Now that she saw the photo, everything became clear. Wendy's eyes widened in shock, and she turned her gaze to Jessica. "Jessica... Did you give this photo to that man?"A shadow of disappointment and anger flashed in Jessica's eyes. Why had Nathan taken the knife for Wendy? Why wasn't it Wendy who got hurt? And now, the photo had been discovered! Jessica's expression shifted quickly. Stanley snatched the photo from Wendy's hand. After a couple of seconds, he looked up at Jessica, his gaze cold and sharp. Jessica felt a chill run through her. She instinctively tried to deny it, her voice trembling, "What photo? I don't know what you're talking about! Wendy, I know you're worried about Nathan, but don't start accusing people without reason!" "Jessica, take a good look at the photo. You're really stupid, aren't you?" Wendy sneered. Jessica's eyes flicked to the photo, and her heart dropped. She saw the watermark from her phone in the corner of the image. She cursed
The atmosphere in the hospital corridor was suffocating, heavy with tension.Just then, the door to the operating room swung open, and a doctor in a white coat emerged. Wendy rushed forward, her voice shaky. "Doctor, how is he?""The surgery was a success. He should wake up within 48 hours," the doctor replied.Wendy let out a small sigh of relief. She had seen Nathan's wound earlier, and though the knife hadn't struck any vital organs, she still couldn't fully relax until now. If something had happened to Nathan because of her, she would have never forgiven herself.Soon, Nathan was wheeled out of the operating room, and Wendy followed him into the VIP ward. As the door shut behind her, she didn't even glance at Stanley or Jessica.Jessica reached for Stanley's sleeve, frustration evident in her voice. "Stanley, Wendy is completely out of control! She slapped you and then slapped me. You have to—"Stanley yanked his sleeve away from her grasp, his tone sharp as he asked, "Don'
Nathan was doing fine, and his condition was stable.The nurse left, and soon, Zayn's voice could be heard from outside the room. "Mr. Hawk, you really need to take care of that hand. If you don't get it treated soon, it could be permanently damaged."Wendy looked up. She noticed Stanley's tall, handsome figure standing by the door. He had been there all along.Zayn, glancing at Wendy, added urgently, "Mrs. Hawk, Mr. Hawk's hand is still bleeding. Please, just say something."Wendy noticed the blood staining the floor. His hand would likely need a lot of stitches.She stood up and walked toward the door.Stanley's eyes lit up as he saw her approach. His tall frame shifted slightly, his face showing a flicker of hope.Zayn, relieved, said, "I knew it! Mrs. Hawk still cares about you. Mr. Hawk, you really should—"But before he could finish, Wendy reached out and shut the door with a firm slam.The door nearly hit Zayn and Stanley's faces, sending a cold draft through the gap.
Glinda paused for a moment before quickly smiling and saying, "Alright, Wendy. You stay with your friend. When you have some free time, come back and have dinner with me.""Sure, Grandma," Wendy replied.The two of them ended the call.Glinda glanced at Stanley, who was still reading the business newspaper, his expression unreadable."Stanley, have you fought with Wendy?" Glinda asked.Stanley didn't look up from his paper. "No."Glinda let out a small laugh. "Do you know Wendy's friend? Is it a guy or a girl?"Stanley remained silent.Glinda reached over and snatched the newspaper from his hands. "You know, you've been holding the paper upside down."Stanley noticed for the first time that he had been holding the paper wrong. He pressed his lips together briefly.Glinda sighed and stood up. "I know you've been with that Jessica for a while, but nobody will wait around forever, Stanley. Wendy will eventually get fed up with waiting, and she'll leave. She's great, and you don'
Wendy was speechless. Trish's voice came through, bubbling with excitement. "Wendy, guess what? Dr. Ceylan, the genius doctor, is actually a man! And get this—he's totally fallen for me. We're dating now!"What?Wendy's mind was spinning. "I can't talk to you right now. I'll tell you more later. But hey, you need to come to come home in a couple of days," Trish said before hanging up the phone abruptly.Wendy was certain now. Trish had to be dealing with some sort of scammer!Wendy took a deep breath and shook her head. She quickly headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. As she stepped out, her phone rang again. This time, it was Luna calling.Luna's voice was filled with desperation, and Wendy could hear her crying. "Wendy, I've run into some trouble. Can you come help me?"Wendy's grip tightened on the phone. "Luna, what's going on?""I'm working at the Gold Vista Hotel as a waitress, and just now, my manager took a liking to me and wanted me to spend the night with him.
