When Yvonne woke up the next day, she found herself alone in her room. If it hadn't been for her throbbing headache from the hangover, she would have thought that the night before had been a dream.Thanks to the bottle of red wine, she'd had a great night's sleep too. In fact, it was the best sleep she'd had during this time.She washed up and headed downstairs, greeting everyone with a smile in the dining hall.Noticing that Yvonne was in a good mood, Jim looked at Stephen meaningfully. "It looks like you took good care of her last night.""Hmm." Stephen nodded honestly.Yvonne blushed. She wanted to say something when Stephen added, "She had a bottle of 80-thousand-dollar wine. She should feel better."Yvonne was speechless. She glared at Stephen. How childish! He was deliberately misleading people!Jim looked at them both. He found them amusing. He said with a smile, "Alright, come and have breakfast. You'll be meeting a few doctors later."He continued. "I had a look at Jad
"Who would have thought that you would get to see your number one fan so quickly?" Yvonne pointed at the document. "Jane Ford is Neil Foster's goddaughter. What a coincidence, right?"Stephen was a little stunned. "Is that so?""It's only normal." Yvonne shrugged. "As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If Mark and Neil were competitors, Leonard and Claude would never give up the chance to be friends with Neil. "I wasn't familiar with their twisted relationships in the past because I never asked about their businesses before."Yvonne got engrossed in the documents once more before saying pensively, "Perhaps Claude and Leonard played a hand in stopping Mark and Neil from tearing at each other's throats.""It's possible," Stephen said calmly."It's just nice." Yvonne smiled. "If I approach Neil, Claude and Leonard will know that I really want to go up against Mark. They would naturally trust me more."The more she got to understand Mark, Claude, and Leonard better,
"Hello, you are …"Neil looked at Stephen and smiled. "You must be Mr. Anderson of Anderson Group, right? I've heard a lot about you for quite some time. I'm only just realizing how young and capable you are!""Thank you, Mr. Foster."Stephen had been keeping a low profile. But since he was sitting next to Yvonne, no one could ignore his presence.Neil sized Stephen and Yvonne up for a while before saying with a smile, "It looks like the rumors are true. You two look like a good match. If you two join forces, the world will be at your feet."Jane instantly became unhappy when she heard Neil. She tugged at his arm. "Uncle Neil, since when did you become so gossipy?""When you're old, you like to listen to young people's stories." Neil smiled. "Especially about people like Mr. Anderson and Ms. Miller."Jane furrowed her brows. She said nothing, but her expression was clear.Neil didn't know what she was thinking, so he found it odd. "Did I say something wrong?""No, no," Claude
Claude noticed that Leonard was a little distracted. He asked curiously, "What happened? What were you and Yvonne talking about?""She …" Leonard glanced at Neil in the distance before leaning in closer to Claude and whispering in his ear, "Yvonne is interested in Mark's metal business.""What!" Claude's eyes widened as he looked at Leonard. "Has Yvonne gone mad? If Mark finds out, he will skin her alive.""I always knew that she was ambitious, but I never expected …" Halfway through his sentence, Leonard noticed Yvonne and Stephen coming over. So he stopped talking and hinted at Claude that they would continue the conversation later.Everyone raised their glasses to Neil, and the party officially began.After a few rounds, Neil realized that Yvonne's alcohol tolerance was quite great. It made him like her even more. He pulled her over and drank a few more rounds with her.In between, Stephen had helped her with two glasses. However, Neil was exhilarated from drinking. He didn'
"You …" Jane was furious, but Yvonne had the upper hand. She gritted her teeth. In the end, all she could say was, "Shameless woman!"Yvonne looked a little disappointed. "Is that all you got?" Jane's reaction made Yvonne lose all interest in her. Thus, she retracted her hand, walked past Jane, and left.Yvonne had just exited the corridors when a hand suddenly grabbed her by the arm. She spun around and fell into someone's arm against his firm pecs. The familiar woody scent enveloped her.She looked up and smiled at Stephen. "Why are you here?""If I hadn't come, I wouldn't know that I was just one of your options."Yvonne stared at Stephen. "I said it on purpose to mess with Jane. Did you really believe it?""After all, you are beautiful and capable, Ms. Miller. Having more than one option is just normal." Stephen smiled. Yvonne tugged on his tie and raised her chin. "Stephen, you've gotten bold. How dare you tease me?""I would never dare." Stephen smiled wider. He wrap
The party was still going on. Claude hadn't seen Jane for almost 20 minutes. He was just about to get up to look for her when he saw her wade through the crowd and walk toward him."Why were you gone for so long?"Jane looked at Claude distractedly. She hesitated before responding, "I-I bumped into Yvonne in the ladies' room. Then, I took a call.""You talked to Yvonne?""Yes." Jane scanned around. "Where are they?""They went upstairs. Yvonne got drunk, so she's staying the night." Claude pulled Jane alone back to their seats. He quietly reminded her, "We're here to celebrate Neil's birthday. We're not in our own house. "You have to mind your manners. Do you hear me? If you continue behaving the way you did tonight, I won't be able to help you.""Okay," Jane responded, feeling annoyed. She took a sip of her drink and hesitated for a while before asking, "Grandpa, did you get Chuck to deal with Jade?"Claude was surprised. "How did you know?""Chuck called me just now. He s
The next morning, Neil was working out in the courtyard when he heard footsteps approaching. He stopped what he was doing and turned around. "Ms. Miler, you're up early.""I had too much to drink last night. I went to bed early, so naturally, I got up early." Yvonne went closer to see a table full of workout equipment. "You have such a good habit of getting some exercise.""Well, I ruined my health from all the socializing I did back then. Now that I finally have quieter days, I'll have to watch my health. I'm just paying back the deficit."Neil raised his hand to get the household staff to take the equipment on the table away. Then, he gestured for Yvonne to take a seat. "You came just in time. I just finished my workout. Why don't you accompany me for some tea?""Sure," Yvonne happily agreed.Soon, the household staff brought in all the things required for brewing tea, among them a teapot with hot water inside.After setting the table, they left Neil and Yvonne alone.Ne
Neil didn't even give Yvonne a chance to discuss things with him. He finished his cup of tea and found an excuse to leave. Yvonne couldn't get him to stay.Seeing Neil leave, Yvonne sighed helplessly. His rejection came so quickly.As she returned to the mansion, Yvonne bumped into Leonard. She politely nodded and greeted him, "Good morning.""You're up early. I see you've met Neil already," Leonard said teasingly.Yvonne was speechless. A hint of annoyance gleamed in her eyes. "You're up early too. Seeing how you've watched the entire process, are you worried that I've struck a deal with him or something?"Leonard waved his hands. "There is nothing I should be worried about. If you've made a deal, that's because you're capable. I would have to praise you instead."Yvonne said nothing. She merely looked at Leonard silently. He sure had a sharp tongue."Yvonne, I'm not trying to lecture you." Leonard went in closer and said with an air of seniority, "You're still young. Don't g
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