Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind them. "What are you guys talking about?"Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Jeremy walking steadily toward them.Zeke smiled and quickly said, "Jeremy, you're finally here! We were just joking around with Corinne."Gerald glanced at Zeke. "He said he doesn't want to marry you, but he doesn't mind screwing you after a drink or two."Jeremy frowned and looked at Zeke in disgust.Zeke chuckled awkwardly before glaring at Gerald while getting up from the sofa to let Jeremy take his place."Gerald, why did you do me dirty like that? I didn't say the last sentence at all!" complained Zeke."You didn't say that, but we all know you were thinking about it," said Gerald expressionlessly."You're a real *sshole, you know that, Gerald?" asked Zeke as he sat back down beside him.Even though Zeke vacated his previous seat so that Jeremy could sit down next to Corinne, Jeremy chose to sit on an armchair that was a little bit further away inste
"Jeremy, where are you going? We haven't even had a good chat yet," said Zeke."I'm going out to make a call," replied Jeremy indifferently."Tsk! Gerald, don't you think Jeremy should make up with Corinne by now? I mean, she can't have it easy with that pregnant belly of hers!" said Zeke.Gerald glanced at him and said, "Mind your own business, Zeke."Zeke scoffed and turned to Jason, who was drinking his wine. "By the way, Jason. You look like you really care about Corinne. Are you close with her? How come I didn't know that?"Jason smiled. "Oh, didn't I tell you guys? We go way back. I knew her even before I knew she was together with Jeremy."Zeke was a little taken aback. He could not help but think Jason was hinting something, so he and Gerald exchanged glances with each other as they came to a tacit understanding.Jason downed his wine and placed the empty glass on the table. "I'm going out to make a call too."Zeke was speechless. He shook his head as he watched Gerald
Corinne found what Sophia said laughable. "You want me to get out of your way too? Since when was I ever in your way?"Sophia leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I don't mean it in the physical sense but in the romantic sense."Corinne's eyes turned cold. She found what Sophia said so absurd that she almost laughed. "What does your love life have to do with me?"Sophia was about to answer when she spotted someone appear behind Corinne. "Jason, what are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.Jason glanced at Corinne before smiling at Sophia. "I went out to make a call just now. What are you two girls talking about?"Sophia looked at Jason and then at Corinne as realization hit her. Her grin became even wider as she said, "Corinne has taken an interest in the paintings displayed in this room, so I came to walk with her since I don't think she should be left alone in her condition. But I have to entertain the other guests soon, so can you please stay with her, Jason?"Jason
Sophia held on to the banister and looked down at where Corinne was. "It's just a feeling of mine. I mean, Corinne is standoffish to everyone except for Jason, and they always seem to have something in common to talk about."Jeremy's grip tightened around the stem of his wine glass, which looked like it would break if he exerted just a little more strength.Sophia was about to say something else when she saw Jeremy striding down the stairs. She chased after him, asking, "Jeremy! Where are you going?""Enjoy your party. I just remembered I have something else to do," said Jeremy. He walked down the stairs with both of his hands shoved into his pockets. Even though he looked casual, he was obviously brooding. Anyone would think twice about following him.Thus, Sophia stopped chasing after him. Instead, she watched him leave while a smile gradually appeared on her face.…Corinne was annoyed. She had gone one round around the room but still failed to find her mother's self-portrait.
