Liam smiled and said, "Fine."Then Blake got back to the company. While parking at the parking lot, she saw a man wearing a cap lurking around. Blake was not in a rush to get out of the car, so she stayed in and watched him closely. After a while, the man called someone and said, "Ms. Samford, we've found the woman's location, and I have pictures. I'm currently in the parking lot."Blake felt her heart sink and thought, 'Could it be Cecilia and that other woman?'She continued her train of thought, 'It's Madelyn! Did Cecilia find Madelyn so soon? Impossible!'After three minutes, Cecilia walked out of the elevator. The man went up to her and gave her a file. He asked Cecilia, "Ms. Samford, how do we handle her? Should we..." He then made a cutthroat gesture.Blake noticed this and took a picture with her phone. Cecilia answered, "No rush. You should go back and wait for my orders. Letting her die is just too easy."The man obliged, "Fine. Ms. Samford, about our payment... We've b
"Cecilia, you're a bitch through and through! You're heartless, and your retribution will come upon you one day!" Blake exclaimed.Susan was currently outside the office and holding some documents that Cecilia needed to sign. When she heard the voices, she immediately stopped in her tracks."Retribution? If there was any retribution, Zach, Fred, and Kevin would've died before me, those bastards. No one wants Madelyn dead more than I do. If you don't believe me, you can watch and see if she dies in the next three days," Cecilia sneered.She continued nonchalantly, "But having her die like this is too easy. I want her to be tormented. Let's roast her drawing hand in the fire. Oh yeah, Zach must've taken a liking to her because of her gorgeous face, right? I can ruin her anytime. After she becomes a hideous monster, let's see how many more men will go against me for her." Cecilia began to cackle like a maniac.Blake roared, "That's enough, Cecilia! You've lost your conscience! I'm tel
Cecilia went up and wiped Blake's tears away gently, "It's because I've gone through that kind of pain, and I won't let you go through it. I won't let you make the same mistake again, either."She apologized, "I'm sorry, Blake. I couldn't take care of you when you were younger, and it's my fault. On the night you went missing, you have no idea how long I searched for you."Cecilia continued, "You're my only family now. I can't lose you. I'll make up for all my guilt toward you from back then, bit by bit.""Just listen to your older sister this time, okay? Forget about Kevin and take the position of Mrs. Xander. With me here, the Xander family won't oppress you, and I'll be your one and only shield," She comforted Blake."If you were to be in the Harper family, they wouldn't be able to help you if you were being threatened by someone," Cecilia explained.Blake argued, "But what you're giving me is not what I want. Liam is fine, but I don't love him! I love Kevin, so why do you have
In the evening, Blake went to the hotel, wanting to bring Liam his laptop bag and some clothes before returning to her apartment.Before she knocked on the door, she saw that the door was already open. Liam stood there dressed in his pajamas, looking much better."You're back?" His tone was gentle.Blake regained her senses and said, "Mhm, I've helped you get everything back. See if there is anything I missed."Walking into the living room, she noticed her messy house was clean and tidy. Even the air smelled fresh, and the blanket she left on the sofa was folded. Every corner was swept spotless."You've cleaned up all this?" Blake looked at him, surprised. She felt embarrassed and said, "Didn't I tell you to rest? Why did you do this?"There was even food made by Liam on the dining table. The gas was running in the kitchen where something was braised. Liam took the things over naturally and said, "Go and wash your hands first. I made some potato soup. It'll be done soon."Blake
With a furrowed brow, Blake hesitated before saying, "If that's not the case, why does Cecilia keep pushing for me to tie the knot with you and waltz right into the Xander family to become Mrs. Xander? You clearly know we're just friends, and I'm already with Kevin. I understand my words hurt you, but I have to say how I truly feel. Did you know that Cecilia is using Madelyn's life to threaten me? If I don't do things her way, how many more people will she hurt besides Madelyn?"Liam, actually, I recalled those childhood memories I had forgotten long ago. Cecilia... is my sister," Blake lowered her head while saying these words. It was a fact she had never wanted to believe in her entire life, but what could she do? Cecilia was her sister. It was a bond that Blake could not sever. Her once-beloved sister had become a relationship she now refused to acknowledge.Blake vividly remembered Cecilia going to those grimy alleys and dealing with old perverts that were trying to take advantag
"Don't you think doing this is unfair to you? Liam, why do you treat me so well? Have we...met each other before in the past before all this?" Blake finally asked the question she had been pondering all along. She had never believed in love at first sight, that someone could be willing to give up everything for another person they had just met.Liam just smiled faintly without explaining. He gently comforted her, "Blake, sometimes there's not much reason to things. I don't need a reason to be nice to someone."He reached out and wiped away the tears falling from her face. "You haven't eaten much, so let's have some more. I'll heat the food, then drive you home after finishing."Blake shook her head. "No, thanks. I drove myself here today."If Liam found his Mrs. Right, he would surely be the best lover. However, there was no potential for a relationship between Blake and him. Once she chose someone, she would stick to that person. That part about "three years" had just been somethi
