Ella came to her senses as she saw Otto turn around and head out to the courtyard. She frantically got up and followed him.Virginia was a little worried upon seeing how annoyed Otto looked. She went over to Samuel and asked, "What do you think Otto is saying to Ella?"Samuel looked at the courtyard intently. "I don't care what he says. If he dares to upset Ella, I won't let him off the hook!"Ella followed Otto to a big tree. She asked feebly, "Otto, what did you want to say to me?""I agree to marry you."Ella was delighted. "Are you for real? You're going to marry me?"Otto furrowed his brows. Seeing Ella delighted irritated him to no end."Since you're already happy, stop with all the other unnecessary things," Otto warned coldly.Ella was a little stunned. She asked stiffly, "W-What other things? Otto, are you not here to tell me good news but because of that other woman? Are you saying that I can't interfere?"Ella felt aggrieved. She choked up."We're just friends." Ot
"Ms. Miller, I-I … I-I thought … you …" The person burst into tears.Yvonne didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She reached out and patted the person's back. "You've already built a reputation as the great Ms. Princeton. Why do you still cry so easily?" "I-I'm really …" Nicole sniffled her nose. She slowly let go and looked at Yvonne with reddened eyes. "Where have you been for the past six months? They all said that you …"There had been all sorts of rumors during the last half a year that Yvonne had been missing. Some said that Yvonne had died in the fire. Some said that Yvonne had killed herself, unable to accept her burn scars. Some said that Stephen had dumped her after seeing how bad she looked.Initially, Nicole hadn't believed those rumors, but she hadn't been able to get in touch with Yvonne. Soon, she had started to get dejected.A month ago, she had received a mysterious phone call asking if she was interested in helping to organize a huge jewelry exhibition.A
Yvonne got her assistant to serve them tea before slowly telling Nicole the purpose of the meeting."I plan to organize my own jewelry exhibition back in the country. All of the jewelry will be designed and made by me. Can I let you handle the promotion and marketing of the exhibition? What do you think?""No problem!" Nicole beamed. "Ms. Miller, I've always been waiting for you to hold your own exhibition. It will be my honor to be able to help you with such an important event!"Yvonne chuckled. "You're being too modest. Since I left the country, you've made Miller Jewels and QT the top jewelry brands in the country. "Getting you to help me with my exhibition is underusing your talents. I just can't find another person I trust. Could I trouble you—""Ms. Miller, you're being too polite!" Nicole quickly said. "I always remember that I managed to come this far because of you."After exchanging polite pleasantries, they looked at each other and smiled. "Alright, then. I'll be di
"I heard that an underworld boss had his eyes on the pink diamond." Nicole furrowed her brows. "They are all looking for you right now."Yvonne smiled. "I know."Nicole was surprised to see Yvonne so relaxed. "Have you found a way to deal with them?""No."Nicole was speechless and stumped. "Ms. Miller, stop pulling my leg. This isn't a small matter. That underworld boss deals with this." She made a gun gesture with her hands and looked at Yvonne seriously.Yvonne was amused. "I know.""You know?" Nicole was stunned. "But you still dare to fight with him for this?""I'm not really fighting with him." Yvonne thought for a while. "It's a long story. I'll explain it to you when I have the chance in the future."Nicole didn't know what Yvonne had been up to after she had left the country. Although she was worried at that moment, she chose to believe in Yvonne's capabilities. So, she didn't probe further.…At the same time, Jane entered the study to hear Cory's subordinate repo
The next evening, Benji knocked on Jane's door. Jane opened the door, but before she could see who it was, a bag came flying at her."Cory wants you to put this on. You'll be meeting a client with him tonight."Benji was about to leave, but Jane pulled him back."Has Cory forgiven me?" Jane asked."What?" Benji turned around to look. "You fought with him again?"Jane was stunned. "I don't know what I did wrong. He just got angry at me yesterday.""Oh." Benji was disappointed. "It's only normal for him to flare up. If you can't take it, don't show up in front of him."Jane tightened her grip on the bag. "I just don't want to be yelled at for no reason. At least let me know where I went wrong."Benji shrugged. "Not everyone deserves an explanation from Cory."Jane quieted down. She looked at Benji as he left before returning to her room to change.…On the way to the restaurant, Cory completely ignored Jane.Jane could no longer take it. She said, "Cory, what did I do wrong?
In the private room, Stephen had just drunk some tea. When he heard the door open, he looked up.Cory walked in with Jane behind him.Stephen looked past Cory at Jane. So, she had been following Cory.Jane lowered her head without realizing it. She felt like Stephen's eyes were as sharp as daggers. He could tear off her disguises in no time.Cory sensed it too. He got Jane to take a seat. He said mockingly, "From what I've heard, you two are old friends, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Ford.""We're just acquaintances. We can't be considered friends," Stephen chimed in. He asked with feigned casualness, "Just out of curiosity, how do you two know each other?""One of my men rescued her," Cory replied honestly. "It was the night of the deal.""What?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. No wonder he hadn't seen Jane anywhere back then. It turned out that Cory's men had taken her away amidst the chaos."I'm sure you know what happened afterward all too well, Mr. Anderson."Cory leaned back casually
Stephen openly admitted, "Yes, it has something to do with me."Seeing that Stephen didn't intend to offer any explanation, Cory sneered. "So, she was your woman. No wonder she dared to be so cocky. Fine. I'll let her go, only because of you, but…"He paused for a while, and his gaze turned hostile. "I hope you'll keep an eye on your woman, Mr. Anderson. I can let her go this once, but that doesn't mean I'll do it next time."With that said, Cory left.Jane was standing by the corridor outside. When she saw Cory come out, she was surprised. "That was quick."However, Cory didn't even bother to look at her. He strode away.Jane looked at the door before stomping her feet. She quickly chased after Cory.Outside the restaurant, Jane was about to get in the car after Cory when he stopped her.He looked at her coldly. "Why are you in a rush to follow me? Don't you want to catch up with your old friend?" "Cory, there really isn't anything going on between Stephen and I—""You don'
Late at night, a conspicuous black sedan parked by the side of the road, blending perfectly with the dark night.The car's windows faced a mansion. Stephen looked out of his window to see that the lights in a room on the mansion's third floor were still on. A figure was pacing around behind the white curtains.Stephen gently placed his hand on the steering wheel with a cigarette between his fingers. The night breeze that blew into the car helped dissipate the smoke. The cigarette ember glowed like a distant star.The night breeze smelled of menthol and ashes.When the cigarette burned out completely, Stephen slowly came to his senses. It was time to go.For the past half a year, he had often looked at Yvonne from a distance. Each time, he only gave himself the time it took for a cigarette to finish burning.Half a year wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short either. Watching her from afar could calm his yearning for her, and it wouldn't attract her attention either.However, aft
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