Yvonne pulled Stephen into the elevator. The next second, her back was against the wall of the elevator, and the familiar woody scent enveloped her.Stephen clutched her wrist and pinned it against the wall. He looked into her eyes. "What is the meaning of you attending the Carrington family's dinner?"Yvonne looked at the angry pair of eyes and smiled. "It's a long story. I initially didn't want to attend the family dinner, but the Carrington family is just too mysterious. I couldn't curb my curiosity."Stephen asked suspiciously, "You were only curious about them?""Hmm, but it's pointless now." Yvonne sighed. "The situation is too complicated."They had too many family members. The head of the family, Agatha, had a stubborn temper. Fighting for the heir would be extremely challenging.Even if she wanted to help Otto, she wouldn't be able to do much.Sure enough, money wasn't that easy to come by."By the way." Yvonne suddenly got serious. "I talked to Otto about Kendrick's p
Otto went in closer and gave the women a quiet gaze. They were so sheepish that they shrank back involuntarily. Heidi tried to stay calm. "Otto, we were just gossiping. Don't take it to heart.""Of course, I'll take it to heart," Otto said, sweeping a cold gaze over Heidi."So can you all please keep my mother and me out of your mouths in the future? If you have so much time, pay more attention to your own families instead."Heidi was dumbstruck. What was going on today? Edith and Otto seemed like completely different people!The other women looked at each other, not daring to say a single word. They were so used to Otto being polite and gentle. Seeing him frown now was quite frightening.When they stayed silent, Otto turned and walked over to Edith.As he walked up to her, she asked, "Were they laughing at us again?""You can ignore them." Otto smiled. Somehow, he felt relieved. "Yvonne's trip wasn't in vain. I think what she said made a lot of sense."Edith was perplexed. "
Yvonne had just finished an online meeting when she heard Otto's voice. She got up and walked out of the bedroom.She smiled with pursed lips when she saw Stephen blocking the door. "Stephen, he's a guest. How could you let him stand by the door?""Ms. Miller is right." Otto flashed Stephen a friendly smile. The reaction he got in return was a cold gaze.Otto didn't mind at all. He waited for Stephen to step aside before heading into the room. He walked over to Yvonne.Yvonne poured a glass of water for him and gestured for him to take a seat. "Is Mrs. Carrington Senior okay? After what I said to her, she must be pissed off.""She's fine. It was nothing," Otto said with a smile.Yvonne nodded. "That's good."No matter what, she had been Edith's guest. If something were to happen to Mrs. Carrington Senior because of her, she was afraid she would only cause trouble for Edith and Otto.Otto could tell what Yvonne was thinking. "Ms. Miller, we're the ones who should apologize. You
Otto had just entered Carrington Mansion when he heard laughter coming from the living room. He stopped in his tracks.Agatha noticed him. She smiled and said to him, "Otto, what are you still standing there for? The Fergusons are here to see you. Come and say hello to them."Otto furrowed his brows. He had a bad feeling about this.After some hesitation, he headed over and greeted everyone in the living room."I haven't seen Otto for a long time. He looks even more mature already, unlike our Ella. She's already 20-something years old, yet she's still like a little kid."Virginia Holt, Ella's mother, looked at Otto with praise in her eyes. "Otto, please forgive Ella if she has ever caused you trouble. We spoil her too much. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never suffered. We tried to give her the best of everything."Ella's father, Samuel Ferguson, also chimed in, "Which is why Ella has the highest standards. She has seen so many wealthy boys, but she only likes
While Otto was driving back to his place, Edith called him.He thought that she was going to lecture him for being immature and making Agatha angry. So the moment he answered the call, he said, "I won't compromise on this. You don't have to speak for Great-Grandma.""Yes!" Edith happily responded. "Otto, you did well today! You cannot compromise on your marriage!"Otto was stunned. "You're not scolding me for rejecting this marriage without discussing it with you?""It's your marriage. You can decide on your own. You don't have to discuss it with me!"Edith had heard from the household staff about how Otto had refused Agatha's arrangements on the spot. He hadn't even spared her feelings. It had ended up being a complete mess.In the beginning, Edith had thought that she would be worried. But to her surprise, she found herself feeling joyful instead.During all these years, she had witnessed Otto swallowing his pride and taking in all the humiliation. There were many times when s
When Leonard received the location and time for the deal, he almost jumped from his chair.Jane curiously went closer to him. "Grandpa Leonard, what is it?"Leonard clutched his phone tightly. "The time and place of the deal have been finally set!" He had been waiting for this for so long that he had almost lost his patience.Jane smiled as well. "That's great news. There hasn't been any news since the last time you spoke to me about it. I thought something had happened."Jane hooked her arm around Leonard's. "Grandpa Leonard, you won't go back on your word, right? Is what you said last time still true?""Yes," Leonard replied with a smile. "I will do what I promised you."Jane leaned her head against Leonard's shoulders. She said longingly, "Once this is done, I'll go look for Grandpa and make sure that he praises me.""When he's not around, I represent him. I can't embarrass him," Jane said seriously.Then, she looked at Leonard. "Grandpa Leonard, once this matter is over, wi
That night, Curtis successfully managed to get the details of the deal from those few men without exposing his identity.He said smugly to Gwen, "How's that? I did well, right?"Gwen looked at the piece of paper that Curtis handed her. She hummed in response without looking up. Then, she kept the piece of paper in her pocket.Curtis was confused. "Are we not going to report it to Yvonne?""I'll find a time to tell her. Let me handle this."Seeing Gwen about to leave, Curtis immediately grabbed her wrist. He furrowed his brows and asked, "Gwen, are you planning to head to the deal on your own?"Gwen was silent.Curtis furrowed his brows even tighter. "This is a huge matter. We must let Yvonne know. You—"Before he could finish his sentence, Gwen shrugged him off and said coldly, "I've told you from the beginning not to follow me or stop me. There are things that I plan to do on my own. "You have no right to interfere with them. Curtis, don't forget your place."Curtis was s
Curtis immediately made the decision to leave. He called Yvonne while leaving. "Yvonne, I'm so sorry. I didn't look after Gwen properly. "She escaped through the window. I'll go look for her right now. If I can't find her, I'll head straight to where the deal is taking place.""Curtis, you—""I didn't keep an eye on her. If anything happens, it's my fault. I have to find her," Curtis interrupted Yvonne firmly. He had a determined gaze. "I will bring her back to you safely. It's my duty."Then, he hung up.Yvonne hadn't even been able to get a word in. When she tried calling back, Curtis was already unreachable.Next to Yvonne, Stephen saw how worried she was. He asked, "Did something happen to Curtis and Gwen?""Gwen is missing. Curtis is heading straight to where the deal is taking place to look for her."Halfway through, Yvonne realized she had said something she should have said. She quickly trailed off.It was too late.Stephen narrowed his gaze. "You already knew where
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