With that, Liam took a bank card from his wallet and placed it on Julian's desk. "There are more than three million dollars in this card. It's my savings. I'll use the remaining money to prepare for the wedding with Blake.""N-No, Liam... Dad, you should talk some sense into Liam! What's so special about Blake?"Liam turned and left. Seeing the woman who had also appeared outside the door, he walked past her without greeting.Julian never expected to lose control of things and never anticipated that Liam cared little for power. 'So Liam has indeed earned a lot of money now. Even without my support, he can still live well in Ventropolis with his skills. It seems my son is really making a name for himself."Ixia pleaded with Lylia again, "Mom, please talk to Dad. Hasn't he always listened to you?""That's enough! All of you get out of here!" Julian suddenly yelled, sweeping the crucial documents off the table and onto the floor.Lylia knew the magnitude of the situation. So, she he
Despite verbally agreeing to Liam's suggestion, Blake stared out of the car with a heavy heart. Liam seemed to sense her inner worries and hesitated before speaking, "Don't you need to tell Kevin about this? After all, this is an important matter, so you should make it clear to him."Blake replied, "It's okay. I'll explain this to him clearly."After returning to the office, Liam and Blake coincidentally ran into Cecilia as they entered the elevator, with Susan following closely behind. In the non-crowded elevator, there were only a few people. Cecilia dressed in a professional outfit. Perhaps due to her recent good mood, she had a glowing complexion."Great. Seems like you've taken my advice to heart."Blake ignored her, but Cecilia still offered, "If you encounter any date troubles, like when you can't get a reservation at a restaurant, you can count on me for help."Liam was about to say something while Blake cut him off. The look in her eyes seemed to express, 'It's not worth
Liam was standing in the rain, and though it hadn't been long, he was thoroughly drenched.Blake quickly pulled him close, her voice laced with concern. "Are you crazy? It's pouring rain! What if you catch a cold?"Liam's look was subdued, his face showing signs of fatigue. "I'm okay. This is for you; I didn't want you to have to come out in this weather."As Blake took in his forlorn appearance, her heart softened suddenly. 'Am I losing my mind?' she thought."Now you'll have to pay more attention to me, Blake... I was just so scared of losing you. I've put everything I have into getting you to agree to marry me; the idea of you walking away is unbearable."Overwhelmed with emotion, Blake locked eyes with him. "Did she teach you to say that too?" she asked, her hand moving on its own to brush away the raindrops from his hair.A maid nearby, observing the scene, rushed over with a blanket and an umbrella. However, Grace, fully grasping the gravity of the moment, halted her. Ackno
Cecilia said, "It's fine. Let's give them a week. Rearrange the flight and all the plans for the trip. This is Blake's first time getting married and going abroad for honeymoon. I want to make sure she has a good time."Susan nodded. "Okay, Ms. Samford."Not long after Cecilia left, three editors who used to work for Olivia's company entered her office. All of them spoke in panic, "Ms. Blue, what should we do? Ms. Samford already knows everything. If the legal department finds out about it, will we go to jail?"Olivia remained calm as she said, "Don't panic. Just focus on your work.""But we got into this company through you. What if they say we got into this company through the back door and then fired us?"Olivia sat at her desk, supporting her forehead with her hands. She was obviously panicking. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."You guys can leave now."Olivia did not expect this matter to be exposed so soon. She wondered how Cecilia found out about it. 'Could it be that she'
StartReading Literary was the last place Cecilia wanted to be. But she made an exception this time.Olivia had just finalized a cooperative copyright deal with another website company. Several editors from her own company were there at StartReading Literary. As she entered the office, she saw all the editors from StartReading Literary sitting upright, not daring to make a sound.She also saw her office door was wide open. She frowned as she walked into her office and was surprised to see an unexpected gust.Olivia put down the documents in her hand. "Ms. Samford, what brings you here?"With her legs crossed and Susan standing behind her, Cecilia stared at Olivia, who was in front of her.Cecilia sneered and stood up. She ran her fingers along the desk. "StartReading is actually the last place I want to be. I came here because I found out that you enjoy meddling in other people's affairs. Otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to see me."Olivia instantly looked wary. She remained s
