"Everything went well. You can wake the patient after half an hour. The next appointment for his treatment will be after Thanksgiving."Once he finished reading the text message, Curtis turned back and informed Camille about it.When Camille heard it, she sank to her knees, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed with joy. Then she thanked Curtis profusely.At last, fate was showing her some mercy! There was finally some hope for her dear son.Camille was determined to thank Ms. Y in person when Conan recovered fully.… As Yvonne drove back to Miller Jewels, she gave Old Jim a call to update him on how the treatment had gone today.Halfway through their call, she received an incoming call.Yvonne thought that something had happened at the company when she saw that her assistant was calling, so she quickly ended the call with Old Jim.Her assistant's anxious voice came through as soon as Yvonne answered the call."Ms. Miller! Mr. Anderson's assistant is in your office!
However, Yvonne was stunned to hear Stephen's response."Okay." It was just a word—one that wasn't filled with malice.Casually, Stephen continued, "Right, I'm going to drop by Grandfather's manor for Thanksgiving. Do you want to come along?"His question snapped Yvonne out of her trance. She asked, "Is everyone from your family going too?""Yes.""Then how could I possibly refuse?" Yvonne was helpless because she knew that if she didn't show up, her image as a good wife would be ruined. Besides, she had to go for Phillip's sake.It became quiet, and Yvonne pretended to be asleep as she leaned her head against the window.She was grateful that Stephen didn't ask her any questions; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to escape from his scrutiny.Yvonne wasn't sure just how many more times she was going to be tested like this. Just the thought of it gave her a headache.She cracked an eye open to steal a glance at Stephen, thinking that he seemed to have changed recently. Before, he
Ariel stared at Stephen, her eyes full of affection, and said, "It's been a while, Stephie."Yvonne frowned, thinking, "Stephie? Was there a need for her to call him by such an affectionate nickname?"Stephen only grunted in response before walking closer with Yvonne in tow. He introduced her to Ariel, saying, "This is Yvonne, my wife."Yvonne was taken aback for a moment. She hadn't expected Stephen to introduce her to his ex so nonchalantly.Before she could react, Ariel extended her hand toward her. "It's nice to meet you, Yvonne. I've heard many things about you.""Likewise, Ariel. It's great to finally see you in person." Yvonne shook Ariel's hand, catching a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. It was obvious that Ariel still loved Stephen dearly.Yvonne felt out of place, like a villain who was here to snatch the hero's heart away from the heroine. This inexplicable feeling stuck with her even after she entered the manor.As a result, Yvonne felt a little upset whenever she lo
No one dared to say anything.It was just their first meal together, but the tension was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Neither Phillip nor Elizabeth agreed to see eye-to-eye with each other.Elizabeth set her fork and spoon down and left the dining room early with Ariel in tow.As for Phillip, he asked Yvonne to join him in his study later.It was Thanksgiving tomorrow, and the moon hung brightly in the night sky.Phillip was in great spirits, so he invited Yvonne for a drink under the moonlight on the balcony.He'd brewed his own alcohol—moonshine—and Yvonne could taste the perfect balance of sourness and sweetness in it.Before she knew it, she'd already downed several cups of moonshine. She was about to pour herself another cup when Phillip stopped her."If you leave my room drunk, Stephen's going to be very cross with me." Phillip looked at her with a smile and asked, "Were you upset about what happened today?"Yvonne could tell that he'd invited her over fo
Yvonne may not have known much about love, but she knew how to deal with people. A weak woman like Ariel would play the victim card just so she'd get her way. That was the easiest sort of person to deal with.Yvonne felt no need to continue the conversation, so she moved to sidestep Ariel.Ariel was in a hurry, so she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head: "Haven't you given it any thought? With that appearance of yours, you're going to embarrass him just by being by his side."Yvonne paused and "tsked" at her. Ariel was a wealthy snob through and through. She knew she couldn't win through an intellectual conversation, so of course she resorted to taking a dig at Yvonne's appearance.Yvonne turned around and replied, "Oh, I'm so sorry! But Stephen doesn't mind it. Are you questioning his taste and judgment? Why don't you bring it up with him?""You—" Ariel had never met anyone as ruthless as Yvonne. She was at a complete loss for words. Ariel kept silent, trying to
Early the next morning, Stephen left the room while Yvonne was still sound asleep, hugging the blanket in her arms.He walked out of the room and instructed the maids not to disturb her slumber. Then he asked one of them to call Ariel to a guest room.A short while later, Ariel knocked on the door to the room. Her face was brightly lit up in joy, with the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled."Come in."She quickly opened the door and strolled over to Stephen, asking, "Stephen, why did you ask for me?""Yvonne told me that you spoke to her last night." Not wanting to waste time with her, Stephen got straight to the point. "I'd always thought you were a sensible person, Ms. Clarke, so I'd never wanted to do this. But it seems like I need to make some things clear."Just the way he called her "Ms. Clarke" was enough to wound Ariel's heart. She looked at Stephen in disbelief and asked, "Must we be so distant with each other? I mean, we used to—""The past is behind us." St
"Stephen was looking for you earlier today? Why didn't you tell me?" Elizabeth said as she took Ariel's hand in hers."I—" She hesitated, glancing at Yvonne briefly. Her little glance made everyone think that something had happened between Ariel and Stephen and that she couldn't talk about it in front of Yvonne.Elizabeth smiled and said, "Oh, I just knew that Stephen was always fond of you! I mean, both of you were together for such a long time, so how could he just cut things off with you?""But of course! What sort of relationship can be stronger than that of childhood sweethearts?" Hazel continued, staring at Yvonne from the corner of her eyes to see how she would react.Yvonne lowered her eyes and took a sip of her juice, concealing her sneer. Stephen had told her that yesterday was the first time he'd seen Ariel after she'd returned from overseas. Yet here he was, seeking her out so eagerly the first thing in the morning.How untrustworthy! He said one thing and did anothe
As evening came, the sky grew dark, and it began to rain.Stephen emerged from his study and looked for Yvonne, but she was nowhere to be found. He asked the maids if they had seen her around, but they told him they hadn't.So Stephen approached Elizabeth and the group of women, asking, "Isn't Yvonne with you?"Elizabeth scoffed, "Oh, please! She isn't a child anymore—must I put a leash on her to keep her close?"Stephen was a little upset with Elizabeth's attitude toward Yvonne, and his facial expression soured."Grandmother, I've never said anything to you or tried to stop you from being close to Ariel. But if you think, even for a moment, that you can bully Yvonne into leaving so that you can force Ariel onto me, I'm afraid that you're thoroughly mistaken."Elizabeth scowled and yelled, "You—! How could you talk to me like that?""I was just giving you a gentle reminder." Stephen waved a few bodyguards over and ordered, "Search the perimeter for Yvonne! Hurry up and find her!