Jake stared at Wendy, his eyes lighting up in surprise. "And where did you come from, pretty girl? You look like an angel."Luna, frightened, hid behind Wendy. "This is my classmate... Mr. Silva, we're students. We're not selling our bodies. Please, leave us alone…""Students, huh? That's even better. I love schoolgirls," Jake said with a lecherous grin, eyeing Wendy hungrily. "Since you're classmates, you two can serve me tonight."With a wave of his hand, Jake instructed his bodyguards dressed in black, "Take them both away."Wendy quickly stepped in front of the trembling Luna, her gaze cold as she stared at Jake. "Kidnapping someone in broad daylight? Don't you realize this is illegal?""Illegal?" Jake burst out laughing, his tone full of arrogance. "In Hovendale, I'm a big shot. I dine with Mr. Hawk, the wealthiest man in town, and you're telling me about the law?"Jake brought up Stanley, the wealthiest man in Hovendale. Wendy hadn't heard from Stanley in days, but everyo
He said he didn't know her. After speaking, Stanley stepped away, his long legs carrying him forward as he led the businessmen into the luxurious private room. Wendy's body stiffened slightly, the calm she had tried to maintain slipping away. Luna, still hiding behind Wendy, had stopped crying. Her pale face, once colorless, began to warm with a soft blush, her eyes glued to Stanley's tall, handsome figure as she stared after him, mesmerized. Once Stanley was out of sight, Jake turned his attention to Wendy. "Haha! You say you're Mrs. Hawk, but Mr. Hawk doesn't even know you. You're just a liar!" Wendy had no response. Jake wasn't in the mood to waste any more time. "Grab them!" he ordered. The two black-clad bodyguards immediately moved forward again, grabbing Wendy and Luna roughly. Luna struggled in their grasp. "Let go of me!" Wendy appeared calm, as she had a needle and some sleeping powder hidden on her. As soon as they entered the room with Jake, she w
Stanley wanted Wendy to offer him a drink.Wendy froze, her body tense.Jake, too, stiffened in confusion. What was Stanley doing? Was he interested in Wendy? If that were the case, Jake knew his place. There was no way he'd dare compete with Stanley for a woman."What are you waiting for? Go offer Mr. Hawk the drink," Jake urged impatiently.The other businessmen laughed. "I've seen plenty of girls trying to offer Mr. Hawk a drink, but it's the first time I've seen Mr. Hawk ordering it.""Go on. Don't keep Mr. Hawk waiting."Everyone's eyes were on Wendy now, and she had no choice but to step forward and offer Stanley a drink.Wendy had no idea what Stanley's intentions were, but she could only stand and walk over to him, holding the glass in her hand. "Mr. Hawk, here's to you."As she stood, Stanley sat, and though she was slightly taller, he still looked at her with an air of dominance. His eyes swept over her, careless and indifferent, the gaze of a mature and wealthy bu
Stanley stared at the information in his hands, his eyes lingering on the empty space under the "Sponsor" section."Who sponsored Wendy?" Zayn shook his head. "We haven't been able to identify the sponsor yet." Stanley pursed his lips, a hint of frustration in his gaze. "What did Wendy do after she graduated at 16?" For someone like her, a rising star, graduation should've marked the beginning of her career, just like his own path. Back when he was at Harfield, Stanley had already dipped his toes into the financial and business world. By the time he graduated, he had already launched his first company on the Copper Valley stock exchange. But Wendy? She seemed to have no job, no clear path. That was something Stanley found puzzling. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hawk. We couldn't find any details. After Ms. Wendy graduated at 16, she disappeared for 2 whole years." Those two years of her life were a complete mystery. No one knew what she had been doing. "Until two years lat
Stanley hadn't expected Lucas to show up. As a man himself, he could already sense Lucas's growing interest in Wendy. Lucas was very into Wendy. Wendy glanced at Stanley, then turned to Lucas. "We'll go with you, Lucas." She chose Lucas without any hesitation. Stanley's sharp features tightened in an instant. Lucas was thrilled. With a gentleman's smile, he opened the car door. "Ladies." Wendy and Halsey climbed into the car. Halsey threw a glance at Stanley, her expression a mix of sympathy and a little bit of schadenfreude. That was what he deserved for treating Wendy poorly—now, Wendy wanted nothing to do with him. Stanley stepped forward, but just as he did, his arm was suddenly caught. It was Jessica. She clung to his arm, forcing a sweet smile. "Stanley, were you waiting for me?" Stanley looked up at Wendy. The luxury car Lucas had been driving was already pulling out of the garage, heading off with Wendy. Wendy had left. Stanley tore his ga
The staff immediately stepped in. "Ladies, please leave immediately." "Wendy, you can't treat us like this…!" With a swift motion of the hand, a group of security guards appeared and escorted Edith, Jessica, Trish, Lilian, and Natalie out of the venue without hesitation. As they were forced out, Edith almost stumbled, but Jessica and Trish caught her on either side. "Grandma, are you alright?" Edith quickly shook off their support and shot them a cold glare. "Did you see that? Wendy is the prodigy!" Edith had always considered Jessica and Trish the Crone family's shining jewels. She had never spoken harshly to them, but now, her frustration poured out. "Look at the effort I've put into you two! You had private tutors, every path paved with money, and yet you only managed to make it into Ivy League schools and the top schools in the state. And Wendy? She was sent to the countryside as a child, and now she's a genius who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Hawk! Wh
A strange feeling stirred in Stanley's chest. He wanted to say something, but before he could, his palm was suddenly empty—Wendy had already withdrawn her hand. She was quickly surrounded by a group of young elites, all bright minds of their generation. Among them was a man named Lucas Norris, a fellow Harfield graduate who had now made a name for himself as a rising star in the tech industry, the young CEO of a publicly traded company. Lucas looked at Wendy's breathtakingly beautiful face and smiled. "Wendy, I'm curious—what's your relationship status?" Stanley's gaze remained fixed on Wendy as he watched her raise a delicate brow. Then, she answered in just three simple words. "Single and available." Single and available. Those words made Lucas' eyes light up. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone. "Wendy, since we're alumni, why don't we add each other as friends on Facebook?" Wendy nodded. "Sure, Lucas." And just like that, they exchanged contacts.
