"Her daughter-in-law! I bet she's trying to force her to change her mind. It's totally disgusting!""Yeah! If I was Larissa, I would never come! See what she does!""Come on, guys, let's go! I daresay that someone like her won't jump! The more people watch, the more she'll act up! If no one bothers to entertain her, she'll just slip away quietly on her own!"The voice of the speaker was a little familiar. Larissa had just turned back when she smacked right into a firm chest. Huffing as she held her sore nose, she looked up to see—"Mr. Rogers?" Her eyes widened.As for the other guy near him chatting with the others, who else could it be but Dylan Shields?"Why are you here?"Kevan did not answer, but he gripped her wrist and said flatly, "Come."As his pace was faster than hers, Larissa had to jog a little to keep up with him as he dragged her.Kevan's car was parked near the surgery building. Once he pushed Larissa into the back seat, he sat on the other side of it as well.A
The police did not restrict access to the surgery building, so Dylan reached the rooftop pretty easily. There was a policeman guarding the entrance. When he saw Dylan coming over, he blocked him off."The rooftop is still off limits."Dylan got out his business card and handed it over calmly. "Hello, sir. I'm a lawyer representing Ms. Larissa Seymour, specifically here to negotiate with Ms. Levange."Everyone present knew about how Janine wanted to meet Larissa through her wailing.The policeman went out to the rooftop briefly before coming back. He said to Dylan, "Go on up.""Thank you." Dylan made the last few steps to reach his destination.The rooftop of the surgery building was quite large. It usually served as a resting area for doctors and nurses, with several long tables placed there.As people frequently came up here, the doors to the rooftop were not locked, which gave Janine the chance to "jump".Turning a corner, Dylan saw two uniformed policemen and Janine, who had
Mrs. Hardy did not fall for it."Call her now! Make her tell everyone in the whole wide world! Tell them everything she said tonight was false! Tell them only what I said is true!""But is what you said true?" Dylan asked.Mrs. Hardy choked on her own spit. "Of course, it's true!" she shouted, her head held high in defiance. "Stop talking nonsense! Call Larissa right now!""Of course, I could call Ms. Seymour, and I could certainly have her take back everything she said tonight," Dylan said, closing the distance between them by half a step and meeting her eyes, his gaze unwavering. "But think about everyone you've deceived for a moment. Do you think they'll ever be able to trust you again?"Mrs. Hardy was stumped by his question. Her eyes darted around surreptitiously, as if she were trying to think of an answer to his questions."Actually, this whole incident has never been Larissa's fault. The only party you should be placing the blame on is the production team of 'The Mediators Room
Kevan and Larissa sat in the car quietly.They were just looking at one another without exchanging words. It seemed to be the most common occurrence when they were alone.Kevan stared out of the window.His expression was calm, but his body tensed inch by inch.He wanted to talk to Larissa, but he didn't know what he should talk to her about.Numerous conversation topics flashed through his mind, but they were rejected by him one by one."Are you okay?" sounded too stupid."Have you eaten?" sounded like he was trying too hard to fill the silence."You did well today" was just weird. She wasn't his subordinate."Do you remember how, as a child, you used to—" That was probably a scar she wished to never uncover in this lifetime if she could help it.Forget it, he thought dejectedly.Perhaps he really was just as Dylan described—he had no talent for pursuing girls.Larissa's phone was turned off. She had no plans of turning it on again for now.Without her phone to kill time, she felt the
"Don't worry, even if the clothes get damaged this time, I won't hold you responsible for it."Larissa released a sigh of relief.Still, after a long while, she suddenly wondered: if he truly was so generous, why did he insist that she compensate him the last time?…Mrs. Hardy was taken into custody by the police, and Dylan was able to leave after successfully completing his mission.The crowd gathered outside the surgery building had already dispersed when he left, and the firefighters were in the process of deflating the air mattress. A few bystanders muttered, "How boring! She failed to jump even after making all that fuss."When he returned to the car, Kevan asked him, "How did it go?"Dylan fastened his seat belt and replied while he started the car. "She said she'd been asked to go on the show by an editor, Ms. Holleran, from the show.""An editor from 'The Mediators Room'?" Kevan felt that something was not right. "How did an editor from a television program know all about her
Larissa received many congratulations for her successful attempt at defending her honor and vindicating herself.The general manager called her as well and informed her that he was appealing directly to his superiors for her reinstatement and that she would most probably be able to return to work at the Regal Dynasty the week after.Larissa thanked him.…On Saturday morning, Larissa received a call from Kevan.He was already waiting for her downstairs.Larissa didn't want to make him wait for too long, so she merely changed into a set of new clothes without tidying herself up or putting on makeup. She left the house after that.Kevan was the only one in the car, so Larissa naturally sat in the passenger's seat."Is Dylan not coming with us?" she asked.Kevan's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.The first thing she asked about was Dylan—how maddening."He's not coming," he replied coldly.Larissa hummed in acknowledgment. "Did you have breakfast yet?" she continued."Nope." H
