Back in her office,
Vanessa was so angry that she paced back and forth by the window, pulling out her phone to call Daxton directly.
After a few rings, he answered.
Daxton spoke as if nothing had happened, cheerfully asking, “Vanessa, have you arrived at the company?”
“Yeah,” she replied coldly, immediately confronting him about the assistant change. “Why did you unilaterally decide to replace my assistant? What does our argument have to do with him? Who else do you want to swap out?”
Despite her agitation, Daxton remained calm and gentle in his tone. “Ora is quite capable and won’t require your extra effort. Besides, your previous assistant didn’t take care of you at all. Ora was carefully chosen by me; she’s trustworthy. Trust me,” he added, hinting further, “the headquarters k
Upon hearing this, Beatriz's face turned pale, then flushed with anger.This was originally her trick. Worried that Luca might discover something, Beatriz cautiously glanced at him, relieved to see he wasn’t paying attention to her.Picking up on the sarcasm in Vanessa's words, Beatriz felt a bit unwilling to accept it and retorted, “President Saxon, what are you saying? Ezra is indeed feeling unwell, and as parents, it’s only natural for us to be cautious. Why does it become us slandering you here?”Vanessa found this amusing. “Miss Langley, your ability to twist facts is truly impressive. However, there’s no need for your little act in front of me; I’m not falling for it.”Seeing Vanessa’s disdainful expression, Beatriz became even more irritated. She tugged at Luca and said, “Luca, say something! Everyone in the mansion knows that Ezra is unwell. It’s not like we’re trying to sland
Cortex.As soon as Vanessa arrived at the office, she saw Ora pacing back and forth at the door, seeming anxious about something.Feeling a bit surprised, Vanessa furrowed her brows and asked, “Is something wrong?”The moment Ora spotted Vanessa, it was as if she had found a savior, and she quickly stepped forward.Vanessa opened the office door, and as Ora followed her inside, she began reporting the latest updates.However, when she reached a certain point, Ora’s expression changed. “President Saxon, I’ve contacted several suppliers, and they all said that the original materials are in short supply. It seems the previous design plan may not work.”Vanessa frowned. “Is it the main material in the design plan?”Ora shook her head. “Not exactly, but this material is used in several places in the plan, so…”Vanessa understood what Ora meant and interrupted, &ldquo
After sending Daxton away, Vanessa immersed herself in her work, carefully examining the design blueprints. Inspired by Luca's suggestions, she picked up her pen and began to sketch.In the following days, Vanessa stayed at the company, and thanks to the team’s hard work, the progress on the project revisions was steadily moving forward.However, thinking of Isla made Vanessa feel a pang of guilt. She had been so busy with work lately that she hadn’t spent enough time with her. She wondered if the little one was feeling neglected.Just as she was lost in thought, Luca arrived.Vanessa was already used to his frequent visits.In the past few days, Luca had come by almost every day, but their discussions were all about company collaborations.Vanessa tried hard to control her thoughts, convincing herself to think of him only as a business partner to avoid future disappointment.That said, each time Luca came, Vanessa’s
Even though Vanessa insisted she was feeling fine, Daxton and Mariah were still uneasy. They insisted on giving her a full check-up before they would relax.“I really am fine. Daxton, you should head back. I have Mariah here to keep me company,” Vanessa said, reluctant to face Daxton. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with him lately.Daxton glanced at Vanessa but didn’t say much. He only reminded her to rest well before leaving the hospital.As he pushed open the door to his home, the stark emptiness of the room was accentuated by the numerous photos lining the walls.Upon closer inspection, they were various pictures of Vanessa, many of which were clearly taken from hidden angles.Daxton stepped closer, gently tracing the images with his fingers, as if he were caressing Vanessa herself.
