Britney wanted to play hide-and-seek with her friends, but when she left the classroom, she saw that many of her friends were outside the door of the next class."Want to play hide-and-seek?" Britney asked.Usually, a dozen or so friends would have surrounded her by now. However, this time, no one heard her. They were trying to look inside the classroom.Britney pouted and walked over. "What are you all looking at?" Seeing no one answering her, she reached out and made space for herself, finally managing to squeeze into the front. "What are we looking at?""There's a newcomer," a boy said to Britney, pointing to another boy in the corner.Britney looked over to see the little boy quickly solving a Rubik's cube. Then he casually threw the Rubik's cube into the basket. His actions were so smooth, he looked very cool!Britney was in a daze. The last person she'd seen who played with a Rubik's cube like that was her father! This boy was also as good-looking as her father! She was sti
Ariel intentionally waited for Stephen to return to Oceania Villa that night.The moment Stephen came in, she went over and reached out to take his coat. However, he avoided her expressionlessly. She felt unnervingly awkward as she watched Stephen pass his coat to Tabitha instead.She clenched her fists but immediately turned 180 degrees and put on a smile. "Stephen, I took up a business project that requires me to travel for a week. Britney…""I'll ask Julian to pick her up." Stephen made the decision before Ariel could even finish speaking.Ariel's mouth was gaping open, but she forced out another smile. "Great. I feel comfortable knowing Julian will pick her up.""It’s getting late. You should head back." With that, Stephen swerved past Ariel and headed upstairs.Ariel bit her lip resentfully. She wasn’t sure if she was thinking too much, but Stephen had become colder to her since Yvonne’s return.…At Miller Villa, Yvonne was half asleep. She was immediately woken up by Elv
Noah was sitting on the couch in her office. He had one hand on his forehead as his pinky adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. He looked elegant.Yvonne entered the office and made eye contact with him.There was a slight smile on Noah’s face. "It’s been a while, Yvonne."Yvonne returned the smile, but she was complaining in her heart. She was better off not seeing certain people for the rest of her life. Noah and Stephen were cousins, yet they were so different in character. Stephen had his emotions written on his face, but Noah kept everything to himself.Yvonne didn’t like dealing with Noah. After all, it was easier to dodge an open attack than defend against a concealed one. Plus, she wasn’t fond of the coward Noah was, considering how he'd abandoned Simone.However, she remained polite and sat on the couch. She asked, "What do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Anderson?"Oh, being courteous now, are we?" Noah smiled. "Didn’t you use to call me Noah?""I have nothing to do with Stephen
Elizabeth was lying on the bed in her room. She was hanging by a thread through a ventilator.Philip was sitting by her bedside. He was talking to her, but there was no response from her. When he heard a knock on the door, the old man turned and saw Stephen. "You’re here."Stephen walked over to his side and said, "How is Grandma?"Philip shook his head and replied, "She's slowly losing consciousness.""What did the people from Hope say?" Stephen asked.Philip sighed and replied, "We have no more options."Hope Health Services had managed Elizabeth's medical care for the past two years. The results had been decent at the start. However, the people from Hope had mentioned that Elizabeth wouldn’t last long and had asked them to be mentally prepared.They'd tried everything to keep Elizabeth alive. Elizabeth had accepted her fate. She always said that death was inevitable—no one could stop it. However, for the Anderson family, as long as she was breathing, they couldn’t give up o
Before James could take a close look, the boy was already seated in the car.He thought, "I guess kids look about the same." Hence, he didn't take it to heart. He turned toward Britney and teased, "Don't tell me you like the new kid, hmm? Britney, you have such good taste at such a young age."Britney was barely five years old. How could she understand what it meant to like someone? She just thought the little kid was more good-looking compared to the rest, so she wanted to be friends with him.Plus, she wasn't the only one who thought so in kindergarten.Britney had her eyes wide open like a Barbie doll. Before he could react, she buried her head into James' chest. James was instantly overwhelmed by her crying. He hugged Britney tightly and said, "Darling, listen to me. Men are bad. Don't like them. I'll buy you ice cream for the rest of your life if you listen to me."Britney didn't understand a single word. All she knew was that she was getting ice cream. Her tiny chubby hands
"I know."Yvonne couldn't be bothered. "Since she's your grandmother, obviously you'd be affected by it, but I'm different. I used to help her hold on to my status. Now I don't have anything to do with her. Mr. Anderson, I'm a busy woman. I have no time to meddle in your family matters."Besides, I haven't forgotten how Old Mrs. Anderson used to look down on me and make things difficult for me when I was with you. I have every right not to be bothered by her based on the way she treated me."She's rather old now. It's time for her to go, and you need to come to terms with that. Don't waste time and money on an old person like her."Even though Yvonne was speaking casually about it, she was implying something deeper.Stephen's heart was slowly sinking into the depths of his thoughts. His gaze was like the night sky—ever so grim and desolate.He stared at Yvonne silently, attempting to find any trace of pretense in her face. However, Yvonne was calm. Insouciance was hanging on the
A week passed. Ariel was fighting the urge to teleport to Northerna City at that instant. While she was urging the employee to make haste, she received a message from Stephen. "What time will you be back home? Let's have a meal together." It was a succinct message.Surprised, she rubbed her eyes and confirmed what she'd read. The person who texted her was really Stephen!Jodie noticed the situation and approached her with curiosity. "What's the matter?""Stephen is asking me out for a meal." Ariel looked at him. "Pinch me. Am I dreaming?"Jodie found it hilarious. "It's just having a meal together.""But …" She hesitated. "It's been years, and this is his first time asking me what time I'll be back home from work."Ariel was an A-list celebrity now. Last year, she'd been nominated for the Best Female Lead Award along with Simone! Even though Ariel hadn't won the award, it was a recognition of her acting nonetheless.Besides, Jodie reckoned that it was because she wasn't a care
"We're friends." Yvonne didn't think much about the matter. In fact, she was rather perplexed that Xavier had asked that.His brow arched. "Oh, really? Then what are we?""Business partners." She frowned in displeasure. "Do you always check on the other party's personal relationships before talking business?""Nope. It's just pure curiosity." He feigned disappointment. "I didn't expect us to be less than friends. I thought we were childhood friends at the very least, considering our past."Yvonne was rendered speechless, thinking, "What past? Those days when we kept going against each other?" Not feeling the need to bring up their past, she got straight to the point. "On what terms will you be willing to sell Jones Jewels?""I don't want anyone to know my weakness. Even though I was pressured to invest in Jones Jewels, it managed to boost my reputation in the end. If I sell it to you, the only benefit I'll get is money. Nothing more. You're a smart person, Ms. Miller. I reckon y