Upon arriving at the shopping mall, Stephen instructed Julian to wait for him in the car.After taking a few steps, Stephen returned to give Julian a special instruction. "Please don't tell Yvonne where we've been when we go to Miller Villa later," he said.Julian nodded in confusion. "Alright."As Stephen walked away, Julian became increasingly puzzled. Was Stephen planning to surprise Yvonne?Stephen located the store by following the address that Jane had sent him.He immediately spotted Jane sitting on the couch. After a brief hesitation, he walked into the store.The store employees quickly noticed Stephen. They were all stunned to see him there.Earlier, Jane had boasted about knowing him and had even said that she could call him over to pay for her.They had thought she had just been bragging, but now he was indeed here.The employees were still shocked when they saw Jane walking toward Stephen with a triumphant smile. "Mr. Anderson, you got here rather quickly,"
As Jane had anticipated, Simone arrived at Miller Villa with a gift in hand on Saturday afternoon.Yvonne opened the door and was pleasantly surprised. "Simone, what brings you here?""I've been busy on the set for the past few months, and I finally found some free time today. I learned about El's situation and decided to drop by," Simone explained as she handed the gift to Yvonne."Rachel was supposed to come with me, but she remembered she had a prenatal checkup today. That's why I came alone."Yvonne smiled warmly. "There's no need to be polite with me. I, for one, won't be polite with you.""I prefer it that way. I can't stand all the formality," Simone replied.After changing into indoor shoes, Simone followed Yvonne inside and asked how Elvin was doing now. Yvonne shared the details with Simone and invited her to sit in the living room. After that, she went to the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee for Simone.As Yvonne returned with the coffee, Simone hesitated before
After bidding farewell to Simone, Yvonne couldn't help but feel restless for quite some time. She occasionally opened her chat with Stephen but always closed it after some hesitation. She didn't feel like she had any right to question him about that dress. Strangely, this thought made her somewhat uncomfortable. She eventually put her phone down in frustration.…As the days passed and Noah's trial approached, Yvonne's thoughts returned to their usual track. She would only think about that dress when she saw Stephen. This particular day was her last meeting with the lawyers before the trial. Yvonne finished her work early and headed to Anderson Group.The legal team at Anderson Group was the best in the entire Northerna City. In fact, they could even be considered the best in all of Qynea.That was why the case had been entrusted to them. Yvonne had interacted with the lawyers a few times during this period, and they had a favorable impression of her. Everybody trea
The first court session lasted two hours.Since the case was a big one, the judge had to thoroughly go through all the evidence, so no conviction was reached during the first court session.The second court session was scheduled for the following Tuesday. This was all within the legal team's expectations. Once the court was adjourned, they consoled Yvonne while packing up. "Criminal cases are usually more troublesome. It's normal to have a few court sessions. You don't have to worry too much."Yvonne hummed in response and smiled. "Thank you."Just then, Julian approached Stephen. "Sir, there are reporters outside. They're waiting to interview you and Ms. Miller. What do you plan to do?"Julian had just taken a look outside. The reporters seemed very enthusiastic. It didn't seem like they could easily brush the reporters off.Stephen looked at Yvonne. "Do you want to meet with them?"Yvonne shook her head. "No. I'm exhausted." Moreover, Elvin was with her too.Elvin had don
That night, "Thomas Jones Gone Mad" was trending. Everyone online was criticizing Noah. Jane was bored scrolling through social media. She furrowed her brows and looked at Chuck. He was doing some research on herbs not too far away from her."Yvonne went with Stephen to court today?""Why not?" Chuck said without looking up, "The victim is their child. Isn't it normal for them to go together?""I'm talking to you. Can you put down that nonsense?" Jane was infuriated. She walked over to the table and pushed aside the herbs on the table.Chuck wasn't able to stop Jane in time. He said angrily, "Ms. Ford, the things I'm doing are much more important than your stupid questions. If you want to talk about it, go find someone else, will you?""This is just trash. How could it be important? Stop trying—""This is for Mark," Chuck coldly interrupted Jane. "Yvonne wouldn't give me the formula for the drowsy incense, so I have to find a way to come up with it."If I can't produce any
Since it was an adult affair, Elvin couldn't join them. Yvonne told Lloyd to have the driver take Elvin home before she took the legal team over to the restaurant.She had booked the best private room and ordered a feast.The team of lawyers had been working hard all this time. Now they could finally relax. They weren't as uptight as they usually were. After a few rounds of drinks, they started getting chatty.Soon, the atmosphere in the room turned lively.Their enthusiasm swayed Yvonne and improved her mood. She had already had two glasses of wine. When the lawyers were cheering her on to drink the third glass, Stephen calmly pressed her hand, which was holding the glass, down.When everyone saw what had happened, they chimed in, "Everyone, watch out! Mr. Anderson is protecting his woman!""You men are drunk. Can't you see who you're asking to drink? If you offend the CEO's future wife, you'll all be dead meat!"Yvonne was unhappy. She pushed Stephen's hand away and raised h