“I…” Daxton looked into Vanessa’s eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.Taking a moment to compose himself, Daxton sat down beside Vanessa, taking her hand in his. “Vanessa, you know I’ve always liked you…”The sudden touch and inexplicable words made Vanessa furrow her brows in confusion.She forcefully pulled her hand away from Daxton and interrupted him, her voice firm. “You brought me here just to say this? In this way? Daxton, do you realize this is kidnapping? Let me go right now; I have a mountain of work waiting for me at the office.”As soon as he heard Vanessa wanted to leave, Daxton’s expression changed dramatically. He grabbed her by the neck and hissed, “Want to leave? So you still want to be with Luca. Don’t dream; I won’t let you go this time. You’ll never escape.”With the oxygen in her lungs dwindling, Vanessa's face turned red as she
Daxton watched the affectionate scene between the two, his jealousy flaring hotter by the moment.Why?! Why could Luca hurt her so deeply yet still make her love him helplessly, while his own silent devotion had gone unnoticed?Rage nearly consumed Daxton’s reason.If that was the case, then he had no need to hold back any longer.With a cold sneer, he didn’t know whether he was mocking the tragic lovers before him or ridiculing himself as a clown.Then, Daxton pulled a handgun from behind him, loading a bullet into the chamber, and aimed it at the two. “Luca, I’m giving you a choice. Only one of you can leave here today. Will it be Vanessa or yourself?”Vanessa frowned and shouted, “Daxton, are you insane?!”This time, Daxton didn’t glance at Vanessa but fixed his gaze on Luca.Luca had anticipated that things wouldn’t be simple. The current situation was within
Luca took advantage of his recovery to stay at Vanessa's house for a few days.During this time, Vanessa entrusted all company matters to Mariah, focusing instead on caring for Luca at home.After a few days together, Luca vaguely sensed that Vanessa’s attitude towards him had softened; she was no longer as cold and distant as before, which filled him with a bit of secret delight.In reality, Vanessa had indeed changed significantly in her attitude towards Luca. She was grateful that he had saved her, yet she was still unwilling to easily forgive him for what he had done before.Conflicted, Vanessa found herself alternating between memories of Luca, injured and approaching her, and his cold demeanor when he had plotted against her child.These two extreme emotions battled within her, leaving her feeling both sweet and tortured.Luca, however, was unaware of Vanessa's inner turmoil. To him, it was already a blessing that she was n
Vanessa stared in disbelief, her eyes wide open, unwilling to believe that these words were coming from an elder. How could she casually slander someone else?At this moment, Mrs. Radcliffe seemed to be in a state of desperation, continuing, “Vanessa, how could you refuse to help us at such a critical moment, especially after all the good Daxton has done for you?”The words from Mrs. Radcliffe, coupled with Mr. Radcliffe's disappointed gaze, pierced Vanessa’s heart like sharp arrows.Tears welled in Vanessa's eyes as she responded angrily, “I’ve already repaid any debts to Daxton and the Radcliffe family. You’re looking for the wrong person today.”With that, Vanessa instructed her assistant to see them out.After sending the Radcliffe couple away, Vanessa leaned back in her chair and let out a heavy sigh, but her thoughts were a tangled mess.Luca had originally only wanted to check on Vanessa. As h
"Isla, guess what I brought for you?" Luca shook a cake box at her with a grin.Seeing the familiar box, Isla lit up, practically coming to life. Her eyes sparkled as she leaped forward to grab the cake from Luca's hands, flashing him a sweet smile. "Thank you, Uncle Luca!"Watching her bounce around so happily, Vanessa finally relaxed, relieved to see her in such high spirits.Isla skipped into the living room with her little cake, unwrapping it while shooting her mom a playful look. "Uncle Luca knows me best! Mom never lets me eat this stuff."Vanessa sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead. "Too many sweets aren’t good for you. You won’t grow tall."At that, Isla pouted, looking unconvinced. "Mom, you’re just trying to trick me again."Vanessa chuckled, tousling Isla's hair. "You little girl, always so clever."Mean
Vanessa was both anxious and helpless, so she dialed Luca’s number again. Once again, it was Grandpa Kensington who answered.Not caring about her confusion, Vanessa cried, “Grandpa, please, can you let Luca come back, just for a moment? Isla refuses to eat, and I really don’t know what to do. I’m afraid she’ll starve…”Before she could finish her sentence, Grandpa Kensington hung up the phone.Vanessa stared at her phone in disbelief.At that moment, Luca had just finished taking a shower and realized he had left his phone on the dining table. As he wiped his hair, he went downstairs to grab it.As soon as he unlocked the screen, he noticed that Vanessa had called him twice, but both calls showed as received.Luca looked at Grandpa Kensington in confusion. “Grandpa, did someone call just now?”&nb
“Isla, why aren’t you coming to eat?” Vanessa found it a bit strange; the little one had been unusually quiet today.“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Vanessa tentatively touched Isla’s forehead.Not sick…Vanessa muttered to herself while saying to Isla, “The dishes are going to get cold. Come and eat; tonight we have your favorite shrimp ceviche.”Isla glanced at the dining table but then lowered her head, quietly fiddling with her Lego. With a sullen tone, she said, “Mommy, I want to play with Lego…”Hearing this, Vanessa frowned. “You can play with Lego after dinner. Let’s eat first.”Seeing that Mommy seemed angry, Isla reluctantly put down her toy and walked toward the table.“Mommy, when is Uncle Luca coming back?”
