Anthony gave an ugly smile. "Ms. Miller, stop pulling my leg. I wouldn't dare to think of that."Yvonne said nothing. She merely looked at Anthony quietly. Her gaze was devoid of emotion, but it was enough to overwhelm Anthony to the point that he couldn't breathe.The meeting room was in dead silence.Anthony was sweating. He never would have thought that a young woman like Yvonne would be so much more terrifying than Chuck!The things she said while smiling were already frightening enough. But moments like this, when she wasn't talking or smiling, were even more intimidating!Just when Anthony could no longer take it, Yvonne chuckled. "It looks like I've been a little too petty. I was overthinking."Anthony was baffled. Did that mean she was letting him off the hook?He frantically wiped away the sweat on his forehead and nodded fervently. "I really don't mean anything by it. I really wouldn't dare—""That's good." Yvonne stood up and gave everyone there a glance before smi
On the day of the gala, Yvonne dressed Elvin and Britney up herself.Elvin was in a little suit, looking like a miniature version of Stephen. He stood in front of the mirror and turned around.Even Curtis couldn't help but exclaim, "H-He looks exactly like Mr. Anderson!"Elvin furrowed his brows when he heard what Curtis said. He wanted to tug at his bowtie when Yvonne stopped him."Honey, it looks great on you. I really like it."Britney was in a princess gown. She hopped over and said seriously, "I think you look amazing too!"Elvin hesitated for a while, but seeing their hopeful gazes, he reluctantly let it go.Yvonne kissed him on the cheeks. "My good boy!"When Yvonne turned to tie Britney's hair up in a bun, Elvin looked at himself in the mirror. He furrowed his brows, musing to himself. Did he really look like Stephen?Britny was sitting in front of a dresser, swinging her legs. "Aunt Yvonne, Dad said that he would be back by Christmas. Why isn't he here yet?""He's st
The gala took place inside an ancient castle. The atmosphere was festive, filled with Christmas carols and laughter.Yvonne held hands with Britney and Elvin on either side of her. The moment she entered the venue, she attracted the attention of the guests. They went up to her and greeted her.Britney liked being in a crowd. When she heard the adults praising her for looking like a princess, she smiled brightly.However, Elvin only found it annoying. He had a glum expression from the beginning. He ignored all the kind praise the adults sent his way. Even so, he couldn't douse their enthusiasm. The moment the children appeared, everyone started talking about them."This is the first time Ms. Miller has attended an event with two children at the same time, right?""That's right. She used to be protective of the children's privacy, but later on, the paparazzi published photos of them, right? Now she's finally willing to bring them out in public.""The girl is Mr. Anderson's daug
Yvonne sensed hostility. She reached out and tugged on Stephen's sleeve while changing the topic. "Weren't you in a meeting? Why are you suddenly here?""I promised Elvin and Britney that I would be back for Christmas. I had to keep my word," Stephen said calmly."You could have told me earlier—""I wanted to give you a surprise," Stephen interjected. He looked at Otto before saying, "Now it seems more like a fright instead of a surprise."Yvonne awkwardly cleared her throat. "What nonsense are you on about?""Ms. Miller only just found out that I came for the gala," Otto explained before smiling at Stephen. "I'm really happy to meet you here too, Mr. Anderson."Since Stephen had joined in, they were a perfect family of four. Otto wisely excused himself. "I'll let you be with your family. I won't disturb you.""Good," Stephen responded, as if he were trying to push Otto to leave quicker.Otto wasn't annoyed at all. He politely nodded at Yvonne before leaving.As they saw O
Anthony was feeling smug from all the praise he was receiving from the partners when he heard a voice ring out from behind."You guys seemed to be talking about Carrington and Hertz. Care to let me join in?"Everyone looked over to see a young man in a white suit walking past the champagne flute tower and heading toward them.Anthony didn't know who the newcomer was. Seeing how the man had spoiled his fun, Anthony looked at that man a little curtly. "Who are you? Do you have an invite?""Of course." Otto went closer, still looking like a gentleman. "I was by the other side when I overheard you guys talking. It sounded interesting. And you are …""Of course, only the vice president of Well Spring Pharma, Mr. Anthony Leech!" One of the partners interjected, clearly trying to please Anthony. He looked at Otto condescendingly. "You don't even know Mr. Leech, yet you say you have an invitation? You're clearly lying!"Otto pretended to just come to a realization. "I see, so this is
Anthony led Otto past the crowd to a secluded corner deep down the corridor. He stopped in his tracks and turned to bow to Otto."I'm sorry, Mr. Carrington. I've made a fool of myself!" Anthony explained, "I was really trying to steal Ms. Miller's limelight. Those people surrounded me and bombarded me with questions. I only lied because I was trying to keep her identity a secret."He added, "When you see her, please explain this to her. Please!"He sounded sincere, but also somehow a little … fake.This man before Otto at that moment was a completely different person from the arrogant bastard a moment ago. He was such a two-faced person.Otto wasn't that easily fooled. He could still tell the difference. However, Anthony was still the vice president of Well Spring Pharma, so Otto couldn't humiliate him too much.At that thought, Otto chuckled. "I see. It looks like I misunderstood. I'm sorry for not playing along with you just now."Anthony immediately stood up straight and wa
Stephen didn't reply. He merely looked at the suit jacket.Yvonne could only compromise. She put the jacket back on her shoulders. "Tell me. What is the important matter?""I saw Otto Carrington and Anthony Leech secretly meeting.""What?" Yvonne's curiosity was piqued. She asked, "What were they talking about?""I don't know," Stephen replied flatly, catching Yvonne off guard.She looked perplexed. "You only have such a small amount of information, yet you call that an important matter? Stephen, you tricked me!"Without a change in his expression, Stephen said, "They were privately meeting. This is serious enough. There was no need to eavesdrop on them. Don't you think you should be careful of Otto Carrington?""You just have a preconceived notion of him, which is why you think he's up to no good." Yvonne rolled her eyes. "If he really were up to something with Anthony, the guest list that Anthony made should have had Otto's name. But …"Yvonne thought for a while. "There
"If you don't start driving, I'm going to die in front of you."Kendrick adjusted the seat backward. He felt more comfortable lying down. "If those men realize I got in your car, you will be in trouble too.""Then, I'll just kick you out of the car and raise both hands in surrender," Otto said while he immediately started the car. He slammed the gas pedal and drove off into the night.…Late that night, Yvonne finished washing up. She took her phone, planning to ask Stephen about the interrogation, when she received a message from Otto.The message was the name of the hotel and the room number. He had asked her to make her way there.At that moment, it was already half past midnight. It was hard not to think more about it when she received a message like this.She sent him a question mark. Otto didn't explain much. He said that she would understand once she reached the hotel.Yvonne looked at her phone, feeling conflicted. Although Otto looked like a good person, she still had
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