Yvonne texted: "Simone, send me your location."After receiving Simone's location, she immediately entered the address on the navigation device in her car. "Before going home, I want to go to this place."Stephen looked at the address. It was a famous five-star hotel in Northerna City. The wealthy often held parties there."Why do you want to go there?""To see someone," Yvonne said before leaning back and closing her eyes. Clearly, she didn't want to explain further.Stephen hesitated for a while before starting the engine and driving according to the navigation.Half an hour later, they arrived outside the hotel.Yvonne unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. She headed in with her high heels clicking behind her.Stephen quickly followed her. He had a strange feeling that she was there to settle the score with someone.Simone had been waiting for Yvonne for a long time. When she saw Yvonne outside the banquet hall, she immediately went up to her. "Yvonne, you'll s
Stephen was just about to say something when Yvonne took a step forward and tugged at the hem of the red dress.She lowered her gaze and said nonchalantly, "Yes, I am that petty. Which is why you can dream of wearing this dress."Before Jane could react, she heard fabric tearing. She lowered her gaze to see a pocketknife in Yvonne's hand. Yvonne had made a huge cut on the hem!The cut wasn't big enough to expose her body, but the dress was truly ruined!Jane was bewildered. She shoved Yvonne away. "You're a lunatic!""You were the one who took it without any permission. It's annoying to see you wear it." Yvonne put the pocketknife away and took a check out from her bag. "I might be petty when it comes to relationships, but I'm generous when it comes to money. This is compensation for your dress."Yvonne added, "By the way, if I may say something … A dress that isn't for you and a man who isn't for you are the same thing." She smirked. "You don't deserve it, no matter how
A light breeze blew by in the courtyard. Agatha slowly recounted the past.Back then, Daniel and his wife, Katherine, had just had Mark. The entire Carrington family had been celebrating.They had doted on Mark and taken him wherever they went.That day, they had headed out. Before they'd known it, Mark had been taken away.Just when Daniel and Katherine had been on the brink of losing it, they had received a call from the kidnapper to bring the ransom to a specific spot.They had gotten the money and driven there without any hesitation. No one had thought that they would ever return after that. Even Mark had disappeared.When Agatha finished recounting this, her cup of tea had already cooled.She wiped her tears away. She said through a catch in her throat, "Katherine was hugging the bag of money tightly until the moment she passed away, as though she were hugging you."Mark furrowed his brows. Now that he'd heard the truth about Daniel and Katherine, he should have felt pain
As Yvonne left the room, she could tell that Stephen's mood was much better.She looked at him. "Are you thinking of something nice?""No." Stephen looked at Yvonne with a rare twinkle in his eyes."Let me take you to breakfast." Before Yvonne could respond, he took her hand and led her to the elevator.Thinking about how he'd stood outside her room the entire night, Yvonne decided to let him hold her hand.Then, her thoughts drifted to Otto. Somehow, she had a bad feeling.…At the same time, Mark was in the courtyard of Carrington Mansion. He sat next to Agatha and poured some tea for her.He handed her a cup of hot tea. "Great-Grandma, try this."When he noticed that Agatha had no reaction, he called out to her once more. "Great-Grandma?""Huh?" Agatha came to her senses. She looked at Mark in confusion. "What is it?""You've been distracted since yesterday. Are you thinking of something?" Mark asked.Agatha shook her head. "Nothing." Then, she picked up her teacup and
Yvonne stood by the door of the bedroom and looked at Otto, who was looking out of the window in a daze on the bed.The sun shone on his face. He looked quite hungover and had a sickly pale face.Yvonne hesitated for a while before saying gently, "Mrs. Jenner called me last night. She's worried about you."Otto didn't respond.Yvonne went in closer and added, "She said that you called her and asked about your father. She found it strange."Mr. Carrington, why did you suddenly think about your father? Did Mrs. Carrington Senior bring him up yesterday?"All Yvonne got was silence.Luckily, she was patient. She sat on the couch and followed Otto's line of sight. Tiny dust particles were floating among the sunbeams. Yvonne also fell into a daze as she watched them float about.Suddenly, Otto asked, "Have you ever felt like your world was falling apart?""Hmm?" Yvonne was confused. "For example?""I mean, like the person that you trust turns out to be different from what you'd t
