“Really?” Mariah’s interest was piqued. The actor Leonardo Blue was her perfect idol—talented and skilled, it was as if heaven had blessed him with a career.
“I wouldn’t joke about this. Recently, at an event, I happened to be a guest alongside him. Since you mentioned before that he’s your idol, I casually asked him for an autographed photo for you. When are you free? I can give it to you,” Cassandra said.
Hearing that she could get an autographed photo of her idol, Mariah felt her spirits lift, sweeping away the earlier gloom. She quickly replied, “I’m free tonight. How about we grab dinner?”
“Great! It’s a deal. I’ll send you the location later.”
The two quickly settled on a time and place to meet.
Cassandra’s sudden call to Mariah wasn’t coincidental; it was actually a request from Luca.
Luca had been keeping an eye on Vanessa&rsqu
Not knowing if Cassandra had understood, Mariah adjusted her face and said earnestly, “Cassandra, don’t misunderstand. I was just trying to help you out. I really don’t like girls!”At that moment, Cassandra's intoxication caught up with her, and she could hardly hear what Mariah was saying before she drowsily fell asleep.Watching Cassandra sleep in her arms, Mariah found the situation both amusing and exasperating. She could only call a car to take her home.The next morning, Cassandra woke up with a terrible headache, groggily sitting up while holding her head, piecing together the fragmented memories of the night before.‘Did I really kiss Mariah last night? Oh no, she can’t seriously think I like girls, or that I have feelings for her, can she?’Realizing what she had done, Cassandra tightly wra
Luca was taken aback. “What’s so uncomfortable about that?”As soon as he finished speaking, Vanessa shot him an eye-roll, silencing him instantly.Luca replied awkwardly, “Well… I still have to attend the meeting. I’ll try my best not to look at you.”Vanessa wasn’t sure how much ‘trying’ that meant, as Luca continued to stare at her throughout the meeting.Vanessa could only do her best to ignore the intense gaze, focusing on the meeting materials instead. However, due to her nerves, she stumbled over her words a few times while speaking, leaving her feeling flustered, but there was nothing she could do about Luca.Meanwhile, Mariah and Cassandra arrived at the agreed location.In front of the elegant Japanese restaurant, a young man in a suit had been waiting f
Vanessa's private elevator had some issues, so she ended up sharing the same elevator with the staff. She didn’t expect to overhear such explosive content and perked up her ears to listen closely to the conversation between two employees in front of her.“Ah, come on, it’s hard to define something like this,” one said hesitantly.Hearing the doubt in the other’s voice, the first person got anxious. “How could I possibly be mistaken? It’s that actress who has been coming to our company often. I bumped into her at a restaurant once, and the way they interacted felt overly intimate.”“No wonder Mariah is cold toward every man. There were a few guys in our department who wanted to pursue her, but she outright rejected them,” the other employee replied.Finally grasping the situation, Vanessa felt a bit surprised.Recently, Cassandra had been coming here frequently. Coupled with what she
Luca had already done enough for her; there was no need for him to risk himself alongside her.Of course, Vanessa also harbored a secret thought. Luca’s presence and support had made her start to hesitate. She didn’t want to accept too much from him for fear that she might be unable to resist seeking revenge against him later.So, Vanessa discreetly gathered information about the situation of those people and went to visit them alone.Unfortunately, these individuals all found various excuses to avoid seeing her.After being repeatedly turned away, Vanessa felt somewhat frustrated. She couldn’t understand why they were so determined not to meet her. Did they not want to get involved in these matters again?Vanessa speculated aimlessly in her mind.Regardless, one thing was certain: Beatriz had definitely u
“Vanessa, stop acting so smug in front of me. You won’t be able to take Luca away from me—just like you couldn’t five years ago, and just like you won’t now. From the beginning to the end, Luca belongs only to me.”Beatriz’s eyes blazed with anger as she stared at Vanessa, making no effort to conceal the hatred in her gaze.“Oh? Can’t take him away?” Vanessa sneered, deliberately fanning the flames. “Then what exactly are you doing now?”“You bitch.”Beatriz was truly enraged. She raised her hand high, ready to slap Vanessa, but before she could strike, Vanessa caught her wrist mid-air.There was no way she’d take that slap for nothing. Watching Beatriz fume in helpless anger, Vanessa felt a twisted sense of satisfaction rise in her chest.But this wasn’t nearly enough. Not even close. The suffering she had endured needed to be repaid—tenfol
However, while Vanessa had planted some spies in the Ness branch, the manpower was still insufficient. She feared being discovered by Beatriz’s people the moment she stepped outside.After much consideration, Vanessa had no choice but to employ a clever ruse, swapping clothes with one of her subordinates. She had her subordinate disguise themselves as her and rushed out in a hurry.Sure enough, Beatriz’s underlings were completely deceived by this trick, focusing intently on Vanessa's subordinate.Taking advantage of this distraction, Vanessa managed to escape with the help of her aide.Beatriz, still under Raymond's control, could only watch helplessly as the scene unfolded, unable to warn her subordinates. Watching them be fooled by Vanessa made her so furious that she nearly bit her teeth in frustration.‘These useless leeche
Five years ago, Beatriz bribed a doctor and provided Luca with a fake pregnancy test report. Meanwhile, she played the role of a confidante by Luca's side, offering him suggestions.At that time, Luca's feelings for Vanessa were still unclear, but he didn’t want any accidents to befall her, which ultimately led him to fall into Beatriz’s trap.Vanessa looked at the man in front of her, who kept apologizing, and it would be a lie to say she felt no sympathy.After all, he was the man she had admired for many years and had also hated for five.Yet, Vanessa felt deeply moved.Did he even realize that because of one of his actions back then, their child had nearly lost its innocent life?Vanessa couldn’t shake off the feeling that forgiving him too easily would be unfair, yet she also thought that ultimately, what had happened was not entirely his fault. It could only be said that Beatriz was an excellent actress with dee
A simple sentence stirred up a storm in Vanessa's heart, even making her question whether her decision to seek revenge against Luca was the right one.The handsome man before her, with his deep, affectionate gaze, gave Vanessa the illusion that they had been deeply in love for many years.As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Vanessa was startled and quickly extinguished it.After all, five years had passed since she last saw Luca. Even if she had been sincere toward him five years ago, had he ever truly liked her? Even without those misunderstandings, his consistently indifferent attitude over the years was all too real.Vanessa didn’t dare to ponder further or ask the man before her; she feared it might all just be her own delusion.Perhaps, rather than love, what Luca felt for her was more akin to guilt.Just then, Mariah's phone call interrupted her thoughts, causing Vanessa to pause before hastily answering.“Vane
"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