As Zach walked away, Madelyn remained rooted in place before the bus stop sign. She was clad in her Ventrocloud High School uniform, with the emblem of a knight on a horse shooting an arrow on her chest.On the busy street, anyone looking could tell she was from Ventrocloud High School. And with her good looks, she caught the eye of some not-so-nice folks.At that moment, three thugs approached. Surveillance cameras weren't yet widespread in Venturia's streets. Things were way less high-tech than now. So, if something happened, it'd be hard to find proof. Even if the bad guys got away, catching them would be tough.Seeing the three thugs getting closer, Madelyn lowered her head, hoping they wouldn't come any closer. But bad luck didn't care what day it was."Hey there, pretty, where you off to? Need a lift?" one of the guys laughed."I never thought Ventrocloud kids would look like you. Aren't they supposed to be rich? Got some money for me, sweetheart?" another one sneered.Stu
Madelyn thought to herself, 'He's not so scary. He looks really cute when he smiles.'Ethan reassured her, "You don't need to be afraid anymore. Where are you headed? I can give you a ride."Madelyn wiped away the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "No, thank you. My driver will be here soon."A faint smile graced his lips. "No trouble at all. I'll wait with you. Are you a student at Ventrocloud High School?"Madelyn nodded. "Yes.""Ms. Je— I mean Miss, here's your purse." His butler took the purse from the thug's pocket and handed it over to Madelyn with both hands.Just moments ago, fear had gripped Madelyn so intensely that she had lost track of where the bodyguards had taken those three thugs.Ethan spoke, his voice filled with concern, "Please check your purse to ensure nothing is missing."Madelyn opened her purse and quickly glanced inside. Her ID card and student card remained safely in place. "Everything is here, nothing is missing." She then inquired, "Whe
Ethan's car happened to be heading in the opposite direction when he saw the traffic light ahead turn red. Just then, he received a message from Madelyn: [Ethan, where are you?]Ethan always kept his phone close to him. Whenever he saw her message, he would respond promptly. However, this time he made a deliberate decision to turn off his phone.George glanced at the rearview mirror. "Is that a message from Ms. Jent? Has she discovered something?""Probably... but I don't want to deceive her," Ethan neither confirmed nor denied. He wished to wait a little longer, until he could stand on his own two feet once again. Then, she would see him in his entirety, rather than as a broken and disabled man.George added, "Maybe she wouldn't mind, though?""It's not about whether she minds or not. I mind. Let's head back home!" Ethan wearily closed his eyes. The recent incident had been a close call. Fortunately, he had purposely lingered near the hospital entrance. If he had left at that mom
"Of course not. How could I ever find you annoying when you care about me?" Madelyn tried to reassure Zach.Zach looked at Madelyn's loose clothes. They didn't seem to fit right and were kind of baggy. He hadn't seen her wearing those before, and they even looked like clothes guys would wear. So he asked, "You not wearing your school uniform today?"Madelyn glanced down at her attire, realizing her oversight. "I-I did wear it... But the buttons were broken. I borrowed this outfit from someone else, and I have to return it later.""So, it's a men's outfit?"Madelyn nodded, choosing not to hide the truth. "Yes."Zach chuckled lightly, but there was no trace of emotion in his eyes, even a hint of coldness. "Looks like Madelyn is in love."Madelyn protested, "No... He's just a friend of my classmate."Zach continued, "It's not a problem if you're in a relationship now. It's normal for young people to develop feelings for others during their youth... If you ever encounter any problem
When Zach leaned in for a kiss, Madelyn snapped back to reality and quickly pushed him away. "No!" Her heart raced.Zach sat back. Madelyn couldn't figure out what he was thinking. "So now you're saying no to me," he said casually.Madelyn grabbed her black pleated skirt tightly. "I've told you, you're like a brother to me. Please, don't do these weird things anymore. If Jadie finds out, she'll be mad." In her head, she thought, 'You cheater! Were you fooling around with other girls in your car like this while I was waiting for you to come home?'Madelyn no longer loved him. She knew he only had eyes for Jadie, and no one else. Even though Cecilia bore a resemblance to Jadie, Zach only saw Cecilia as someone who could bear his child. In Madelyn's past life, her heart belonged entirely to him, but in the end, she suffered a devastating defeat. Now, she felt genuine fear.Zach's eyes turned cold. "You're more mature now! I apologize for acting impulsively and for what happened la
Jasmine continued, "Don't you suspect that Madelyn has known all along? Zach, you're always cautious. You don't want Madelyn to find out about us. Or is it that you can't bring yourself to confront her? Do you want me to help you?"She propped her chin, offering a seductive gaze and a smile. "Darling, you know I never go easy on my rivals. If she ties knot with Ethan Arnold... Dealing with the Jent family alone is already challenging for you. With the addition of the Arnold family, do you think you can handle it?"Zach put down his silverware, grabbed a piece of tissue, and wiped his mouth. "My affairs don't require your meddling... Put on your shoes."Jasmine laughed as she moved her foot away from his calf.Zach stood up, turned around, and left. Soon, his Audi drove out of the garage at the Jent residence.That night, Madelyn retired to bed before ten o'clock.Ethan had not responded to her text, but she didn't dwell on it. She interpreted it as an indication that the teenager
Madelyn couldn't help but notice that Jadie had a group of guys by her side—Adrian, Timothy, and Forrest. She stood next to her family car, watching them approach from across the street. It caught her off guard, and she thought to herself, 'When did Jadie start hanging out with Forrest? They seem really close.''Hmm... Jadie and Forrest?' Madelyn couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of relationship they had. 'Wasn't Jadie interested in Zach? Does Zach know about Jadie and Forrest being together?' But then she realized that Jadie's love life was none of her business. She wanted no part in anything involving Jadie or Zach.As Madelyn shifted her gaze away, she noticed a blue tattoo on Forrest's arm. It felt strangely familiar. She had a fleeting sense of having seen it on someone in a past life. 'It looks familiar,' she thought, but the memory slipped away for a moment. She couldn't recall when or where she had seen it before.Meanwhile, Timothy glanced at the black sedan across t
Madelyn finally recognized the tattoo on Forrest's hand. 'That's the tattoo from the man who jumped because of Zach! That man was Forrest!'Before, people said Forrest drove off a cliff in his car when he was in charge of Arnold Corporation. They never found him, so everyone thought he was gone. Then, a lady took his place in the company. But soon after, the Arnold family's house blew up and all of them died. Someone else then took over the company, but no one knew who it was.Madelyn tried to think harder. There was a man with face burns that Zach talked about. This man always wore a mask. But what she remembered the most was the same blue tattoo on his hand. It looked just like Forrest's. This man would get really mad, especially at ladies, and it was scary.'If Forrest didn't die from the car crash, how did he get so much money to take over the company?' she wondered.As she delved deeper into her memories, another doubt emerged. 'The Arnolds were super rich in Ventropolis. How
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