“Yeah, William explained everything to me. I should apologize to you for the misunderstanding,” Cassandra said. Being someone who doesn’t sweat the small stuff, she had realized her mistake the moment William explained things to her. She had felt guilty ever since, especially since her relationship with Mariah had become a bit distant because of William.Now that the words were finally out, Cassandra felt a weight lift off her chest.“Are you here alone? Where’s the detective?” Cassandra asked curiously upon seeing Mariah by herself.“Um…” Mariah hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. How could she admit that she had been fooled?“It was a scam, but it's all sorted out now,” William interjected, answering for Mariah.“Wow…” Cassandra was taken aback for a moment, then seemed to think of something
“Ha ha, I thought Miss Hutchson was a smart person, but it seems I was mistaken…”The private investigator said this as he tossed the photos he had taken onto the table.Mariah was a bit perplexed as she picked up the photos and flipped through them. They were pictures of her alone with Leonardo, and judging by the background, they were taken during her last visit to the hospital…“What do you mean by this?” Mariah frowned, her tone displeased. “I hired you to find out who spread the rumors, not to investigate my relationship with Leonardo!”“I know, but it seems we have some unexpected surprises here. If you really had a clear conscience, why react so strongly…” The private investigator looked at Mariah’s expression, smiling as if everything was going according to his plan.“Just tell me, what&rsquo
Hearing the sound of keys jingling outside the door, Luca and Isla instantly switched from their playful banter to a more serious demeanor.The two had already agreed that to avoid raising Vanessa's suspicions, they needed to maintain their act once she returned.“Uncle Luca, you should take your medicine. Even if you don’t eat, you can’t skip your meds,” Isla urged, pushing the glass of water and the pills toward Luca.“I won’t take it. I’m not eating until your mommy comes back,” Luca stubbornly turned his head away, his tone defiant.When Vanessa walked in, she was met with this scene.“Why aren’t you taking your medicine?” Vanessa frowned, glancing at the table where the medicine lay.“Oh, you’re back!” Luca exclaimed, standing up with surprise upon seeing her.&nbs
When Mariah returned from her business trip, she was informed that Leonardo had been abroad the entire time and hadn’t returned.For some reason, she felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing this news. Before leaving, she had resolved not to let Leonardo’s actions affect her, but now… she hadn’t even seen him.Determined not to dwell in this uncertain emotional state, Mariah shifted her focus to work, immersing herself in tasks to keep her mind occupied.Meanwhile, under Vanessa’s care, Luca’s health gradually improved.His relationship with Isla grew closer, too.Sometimes, Vanessa would watch the two of them whispering to each other and couldn’t help but marvel at the bond of blood. Despite years of separation, they seemed to become familiar with each other almost instantly, even sharing little secrets behind her back.
However, mentioning Leonardo seemed to have become a taboo for Mariah. As long as no one brought him up, everything was fine; but as soon as his name was mentioned, Mariah would revert to her silent, withdrawn state.Vanessa wasn’t sure if Leonardo had reached out to Mariah afterward, nor did she ask about their situation, especially since Luca still needed her care.In truth, Mariah didn’t want to hear Leonardo’s name anymore; whenever she did, it always brought back unpleasant memories.But then, something strange happened.For several days in a row, Mariah received mysterious gifts.Almost every day, the receptionist would look at her with a teasing smile. “Miss Hutchson, your boyfriend is so thoughtful. Even though you’re just on a business trip, he keeps sending you gifts.”Seeing the receptionist’s envious expre
When Luca opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a hospital bed. Vanessa was dozing off at his bedside, while a little one sat nearby, engrossed in her mechanical toy.Isla? Vanessa even brought Isla here?*Seeing them there, a faint smile tugged at his lips, his heart inexplicably at ease. He reached out to gently stroke Vanessa’s face, and as the sunlight from the window brushed her features, the fine hairs on her skin seemed to glisten.It had been a long time since he'd seen her so peaceful, and he couldn’t look away.That was until a sharp-eyed little observer broke the silence, her voice piping up, “Uncle Luca, you’re awake!”“Shhh…” Luca quickly gestured for Isla to keep quiet, worried that she’d wake up Vanessa. But it was too late. Vanessa stirred, blinking blearily before her eyes widened in surprise at se