"What does that mean? It's just the literal meaning," Melody sat on the nearby chair and frowned at him. "Do I have to remind you of the things you do yourself?"Lucas sat up from the bed with a stern face. "Melody, make your words clear. What do you mean by 'acting and pretending skills'? What am I pretending?"The man in front of her was two-faced, saying one thing in public and another behind her back. Denying the things he had done was not a good trait. She realized she idealized him too much."What else do you want me to say?" Melody was determined today and gave Lucas no mercy. "You're just good at pretending, at everything. Lucas, can't you be more genuine?"Lucas had no idea what he had done to make her say such things. "Genuine? Like what?""You and Stella clearly have more than just a casual friendship, yet you pretend to be just friends in front of me. Isn't that pretending?"This again.Lucas felt irritated. He had explained this matter countless times, but Melody st
Stella had never left a good impression on Beatrice, and she disapproved of their relationship. At this moment, it became clear that the discord between Melody and Lucas was due to Stella's meddling.Melody was jealous."Let's do this, Edmund," said Beatrice after a moment of silence, coming up with a solution. "Go find Stella and tell her that I, as a senior, want to treat her to a meal. See when she's available to grace me with her presence."The implication was clear—Beatrice intended to personally handle the matter with Stella. Edmund silently mourned Stella in his heart for a few seconds. "Yes, Madam, I'll go right away."Leaving the Riveras' residence, Edmund drove to Stella's filming location and located her agent. Just as Stella finished her scene, upon hearing that Edmund had come, she felt particularly delighted. 'Lucas must be worried about my health, and he sent Edmund to check on me.'"I need to quickly touch up my makeup." Stella changed her clothes at the fastest sp
Beatrice snorted after hearing it. "It's not like I'm missing a meal because of her. Go tell her to come to the house. I'll personally cook for her," remarked Beatrice."Yes, Madam!" Edmund respectfully acknowledged Beatrice's instructions, then conveyed the message to Stella.Stella felt that things were not as simple as they seemed, but she could only maintain a polite smile as much as possible.When Beatrice sought her out, it was definitely not just for a meal. Surely she had something in mind to talk about, was it not?"Alright, I understand. I'll finish work tomorrow night and go visit Beatrice," Stella replied.The next day…Stella instructed her manager to reschedule all the appointments. After finishing work on the set, she took great care in dressing up, arriving early at the Riveras' residence.Although Beatrice politely offered to cook for her, Stella could not readily accept. Going at mealtime might appear disrespectful to the elder, but arriving a bit early allowed
Beatrice's words eased Stella's tension.She quickly smiled and said, "Um... I'm truly honored that you invited me for dinner, Madam Beatrice. However, as a junior, it's really embarrassing to have you, an elder, cook for me. How about I help as well?"Stella placed her bag aside, intending to follow Beatrice to the kitchen to prepare dinner together. Beatrice, however, extended her hand and calmly gestured to stop her. "No need. You're a guest. How can I let you do the work? Moreover, there's a rule in our Riveras—not everyone can enter the kitchen."At this point, Beatrice paused for a moment, smiling solemnly. "In the Riveras, only the mistress of the house and the servants are allowed in the kitchen."Stella's face stiffened. She finally understood Beatrice's intention in inviting her.Beatrice was using this situation to remind her of her status, to make her realize who she truly was."Alright, serve Miss Stella some tea! I should go prepare dinner for our guest now."Beatr
"Oh, did Grandma Beatrice say so? Miss Stella, please feel free to indulge. Make sure to eat more later." Melody pursed her lips, maintaining a calm expression.Stella smiled, arching her eyebrows. "Absolutely! I must eat more of Grandma Beatrice's dishes! She still treats me just as she did before. When I was little, I used to come to the Rivera household often to play with Lucas. At that time, Grandma Beatrice would often buy us candies to enjoy!"Indeed.Stella and Lucas had grown up together, so Beatrice must have known her for a long time. Moreover, given how attractive she looked, she must have been pretty in her childhood. Facing such a delicate little doll, Grandma Beatrice must have watched her fondly.Oddly enough, Grandma Beatrice did not play matchmaker for Lucas and Stella.If they had been together, she would not be here.Melody could not figure it out and decided not to dwell on it any longer."Miss Melody, you and Lucas have been married for quite some time. You
Melody paused and turned her head.Downstairs, Stella saw Lucas returning and quickly walked toward him. "You're finally back. I've been waiting for you here for a long time!"Lucas' gaze hardened when he spotted Stella, clearly not expecting her presence. "What are you doing here?"Lucas had no idea that Stella was invited to have dinner at their house."Grandma Beatrice invited me for dinner. I thought she'd tell you!" Stella's gaze caught Melody still standing at the staircase, and she quickly reached out to help Lucas take off his coat. "Come on! Take off your coat, it's warm inside. I'll hang it up for you."She looked like a proper lady of the Riveras, waiting for her husband to come home, helping him with his coat."No need." Lucas sidestepped, skillfully avoiding her hand.Melody, standing on the stairs, happened to witness this scene. She could not quite describe the feeling in her heart, so she quietly went back to her room.They could get cozy however they wished.
'Why does she keep pushing me to another woman? Does she have no heart at all?' thought Lucas.Lucas walked over to Melody with a darkened expression. It was obvious he was in a bad mood."It's true that I've known Stella for many years, and I've explained everything to you. There's nothing more I can say if you still don't believe me there's nothing more. Melody, don't forget you're my wife right now. Do what you're supposed to do, and don't reveal anything in front of Grandma and Grandpa. Play your role well!"Melody's hand, which was combing her hair, froze for a moment. She let out a bitter laugh and said, "Don't worry. When have I ever let you down in playing the role of your wife? It's you who should not keep an eye on Miss Stella lest she expose our secret to Grandma.""Always sharp-tongued as usual. I guess that's your only skill!" Suddenly, Lucas leaned in and held Melody's chin. Her skin was soft to the touch, and there was a lingering fragrance as she had just taken a sh
Beatrice's words were obviously intended for Stella. After all, she knew Lucas the best. He would not have waited until then if he had feelings for Stella. The two have known each other for a long time, and Lucas had always been indifferent to Stella. In fact, he did not like her at all.Unfortunately, Stella was too deep in her delusion. Thus, Beatrice had it in her mind that she would make it clear to her that she would never allow her to marry into the family.After casting a seemingly benevolent glance at Stella, Beatrice led Melody away protectively.Stella discreetly glanced at the old lady and Melody's retreating figures before inviting Lucas to sit on the sofa with her.Even though Lucas grunted in agreement, he chose not to sit next to her. Instead, he settled on a nearby armchair.Stella felt a bit unhappy, but it did not matter. They were the only two in the living room, so what difference did it make if they were seated far apart?'Finally, we're the only ones here! A
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