Morrow shuddered in fear again. However, he had no choice and continued, "Yes, that’s everything I know. As for any other matters, I have no clue about it."As he spoke, he looked down to hide his jealousy. Since he couldn’t get Claire, no one else could have the chance. Javier had the audacity to marry Claire. Thus, Morrow had no choice but to stoop this low.Morrow was excited now, and he was planning on how to humiliate Javier. Then, he saw Joe’s expression that was livid from anger. After a cough, Joe said, "That rascal! How could he do such a thing? Unfilial child. He has ruined the reputation of the Marquez family!"Morrow and Yannis saw that he was furious, and Yannis gave Morrow a warning gaze. Then, he comforted his father, saying, "Dad, don’t be mad. It’s not good to ruin your health for him."Still, Joe’s expression was bad. "How can I not be mad? Javier actually did such an outrageous thing! I feel ashamed knowing this."Yannis didn’t know what to say, but his expres
On the other side, the family of three soon reached their destination. Patty had come with them."Dad! Mommy, quick! My legs are so short, but I’m still faster than you guys. Why can’t you guys keep up with me?" Ollie teased his parents with an adorable grin.Everyone around them cooed at Ollie. Claire smiled at Ollie. "Ollie, do you know why you’re faster despite your legs being shorter?"Ollie shook his head. "It’s because you’re much more hard-working than us!" Claire answered. Then, she glanced at Javier and laughed. Ollie found it weird that they were laughing at him. But why did it feel like she was complimenting him? So, he laughed with them too. Finally, they reached their destination. "We've reached Laguna Beach!" Claire shouted happily while Javier ruffled her hair. Claire looked at Patty and said, "Patty, aren't you tired of carrying so many bags? Let Javier help you out."Then, she gestured for Javier to help Patty out. As Javier was about to take some things
"Who is it?" Javier shouted in irritation and walked to the door. "Dad, open the door! Ollie wants to sleep with Mommy today. Is that okay?" Javier was speechless but could only open the door in the end. When he saw that Ollie was in his pajamas, ready to get in bed, Javier helplessly carried him to bed. However, his expression was as ugly as it could get.Honestly, he couldn’t be blamed. Claire laughed and looked at Javier’s helpless expression and the way he couldn’t say anything. The way he stared at Ollie was unlike his usual doting gaze. Unfortunately, Ollie didn’t notice it at all. He had one goal in mind, which was his mother’s company tonight. Soon, Ollie fell asleep in his mother’s arms. Javier had been sitting on the couch, and when he saw that Ollie was asleep, he carried him back to Patty’s room. Seeing this, Claire felt helpless, but she didn’t stop him. Instead, she found his actions touching.Javier loved her so much. He even treated Ollie so gently.Javier
Hattie didn’t know where to go after leaving the banquet hall. So, she decided to find her cousin. Although she hated him, she had no other choice. She had thought about going to Shawn, and he had even called her. However, she rejected him. After this matter, all that was left in Hattie’s heart was hatred and humiliation. No matter what, she couldn’t show up in front of Shawn. How could she let him humiliate her or scold her? Impossible! She would never let such a thing happen.Just thinking about his mocking gaze made her feel deep pain, and her hatred for Javier and Claire was irreconcilable now. Everyone in the Snyder family was looking for her, but Hattie was able to hide from them. She felt too ashamed to face anyone. All she had in mind was that she had to rise again. She had to stand at the same level as Javier and get her revenge. She had to make them pay.Hattie had changed her phone number so that no one could contact her. The last call she received was from her mothe
Just like that, they got to know each other. Harold was satisfied with their blossoming relationship and came up with a plan. Suddenly, he remembered something and couldn’t help but sigh before he complimented Hattie, saying, "Hattie is kind and smart. Unfortunately, she’s just unlucky when it comes to love. Her fiance abandoned her on her wedding day, and that bastard married another woman. Alas, my poor cousin. That’s why she came to me for help."Hattie’s face instantly turned pale, and she glared at Harold, wishing he could shut up. Even Yvan seemed to feel uncomfortable, but it was a fleeting emotion. Then, he said, "I can’t believe you would encounter such a situation, Ms. Snyder. You’re so outstanding. Why would someone choose to do such a thing? That guy must be blind. May I know who he is?"Harold didn’t notice Hattie’s expression. He took a sip of beer and said angrily, "Who else could it be? It’s the president of the Marquez Group. Hattie sacrificed so much for him,
Yvan was sizing up the woman in his arms. She looked sexy, which made him feel more aroused. When he thought that she had been Javier’s fiancee before, his competitiveness flared. After so many years had passed, he and Javier would finally get to meet…While he was deep in thought, the car drove into a private residential area. Yvan asked the driver to stop the car before looking at Hattie, who was sound asleep in his arms. Then, he carried her out of the car. In the villa, Yvan’s room was on the highest floor. Once they reached his room, he quickly placed Hattie in bed. At this moment, Hattie slowly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she was in a daze."Where am I?" she moaned. Her cheeks were extremely flushed, and she looked alluring. At this time, Yvan had exposed his true self, and there was a burning desire in his eyes. "Hattie, you’re at my house. I like you very much. Shall we start dating?"Hattie was pleased when she heard this but didn’t answer immediately. Instead,
