"Keep your eyes on the ground. He can't just vanish into thin air!" Charles snapped, his voice icy. "Anything else?""It's over." Sean could tell by the way Charles was clenching his jaw that he was in a foul mood. "He's my Uncle Harrison, and your father-in-law, for crying out loud!"Charles squinted. "Do you think I should be nice to him?"Forget it.Sean might as well not have mentioned it.Sean shrugged, fully aware of the source of Charles's rage. Regardless of what had happened in the past, Harrison and Shirley leaving baby Noelle behind was simply wrong.After a moment's thought, Sean decided to keep Shirley's treatment of Noelle to himself for then. If he found it infuriating, Charles might just lose it completely.It was baffling how Shirley could treat Kelly and Noelle so differently when they were both her daughters. Anyone could see the injustice of it...."Sir, Ms. Shrill is being discharged from the hospital today!"Ellis brought the news to Harrison, who had n
"Aren't you afraid? Your lady's been locked up in the hospital by your nephew for ages, yet you’re hiding in your shell like a spooked turtle." Shirley's gaze was icy as she faced Harrison. "Harrison, you're just a coward!""Hmph! You'll see soon enough if I'm a coward or not. But yeah, I did want you stuck in that hospital," Harrison said, tilting Shirley's chin upward with his fingers. "Judging by how much you've plumped up in just a week, I guess you're not a total airhead!""What's that supposed to mean?" Shirley inhaled sharply. "Harrison, what are you planning?""Going on a hunger strike was the silliest thing ever. Don't pull that stunt again. Even if you're itching for a dramatic exit, don't starve yourself. With your looks and that figure, it'd be a shame. Starvation is just plain ugly, and I bet even the underworld would reject you!""You're such a jerk, Harrison!" Shirley knocked his hand away. "What do you really want? Haven't I paid back what I owe you?""Not even clo
Shirley shuddered at Harrison's words as if the memories buried deep within her were being torn open, raw and bleeding. "Stop talking. You don't deserve to say things like that!”"And who does? Flynn, the married guy? Or John Anderson, the patriarch of the Anderson family?""You're a monster, not a human!"Knock knock!The sound of knocking on the car window cut through the tension inside.Harrison squinted, then caught the lazy tone of the man outside. "Uncle Harrison, after all these years, you greet me with such a big surprise. It doesn't seem quite right, does it?"Harrison's dark expression came into view as the window rolled down.Sean leaned casually against the door, waving a greeting as the glass came down. "Hey, Uncle Harrison... and the lovely little aunt!" Sean's grin was all innocence, his eyes twinkling with mischief.Harrison's gaze was sharp. "It's been ages, Sean.""Sure has! It’s been, what, over twenty years?" Sean stood easy and confident, taking in the sce
They were taking her back to the Smith residence?"No, I won't go!" Shirley looked at Harrison and Sean in terror. She never expected Harrison to show up, and even Sean got involved. Despite spending so many years by Harrison's side, Shirley hardly understood him. Well, she had never truly tried. She might have known him when he was younger, but after everything that happened, Shirley felt there was an unbridgeable distance between them.As for Sean, she knew even less about him. All she understood was that he was Harrison's nephew. Her recent interactions with him still left her uneasy as she was certain Sean was no saint."Aunt Shirley, one would think Uncle Harrison and I bullied you from your reaction," Sean said with a sly glint in his eyes. He glanced at the driver in the front seat. "You know where the Smith residence is, don't you?"The driver stiffened and instinctively glanced at the passenger beside him. "Drive," the passenger commanded curtly.The driver continued fo
Shirley's face turned pale at Yitty's words. "Ms. Yitty, are you here to accuse me?""How could I dare?" Yitty's expression remained cold, clearly showing her disdain for Shirley. "By the way, should I call you Shirley now, or Madison?"Shirley's expression shifted abruptly. "Well, Mr. Smith has finally returned home. As an outsider, I think I'd better leave.""Stop right there!" Harrison's expression darkened. "Don't you dare walk out!"Shirley froze in her tracks as Harrison's voice rang out. "If you don't want Kelly to trouble you in the future, you'd better do as I say."Harrison reached out and grabbed Shirley's hand. "Yitty, Savannah, this is my wife, Madison Jones."Yitty and Savannah were both stunned. Just as they were about to say something, Shirley reacted faster than they could.Shirley flung Harrison's hand away in shock. "Harrison, when did I ever marry you? I'll have you know, I'll never marry you even if it means I'll end up alone for the rest of my life!""Then
"Thank you for the trouble, Yitty," said Harrison."There's no need for formality; we're family," Yitty replied.As she watched Harrison drag Shirley upstairs, Yitty frowned and turned to Sean. "What's going on?"Sean, who had been silently observing, raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so Aunt Yitty finally noticed me?""Heh." Sean smirked. "What would you like to ask?""Your Uncle Harrison—what's the story? When did he come back? And why Shirley?"Sean paused for a moment, suddenly adopting a more serious tone as he looked at Yitty. "Aunt Yitty, this is a bit complicated. I only recently found out that Uncle Harrison had returned."As for why he's back and his entanglement with Shirley, it's a long story, and I'm still piecing it together. But Aunt Yitty, didn't you notice something unusual?""Unusual? About what?""Do you remember someone?""Who?""Noelle—Charles' wife, Noelle!""Noelle?" Yitty froze at the mention of Noelle's name, her eyes revealing a trace of astonishment. "Why w
