
“I never realized you had such a skill." Heather drank half the cup of tea and felt much better."I was muddle-headed before, but after getting a scolding from you that day, I’ve figured things out. I’ll take good care of you and help you from now on because helping you means helping myself."Heather nodded in satisfaction. "I'm going back to my room to rest. Have the driver take you to the company.""Okay! Rest well, Heather. You should take good care of yourself." Hannah stood stock still as she watched Heather leave.Then she put away the smile on her face, put down the cup of tea, and dusted off her hands. She walked toward the closet and needed to choose a beautiful dress since she was going out.…Margaret's visit was beyond Lily's expectations. She never thought Margaret would ever come again after what happened. That time, Lily had prepared herself and knew the reason for Margaret’s visit. However, her visit this time had no precursor.Was Ralph trying to pull the same t
Margaret was sitting on the sofa and drinking tea when Lily came downstairs.Lily noted that Margaret seemed a little tired but did not harbor an air of menace. Margaret probably was not here for a fight. "Grandma," Lily called out as she walked over to Margaret."Slow down. You’re pregnant now. Don’t rush when walking, and be careful. Don’t jump around like before," Margaret said when she saw Lily’s belly."I know. Why are you here today?" Lily nodded at Margaret’s show of concern and smiled.Margaret put down the teacup and looked around. "Is Alex not home?""He’s usually at the company at this time and isn’t back yet. You should know that, right Grandma?" Lily replied. Her words implied that Margaret should know this and have a purpose in coming at this hour.Margaret coughed dryly to cover up her embarrassment when Lily had exposed her intention. She then picked up the teacup once again and took a sip. "Yeah, he should still be at the company at this hour. He’s just like his
Now that things had come to this point, she had to say the words she had kept in her heart."Enough, there’s no need to save my face. That's not a coincidence. Right now, I want to know if that secret handbook is still in your hands?"Ralph said Alexander set a trap for him and that the secret handbook was fake. However, why didn't he catch the net since it was a trap? He let him steal the fake one and just ignored it? Could he have some other surprises prepared?"Grandma, I honestly don't know much about the secret handbook. Why don't you wait for Alexander to come back and ask him yourself?"Margaret was frank and straightforward with her words, but what should Lily reply? Would Margaret believe it if she told the truth?Was she here to check on the situation for Ralph or something else? Lily had to maintain a vigilant attitude toward her. She would not be too harsh to Margaret but could not completely trust her. After all, she had been partial to her son but very strict toward
Alexander shook his head. He did not know why Margaret suddenly came over, as he did not meet her. After some thought, he asked, "You said she asked you to go to the family meeting on Saturday before she left?"Lily nodded. "That's what she said. She didn't say it was a must, though. She only mentioned she’d be very happy if I went. Is there something wrong with the family meeting?”"Did you also notice that something's not right? Don't worry. It’s been so many years. They don’t have any more cards up their sleeve." He lovingly scratched her nose with a smile."You said the secret handbook your uncle stole is a fake. Why didn’t he confront you if he found out about it?”"As you said, he stole it. If he confronted me, it would be equivalent to admitting what he did. Right now, the person he hates most should be Heather instead." After all, Heather was the one who used him. From Ralph’s point of view, Heather was the one who took the real handbook and left him after using him.S
"I got it. You can leave. I want to rest alone." Hannah nodded and waved Chloe away.The secretary backed out understandingly. Hannah lightly tapped the phone with one hand but did not pick it up. She did not have a mobile phone herself. The phone she received every time she left the house was the only one. The main purpose was to make it easy for Heather to reach her at any time and give her instructions. However, this mobile phone would be confiscated when she returned home.She had no right to install any apps or phone numbers. She was just a shadow. As a shadow, she could not have friends or a social circle.She could not initiate contact with Ralph before, but she had already memorized his number by heart.She was cautious about using this phone, as it was wiretapped and installed with a tracking device by Heather. It was simply a monitoring device for her. The phone calls within the company were also recorded. After some thought, she picked up the phone and quickly dialed t
“I don't have the time.” Hannah gripped the phone with both hands and felt her heart trembling.Since Ralph wanted to meet, she would oblige since she had not seen him for days. Hannah dreamed of their happy moments together every night. Ralph’s sweet words, warm kisses, and everything in between made Hannah smile sweetly while dreaming but left with bitterness when she awoke.However, she felt he had an ulterior motive and laced his words with lies. It was likely his sweet words were for Heather. Still, Hannah was willing to deceive herself and convince herself that Ralph loved her.Hannah had been her sister’s shadow for more than twenty years. She was never Heather.However, Ralph would call her Annie and even romantically propose to her publicly. He even promised her a lifetime of happiness. Hannah greedily wanted more on that day as she looked forward to having her own life. She hoped she could get married and have children like an average person one day, but Heather had ruine