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After Ethan left, Chloe came downstairs. Seraphina Arden helped her mother carry her father, Elijah, to bed. Then, after showering and drying her hair, she sat alone, her emotions swirling in a mix of nostalgia, sadness, and quiet resolve.The way Ethan had looked at her that evening lingered in her mind, stirring emotions she thought she had buried. It made her feel like she’d rediscovered a long-lost candy she once cherished—only to find it had expired.Ethan had always been perfect in her childhood eyes—handsome, brilliant, a shining star she could only admire. Back then, she’d looked up to him like he was her entire universe.But now? Seraphina Arden no longer saw herself as the inadequate girl she once was. Sure, her love life had hit a few bumps, but she wasn’t worried. “As long as I don’t give up,” she thought, “I’ll find someone who’s truly right for me.”Her parents had married late, introduced by mutual friends. Their union was based on compatibility rather than whirlwind rom
On Friday afternoon, Seraphina Arden received a call from her uncle, Eliot."Seraphina, please, save your uncle. You're the only one who can help me. Transfer some money to me, I’m begging you," his voice trembled, desperate.Her father, Elijah, had warned her about this in advance, so she was prepared. "Uncle, how much do you need?" she asked calmly."At least $2000,000," Eliot blurted out.Seraphina sucked in a sharp breath. If he was asking for $200,000 outright, the total amount of his debt was surely far worse than that.There was no way Seraphina could give him that much money—not even close. Even if she had it, handing it over to fill his bottomless pit of debt would be out of the question."Uncle," she began, "last year I bought an apartment, and I'm still paying off the mortgage. I really don’t have any extra money to spare."Eliot's voice rose in panic. "What about $100,000? You must have at least that much.""I’m sorry, Uncle," Seraphina replied firmly. "I really don’t have
Seraphina Arden sat in stunned silence for a long time after Ethan spoke. Finally, she broke the silence, her voice calm but tinged with a wistful sadness."Ethan," she began, "I really liked you so much back then. You’d only come home once a week, and I’d save all the best snacks and fun things just for you. I couldn’t even figure out those numbers in my assignments, but I didn’t want to disappoint you. So I pushed myself to learn. My parents told me to let it go, but I couldn’t bear the thought of letting you down. You were my hope, my light, the reason I kept moving forward."Ethan listened quietly, his face unreadable."During my first week of college, you introduced me to Via. That was when I realized how silly and childish my feelings for you were. No matter how hard I tried, I was no match for you and her. I was ordinary, plain, and chubby. Via was beautiful and incredibly smart. She wasn’t just in a different school; she was in a different league entirely. She’d glance at my ho
After Ethan left, Seraphina Arden slowly opened her eyes.She knew Ethan’s selfishness all too well now.At first, she couldn’t make sense of it, her heart twisting in pain for what seemed like forever. But eventually, she became numb, and over time, clarity replaced the hurt.Ethan’s move to the apartment above her parents’ home, frequently bringing them gifts and eating meals there, had already brought her a great deal of trouble.In this neighborhood, most residents worked in government. Everyone knew everyone. Ethan’s bold and conspicuous actions left no room for doubt about his intentions.Many people had started asking Elijah and Chloe whether Ethan and Seraphina Arden were close to announcing good news.For the calculating Ethan, there was no explanation that Elijah and Chloe could offer that would sound convincing. Even after Seraphina moved out, the whispers didn’t stop.Seraphina Arden was growing increasingly annoyed with this version of Ethan—deliberately stirring up ambig
Babi and Olivia watched as Seraphina Arden got into a sleek black car outside the office. Curiosity piqued, they craned their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the driver, but the angle made it impossible to see.Ethan noticed Seraphina’s pale face and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”Seraphina hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed. “My stomach hurts.”Ethan nodded with concern. “What do you feel like eating? I’ll take you wherever you want.”Seraphina shook her head wearily. “I’m too tired. I just want to go home and sleep. I’m not hungry.”Ethan chuckled softly. “How about Thai rice noodles? It’s warm and soothing—good for your stomach. We’ll eat, and then I’ll get you home to rest.”Seraphina, too drained to argue, murmured, “Alright.”The car was warm, and the hum of the engine made her drowsy. For once, she wasn’t the one in control, and the rare chance to relax with someone she trusted completely lulled her to sleep.Ethan glanced at her as the car moved smoothly through
That evening, when Seraphina Arden went home for dinner, Ethan was already there.The issue with Uncle Eliot wasn’t exactly a point of pride, and with Ethan being an outsider, the Arden family avoided mentioning anything about Elijah and Chloe’s trip back to their hometown.Seraphina glanced at Ethan and asked, “How’s your arm feeling today?”Ethan smiled at her. “Feels fine. Doesn’t hurt at all.”Chloe interjected, “‘Hurt or not, a broken bone takes a hundred days to heal. When can the cast come off?”Seraphina answered quickly, “The doctor said it’ll be at least forty days.”Elijah frowned. “How do you know that?”Caught off guard, Seraphina froze, not knowing how to respond.Ethan stepped in to smooth things over. “I fell and called Seraphina. She was kind enough to take me to the hospital.”Elijah still felt something was off, but before he could probe further, Chloe called from the kitchen. “Come help carry the dishes—dinner’s ready!”Ethan managed well enough with his left hand,
