'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
Beatrice wanted Stella to taste the food decided by Melody to make that ignorant woman thoroughly aware of Melody's position in the family.After some thought, Melody suggested without reservation, "Let's go with the soup. I heard Grandpa coughing the other day, so chicken soup will be good for his health. As for the dessert, how about we go with something light like apple crumble? What do you think, Grandma?"Looking at the sensible Melody and caring so much about both herself and Cedric, Beatrice felt even more delighted. "I think that's a wonderful idea! I'm sure your Grandpa will be very happy to know you care so much about his health!"Melody's cheeks turned rosy, making her even more charming. "Grandma, caring for you and Grandpa is the least I should do!"Beatrice, increasingly satisfied with her granddaughter-in-law, said, "Your Grandpa and I will be able to die peacefully when the time comes as long as you and Lucas get along well with each other."Melody quickly grasped
Edmund bowed and explained, "Mister Lucas, it was Madam Beatrice who forbade me to tell you. I..."Lucas scoffed. "Don't bother with my grandparents' orders next time something like this happens. You're to inform me immediately! Alright, you can go now."After Edmund left, Lucas leaned against the desk, sighed, and furrowed his brow. He was well aware of his grandmother's thoughts, but he could not bring himself to ignore Stella completely.Years ago, Stella's father had done him a great favor. On his deathbed, he left only one wish—for him to take care of his only daughter, Stella.He agreed, and he had to live up to his word.…As the servants brought out the final dish to the dining room, Lucas still had not come down yet."That brat! All he cares about is work. Does he think the company will go bankrupt if he rests for a while? What's the point of employing so many people if he can't even take some time off?" grumbled Beatrice.Beatrice deliberately glanced at Edmund, who r
"Please have a seat."Beatrice and Cedric sat on each end of the long table, while Lucas Melody sat on the side, facing Stella.Only after Beatrice dug into her food did the rest of them begin to eat. Melody stood up to serve a bowl of chicken soup to the elderly lady."Grandma, please have more soup. I oversaw the cook making it. We took out all of the bones from the chicken and made sure the soup had thickened before taking it off the heat. I'm sure you'll love it!""Thank you, my sweet child. You should eat, too." Beatrice happily accepted the bowl, took a small sip of the soup, and nodded in satisfaction. "Mh, this soup is indeed delicious. It's full of the taste of the chicken. I love how it warms my stomach, making it feel better."Melody nodded while effortlessly picking up the shrimp that Lucas peeled and placed in her bowl.She liked eating shrimp but was not good at peeling them. She always ended up with greasy hands and could not even get to the shrimp meat. Lucas took
The way Lucas called Melody 'dear' made Melody's heart flutter for a moment. They were so very close, so she worried that he would be able to hear her heart pounding.Stella found it difficult to enjoy her food at all when she saw Lucas and Melody acting all lovey-dovey.After the main course was removed, everyone was served a glass of apple crumble. Stella mechanically scooped the content and put it into her mouth. She might as well be eating wax since every food tasted like one to her at that moment.Beatrice was in a good mood, feeling that she had achieved her purpose for the day. Any woman with eyes and a brain would have given up when they saw how in love Lucas and Melody were with each other."Miss Stella, you don't seem to have much appetite. Or is this apple crumble not to your taste?" Beatrice asked with a smile.Stella came to her senses, immediately scooped up a large spoonful, and stuffed it into her mouth. "No, it's delicious! Ah—"Her eyes were already teary when s
"I heard that you're quite famous right now," remarked Beatrice.Many distinguished families frowned upon the entertainment industry, assuming it was filled with debauchery.Stella immediately waved her hand and said with fake modesty, "No, I'm not really that famous. I'm just lucky, I guess."She hooked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Also, Lucas often helps me out in managing the relationship with the people in the industry. It's only through his efforts that I've managed to get to where I am right now. Madam Beatrice, rest assured that I don't really mix around with the people in my industry unless necessary. In fact, I spend most of my free time at home.""That's enough," said Beatrice with a haughty smile. "I was just asking. You didn't need to explain so much! In fact, I don't have any biases against actors or actresses. After all, my granddaughter-in-law, Melody, is now a very talented actress herself. I'm eagerly waiting for her film to be released!"By the way, did
Lucas rubbed his fingertips, the lingering soft sensation from Melody's ear still not fading. He was not sure what was happening, but he felt like he was not done enjoying it. "Sorry. I accidentally touched it when I raised my hand," he said.Melody glanced at his serious face suspiciously. "Is that so?"Lucas' eyes darkened at the way she was scrutinizing him. "You think I did it on purpose?"Melody remained silent. 'Does he think I'm that presumptuous?'…Lucas did not even spare Stella a single glance throughout the entire time.Stella kept looking over at him, thus appearing absent-minded to Beatrice."Go ahead and stare at Lucas all you want, Miss Stella, but he'll never be yours, no matter how much you look at him."Stella snapped back to reality, awkwardly smiled, and resumed playing the victim. "Madam Beatrice, it seems like no matter how much I explain, you've already made up your mind about me, so why don't we leave it to time? Time will tell whether I'm innocent or n
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