When Stephen arrived, gloominess and sadness filled the atmosphere in the whole mansion. Ariel's face was covered with tears. She hurriedly went over to him and said, "Stephen, go and see Grandma quickly. She ..." It was Ariel who'd called him earlier. At that time, the doctor had been performing CPR on Elizabeth. However, there was nothing else that the doctor could do. The family had been told to prepare for the funeral arrangements. The room was filled with Andersons.Elizabeth was lying on the bed with her dying breath, fixing her eyes on the ceiling. When Stephen walked closer, Philip silently moved to the back to make room for him. Elizabeth couldn't say anything. She struggled to flit her eyes from Stephen to Ariel. Stephen could guess what she meant by that. She was telling him to make his promise in front of her before she went the way of all flesh. However, Stephen had only just found out about the existence of his son. He couldn't help but hesitate. How could he
The Anderson family was the most prominent family in Northerna City. Hence, the news of Elizabeth's death naturally spread like wildfire.Yvonne had just given Elvin clothes for him to change into when she received a series of voice messages from Rachel. She played the first. "Mrs. Anderson Senior has passed away! The Anderson family …"Yvonne immediately paused it halfway through and turned around subconsciously to spare a glance at her son, who was changing his clothes obediently. After making sure that he hadn't heard the news, she let out a sigh of relief and turned the rest of the voice messages into texts. The Andersons would be holding a funeral service for Elizabeth for seven days at Northena Memorial Garden. At that time, all the members of the Anderson family would show up. It was said that Harry— Philip and Elizabeth's youngest son, who'd run away from home—would come back too. It seemed like the Andersons would have some heated days coming up soon. Yvonne didn't kno
It had been raining non-stop in Northena City since the day Elizabeth passed away. There were lines of luxury cars parked outside Northerna Memorial Garden. The atmosphere seemed even more gloomy with the sorrowful music being played in the background. Although it was already the third day of the funeral service, a lot of people still came over to give their condolences to the family. Everyone wore solemn expressions on their faces. When they met the family of the deceased, some of them even looked like they were about to cry.The funeral ended up serving as a chance for upper-class society to get close to the Andersons. It was as if the Andersons were going to acknowledge them just because they'd come to give their condolences to them.Stephen was sick of seeing how pretentious these people could be. Just as he was about to turn around and enter the room, the butler's voice came through. "Mr. Harry!"Everyone in the mourning hall looked at the door. Right then, a long-haire
It was dead silence in the other room of the mourning hall. The pregnant woman stood up and introduced herself. "I'm Brenda Sanchez, Harry's wife. We—"Before she could finish speaking, a cold sneer interrupted her. Brenda looked at Charles, neither showing a humble nor an arrogant attitude. "You're Charles, right? Harry speaks about his family often. He still misses everyone, although he's overseas—""Enough. It's not your place to talk here." With a long face, Charles turned to Harry and said, "Dad isn't around today. You'd better deal with this woman fast and drive her away.""Brenda is my wife," Harry replied without any changes in his expression. "Since I've brought her back, I'm prepared to face everything. If you really can't accept her, then we'll leave together once the funeral ends." As soon as Harry finished speaking, Charles slammed his hand on the table. "You're going to leave again? Do you see Anderson Mansion as a hotel? It's your home, and we're your closest ki
Benjamin quickly pulled Ariel's hand just as she was about to run away. "Ariel, don't run. I have something—" A loud slap cut off his words. Shivering, Ariel glared at him with reddened eyes. "Never show up in front of me again! I have nothing to say to you!" To show his sincerity, Benjamin quickly released her and raised both hands in the air as if he were surrendering. "You're going to marry into the family soon. Do you really want our relationship to stay like this? I mean, I'm going to be your brother-in-law, right? And you, my future sister-in-law." Ariel instantly returned to her senses once he pointed out their relationship. Indeed, she would marry Stephen soon, and meeting Benjamin was unavoidable. If they continued like this, it would only make Stephen suspicious. Enduring her fear, Ariel took two steps back. "What … What do you want to say?" "I just want to tell you that it's been eight years. Can we—" "Shut up!" Ariel shouted hysterically but quickly realized how
Yvonne had never wanted to be involved in any of the Anderson family's matters. Therefore, she remained silent throughout the whole funeral service. Unexpectedly, trouble came knocking at her door. It was a text from Old Jim stating that the Dawsons had given an order asking for a doctor in the shortest time possible. He'd remembered that Yvonne was in Northena, and the pay was high. Hence, he'd arranged for Yvonne to take on the case. Since the Dawnsons needed a doctor at such a weird time, Yvonne couldn't help but think that it was related to the Andersons. As she was hesitating, Old Jim sent over the commission for this case, which was 20 million dollars. Instantly, her qualms about taking this case disappeared. No one would give up an opportunity to make more money. Moreover, Miller Jewels was expanding and needed funds. That was her motivation to take the case.The following day, Yvonne checked the surveillance to find Curtis and Lloyd playing with Elvin. With this software
"Lead the way." Yvonne was about to enter Dawson Manor when the teenager stopped her once again."You can't let my dad know that you're a doctor!" The girl's complexion turned slightly pale. "J—just say something like—""My company and Dawson Corporation were set to discuss a business deal some time ago. I wasn't able to contact Ms. Dawson during the past few days, so I specifically came over to visit her."Yvonne came up with a reasonable excuse on the spot. The girl's expression lit up in return. "Wow! That's it! You're so smart! Yes, let's go with that!""What's your name?" the older woman asked."I'm Nadia Dawson. You can just call me Nadia.""Got it, Nadia. Now, lead the way.""Alright!" Nadia took the lead happily and led Yvonne into the mansion. "Dad, someone's here to talk business!"Nadia's father, Bernard Dawson, shot up to his feet in the living room. "What on earth are you doing? Didn't I tell you to—"Just as he was about to lecture his daughter, the man happened
Half an hour ticked by after Yvonne had entered Regina's room, yet there weren't any movements or noises coming from within. Bernard was starting to grow impatient as he waited for Yvonne outside the room. Nadia quickly stopped him just as he was about to knock on the door."Dad, don't be rude! Didn't that lady tell you to wait for her to come out?""You little—" Bernard turned to glare at his daughter. He pointed out suspiciously, "You've been acting weird today. Why did you insist on sticking your nose into the adults' matters?""W—well, I—" Nadia looked down at her feet without realizing it; her heart was filled with guilt. "You never cared about Aunt Regina, so I got scared. Dad, why didn't you hire a doctor for—"The man covered his daughter's mouth hastily. "Don't spout nonsense!"At that moment, Yvonne opened the door and happened to witness the scene unfolding before her eyes. Her red lips curled into a small smile as she asked, "What are you two doing?""N—nothing!" Bern
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