Jeremy leaned into the seat, so Corinne did not see him when she woke up. She just thought he was part of the seat. It was not until he moved his body that the light from outside of the car fell on his face.Corinne was not happy to see him at all. She frowned out of embarrassment and asked, "It's you! How… How did I end up in your car?!"Jeremy glanced sideways at her. "You should first ask yourself why you fainted on me of all people."Corinne remembered someone scooping her up from behind to prevent her from falling before she blacked out.'So it was Jeremy who saved me…' thought Corinne. She decided to be nicer to him since he did her a big favor."Sorry, I must've fainted because of low blood sugar. Thank you for saving me. Well, I guess I'll be off, then," she said.After that, she opened the car door. Jeremy did not stop her. Instead, he just said breezily, "I guess you don't want to see Nellie Nymphaea's self-portrait, then."Corinne's hand instantly froze, and she snapp
Jeremy's expression remained impassive, but Corinne could tell he had no intention to let her go."You'd rather beg me than talk to me nicely?" asked Jeremy.Corinne frowned. "How am I not talking to you nicely? Plus, you were the one who asked me to beg you!"Jeremy chuckled coldly. "When did you become so obedient? Why didn't you listen to me when I asked you to stay at home?"Corinne was speechless. She did not know what he was trying to say, and apart from glaring at him, she did not know how else to express her anger. After all, it was not like she could break free and escape from him.The bitterness in Jeremy's eyes gradually disappeared when he saw her angry yet puffy face. He pinched her cheek playfully and said dotingly, "How can you still be so cute when you're so puffy?"Corinne was once again speechless. 'Why did his tone suddenly change?'"Ahem! Don't even think I'll forgive you just because you called me cute!"Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Then how can I make you fo
Jeremy did not let Corinne go. Instead, he muttered, "I didn't mean to lie to you. I forgot I was legally married to Sophia. It wasn't until I thought of marrying you that I remembered it. I planned to tell you everything after I revoked my marriage license with Sophia because I assumed you'd get angry at me if I told you before then…and I didn't want you to get upset while you're pregnant. I know this is all my fault…"Corinne fell silent after that. After a long while, she finally said, "Mister Jeremy, I don't think you ever see me as someone who can understand you. Now, it doesn't matter whether there's anything going on between you and Sophia. All the trust has gone from our relationship."After that, she tried to free herself from Jeremy's grip so she could escape from the suffocating car.…Jason went back to where he left Corinne with a bottle of mineral water in his hand. When she was nowhere to be seen, he started to look around for her in panic. Instead of finding Corinne
"Okay, let's go now!"Sophia and Jason went to the security room and asked the security guard on duty to let them see the footage. Soon, they came to the part where they saw Jeremy carrying Corinne out of the hotel.Sophia subtly clenched her fists. "Oh my god. How could Jeremy lie to us? Doesn't he know how worried we are about Corinne?"She managed to maintain a smile on her face, but everyone there could tell how sad she was.Jason was no better than her. He did not wish for Corinne to have any contact with Jeremy as he wanted her for himself. Also, he was worried Jeremy would hurt her in a fit of anger."Happy birthday, Sophia. Forgive me, but I have to leave now," said Jason before he quickly walked out of the room.Sophia immediately chased after him. "Jason! You're going to look for Jeremy and Corinne, right? Wait for me. I want to go too!"Jason was a little taken aback. "But you should go back to your birthday party."Sophia smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's just a p
Sherman could not help but feel fearful when he recalled the incident.Rita gently smoothed his furrowed brow. "I knew you'd come to rescue me, just like all the times you did. I love you, Sherman."Previously, Rita confessed her love to him when she was groggy. At this moment, however, she was clearly awake, even sporting a faint smile on her face as she confessed.Sherman immediately blushed. "I love you, too."Rita did not stay long in the hospital; she quickly returned to the Parr family's mansion. Just as Sherman's grandparents had said, Rita did not have any major injuries, so there was no need for her to stay in the hospital that long. In fact, she might even recover faster emotionally under the care at home.Not once did Sherman bring up Rita's job, but she surprisingly resigned from New Capital Times on her own accord. It would be difficult for her to investigate cases with her current condition; not to mention Sherman had handed over the evidence to the police. The polic
"Sherman, I like you. I love you," Rita finally confessed.Sherman, deeply pained, pulled Rita into his arms. "This is all my fault. I should've looked for you quicker. I've never blamed you. All I want is to see you smile. It's enough for me as long as you're willing to let me stay by your side."You don't have to confess to me. I know it's hard for you to do that because of your family. I've seen the way they've treated you, and…"The bodyguards who had barged in with Sherman felt a bit awkward to see their company president in tears. However, the priority was to get Rita to the hospital for a check-up. Being tied up for hours could cause circulation issues, and it could be dangerous if her limbs did not regain feelings soon.In the end, they got the bravest among them to convince Sherman to let them take Rita to the hospital. Instead of letting them do it, Sherman wiped away his tears and, with ease, lifted Rita as if she was as light as a feather.Fortunately, after the hospit
