Although Wendy had a troubled childhood, she never lost the courage to love. Whether it was Lilian or Stanley, she had always loved them passionately and actively. Loving someone didn't mean being humble or inferior, and it certainly didn't give anyone the right to mistreat her, especially when she didn't love anymore. She no longer loved Stanley.Stanley studied her serene face with cold eyes, his lips twisting into a mocking smile. "You really don't love me anymore?""Yes—mmph!" Wendy started to answer, but before she could finish, he leaned down and forcefully pressed his lips to hers.Her mind exploded, a rush of blankness filling her thoughts. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she realized he had unexpectedly kissed her.It wasn't their first kiss, but the last time in the shower, she had pulled him in and kissed him. Now, it was him kissing her.Wendy immediately struggled, raising her hands to push him away. "Stanley, let me go!"Stanley's strong, broad frame pressed he
This man!Wendy was furious. She stood on her tiptoes and bit the corner of Stanley's lip."Ugh!" Stanley winced in pain, a faint taste of blood filling his mouth. She had drawn blood with that bite.He grabbed her face, squeezing it until her lips formed an "O" shape. His eyes were full of anger. "What are you, a dog? Do you always have to bite people?"Wendy shot him a defiant look. "You should be thinking about how to explain that cut on your lip to Jessica tomorrow. Even though Nathan took your place, isn't Jessica stuck with my second-hand goods?"Stanley stared at her, speechless.Second-hand goods? This damned woman!"We can hook up with other people, but you can't be with Nathan!" "Why?" Wendy asked, her voice calm but mocking.In truth, Stanley saw Nathan as a good friend. He couldn't stand the thought of it. He looked Wendy up and down with disdain. "You think Nathan would be interested in you? Keep dreaming! You only know how to shake your hips on the dance flo
Stanley had just finished his shower, wearing a black silk pajama. His damp, short hair hung loosely, droplets of water glistening like mist. He looked fresher and more youthful than his usual well-dressed, suit-clad self.Wendy glanced at him for a moment. The man truly was blessed with good looks.Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from Zayn. He grabbed his phone and answered the call."Mr. Hawk, Dr. Ceylan accepted your invitation to meet tomorrow at the naturopathy center." Zayn's voice came through.Stanley's expression remained stoic. "Last time, Dr. Ceylan came and left without a word. Tomorrow, I'll get a glimpse of that mysterious person."Wendy felt a chill at the back of her neck. This was bad.Stanley had never forgotten how Dr. Ceylan had canceled their last meeting. He wasn't the type to let someone play games with him, and he was determined to see Dr. Ceylan tomorrow.Stanley then looked over at Wendy. "Aren't you going to take a shower?""Right." Wendy qui
Though they had been married for over three years, Stanley had never shared a bedroom with Wendy. In fact, he hadn't shared a bed with any woman, making this moment entirely new to him.As he watched her carefully applying skincare, moving from one product to the next, Stanley found it all rather intriguing.Wendy, noticing his gaze, turned her head toward him.Stanley didn't have time to look away, and their eyes met.Wendy shot him a glare. "What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?""You should spend some time reading to improve yourself. No matter how pretty you make yourself, you're still just a vase," Stanley replied coolly. Wendy, who had just been labeled a "vase", wanted to curse aloud. She vowed that she would blind the arrogant Stanley with her brilliance.Without responding, she climbed into bed, pulling the covers up.At that moment, Stanley's phone rang with a soft chime. He glanced down and saw that it was a message from Dave at Ha
Being called "annoying" out of nowhere left Stanley feeling completely confused. He didn't pay much attention to it. Setting his phone aside, he returned to reviewing the documents in front of him. By the time he finished his work, it was already late into the night. Stanley got up to pour himself a glass of water. As he turned toward Wendy, he saw that she had already fallen asleep.He was about to return to the sofa when a soft chime echoed from her phone, which was resting beside her pillow. Wendy had an incoming text.Stanley glanced at her phone, and in the next moment, his dark, intense gaze narrowed suddenly.He saw her profile picture glowing on the screen. It looked eerily identical to the profile picture of the genius freshman, W.Stanley quickly walked over to the bed, reaching for her phone.Just then, Wendy shifted in her sleep, and her delicate face pressed against his hand.Stanley froze, unsure of what he was doing. He must have been seeing things—was it possi
Sienna spotted Wendy approaching.Stanley and Jessica noticed her, too. Jessica was taken aback. "Wendy, what are you doing here?"Sienna looked at Wendy with obvious disdain. "Wendy, I'll make you pay for what you did with Nathan last night! Now, just leave. We're all waiting for Dr. Ceylan, and we don't have time to waste on you!"Stanley's gaze landed on Wendy, his sharp brow furrowing slightly. Though he didn't say anything, it was clear he wasn't welcoming her presence. He felt that she was here to cause trouble.Wendy wasn't offended. She simply found their reactions amusing. She gave them a playful smile, then winked at Stanley before saying, "I know you're waiting for Dr. Ceylan."Jessica snapped, "Then why don't you just leave?"Wendy straightened her back, smiling confidently in front of the three of them. "Actually, I'm the one you're all waiting for—"Before she could finish, someone else appeared. "Wendy, what are you doing here?"Wendy turned around to see Trish C
