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!
In just that short journey, Stephen had stepped on air a few times. Yvonne held onto him and asked gently, "Is it your eyes?""Hmm." Stephen nodded. Although he'd regained his sight, his vision was still blurry in dim lighting, and it was worse with the rain at that moment. Even a normal person wouldn't be able to see clearly, let alone someone who'd just recovered their sight.Stephen had gone up the hill in the rain despite his condition to look for Yvonne. The rain made the slippery path extremely dangerous; any misstep could have cost him his life. Yet Stephen had still come without any hesitation.Yvonne was heartbroken just thinking about how dangerous it was for him. She clenched his hand tightly and stepped in front of him. "Follow me; don't be afraid."Stephen was a little surprised. Looking at the petite figure in front of him, he couldn't help but smile. It was the first time he had been protected by a woman. It was a rather strange feeling. With one in front and the o
Under the light, Yvonne's clear gaze was one of mere casual nonchalance, as if she didn't care about risking her life. Only someone who'd faced death many times would have a look like that, not a young woman in her 20s. It was as if she wouldn't miss anything, even if she died the next second.Stephen didn't know how to react. He only knew that even if he could turn back time, he would still choose to go up the mountain. As for the reason, he couldn't explain it. Perhaps it was a man's natural desire to protect his woman?Stephen kept thinking about it. He raised his hand and pressed it on Yvonne's head. "If you're really worried about me, don't do such weird things."Right then, the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, bringing an end to their conversation. When they entered the room, Stephen suddenly remembered to ask, "Why did you go up the mountain alone?"Yvonne finally remembered the herbs she had in her pocket. She slapped her forehead. "I was looking for herbs to cure Grand