"What?" Kevan asked in confusion."Your face—" Larissa's laugh was a little forced.Kevan immediately understood her meaning and raised his hand to wipe his face.But when he removed his hand and looked at it, there was nothing there."Not there—" Larissa leaned forward and brushed away the smudge on his face with two fingers.Her fingertips were warm against his skin. Even though the interaction lasted less than two seconds, it still made his body temperature skyrocket.His blood seemed to have all rushed to his brain, staining the skin above his neck red.Kevan thanked her again, but his voice was hoarser than it was the first time.He pulled out two pieces of tissue and handed them to Larissa. "Here, wipe your hands."Having said that, he straightened his posture and started the car once more.…Because they'd left so early, they did not encounter any traffic. The journey from the city center to Starry Mountain had only taken them approximately two hours.Starry Mountain was a highl
Larissa was so tired that her exhaustion and anger gradually overpowered her rationality, so much that she no longer cared about the disparities between her and Kevan's social status, which consequently made her lose her fear of him."I just have ten dollars," Kevan told her without a hint of guilt on his face.The price of one cable car ticket was twelve dollars.Larissa was rendered speechless.Eyeing the endless mountainous terrain, she carefully replaced the cap of the mineral water before supporting herself up by holding onto the metal railings on both sides of the trail."Let's go," she said weakly.Kevan stood unmoving."Are you sure?" He raised his brows, the doubt in his voice apparent."We have to get to the top before we get hungry anyway." Larissa squeezed the bottle with one hand and grabbed the metal railings with another, plowing ahead with her head down.Kevan jogged in front of her and blocked her path."What?" Larissa looked at him, puzzled.Kevan switched his bottle
Wendy said, "You have to walk faster than this, Larissa! It's almost time! Your husband can't wait!""Alright!" Larissa quickly gathered up her skirts and followed her.The sun was out.Its golden rays shone softly on the red carpet through the rose petals.Larissa suppressed her desire to stay here for a little while longer and quickly walked toward the end.It was the door to the glass hall.Gary held Aster's hand and his cane in the other, waiting for her at the entrance.When he saw her, Aster immediately let go of Gary's hand and rushed toward her. "You're so pretty today, Mommy!"Larissa patted his head and smiled gently. "Thank you."Aster was her flower boy. Like Gary, he was wearing a tuxedo with a little bowtie.He was holding a basket that was proportionate to his body. In it were rose petals of various colors and shapes.The music suddenly began playing.Gary walked up to her and extended his arm toward her. "Let's go."He looked at her with a smile, his eyes g
Gary and Lewis left Bartham after two days.Blue Star did not give them time off. They couldn't stay for long.Larissa's holidays were coming to an end as well. Half of the time, she was in the Rogers' villa.Because of the pandemic, most of the shops weren't open yet. She slept and ate at home most of the time and accompanied her family. It was quite nice.After the holidays, Kevan and Larissa went back to work.Aster was sent to the kindergarten that he'd been to before. Violet was the one who drove him to and fro.In fact, in order to better take care of him, the parents moved out of Rogers' villa and bought a house in Kevan and Larissa's neighborhood.The days passed in the blink of an eye.Blue Star's company in Bartham was quickly built. Lewis sent over a few loyal and trained employees to hold the fort with Larissa and hired people according to the company's needs. The company was soon on the right track, and the headquarters' work was moved over.Larissa grew busier an
Violet had set aside Larissa's breakfast for her.Larissa ate with reddened cheeks. Kevan and Aster, who had been waiting for her, got up at the same time. Violet brought out a boxful of pie from the kitchen."Don't forget this." She put the box in Kevan's hands."Alright. Thanks, Mom." Kevan looked at Larissa and asked, "Can we go now?"Larissa wanted to ignore him, but in front of Violet, she couldn't express her emotions right now."Yes," she replied, pulling Aster toward her. She said goodbye to Violet and strode out the door.Kevan smiled in slight annoyance and followed suit.…Kevan had told Aster beforehand that they were going to see Great-Grandpa. Thus, all of Aster's questions on the way there revolved around him."Why is great-grandpa called 'Great-Grandpa'?""Is he Grandpa's dad?""Is Great-Grandpa fierce?""If he's dead, how is he going to eat the pie?"…Kevan patiently answered all of his questions.Meanwhile, Larissa looked out the window silently.Keva
