Unknowingly, time had come to a special day. Vanessa stared blankly at the date circled in red on her calendar.
Having taken a leave in advance, she changed her usual attire and wore all black.
Mariah was going to ask her something before leaving, but seeing her demeanor, she chose not to say anything.
“Isla, you have to listen to Sister Mariah, okay? Mommy has to head out first.” Vanessa smiled as she hugged Isla.
Isla happily kissed her.
After getting in the car, Vanessa first went to a flower shop to buy the white bells, her mother’s favorite flower, before driving to the cemetery.
On this day each year, Vanessa’s mood would inexplicably turn heavy. She glanced at the white bells on the passenger seat and then accelerated.
At the cemetery, Beatriz was walking toward a gravestone with a bouquet of chrysanthemums, gently placing the flowers down before beginning to pay respects.
She softly murmured, “What happened back then wa
“No results,” Mariah replied succinctly.Vanessa didn’t press further. She knew how complicated the situation was, so she had to make herself stronger. One day, she would uncover the truth.Once back in her office, Vanessa immersed herself in work as if under a spell.She glanced at the stock market performance of the company today; everything was running smoothly, but that wasn’t nearly enough.That one bidding win was just the beginning. The business world was like a battlefield; if she stood still, she would soon be crushed by others.Therefore, Cortex Group couldn’t rely on a single development model. She had to explore new industries.After staring at the screen for a while, an ad suddenly popped up that caught her eye.“Millennia-old antiques, one day in X City.”The antique industry seemed like a promising direction for development.Just then, her assistant rushed in, flustered.“President Saxon, bad
The first item up for auction was a classical tea set from the last century, said to be one of a kind.With a starting price of 100,000, Vanessa thought it was reasonable.A middle-aged man next to her raised the bid to 150,000, and his assistant quickly lifted the bid card.On the other side, the bids kept climbing, reaching 200,000, which intrigued Vanessa even more about this industry.The auctioneer began calling: “200,000, going once… going twice… sold!”With the final hammer strike, the tea set was claimed by another buyer.Vanessa realized that the following items were even more exquisite, their prices skyrocketing.Finally, it was time for the grand finale. Four staff members carried a transparent glass case onto the platform.A dazzling vase sparkled under the lights, leaving the audience in awe.“This is a real treasure!”“I’ll take it home tonight!”Vanessa felt tempted to snap a photo but restra
After hanging up the phone, Vanessa felt a twinge of nervousness—she would finally uncover the mystery that had been bothering her.Meanwhile, Luca pondered for a long time.“Have Lesley meet with her,” he instructed before continuing his work.“Understood, President,” the assistant replied and took the documents to find Lesley.Arriving at the agreed coffee shop, Vanessa had arrived early to wait.After about five or six minutes, the doorbell rang, and she looked up to see a stranger approaching with a briefcase.“Hello, are you Miss Saxon?” the well-dressed man inquired.“Please, have a seat,” Vanessa gestured for him to sit.Although she didn’t know this man, she suspected things weren’t as simple as they seemed.As they discussed the details of the deal, she was surprised to
Arriving at the French restaurant at the agreed time, Vanessa walked in just as music began to play. Daxton approached her, holding a bouquet of white roses.“Hey, what’s this about?” Vanessa was taken aback and didn’t accept the flowers.“Where’s your mind at? I’m here to congratulate you on your product launch and discuss a few matters,” Daxton said, appearing relaxed.Vanessa couldn’t help but glare at him. “Put the flowers away. Let’s talk about what you wanted to discuss.”Daxton helplessly shook his head, putting the flowers aside and gesturing for her to sit. “Can we talk while we eat?”This time, Vanessa didn’t refuse again. She walked over to the lavish dinner spread and started eating without hesitation.“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about financing. I think your company has great potential, and financing could significantly aid your company’s development,” Daxton said candidly.Upon hearing this, Vanessa fell into deep
“Are you Isla?”“Yes, I’m Isla Saxon, but you can just call me Isla—no need for the last name,” the little girl replied cheerfully.Grandpa Kensington burst into laughter, feeling happier than he had in a long time. The presence of such a joyful child brought warmth to the otherwise quiet house, filling it with a sense of warmth and affection.Vanessa was momentarily taken aback but still encouraged, “Isla, say hello.”As she said this, she glanced at Luca, subtly indicating who Isla was supposed to greet.Isla blinked her eyes, and her expressions mirrored Vanessa’s from years ago, pure and innocent.What a pity he had lost that…“Hello, Uncle Luca!” Isla sweetly called out, stepping closer and grabbing one of his fingers. She marveled, “Uncle, your hand is so big! It’s much stronger than Mommy’s…”“And how does it compare to your dad’s?” Luca, surprisingly unfazed, crouched down and asked with a gentle smile.Isla turn
Vanessa took the box with confusion and opened it, momentarily stunned.“Are you still keeping this?”As the green light turned on, Luca started the car.“I didn’t expect you to remember it,” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.How could she forget this necklace? It was the only gift he had given her when they got married. Back then, she deliberately chose not to take it with her to show him that she had completely given up on him…Now he was returning it to her. What did that mean? Did he think a necklace could win her forgiveness?Vanessa closed the jewelry box and handed it back to him from the back seat. “This necklace belongs to its rightful owner; it’s not mine, and I don’t need it anymore.”Hearing this, Luca slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road. “What do you mean by that? If you want i
On the Flight to London.First Class.Luca had already put on his eye mask and slipped into a restful state. He had informed the flight attendant not to disturb him, allowing him to catch up on some much-needed sleep.To ensure he made this flight to London, he had stayed up late handling work and was still busy dealing with tasks during the car ride to the airport. Thankfully, he managed to board the flight on time.Originally, Vanessa should have arrived in London much earlier on an earlier flight, but due to a last-minute meeting, she had to reschedule to this flight.Both of them were completely unaware of each other’s presence.Nearly ten hours later, the plane landed safely and on time.They still did not realize they were in the same place until they stood at the same exit, waiting for their cars.
The Second Day in LondonOn her second day in London for business, Vanessa was so busy that she barely had time to sleep. Meanwhile, Luca seemed to have all the time in the world, constantly interrupting her work.She had hoped to balance her workload with adjusting to the time difference, aiming to be fresh and alert for the upcoming negotiations. However, after twenty-four hours of continuous work, Vanessa felt her head growing heavier, her breaths becoming increasingly labored.Despite not yet reaching her designated rest time and worrying that the time difference might affect her performance, she pushed herself to continue.Eventually, unable to endure any longer, she decided to step out for a drink of water. But as she staggered toward the door, she dismissed her unsteadiness as merely the effects of sleep deprivation.Crash!Suddenly, Vanessa felt dizzy and collapsed.Hearing the noise, Luca rus
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
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
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
“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
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.
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
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
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
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