Elijah and Chloe were still feeling down. Nowadays, Seraphina Arden made it a point to go home after work every day to spend time with her parents.Today, Leon Everhart handed out specialty gift boxes that had been given to him. He told Sophia and Seraphina Arden to split them. Later, he took two other gift boxes from his car and gave one each to Sophia and Seraphina Arden.When Seraphina got to the building downstairs, she called her parents to come down and help carry the items.Elijah and Chloe came down, their hands full of gift boxes. A neighbor passing by couldn’t help but notice:“Chloe, is this from Seraphina’s company? Wow, so much stuff! Your daughter is really capable.”Chloe smiled and deflected gracefully: “Oh no, these are things Seraphina bought herself. She said they’re for her grandma and uncles to take back home for the holidays.”Chloe rarely flaunted wealth in public. With so many familiar faces around, she knew it could spark jealousy and gossip, potentially bringi
Harper’s nature was no mystery to Olivia.The stricter the Henry family was with Harper—banning her from seeing men—the more rebellious she became. Whatever they forbade, she made sure to do.After meeting Olivia, Harper had proposed an arrangement: she’d exchange favors for money and let Olivia set up meetings with the men she fancied.Now that the wedding date with Leon Everhart was set and she was practically living with him, the Henry family had eased their restrictions on her. Harper, tasting newfound freedom, didn’t want to risk any scandals before officially marrying Leon.Olivia, however, was a different story. Driven by greed and consumed by jealousy and hatred for Leon Everhart, she harbored no good intentions. If Harper didn’t want a man, Olivia would find her one anyway.Olivia even hoped Harper would end up pregnant—and preferably not with Leon’s child.Even if the child turned out to be Leon’s, Olivia had her contingency plan. If her shady dealings within TerraVantage Gro
Leon’s StoryWhen his eldest daughter was born, Leon Everhart would rush home every day after work and sit by the cradle, staring at his tiny child for a long time.His daughter looked like him, and Mrs. Everhart said, “A daughter who resembles her father will always have food to eat and never worry about her livelihood.”Leon Everhart chuckled, “Then I must work even harder to ensure my little girl never has to worry about food or clothing for the rest of her life.”With just a wife and a daughter, a man who once stood above all others could be pulled into the mortal world, touched by the warmth of ordinary life.When his daughter was just learning to crawl, she could only move a few steps before crying out in frustration. One evening, as soon as Leon Everhart stepped through the door, still in his black dress pants and white shirt, he heard her cries and felt his heart ache.He immediately rushed to her side, lay down on the floor, and said, “Baby, look at Daddy. Crawl like Daddy.”
That night, Liam had a few drinks and decided to stay at the Everhart family’s old mansion.On the first floor, his nieces and nephews were running around, their parents chasing after them tirelessly.Old Mr. Everhart always said, “When children are noisy at home, it means our family is thriving. It’s much better than hearing the sound of mahjong tiles all night.”Liam never called Harper “sister-in-law.”There was something Liam had never told anyone.He lived on the third floor, and one day, when he was coming downstairs, he ran into Harper. She smiled at him and called out in a soft, sweet voice, “Liam, wait for me.”Liam was no fool. He had been through countless encounters with women and had never been caught off guard. What kind of woman hadn’t he seen?The way Harper called him immediately set off alarm bells. His first instinct was that she was trying to seduce him, but he couldn’t quite believe it—after all, she had just married his brother, and on top of that, she was pregna
Harper’s brother brought her back home. As soon as she entered her room, she collapsed into bed and slept.When she woke up the next afternoon, Harper was still in a daze. She let her mother take her to get her hair done, go to the spa, and get a manicure. She moved like a puppet, allowing her mother to maneuver her as she pleased.These used to be part of her daily routine, but it had been a long time since she last enjoyed such luxuries.Ever since Lucas lost his job, Harper didn’t dare spend money recklessly. Once, she got a manicure that cost $480. When she returned home, Lucas’s mother nearly ripped her apart, acting as if every penny Harper spent belonged to Lucas—or rather, to her.When Miliya brought people to beat up Lucas’s parents and Lucas himself, Harper was the only one left untouched.Lucas’s parents blamed everything on Harper. They insisted that if she hadn’t seduced Lucas, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state.Harper snapped back, “He came to me on his