Liam stood up. He watched as Blake, who looked weary, walked away. "Blake, what do you want me to do so you'll like me?"Blake did not stop walking. Instead, she took even bigger steps and left.She went to the Harper residence, which surprised everyone.Grace asked, "Blake? Why did you come back here? Where's Liam? Why didn't he come back with you?"Blake stuttered, unable to find the words. She just made up an excuse, saying, "It's nothing. I just wanted to come back."After Hannah and Yael left the wedding last night, they went back to the research institute.As for Simon, he went to the farm to manage the business.After Blake went to her room, Grace became worried. She followed her and saw her sitting with a blank expression in the room, not knowing what to do.When Blake saw Grace, she quickly adjusted her mood. "Grace, why are you here?""I came to check on you. Blake, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Liam? You just had your wedding yesterday, and you're already
The pregnancy test report came out fifteen minutes after Blake did the test. She was indeed pregnant. She was even seven weeks pregnant.Blake had indeed been involved with Kevin while in Northern Myanmar over a month ago.She held the medical report while standing bewildered in the cold hospital corridor. Lights shone through the floor-to-ceiling window onto her body, but all Blake felt was the cold, which made her hands and feet numb.She was lost in her thoughts. 'I'm really pregnant. What should I do with this baby? I want it to be born more than anyone else. But now, everything has changed. This child shouldn't come into this world.'She wandered in the corridor. Suddenly, she saw someone coming out of another gynecological room.She thought, 'Some things are just destined by fate. When I long to see him, even catching a glimpse of him in a dream feels like a luxury, an unattainable wish. But now, when I don't want to see him, it seems he appears everywhere I go.'Kevin supp
Blake wondered, 'I'm now pregnant with Kevin's child. What should I do?'She woke up groggily when she felt someone carry her. She opened her heavy eyelids and asked, "What time is it now?"Liam responded, "It's four-thirty in the morning. It's still early; go back to sleep for a while more."Blake said in a hoarse voice, "I've made an appointment for an abortion at eight o'clock. Regardless of whether I'm really pregnant or not, I don't want to keep this child."She had thought about it all night and believed this was the best decision.Kevin was going to get engaged. Blake believed he would get married and Audrey would give birth to his children. There was simply no need for her to complicate things further.She thought, 'If I choose to be selfish and decide to keep this baby, and if people find out about it, my child will be treated as an illegitimate child. I don't even dare to imagine how badly the child will be treated.'If giving birth to the baby will bring it a lifetime
Blake continued, "What about you, Liam? Do you mind?"If you do, you can choose to divorce me. After all, I've wronged you. No one wants to marry a woman who's carrying someone else's child."Liam stepped forward on the shattered cup and hugged her tightly. "I don't mind. Blake, I love you, including everything about you. I don't mind your past. I just want to start over with you. I didn't tell you about the pregnancy because I was selfish; I wanted to keep you by my side."Blake, your child is my child. I want to raise the baby with you."Don't leave me, okay?"Blake did not know why, but she was not surprised by her pregnancy. However, she felt that there were still some things that she could not let go of, though she was unsure what those were.She was not as calm as she had imagined.She thought about her past events. Then, she indifferently said, "Liam, I don't want this child. Since I'm prepared to be with you, I won't keep this child. It wouldn't be fair to you."Liam di
On this romantic night, the moon was obscured by the clouds.Breathing heavily, Blake felt some pain in her abdomen. She asked to stop. "Liam, my stomach hurts. I think I'm going to have my period soon."Liam sobered up instantly. "I'll go get you some medicine."She peeked out from under the blanket as the bedside lamp turned on. She could clearly see Liam's naked upper body. Her face flushed as she averted her gaze. "It's fine. Just help me call the front desk and ask them to bring up a pack of sanitary pads. I'll go to the bathroom to deal with it."Liam replied, "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up."Blake picked up her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom. "It's okay. It's probably just my period."However, judging by the blood flowing out, it did not seem like menstrual blood to Blake. It looked like something else.Blake's voice came from the bathroom again. "I think we should go to the hospital."She sat on the toilet and watched the tall, slende
Blake had no bridesmaids, so she returned to the hotel room alone. As she stepped out of the elevator and was ready to use the room key card in her hand to swipe and enter the room, she suddenly saw a figure appear from the corner of her eye.She stopped her action and looked at the person who had left the wedding earlier.At that moment, Blake felt her breath catch, but it was only fleeting. She then quickly regained her composure and averted her gaze. She asked, "Didn't you leave? Why are you still here?"Kevin replied, "Congratulations."Upon hearing his congratulations, Blake felt a mix of amusement and discomfort. "There's nothing to congratulate. If anything, I should congratulate you. You're soon to be the mayor's son-in-law. In the future, we won't belong in the same social class anymore."I'm tired and came back to rest. You should leave now before Liam comes up and sees you here."Don't look for me again. I don't want him to misunderstand."Kevin responded, "Audrey and