With that, Karen left without looking back. She was carrying Vince's baby in her womb, so how could she pin all her hopes on Sadie? Since Sadie was obviously unruly, she would have to rely on her son.'Sadie can spend the rest of her life with Esmond since she likes him so much. God knows it had been exhausting enough to raise her. Plus, it's only fair for Esmond to take care of her since I've done my part taking care of her until now,' thought Karen.Meanwhile, the only consolation for Sherman was that Esmond did not try to put up a fight. It seemed that he still cared about his daughter Sadie.Sherman led his men to a dilapidated house. Esmond had been cautious enough to choose a rundown house situated at the end of a village.When Sherman barged in, he found Rita lying on the floor while Esmond's men ignored her. Esmond's men had followed his orders, and since he did not instruct them to do anything to Rita, they left her well alone.Before the men could react, they were surrou
Karen cried and silently knelt by Sadie's side without trying to defend herself. Sadie, on the other hand, feebly tried to explain herself. Alas. Vince refused to listen.There had been many occasions before when he had chosen to believe Karen and Sadie, but at this moment, he realized he had been terribly wrong to do that.Rita used to be so kind, understanding, and well-behaved. However, ever since Karen and Sadie moved in, Vince felt like his daughter had become manipulative, always trying to compete for attention, and stirring up jealousy in front of him.Unfortunately, it took Rita's disappearance to make Vince realize that Rita was not trying to compete for attention. All Rita wanted from him was to treat her the same as Sadie.Vince used to think that Rita should give in to Sadie more since Sadie was younger, too."Why don't you go live with your biological father since you prefer him so much? I never want to see you show your face around here anymore! As for your mother, s
Sadie was so anxious that she wanted to jump out. "Mom, don't tell me you fell for it! Why did you call Esmond? Now they all know where Rita is. You've ruined everything, again! What were you thinking?"Karen could not care less. She cried and slapped Sadie. "You nearly scared me to death! What would I do if something happened to you? I didn't raise you just to watch you die. I told you not to meet up with Esmond, so why did you secretly meet up with him? How can you ask him to get rid of Rita?"Are you out of your mind? All I want is for us to live out the rest of our lives peacefully, so why didn't you listen to me?!"Sadie was furious. Karen had stopped trying to get rid of Rita ever since she got pregnant, so how could Sadie not be angry? Rita was like a thorn in her side, and Sadie would never be happy unless Rita was dead."Don't you know I like Sherman? How could you ask me to do nothing when Rita has stolen him from me?! I was the one who liked him first. It's either Rita g
Karen wanted so badly to slap Esmond through the phone.'What good are his pompous words now? We wouldn't be in this mess now if he hadn't hit me back then! What's more, he's saying he's doing this for Sadie. But has he ever thought of what would happen to me and Sadie if he got rid of Rita? Rita's the heiress of the Russell family. Not to mention, she's married to Sherman, so that makes her owner of Parr Group too! What makes Esmond think he can get rid of Rita so easily?'Karen's breath was ragged as she said, "If you don't believe me, just listen to your daughter's screams. I can't save her now; you will literally decide her fate! Plus, I'm pregnant with Vince's baby, so even if I lose Sadie, I still have a kid—which is more than what I can say about you!"Sherman could not help but be impressed by Karen a little. Even in this dire situation, she did not forget to express her heartfelt feelings to Vince, letting him know that she was always on his side. It was certainly not an ea
"Sherman raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's just a minor injury, maybe just a finger. There shouldn't be any major issues. A sprained joint takes only a hundred days to heal, and it might take her even less time to heal if you take very good care of her while she's recuperating."Karen's heart ached upon hearing that. She lunged toward Sherman, wanting to hit him, but the bodyguards stopped her before she could get close.Vince, still worried, held Karen tightly beside him. "Calm down. I'm sure Sadie will come out unharmed if Rita's kidnapping has nothing to do with her. But if it does, then you should know very well that…"Vince's voice dropped an octave. He could not believe his daughter's disappearance had anything to do with his stepdaughter. However, he was not utterly naive.He continued, "How could a girl like her take Rita away? Even the car window was smashed. Others must've been involved. Does her biological father have anything to do with it?"Sherman nodded
"Yes, it's true I met up with my biological father, but it was just a one-time thing. I don't want to go back to him at all! Otherwise, I would've done it ages ago. Dad, I'm really grateful to you for taking me in and looking after me all these years. That's why I feel like you're my real father, even more real than those who share the same blood."How could you unjustly accuse me and Mom like that? Sherman is the one spouting nonsense here. He's trying to push all the blame onto us. Dad, you have to wake up and see the truth!"Karen nodded along, but her heart was racing. 'When did Sadie meet Esmond? How did Sherman know when I don't even know? Seems like Sadie does have something to do with Rita's kidnapping. I have to settle things and get Sherman out of here.'Karen never had the thought of rekindling her relationship with Esmond. The only thing she wanted then was to peacefully give birth to her son. Everything in the Russell family would eventually go to her son, and she would
Sherman detested people pointing their fingers at him when they spoke. He stood up slowly, towering over Vince instantly."You claim to be Rita's father, yet if I were you, I'd choose to shut up and stand aside. I can't believe you're scolding me for threatening Sadie when she's not even your real daughter!"Look at her guilty expression; it's clear she's involved. If you don't believe me, use your brain a little. No wonder Russell Group is declining under your leadership. It's only a matter of time before the company goes completely bankrupt!"Sherman showed no mercy, causing Vince to retreat with every word. Vince clutched his chest, struggling for breath.Karen, despite her weakness, stepped forward to support him. "How could you speak to your father-in-law like this? What has Sadie done to offend you? She has nothing but admiration for you. Plus, she's just a child. How could you treat her like this?"She went on and on, but Sherman stood his ground. Meanwhile, the burly bodyg