Stanley was only interested in seeing Dr. Ceylan. As the minutes passed with no sign of the doctor, his expression grew colder.Trish glanced at the time, her voice soft but certain. "Mr. Hawk, Dr. Ceylan must have been delayed. Who knows what Dr. Ceylan's working on. The doctor's been in seclusion for three years now." Dr. Ceylan's disappearance had been the biggest mystery in the medical world. No one knew the reason for the doctor's prolonged disappearance.Wendy, standing by the door, rolled her eyes. She wanted Stanley to open his eyes wide and see that she had kept her word and shown up. Even Jessica, Trish, and Sienna were her witnesses.Seeing that Stanley's face didn't soften, Trish uttered, "Mr. Hawk, I'll start by checking Jessica."-Twenty minutes later, Stanley and Trish stood outside the door. Trish, dressed in a white silk blouse and a black pencil skirt, looked bright and professional. She met Stanley's gaze—handsome and commanding—and said, "Mr. Hawk, based o
After speaking, Jessica turned and left. Wendy furrowed her brow. What kind of game was Jessica playing?Soon, Sienna's scream echoed through the hall. "Aaaah! Stanley, something's happened!"Wendy quickly turned back as she wondered what was going on.Sienna, panic written all over her face, grabbed Stanley's arm. "Stanley, Jessica's been taken!"Stanley's expression darkened. "Who took Jessica?""Grandma took her! Grandma sent someone to grab Jessica!" Sienna replied anxiously. What?Stanley's presence suddenly grew colder, as though the temperature had dropped to freezing.Just then, Sienna spotted Wendy arriving and immediately pointed at her. "Wendy, it's your fault! Stanley, someone sent Grandma a photo—it's the one of Jessica and you dancing closely at the bar last night. Grandma saw it and flew into a rage, and sent people to take Jessica. I'm sure Wendy's the one who sent it!"Wendy's expression remained calm, but inside, she was stunned. She had no idea that so
Nathan chuckled. "So, the 'help' Wendy was talking about was Jessica."Stanley raised an eyebrow. "Help?""Well, earlier, you and Wendy were neck and neck," Nathan continued, "Wendy said that Jessica has a weak heart, and even if you're the best driver, Jessica can't stand the speed, and she's bound to help Wendy out."Did she really say that?Stanley's gaze shifted toward Wendy's retreating figure, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. Nathan nudged him with his shoulder. "She's interesting, isn't she?"Stanley raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer. Meanwhile, Jessica stood there, completely ignored, feeling like she was invisible. -Wendy and Nathan entered the Presidential Suite with a breathtaking view of the sea, while Jessica and Stanley headed to the Executive Suite. Cecelia and Sienna had also arrived, eager to visit the famous hot springs at the resort later that evening. Cecelia grabbed Wendy's arm. "Wendy, let's go buy some bikinis!"They arrived at the bikin
Stanley's sports car suddenly swerved toward Wendy, attempting to force her off the track. But Wendy didn't back down. The right side of her car scraped against the wall, sending sparks flying. In the blink of an eye, she skillfully drifted her car to the side and chased after Stanley. Her control of the car was impressive, even stunning. Stanley watched Wendy, feeling the breeze on his face. Her long, dark hair flowed out behind her, rippling in the wind, some strands catching on her delicate cheeks and slender neck. She looked so radiant, so captivating, it was impossible to look away. Wearing sunglasses, she slowly glanced at him, then gave him the finger."Damn it!" Stanley muttered under his breath, a low, rough laugh escaping from his throat. The sight of her stirred something deep inside him. She made his heart itch. In his mind, Wendy was just a country girl, always causing trouble and orbiting around him. But there were moments, like now, when her cleverness in ou
Jessica looped her arm through Stanley's, leaning into him. "Stanley, let's share a room."Nathan wrapped his arm around Wendy's slender shoulders. "Wendy, let's stay in the same room, too."Stanley glanced at Wendy, watching as she nodded. "Alright."She agreed to stay in the same room as Nathan.Stanley's lips tightened into a thin line.Wendy noticed Stanley's gaze. She lifted her eyes and met the cold, dark depths of his stare.What was he looking at her for?The memory of the awkward exchange on WhatsApp the night before suddenly rushed back to her. At the time, she had been scrambling to find an escape, but now, she calmly shifted her gaze away.The hotel manager smiled warmly. "Mr. Hawk, Mr. Lowe, here we have the Presidential Oceanic Suite and the Executive Oceanic Suite. How would you like to divide them?"Jessica, already aware that the Presidential Suite had the best view, smiled triumphantly. "I'll take the Presidential Suite. Wendy, you and Nathan can have the Exe