The next morning, Yvonne opened her door to see Stephen standing outside. She was caught off guard."What is wrong with you this morning? Why didn't you knock…"While talking, Yvonne noticed that Stephen was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Don't tell me you didn't leave last night? Have you been standing outside this door all this while?""Hmm." Stephen looked at Yvonne intently. "I thought you would've figured it out quickly."Yvonne was speechless, but she thought to herself that she'd slept like a baby the night before.She smiled at him. "Figure what out?" She noticed Stephen frowning as though he were on the brink of losing his temper.She quickly added, "I-I mean, you have to give me a hint, right? I've thought about it the entire night, but I still don't understand. My brain isn't functioning well."Stephen asked suspiciously, "You've been thinking about it the entire night?""Yes, which is why I didn't look for yo
"If I hadn't come to find you tonight, you probably wouldn't tell me anything about what happened tonight, would you?" Stephen asked in retort.It wasn't a big deal, as long as they returned safely. Yvonne wondered why she needed to report this to him.But she still smiled. "It's late. How could I disrupt your rest? It would've been the same if I told you about it tomorrow morning, right?"Stephen sniggered. "Yvonne, you still don't know where you've gone wrong."He suddenly went in closer to her. Yvonne instinctively retreated until her back was up against the wall. She glared at him."What on earth is wrong with you? I've already said that I would've told you tomorrow morning—"A punch went past Yvonne and landed brutally on the wall.Yvonne was a little stunned. She looked into Stephen's eyes and furrowed her brows. "Stephen, I don't want to quarrel with you for no reason. "Mrs. Carrington Senior went to look for Otto today. Calbert couldn't reach him the entire day, so he
Jane returned to the private room, distracted.She sat down next to Cory. She looked at him as he reached his hand out to her in confusion.Cory furrowed his brows and asked unhappily, "Where's the wine?""Wine… Yes! Wine!" Jane came to her senses. She was just about to get up when Cory pulled her back.He grabbed her by her chin and forced her to look at him. "What happened when you went out?""N-Nothing."Cory tightened his grip. Jane furrowed her brows in pain. "I-I… I saw Yvonne. She told me that she and Stephen got remarried.""What?" Cory relaxed his grip a little. "They got remarried?""Hmm.""So, what?" He had no intention of letting her go, and he looked at her sharply. "Does it bother you so much that Stephen got remarried?"Jane looked at Cory frantically. "Cory, what do you mean by that?""What do I mean? You know what I mean."Cory went in closer. His tone turned icy. "You used to pursue Stephen. Now that you know he's gotten married, you're in this shitty mood
Yvonne turned around to see Jane smiling at her ambiguously. She furrowed her brows. How were they always bumping into each other?Jane crossed her hands in front of her chest and leaned against the wall. She swept her gaze at Calbert and Otto. "Two guys and one woman. You sure know how to have fun!"Calbert instantly snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?""Why are you being so fierce? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Jane snickered. "Two guys and a woman came out of a private room in the middle of the night. Anyone would come to the same conclusion. We're all adults. There's no need to pretend to be innocent.""You—" Calbert was about to go up to Jane, but Yvonne stopped him."Since Ms. Ford is here, I'm guessing so is Cory?" Yvonne smiled, yet her smile didn't reach her eyes. "If you cause a scene here and this bar gets raided, guess who'll be the ones walking out here alive?"Jane's expression turned ugly. "Are you threatening me?""It's just a kind reminder." Yvon
Calbert and Yvonne managed to track Otto's car to a bar, thanks to the information they'd gotten from his staff. Otto's car was right outside the bar.Calbert looked at the neon sign and furrowed his brows. "Why is Otto here? Did what Mrs. Carrington Senior said really hit him so badly that he has to drown himself in alcohol?"Yvonne said nothing and headed directly inside the bar."Wait up for me!" Calbert went after her. He subconsciously protected her from all the drunk patrons.The lighting in the bar was dim. Many of the patrons were drunk and having fun.Yvonne and Calbert walked around the booth area, but Otto was nowhere to be found. They pulled a server over to ask if there was a patron by the name of Otto Carrington who had reserved a private room.Coincidentally, the server had just taken two bottles of wine to Otto's room. So, he led them to the private room.Calbert tipped the server before opening the door and entering. The entire room reeked of alcohol.He looked
After Agatha left, Otto stood in the same spot without moving.A long time later, Zac entered the office. He looked at Otto's back and asked quietly, "Mr. Carrington, will you still see the client?""No." Otto sounded heartbroken.Zac didn't dare ask further questions. He gently closed the door and reminded the secretary that no one was to disturb Otto.In the office, Otto was alone. He slowly walked over to the couch and slumped into it. His mind was in a mess."Alexander was the one who planned the kidnapping back then."Agatha's words rang in his mind for a long time.Alexander's young face appeared in Otto's mind, smiling at him affectionately."Otto! Amazing! Yes! Just like that!""You're amazing at badminton! You're going to make the country proud! I'm going to be so proud of you!""Otto, my son!"Memories of his interactions with Alexander flashed across his mind at that moment.Otto couldn't imagine that such a loving father would do such an absurd thing. Alexander