Since Larissa had gone downstairs alone, it was natural to expect a few questions."Where's Kevan? Why isn't he coming down with you?""Where's Daddy? He said he would launch fireworks with me."Larissa walked over calmly and made up an excuse. "He's tired, so he showered and slept."The older people did not doubt her. Only Lewis stared at her thoughtfully."Oh … Why did Daddy sleep so early?" Aster pouted in disappointment."You can get him to launch fireworks with you tomorrow. It'll be the same." Larissa patted his head, keeping a calm expression on her face.Anthony and Violet gave the gifts they'd prepared to Larissa and Aster.Violet looked at them, tears falling down her cheeks."I have no regrets now," she said."Thank you, Mom." Larissa gave her a big hug.Violet was stunned, and she cried harder."Good girl." She hugged Larissa back, smiling widely.After Anthony and Violet, Gary and Lewis gave them their gifts. However, they were calm. Aster was so happy that he
"Happy Reunion Day!"For some reason, Larissa's eyes became a little moist. Her voice even sounded a bit choked up."What's wrong?" Kevan nervously held her face, urging her to meet his gaze. "Didn't you like the fireworks just now?"She shook her head. "No, I really liked them!""Then, why are you crying?" Kevan couldn't stand seeing her cry; it tugged at his heart."I'm just very moved."She buried her face in his chest, speaking emotionally, "Welcoming the big family reunion dinner with the person you love is wonderful."The corners of Kevan's mouth gradually curved up as he heard what she said.The hand around her waist tightened inch by inch."I love you too, Lari."He lowered his head and planted a kiss on the top of her head.She hurriedly pushed him away as she sensed his body's response. But she couldn't move him much."They're still waiting for us downstairs!" she reminded him.Lewis knew she was awake, and the fireworks were already over. If they stayed he
It was a rare occasion to have the entire extended family gathered together like this for the big family reunion dinner. In the evening, everyone was in high spirits, having enjoyed a bit of alcohol. Violet took advantage of the festive atmosphere and insisted that Gary and Lewis stay.Since Larissa woke up early after a day without proper rest, she was already feeling quite sleepy even though the reunion dinner TV celebration had just begun.Violet was understanding and told her to go to bed.Larissa tried to muster her energy to stay up."No, I'll at least wait until after midnight."She wasn't someone who adhered to rituals or traditions.In previous years, she wouldn't have stayed up late specifically to welcome the big family reunion dinner day.But this year was different.She had the companionship of her family.She was no longer a drifting, rootless plant in a foreign land.Kevan furrowed his brows slightly and gave her a gentle push."You should get some sleep.
Larissa recalled that there was indeed such an incident.However, Kevan's excuse to her was that he needed to go to Westonia to handle matters concerning Edmund."Kevan knows how the customs work better than you! You're not even married. Yet, you're already taking his side!"Gary scoffed.His displeasure was quite obvious.Larissa chuckled awkwardly, then decided to come clean and reveal the whole truth. "Well, the truth is, Kevan and I never actually got divorced. I married him over six years ago."Gary hadn't heard this from Kevan.So, his emotions seemed conflicted upon first hearing that. He clutched his chest. It was as if he were experiencing some discomfort.Larissa and Lewis quickly approached him, asking with concern, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"In a sudden change of demeanor, Gary used his other hand to playfully tap Larissa's forehead.His expression instantly returned to normal. However, the tap was quite forceful, causing Larissa to wince in pain."If yo
Larissa had to pick up Gary and Lewis early tomorrow morning. So, after having dinner, she returned to her room to freshen up and get ready for bed. As she lay down on the bed, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep no matter what she did.Kevan had just managed to put Aster to sleep before coming into the room. He noticed that the lights were still on.He furrowed his brow and asked, "Why haven't you fallen asleep yet?"Larissa lifted the blanket and sat up abruptly. "I'm feeling very anxious right now," she admitted.Her hair was in disarray.There was a troubled expression on her face."Anxious about what?" Kevan inquired."Well, my dad is coming over tomorrow. What if he doesn't get along with your parents?" The mere thought of that possibility gave her a headache."Uncle Gary is a reasonable person. He won't easily give anyone a hard time," Kevan defended Gary.His words brought a smile to Larissa's face. "Are you saying he hasn't been gi
"Alright, then. We shall head out." Larissa gathered her belongings and pulled Kevan toward the exit."I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. It's almost the big family reunion dinner day. "So, it's hard to find a cab on the road. You might even find yourself waiting for half a day without coming across an empty cab."Gary didn't refuse. Instead, he requested, "Then, you come alone tomorrow."Her steps hesitated a moment, and she sighed inwardly. Gary really hadn't changed."Alright," she agreed.…As soon as they closed the door, Larissa began complaining to Kevan, "I thought my dad had really come around! Turns out, he still has reservations about you!"Kevan tightened his grip on her hand and smiled."Take it slow; there has to be a gradual process."He didn't expect Gary to change his attitude overnight. But as long as things were moving in a positive direction, he was content.She shrugged upon hearing that."Well, it's not me who's being wronged here; it's y