Sean's lips curled downward. He was clearly displeased.His expression turned cold. "My business is none of your concern!""I'm your mother. If I don't concern myself with you, who will?" Savannah's temper flared at Sean's words. "I let you have your way with everything in the past. I never said anything about your wild behavior, but this—this is where I draw the line!"Savannah was nothing if not resolute. "Why must it be Liliana? Of all the people you could be with, why her? You didn't even like her before!""Like?" Sean sneered. "I don't even know what liking someone means. I only know that since she's back, I won't let her leave again. That's what I owe her.""Sympathy isn't love, Sean!" Savannah pressed her fingers against her temples in frustration. "Do you even understand that? I didn't interfere when you were young and reckless. Your father and I let you do as you pleased. But this? You've already hurt her once. Why can't you just let it go?""Let it go?" Sean raised
Liliana froze, suddenly realizing she was still holding her phone. She quickly ended the call. "What nonsense are you talking about?""But it's true!" Bobby blinked innocently. "Mr. Smith comes to see me every day. He even plays games with me. When you're not around, he takes me out to play!""What did you just say?" Liliana squinted at him. "Are you saying he took you out?"Bobby seemed to realize he had said something wrong. He quickly grabbed Liliana's hand with his tiny fingers."Mommy, don't be mad. I... I just wanted to go out and play. But I promise, I didn't run around. Mr. Smith carried me the whole time. So please don't be mad!"Seeing the timid look in Bobby's eyes, Liliana's heart softened. How could she stay angry at him? Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice trembled. "I'm sorry, Bobby. It's all my fault!"If only she had had the money back then. If only she had treated Bobby's illness sooner—or realized it earlier and sought out Sean earlier—maybe Bobby woul
The woman with Joanna gushed, "You're so lucky! Your boyfriend Sean is so handsome and rich, and your future mother-in-law adores you too!""Please, you're making me blush. Sean and I aren't even official yet." Joanna laughed off the compliment."It's only a matter of time. Everyone at the hospital knows you two are an item. And your future mother-in-law is so generous, showering you with gifts. You wouldn't believe how many people are green with envy!""You're making it sound too good to be true!"As Liliana overheard Joanna and the woman's conversation about Sean, she felt like a creep for eavesdropping.Yes, Sean had been with Joanna for a while. Where did that leave Liliana?She had been with Sean, which explained why he was so cold that day. He must have really disliked her, or else it would not have made sense.Liliana squeezed her hands together, trying hard not to eavesdrop on Joanna and the other woman's chat. However, their words floated to her ears, every single one c
Adalee had braced herself for tough negotiations, but to her surprise, they were ready to shake hands on the deal he moment she stepped into the other company's office. The previous unreasonable demands were gone. They were going to work together just like they had before.Even though Adalee thought it was odd, she was just glad there were no hiccups in the partnership. She signed the contract and decided to give Liliana some time off, hoping it would help her shake off the blues from that unhappy evening.Ever since Liliana came back from Cascade City, she had been quiet. Her life was work, work, and nothing but work. She did not go out, not even when Tania tried to coax her into hanging out.Tania could tell something was off with Liliana, but Liliana clammed up whenever she asked, saying she was swamped with work and had no spare time.Liliana had even forgotten about the date with Keith she had planned to arrange after her business trip.Her routine was simple: she would work
Adalee had just stepped out of her room when she ran into Sean. Sean's face was stormy as he walked past, not even noticing Adalee."Mister..." Adalee called, but Sean did not even look back.Adalee's brows knitted together in worry. She rushed to Liliana's door and called, "Liliana? Liliana?"Adalee did not hear Liliana answer, so she knocked again. "Liliana, are you in there?"After Sean left, Liliana could not stop the tears from coming. However, she did not let herself cry loudly. It was just a quiet, steady sob.When she heard the knock at the door, Liliana quickly stopped crying.She bit her lip, hurried to put on her clothes, and dried her eyes.Adalee waited outside, not leaving before she heard from Liliana. Liliana had no choice but to open the door.As soon as Adalee saw her, she noticed her red, puffy eyes and the marks on her face and neck. "Liliana, what's wrong?"Remembering the drink Liliana had taken for her sake the previous night, Adalee gasped and grabbed h
