Shaun nodded."It's possible to fix it later, but the result might not come across as real. That's why I had Jeff call you back. How did your meal go? Did you have a good time?" he asked with a smile.Melody nodded. "Yeah, I ate to my heart's content. Don't worry, I'll try to do the scenes in one take!""Good!"Shaun looked at Melody with a gratified expression as if he were looking at his own daughter.Many actors and actresses wanted to work with him, but they could not tolerate his frequent script and scene changes. Behind his back, they quietly called him 'Old Trouble'.He was aware of all that, but he did not care. He always believed that nothing—whether it was the script, the camera, or the actors and actresses—could be considered finalized until the scene played out exactly as he imagined it to be.Everyone's vision would be perfect in their imagination, but the actual portrayal might end up at another extreme and completely unrelated to their initial expectations.He di
Lucas pressed both hands on Melody's head. "How generous of you to push your husband to another woman so casually and walk away so freely with another man."Melody smirked. "Did I do something wrong? Isn't that what you've wanted? Didn't you always run to Miss Stella's help whenever she was in trouble before? I know Miss Stella is important to you, and I'm not that clueless to stop you from helping your friend.""Why you…"Melody became more impassioned as she spoke, "Don't worry, I have a very clear understanding of where I stand. Can you let go of me now? There's no one else here but us, so there's no need for us to put on a lovey-dovey act." Lucas gripped her chin. "Getting sharper and more eloquent now, are we? At the end of the day, you just want to get rid of me so that you can spend some time alone with Sherman! After all, how can you possibly get into his car without worrying if I'm around?"Melody felt a strong sense of oppression, but the frustration in her heart stoppe
"Yes, Grandma. I understand what you mean. Don't worry," replied Lucas.Satisfied, Beatrice said, "Alright, I'll be waiting for both of you to come back. Let Melody know that we'll be making her favorite food for dinner.""Alright. Please ask the cook to make some soup. She really liked the chicken soup last time," added Lucas.Beatrice became even happier at Lucas remembering what Melody liked, causing her to smile like a blooming flower.After hanging up the phone, she called Cedric over to join her in the kitchen to oversee the preparation of dinner. "I'm so happy. That boy Lucas has finally learned to care for Melody!" said Beatrice emotionally.Cedric, on the other hand, felt that she was too overly concerned before. "Men will naturally learn once they've met someone they like. We don't need to worry ourselves with them. They'll find it annoying if we meddle too much."After hanging up the phone, Lucas turned around and—with a commanding tone—said, "Free up your evening. We'
Lucas did not say anything; he simply raised his hand and ran it through her hair. Even though they both used the same bath products, Melody always carried a more intense and fragrant scent on her body.As he remained silent, Melody took on the role of livening up the atmosphere. "Grandma, how has your throat been lately? Did you try the honey I brought for you last time?"Beatrice nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I did. My throat feels much better now. The honey you bought is really good. Even your grandfather, who's not fond of sweet things, finds it soothing."Melody smiled. "I bought it from a beekeeper in the countryside. It has much fewer additives than those processed ones. It's pure and natural, so you and Grandpa can drink it without worries. I'll buy more next time!"Meanwhile, Lucas was still playing with Melody's hair. For some reason, Beatrice was glaring at him."Lucas doesn't like to drink hot beverages; he starts his day with iced coffee despite my many warnings that it's
Since Lucas had spoken, Melody had no choice but to force herself to smile and say that the wedding was not urgent. "We still have plenty of time, Grandma. There's really no rush for the wedding."Beatrice could not help but feel sorry for Melody. Which girl did not long for her wedding? It was not like the Riveras were poor, so why not have the wedding?"Lucas, put down your phone. You're rarely home, and when you are, you spend two-thirds of your time on that stupid phone. What's there to look at anyway?"Melody saw that Beatrice was really angry, so she quickly stepped in to ease the situation for Lucas. "Grandma, maybe there's a lot going on in the company for him. With great power comes great responsibility, and it's not good to ignore others' messages.""He shouldn't bring his work home! This has been a rule in our family for a long time," Beatrice said with a frown. "After dinner, either go for a walk or take Melody upstairs to rest. Don't look at your phone!"Lucas could n
Stella was overjoyed to receive that message. She had sent those text messages as a probe. It was true that there was a power outage at her home, but there was also a backup power supply, so she had no reason to be 'afraid'.Unexpectedly, without much begging, Lucas agreed to come to her house.'So what if Lucas is with Melody? He still came running as soon as I asked him to,' she thought smugly.This time, she was determined to turn things with Lucas into a reality. Humming a song, Stella got ready to welcome him.…Meanwhile, Cedric watched as Beatrice neatly packed her belongings. He followed her closely and asked, "Where are you going? Shall I go with you?""No, it's okay. You just stay at home and keep an eye on Lucas and Melody. I'll be back very soon."…Stella heard the doorbell ring.Beatrice quickly covered the peephole.Stella, in her excitement to see Lucas, never considered the possibility that the person on the other side of the door might not be him.She opene
A bottle of red wine had even been prepared, and its purpose needed no explanation."Hmm... I don't think your reaction is natural for someone afraid of a late-night power outage. You've even prepared a marvelous candlelight dinner. It seems to me you're quite at ease in this dim atmosphere," Beatrice remarked. She could tell that Stella had spent a considerable amount of time and effort preparing food for just two people."You've even spent all that effort in preparing dinner after the power went out," Beatrice continued sarcastically.Stella was beginning to feel a little guilty, but she defended herself and said, "I'll come back home to make a home-cooked meal if I'm not too busy on that day. I like trying out new recipes, and I think I've got a pretty good knack for cooking."She figured that she could leverage the situation to impress the old woman with her ability to cook.Beatrice then pressed further. "Who did you prepare all this for?"Stella's expression turned a little
Stella then continued to explain in a pitiful tone, "The power outage came so suddenly, and the entire building was plunged into darkness. I was just instinctively afraid."She doubled down simply because she knew how influential Beatrice was. The old lady was capable of carrying out that threat. As a result, playing the long game was better, for the day would come when she became Lucas' wife and thus exact revenge on Beatrice."Do you think I'm that easily fooled? I've already checked the situation before I came here." The old lady walked slowly to the main door and reached out to pull the power box switch. The power then returned in an instant, and the entire house was bright again. "What else do you have to say now?" Beatrice asked coldly.Stella stammered in stupefaction. "This... This can't be. The switch must've tripped...""You're a decent woman, Miss Stella," Beatrice replied with a smile. "I know that your father once helped Lucas, so I hope this situation between us won't
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