Yvan was in a good mood and patiently answered, "Of course, I will treat you well. I’m willing to do anything for you." Seeing that he had taken the bait, Hattie took the chance and said, "Honestly, I feel so upset that my wedding was ruined by Javier."When Yvan heard that, he immediately understood what she meant. He hugged her and nodded. "Hattie, don’t you worry. I will definitely avenge you. Even if you don’t want me to, I’ll make sure that bastard will be taught a lesson. How could he not cherish such a perfect woman like you, Hattie? He must be blind." Then, he noticed Hattie’s strange expression and changed the topic. "However, I’m glad that he’s blind. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had a chance to be together, and I would never have gotten the chance to meet you. Isn't that right, Hattie?"Hattie felt upset, but she had no other choice now. So, she laughed bitterly and said, "Of course. Javier is not special. Compared to him, we're much more compatible."It seemed Yvan li
Shawn could guess why Hattie wanted to be with Yvan. However, he seemed to be deceiving himself or didn’t want to believe it. So, he decided he had to ask Hattie about it personally. Even if he could, he wanted Hattie to leave with him, and leave this place that was a hotbed of rumors. He had been secretly observing Hattie, trying to find time to be alone with her. Hattie could feel the uncomfortable gaze behind her, and she was worried that Yvan would notice something wrong. She was still mad at Shawn, but he had some proof of her misdeeds. Therefore, she couldn’t act presumptuously. At the thought of that, her expression was unnatural. Then, she excused herself to the restroom and left after that. Sure enough, Shawn followed her when he saw her leave.When Hattie came out of the restroom, she saw Shawn as expected. Her expression was unnatural, but she quickly composed herself and asked, "Shawn Jones, what do you want? We’re no longer friends with each other. You can give Javi
Hattie looked extremely sincere in her pleading. However, when Sofia did not answer or even look at her, she began to lose confidence. Sofia's face was impassive. "Hattie, I've known you since you were a baby, but I can't help you with this. Please leave." She did not want to discuss the other stuff with her yet.However, Hattie was obstinate. She looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Aunt Sofia, please, please help me. I know it's not much trouble for you, but it can save our entire family. You've always been so kind to me. I promise that the Snyder family will repay you for your kindness!"Hearing this, Sofia felt uncomfortable. She raised her head and gazed at her coldly. "In this case, Hattie, I'll tell you why I won't help you," she said impatiently. "Do you really not know what you've done? I won't say it, but I know exactly what you've done to Ollie. You deserve everything that's happening to you now."Hattie widened her eyes, partly in shock and partly in disbelief when she h
Javier paused outside the door and waited until Claire left before giving his subordinates a look. They understood perfectly and grabbed Chantelle at once.As Javier had ordered, they were to send this woman abroad as far away as possible and leave her to fend for herself.Outside the hotel, Claire looked up at the sky blankly. She felt like a huge burden had been taken off her shoulders; for the first time in a long time, she felt relieved of all the hurt that she had suffered five years ago. Turning back, she told Javier, "Thank you, Javier, for allowing me to face my fears. I feel so relieved now."Javier's expression fell when he heard her thank him. He tapped her on the nose fondly in exasperation. "What are you talking about? Of course, I won't let those who hurt you get off so easily. They have to pay for what they have done."Claire was touched to see him so protective of her. A surge of warmness spread in her chest as she gazed at him fondly. "I'm lucky to have you, Javier."T
That was all Armand could think of.In just a few minutes, Chantelle admitted to everything she had done to Claire over the past few years.From drugging Claire out of jealousy and getting a stranger to assault her to getting Liam to banish her abroad, she admitted to everything. Claire knew some of them, but not all; only now did she know the extent of her crimes.When she was finished, everyone in the room sported conflicting expressions. Liam looked especially hurt and remorseful. It turned out that his younger daughter had always been evil, and he had wrongfully blamed Claire for all these years.Armand, on the other hand, didn't know how to feel about all this. He glanced at Claire and Javier. He felt that he really didn't deserve Claire, after all he had done. He had thought Chantelle to be kind and naive and had trusted her blindly to the point that he almost married her.Thank goodness the wedding didn't happen. Even so, he had lost Claire thanks to this. It made him regret eve