Wendy clicked on the message, seeing "Hubby" had sent a smiley emoji.Wendy froze for a second, then she covered her face and screamed, "Ah!"Stanley was sitting in the CEO's office, watching Wendy's chat window flash repeatedly with "typing…" for several minutes. Eventually, it seemed the person on the other end gave up, and nothing came through as the screen fell silent.The storm cloud that had been hanging over Stanley's handsome face cleared, and he couldn't help but laugh.Wendy couldn't stand teasing.Stanley's mind drifted to the screenshot he had seen earlier—the picture of her delicate, pink neck adorned with the ruby necklace. It was truly beautiful. Her best friend had called him what again? "Jerk"?[That jerk? Wendy, you must've pleasured him well, huh? He just gave you a ruby necklace as a reward.] Stanley's gaze deepened as images of their time in the car flashed through his mind.His handsome eyelids fluttered a few times, and he had to admit, Wendy had truly
He had left.But Wendy wasn't thinking about his departure. What bothered her more was what he had done—how could he just toss that ruby necklace into the trash like it was nothing?That ruby was worth over a million!Even though he was rich, he shouldn't just throw away something so expensive!Without wasting a second, Wendy rushed to the trash can, reaching in to grab the precious bag. Fortunately, it wasn't dirty or damaged—how tragic it would have been if it had been ruined!Back in the dorm, Wendy sat at her vanity and opened the ornate box. The ruby and diamond necklace inside shimmered brilliantly under the light, stunning her with its breathtaking beauty.Stanley had always had impeccable taste. After all, he was born into a family of privilege, a high-born heir with a refined sense of style. Anything he chose would undoubtedly be exceptional.Though Wendy was wealthy herself, she rarely indulged in things like this. This was also the first time Stanley had given her a g
Wendy froze, unsure of what he meant. Wasn't the ruby necklace meant for Jessica? Why was he asking if she liked it? Could it be that he bought two—one for Jessica and one for her? It wasn't entirely impossible. He had the money, after all.Wendy found it almost laughable. No matter his intentions, she wasn't going to keep second-guessing him or chasing after him anymore. That night on the highway had already settled everything between them—they no longer owed each other. She put her phone away without replying. Just then, Jessica walked over with a bright smile on her face. "Wendy, you're here too?"Her mood was clearly great, likely because she'd heard Stanley was giving her a ruby necklace. She was someone who loved luxury, and knowing about that gift had clearly made her day.Wendy nodded. "Just came by to hang out.""Stanley's planning a trip with me and Sienna to a resort in a couple of days. It's famous for its hot springs, and we're going to relax in the baths.
Halsey pulled Wendy up from the couch. "Wendy, wake up! What were you doing? You look completely wiped out."Wendy rubbed her sleepy eyes and mumbled, "I just want to sleep a little longer.""Sleep? No way! Get up now. Let's hit the bar." Halsey dragged Wendy to the bar, and before long, they were inside a luxurious private room with a few familiar faces: Jessica, Benny, Sienna, and some rich heirs.Benny, lounging on the sofa, spoke up. "Jessica, Stanley's been on a business trip for two days, right? Is he coming back tonight?"After that night, Stanley left for his trip, and Wendy hadn't seen him since. Naturally, they hadn't been in contact either. According to the unspoken agreement, after that night, they owed each other nothing—but they had one more secret between them.Jessica smiled slyly. "Yeah, Stanley's coming back tonight.""The other night, Mr. Hawk took his car on the highway, right? I heard he was speeding like he was in a race, and the camera caught him, so he g
Stanley was angry now—angry that she had said this was the last time and that he shouldn't come looking for her after this. Wendy's soft red lips moved toward him, but he impatiently pushed her away. However, her small hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, moved to wrap around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. "Stanley, don't push me away!"Her clear, shimmering eyes locked onto his, her voice soft but firm, with a hint of a playful lilt. The challenge in her tone made his muscles tighten."Same condition," she continued. "This is our secret. I won't tell Jessica."She kissed him again. Stanley's narrowed eyes darkened, blood rushing to his face. A man who had tasted that kind of pleasure once was like a wild animal, occasionally yearning for and remembering that feeling. Her boldness, her clinginess, easily sparked the fire within him.He gave up resisting, and as she pressed forward, he took control, his large hand gripping her smooth, fragrant shoulder.
The tinted windows of the luxurious car allowed those inside to see out, but no one could peer inside. Wendy couldn't see Stanley, but she could feel the weight of his cold, dark gaze, fixated on her and Nathan. Why had he suddenly shown up to find her?Wendy turned to Nathan. "Nathan, it's getting late. I think I should head back to my dorm." Nathan grinned. "Alright, I'll come find you next time."He got into his Ferrari, and with a loud roar, the sports car sped off.Wendy watched Nathan leave before she walked toward the Rolls-Royce Phantom. She reached for the backseat door and slid inside.The Rolls-Royce glided smoothly down the road, the luxurious interior illuminated by the neon lights of the night. Stanley's hands, long and defined, gripped the steering wheel. The soft glow from the streetlights outside flickered across his handsome face, casting shadows and creating an air of mystery, as if his face were part of a classic black-and-white film.Wendy broke the sile