Disgust—that was it.She remembered a similar desperate moment from years ago. However, Sean had not given her a chance to explain back then.He was disappointed and disgusted with her."Sean, only you and I know about today. If we keep it to ourselves, no one else will find out. I know I was wrong… but I was set up. I'm truly sorry."I promise I won't bother you again. I'm not the same as I was before. I used to have feelings for you, but now I really just see you as a brother. I wouldn't fall for my own brother."And I have a boyfriend whom I really love… I wouldn't ever ruin your happiness, Sean. I promise you that."Liliana was trying to explain, but her words were all jumbled up. She did not even understand what she was saying herself. All she knew was that she did not want to see that look of disgust in Sean's eyes, so she kept explaining, hoping Sean would not hate her.Liliana was so busy trying to clarify things that she did not notice the icy look in Sean's eyes when s
Liliana woke up feeling utterly spent, as if she had been run over.For a moment, her mind was totally blank. She could not remember a thing. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever. Slowly, her senses started to come back.The warm breath and steady breathing from beside her made her eyes pop open wide.The moment she saw Sean lying next to her and shirtless, she could not stay calm any longer. "Ahh!"Her scream woke Sean up.He cracked his eyes open, still groggy, but then suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open, and his piercing gaze landed on Liliana.Her mind was a whirlwind, the memories of last night rushing back. She remembered being drugged, Sean bringing her home, and then, despite trying so hard to hold back, she ended up crossing a line with Sean.The thought made her heart ache, almost drowning her as she met Sean's icy stare.She wrapped her arms around herself, clutching the blanket tightly. She was shaking all over, and her eyes wer
Liliana was crying so hard that she could not think of anything else. All she knew was that she felt awful, and Sean was the man she loved more than anyone else in her life. She hugged Sean tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Liliana, please stop," Sean said gently. He tried to move her hands away, but she held on even tighter. "Sean, I feel so sad… I really like you, Sean," she said through her tears. Sean pried Liliana's hands off him, but she clung to him again. "Sean, I feel awful… I… I like you, Sean."She bit his lips, her hands desperately roaming over his body.Sean was a man, after all. The moment Liliana started touching him so recklessly, his body responded.However, he had always been a man of strong self-control. He pushed her away countless times, but Liliana crawled back each time, whimpering as she restlessly clung to him.Sean's expression darkened. It was not because of Liliana—it was because of himself.He could not believe it. He was actually having
Liliana's mind was a whirlwind. She found her key card fast, but just as she was about to shut the door, a big hand stopped it.She was not strong enough to close the door against Sean, who pushed it open.Liliana took a shaky step back, looking at Sean with a bit of fear. "Sean, it's late. I need to sleep."Sean just kept looking at her. "Liliana, what... what's wrong with your mouth?" he asked as he reached out, his fingers lightly touching the corner of Liliana's mouth. Liliana felt a rush of heat through her body, making her shake all over.In a swift motion, she knocked Sean's hand away. "Leave me alone."With his inscrutable eyes, Sean noticed the blood on his thumb and Liliana's unusual red cheeks. A flicker of surprise showed in his eyes. "Liliana, did..."However, Liliana was already clenching her fists, all pretense gone. She was shaking and crouching on the ground, her tears filling her eyes. "Sean, please. I'm begging you, just go, okay?"Sean's brow furrowed. His
Liliana could not make out what Sean was saying anymore. She felt awful and shut her eyes tight, not wanting Sean to notice.Sean thought Liliana had dozed off from drinking too much and had a headache, so he stopped talking.The car pulled up to Liliana's hotel, and Sean gently shook her. "Liliana, time to wake up. We're here."Liliana slowly opened her eyes and saw Sean's face close to hers. Her heart, which was already fluttering, started racing.She turned her head away, swallowing hard. "Are we here already?"Once she saw they were outside the hotel, Liliana quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to help Adalee. "Ms. Cobb, can you walk?"Adalee nodded. "Yes, I can."With a sigh of relief, Liliana told Sean, "Sean, we've made it. Ms. Cobb and I will head up now."Liliana rushed off, scared that any delay might make her lose her composure. She could not let herself fall apart in front of Sean again—not after what happened years ago.Sean noticed Liliana rushing
The moment everyone in the private room saw Bob, they were scared out of their wits.It was Andy, the favorite son of the Jones family in Cascade City! Even though he was the second child, he was the one everyone knew would run the company one day.Everyone felt a wave of relief, glad they had not messed with Liliana earlier. They knew that if they had, they would not just be outcasts in Cascade City, but probably everywhere else too.Sean gently put Adalee in the back seat of the car and then helped Liliana into the front seat. Noticing Liliana's pale face, he asked, "Did you have too much to drink?"When Sean touched her forehead, Liliana felt a wave of heat rush through her, like she was on fire. Sean's hand was cool, and the moment it touched her, she could not help but sigh in relief."Maybe," she said.Sean shook his head. "Where's your hangover pill? Take it now. Where do you live?"After Liliana told him the address, she saw that Adalee was already fast asleep.Sean tur