If Chantelle told Claire the truth about what happened that night, then there would be nothing stopping her from having a happily-ever-after with Javier.Back then, driven by jealousy, she had drugged Claire and put her in Javier's bed without their consent. She had planned all of this out herself meticulously. She had gotten Armand to catch Claire in the act so that he would call off the engagement and be with her instead. Liam banished Claire abroad to fend for herself. However, if she had known that the random stranger she had arranged to assault Claire was Javier, she never would've done it.Even so, it was a perfect plan worthy of a blockbuster film. Claire and Javier never found out the truth, nor did they know that Ollie was actually Javier's son.It took them two years of skirting around each other only to find out that they were meant to be in the first place. Now that the truth was out, Claire would not settle for prison as a punishment for the cause of all her suffering. Sh
After a lot of persuasion, Claire and Sofia finally managed to get Ollie to agree to stay in the hospital for another three days.Of course, three days weren't enough. Sofia and Pedro tried everything they could to convince Ollie to stay in the hospital for as long as possible.However, Ollie was smart enough to see through their ruse. He felt guilty when he saw them trying to cajole him into staying, so one day, after another attempt, he spoke up hesitantly, "Grandma, Grandpa, I'm glad that you're trying to keep me happy, and I'm touched that you're concerned about me, but I've been in the hospital for too long and it's making me sad. I promise that I'll listen to the doctor even when I'm at home, okay?" Under his bright, clear gaze, Sofia's protests died in her throat, leaving only exasperation and wordless sorrow.Ollie was too mature for his age. How could they not love him?Therefore, Ollie got his wish and was discharged three days later. In order to take care of Ollie, Sofia an
Hearing this, Javier narrowed his eyes. He felt like he was on the verge of grasping something, but the feeling passed too quickly for him to register it. Softening his tone, he said, "There's no need to be scared, Ollie. We're all right here with you. We'll protect you no matter what happens. Can you tell me what you remembered?"Ollie might have regained his memories from before he'd been drugged.Buoyed by the encouragement, Ollie thought hard for a moment and said with a frown, "I … I remember a lady beating me. She locked me up and didn't let me eat anything while saying bad things about me and Mommy all the time. I wanted to fight back, but I was too weak. After I tried to run, she caught me and beat me up some more and forced me to eat food off the floor." Toward the end of this, Ollie burst into tears.Claire's heart hurt for him. She wanted to hug him, but Javier got there first."Tell me, Ollie, do you know her name?" Javier's voice was thick with tears as well. "Do you remem
With that, Henry threw a glance at the rest of the employees and hurried them out. He also dragged Raina and Thomas out with him, leaving only Claire and Javier's parents to keep him company.Since it was only a small procedure for Javier, he did not get a lot of anesthesia. He tried to wriggle his body a little. Realizing what he was doing, Claire quickly helped him sit up.Javier did not look like he had just come out of surgery. Thanks to his strong physique, he looked fine.Seeing this, Sofia finally eased up a little on her worries. "How are you feeling, Javier?"Javier shook his head. "I'm fine, Mom. I just need some rest. How about Ollie? Did they say when he'll wake up?" He already knew that the surgery was a success, so he wanted to know when he would be able to see Ollie."Randy said that Ollie will be out for some time, but he's fine," Claire replied. Javier nodded. He, too, finally eased up on the tight knot of worry that was weighing his chest.Once he was sure that Javie
The surgery took three hours.As time went by, Claire got more and more anxious. However, there was nothing she could do but wait.In the end, Sofia was the first to crack. She went up to Claire and said anxiously, "Claire, are you sure that Dr. Xenos is good? It's been three hours, why aren't they out yet? I have a bad feeling about this."Claire wasn't exactly relaxed either, but she didn't show it. She gathered her thoughts and comforted Sofia. "Everything will be fine, Mrs. Marquez. Randy is a well-known surgeon, I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Don't worry." She wanted to reach out to comfort her, but in the end, she just sat there with an awkward expression. This was probably how their relationship would be in the foreseeable future—awkward and distant.Pedro watched their interaction with an air of knowingness. "Stop crying, Sofia," he said. "They're fine, you don't have to cry about them. Claire's still pregnant, don't upset her."Sofia was about to get angry about his admoni
At that, Javier narrowed his eyes dangerously.The Weiss family wasn't in a stable condition right now, so it wouldn't be hard for him to take revenge on Claire's behalf. Now that he knew the truth of what had happened, he had to find a way to punish the perpetrators.The news that Ollie was Javier's biological son quickly spread, especially after Sofia held a party in celebration. In fact, it made headlines the day before Ollie's scheduled surgery.Javier wasn't surprised about it. He had been looking for an opportunity to announce it to the public so that there wouldn't be unsightly rumors that would affect Claire. Claire, on the other hand, felt a little uncomfortable about the announcement. After all, she had always been a private person; she didn't want anyone to disturb her peaceful life.After a while, though, she got used to it.The most important contributor to this was that it benefited Ollie. From now on, he wasn't a fatherless child anymore. He could tell anyone who would l