Being a "God of Sleep" was a lie.The lack of education was a lie, too.It turned out Wendy was a prodigy!It turned out the mysterious genius freshman was Wendy!"I never expected this genius freshman to be so beautiful! She looks like an angel! Truly, she's both talented and stunning.""Oh, I think my heart just skipped a beat!"Jessica's hands clenched into fists by her side, her grip tight. She couldn't accept this reality. The Wendy she had always looked down on—this same Wendy—was the genius freshman who had made her so jealous it drove her crazy.Lilian was also in disbelief. She couldn't understand how Wendy ended up on the podium. Hadn't she sent Wendy away to the countryside?At that moment, someone behind them impatiently urged, "Can you two sit down? You're blocking our view of the genius freshman.""If you don't sit down, we'll have to call security and have you escorted out!"Lilian, embarrassed, quickly sat down. She tugged at Jessica's sleeve. "Jessica, sit do
The Summit Academic Forum officially began, and the room erupted into a wave of applause.The host smiled and said, "The most anticipated event of today's Summit Academic Forum is the debut of Mr. Hawk and the genius freshman. I'm sure everyone is eager to see this talented young woman take the stage!"All eyes quickly turned to Stanley and the empty seat beside him. Someone in the crowd could hardly contain their excitement and called out, "We can't wait any longer! Let's see the prodigy!"The host laughed. "Alright, let's welcome her to give the opening speech for our Summit Academic Forum!"The genius freshman was about to make her entrance!The previously noisy hall fell silent in an instant, everyone holding their breath in anticipation.Sienna and the students around her were visibly excited. "She's coming, she's coming! It's finally happening!"Edith, Trish, and Lilian had been searching for Wendy the entire time after they entered, but they couldn't find her.They decid
"Not only that, but it seems the high-level managers of this Summit Academic Forum were the ones who welcomed Wendy just now," Edith said in surprise.Lilian, equally shocked, exchanged glances with her. Sienna then spoke up, her tone dismissive, "Wendy dropped out of school at sixteen. She's always up to something shady. We shouldn't let her intimidate us.""Exactly!" Jessica chimed in, agreeing. "Wendy must be pulling some sort of trick. We should call her out. Grandma, Mom, let's go inside and see what she's really up to!"Edith let out a cold snort. "Good thing I foresaw this and cut ties with her in advance. Whatever mess she causes inside won't be our problem."-Stanley entered the main hall, scanning the area. He looked around, but couldn't spot Wendy anywhere.He had rushed in earlier, trying to follow her, but he had still lost her. Where could she have gone?He turned to one of the staff members nearby. "Who uses the VIP entrance?"The staff member responded respec
Benny froze for a moment. "Wendy, how do you know my dream girl doesn't like red roses?" Edith quickly cut in, "Don't listen to Wendy's nonsense. I think she's just jealous of the genius girl who's catching your attention, and she's trying to cause trouble." Benny, his patience wearing thin, threatened, "Wendy, you'd better not ruin this for me. I'm going to officially pursue my dream girl!" Wendy found it all rather amusing. With a smirk, she replied, "Well, good luck, Benny." Benny snorted in response. Jessica wasn't about to let the focus stay on the genius girl for too long. She continued to mock Wendy. "Stanley, Wendy's here at the Summit Academic Forum, but she doesn't even have an invitation." Stanley turned to Wendy and quietly asked, "You don't have an invitation?" Wendy shook her head. "Nope." Stanley smirked, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Looks like your 'impressive' boyfriend isn't all that great after all—he couldn't even get you an in
Harry was Jessica's father, but the truth was that he had simply brought Jessica back from the Capital. Jessica wasn't even his biological daughter. Her real father...was someone of immense wealth and status. Jessica came from a family of extraordinary background. Of course, this was the biggest secret hidden deep within Edith and Harry's hearts, and they wouldn't dare reveal it at this moment. Edith looked at Wendy, her face cold. "Wendy, you should stop calling me 'Grandma'. I have no granddaughter like you!" Halsey was taken aback by Edith's lack of remorse. She couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Enraged, she stormed, "What?!" Just then, a small, soft hand gently rested on her arm. Wendy stepped forward, looking straight at Edith. "Grandma, are you really cutting ties with me?" Edith stood her ground, unflinching. "Yes, I am!" Wendy turned her gaze toward Lilian. "Mom, is that what you think too?" The same sentence echoed in Lilian's mind—"I'm