When Seraphina Arden said, "I owe you nothing in this life, and I hope we never meet in the next," Ethan knew that there was no way to salvage their relationship.Ethan was born with good looks and intelligence. His maternal grandfather’s family was well-off, and his mother was a beautiful and refined woman.His mother once told him that she had pursued Sebastian—she had chased after his father.Because his mother loved his father deeply, she was always anxious about him. No matter where Sebastian went, she had to ask about it, and if she didn’t get a clear answer, she would sulk.Whenever Sebastian came home late, his mother would pick fights and argue.No matter how exhausted he was, Sebastian would always lower his voice to coax his delicate wife and make her happy.His mother was fragile. Even with a housekeeper managing the home, and even after having Ethan, she paid little attention to him. Most of her time was devoted to her husband, as if she had been born solely for Sebastian
Leon Everhart and Seraphina Arden’s wedding took place as scheduled. However, Leon Everhart did not grant Seraphina Arden’s wish to keep it simple.In this city, Leon Everhart had some money, but there were many people wealthier and more powerful than him. Compared to them, he was far from being a true second-generation heir. He positioned himself as a self-made entrepreneur, the second generation of a growing business.The Everhart family lacked deep roots, and he was not able to marry a truly influential family’s daughter. Even in the past, the wealthy Henry family had looked down on him, and Harper had treated him the same way.Choosing Seraphina Arden was seen as "marrying down" in the eyes of the Everhart family.But for Leon Everhart, it was the perfect fulfillment of his wishes.If the wedding was too casual, people would look down on Seraphina Arden. Leon Everhart wanted to give her a surprise—he didn’t want to shortchange her in any way.At one point, Everhart’s mother had tr
Olivia was now at her wit’s end, isolated and helpless.In her darkest times, the appearance of her biological mother, Miliya, made her feel that there was still warmth in the world, that she still had a mother. She had once been moved and had come to believe that, in this world, only a mother’s love was truly unconditional.During her postpartum confinement, Miliya took meticulous care of Olivia, tending to her and the child with great dedication.Olivia started calling Miliya “Mom.”When Olivia’s child reached one month old, there was no sign of acknowledgment from the Everhart family. Miliya found it strange and asked Olivia, “The Everhart family values bloodline and heirs. Back then, I put such a big scandal on old Mr. Everhart’s head, and he let me go for your sake. He even made me promise never to seek you out again. To ensure I wouldn’t interfere in your life, he gave me a huge sum of money. That house in the village was built with the money that old man gave me. Now that you’v
Not long after Seraphina Arden's technology company resumed operations, an unexpected visitor arrived—Jerry.Upon hearing that Seraphina Arden had started a tech company in the same field as his, Jerry was furious. Subconsciously, he believed that the reason he wasn’t making sales was because Seraphina Arden had stolen his clients.Jerry stormed into Seraphina Arden’s office, slamming his hands on her desk.Seeing Jerry’s furious face, Seraphina Arden remained exceptionally calm. She showed no sign of worry; instead, she was tranquil. “Mr. Jerry, if you have something to discuss, we can talk it out properly. This is a workplace, and I have surveillance cameras here.”Jerry was fuming. “Seraphina Arden, are you stealing my business?”He ranted continuously, repeating over and over how Seraphina Arden was ungrateful and unethical for selling patents that should have been his.Seraphina Arden didn’t respond. She simply waited for Jerry to tire himself out.Once Jerry had shouted enough,
Seraphina Arden’s tech company closed for a one-week holiday and resumed operations afterward.Before the break, her flamboyant Leon heard that she wanted to give gifts to the professors who had supported her. That evening, he returned home with boxes of presents. The gifts, prepared by TerraVantage Group, were impressive and perfectly suitable for the occasion.Having a resourceful and thoughtful partner like Leon made Seraphina’s work remarkably efficient.Seraphina cherished her job deeply, knowing how hard-earned it was. After all, it was the only condition her father had set when negotiating her marriage with the Everhart family.Yet, over Christmas, Everhart’s mother subtly suggested that she quit her job and become a housewife.At the time, Seraphina had retorted sharply, but the suggestion left a lingering discomfort.When they were alone, Seraphina shared this with her mother, asking, “Mom, what do you think Leon’s mom was thinking?”Chloe responded, “She’s spent her whole li
This Christmas, Lucas and his family didn’t return to their hometown to visit his grandmother.The household had turned into utter chaos, with no sign of peace or holiday spirit.Over the past few months, far too many things had happened—things Lucas was afraid to even think about.Olivia’s mother, Miliya, was not someone to be trifled with. When she learned that Lucas and Olivia were still married while Lucas was living with Harper, she became furious. Adding insult to injury, Lucas’s parents didn’t care about their daughter-in-law Olivia but went to care for the mistress instead. This sent Miliya into a rage.She went back home, rallied her husband and two sons, and even hired a few extra hands. Together, they stormed into Harper’s house, where Lucas and his parents were staying. Dragging Lucas and his parents out, they began to beat them in public.With the door wide open, Miliya yelled through a megaphone:“Come one, come all! Look at this shameless family! Their lawful daughter-i