All the jewelry brands in the country viewed the annual jewelry design competition as the best opportunity for them to promote their own designs. Naturally, Miller Jewels wouldn't miss out on such a chance. The company's top talent was already having a meeting to discuss the details.Seated at the head of the conference table, Yvonne's gaze was fixed on the name list in her hands. However, she didn't seem like she was paying attention to it at all.Meanwhile, the members sitting on either side of the table were already split into two warring factions. They had different opinions and kept arguing with each other."Miller Jewels' reputation will skyrocket if we win the grand prize in this competition! Why do you want to take the safer approach?""Isn't the veterans' way of thinking a bit too conservative compared to the newbies? This is a competition, not a press release to showcase our latest designs for the season! We have to take a creative approach in order to attract the judges'
"Yup. Stanley mentioned that Stephen's been sick for days." Rachel raised a hand to wipe her tears away. "Vonnie, don't tell me you still care about that bastard! He's—"As she spoke, she couldn't help but look at Yvonne's belly, causing her heart to wrench in pain again. Rachel gritted her teeth before continuing, "Vonnie, no matter how outstanding that man is, he's not worth your love and affection!""I know. It was just a question." Yvonne flashed her best friend a smile, the small hint of worry she'd felt for Stephen vanishing.Simone approached Yvonne and took her hand comfortingly. "Everything else doesn't matter right now. I just hope that you take good care of your body. We're still very young, after all. There are plenty of opportunities out there waiting for us in the future. There's no need for you to commit yourself to one person right now."Simone had been extremely shocked when she'd found out about Yvonne's forced abortion. Never had she expected that Stephen would b
Yvonne's group decided to eat at a restaurant. As the one who would be footing the bill later, Yvonne didn't hesitate to order plenty of dishes for everyone.Nicole, being a fresh graduate, couldn't help but feel awkward and uneasy in the presence of the other prominent women. At one point, she almost knocked over her glass of water.Rachel was amused, to say the least. "There's no need for you to be nervous. We won't hurt you, I promise.""I—" Poor Nicole could only squeeze out a forced smile. She never knew what to say when she was nervous.Meanwhile, Yvonne grabbed some salad for the youngest member of the group. She asked in concern, "Did I cause you trouble by appointing you as the team leader?"Nicole waved her hands hastily in response. "I'm really grateful that you gave me this opportunity, Ms. Miller! As for those who disagree with me becoming the team leader, I'll definitely shut them up by proving my capabilities."Yvonne smiled happily upon seeing the burning resolve
After entering the study on the second floor, Yvonne grabbed a folder from one of the drawers. As Stephen approached her, she threw the folder onto the desk. "This is the divorce agreement. I've made two copies and have already signed them."Stephen's expression changed drastically. His voice started to crack a little. "What are you getting at?""Do you not understand me, Mr. Anderson? Or are you just illiterate?" Yvonne flipped the folder open, revealing the divorce agreements. She pointed at the large print on the cover page while reiterating, "You see this word right here? I'm getting a divorce."The word was akin to an invisible dagger that plunged into Stephen's heart. He gripped Yvonne's wrist immediately, his tone now as cold as ice. "Yvonne, I've told you before that I will never agree to divorcing you. How many times do you want me to repeat myself?""If you don't agree, I guess we'll just see each other in court. Once that happens, everyone in Northerna City will know tha
Yvonne thought Stephen was being too unreasonable for her to deal with, so she didn't hesitate to throw him out of Miller Villa on the spot.Before the small crowd waiting for the verdict in the living room could figure out what happened, Yvonne slammed the front door right in Stephen's face.She was so pissed that she placed her hands on her hips. This was her first time realizing that Stephen was actually a troublesome foe. After all, she'd already made everything crystal clear to him, yet he'd refused to listen to her at all.Yvonne felt like she'd just been talking to a brick wall the whole time. Before anyone could ask her any questions, she headed upstairs without bothering to glance their way.Rachel quickly dragged Simone over. "Did their conversation not go well?"The latter looked rather helpless. "Isn't that obvious?"Rachel had a thoughtful look on her face. "Seriously, I don't understand Stephen at all. He insists on visiting Vonnie despite being sick. In a way, he l
Meanwhile, Ariel slumped over Stephen's chest, her fingers still curled around the front of his pajamas. She didn't dare to move an inch. His body temperature was unusually high, making his chest an extremely warm place to lean on. Ariel could feel her heart beating wildly, causing her to tighten her grip on Stephen's pajamas.The latter's mumbles pulled her back to reality in the next moment. "Yvonne, I won't let you …"Ariel froze on the spot, feeling like she'd been drenched in a bucket of cold water. It appeared that Stephen's fever had left him in a delirious state, causing him to mistake her for Yvonne. Ariel gazed at the sick man. "I'm Ariel, Stephen. Just wake up already! Can you please stop thinking about that woman?"However, Stephen didn't seem to have heard her pleas. He continued to mumble Yvonne's name over and over again under his breath. Anger took over Ariel's mind at that moment as she pushed Stephen away with her lips tightly pursed.Elizabeth stopped behind Arie
Once Charles had obtained his mother's permission, he dragged Camille to the courtyard. "You heard what Mom said. Remember, you must do well this time. Do your best to let her see that you've really changed."Charles continued to advise his wife. "Camille, I know that you've been upset, but just listen to me this time, alright? You—""Yes, I know," Camille interjected softly. "I'll take good care of Stephen. If not for myself, I still have to do it for Conan's sake.""That's great!" Charles enveloped her in a brief hug. "I'll always stay by your side."Elizabeth happened to witness this scene from the second-floor balcony. She looked away with disdain in her eyes. Then she turned to look at Tabitha, who stood next to her. "Camille's staying over to take care of Stephen. I want you to be extra vigilant and always keep an eye on her."The latter nodded in response. "Don't worry, Old Mrs. Anderson."She then decided to ask the question, which had been puzzling her for some time. "Th
That night, Tabitha tossed and turned on the couch restlessly. She would crack her eyes open from time to time just to glance in Camille's direction. Soon, the night was over. Nothing happened at all.When Tabitha woke up in the morning, she was so tired that she kept yawning the whole time. Camille knew what was troubling the housekeeper, yet she still asked on purpose, "Did you not sleep well last night, Tabitha?""No," the older woman replied instinctively. Then she lied: "It's just that I'm used to sleeping on my bed. I'll get used to sleeping on the couch after a day or two.""I see." Camille didn't continue the topic after that. Instead, she said, "Ariel will be here soon. There's no need for all of us to take care of Stephen at the same time, so I think I'll pop over to visit Conan.""Okay," Tabitha replied.As she watched Camille walk out of the room, she couldn't help but feel puzzled. Had she truly changed? She did seem like she wanted to take care of Stephen properly.
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