"If the CEO of Jardin Corporation and Madelyn are coming, they'll be welcomed," Luke declared. "You said she'd be coming, right? Let's wait twenty minutes. If they don't show up, we'll start the party.""Alright, twenty minutes," Mya replied. "We aren't scared."Luke's aunt chimed in, "It's like we've never met important people before. What's the big deal?"A teenage boy sitting nearby turned to his sister and asked, "Do you think Mya knows the woman from the Jent family? I've never heard Mya mention her.""I don't know, so quit asking!" she replied, clearly irritated."Did you sneak into Mya's closet and wear her clothes again? I've told you, those outfits look good on Mya, but on you? Not so much," he said."Ugh! You're always talking about Mya. If you like her so much, why don't you just make her your sister and leave me out of it?" she retorted.The waitstaff at Supreme World set the table and cleaned everything up fast. Luke wanted fresh dishes. Only two minutes of the twen
The hotel manager noticed a commotion and was surprised by what he saw. Spotting Kevin, he quickly asked, "What are you doing here, Kevin?""I'm with him," Blake chimed in.Upon hearing this, the manager signaled the hotel's security to release Blake, who then ran to stand by Kevin's side. Blake looked up at Kevin. "Ms. Jent didn't mention you'd be here." Seeing him was unexpected, but then again, it did not matter.Kevin's presence radiated authority. It was no secret in Ventropolis how influential Jardin Corporation was. Yet, seeing Kevin at this event took many by surprise. After all, Jardin Corporation was a titan, making the Harper family seem ordinary compared to their immense influence. Many wondered about the reason behind such a dominant figure associating with the Harpers.Without saying a word, Kevin briefly looked at Blake.He then addressed Mya, "Ms. Jent will be a bit longer. In the meantime, Mr. Jardin asked me to come early to present the birthday gifts." Kevin sig
The bodyguard took the golf club from Zach and set it aside. Madelyn put on her Bluetooth earpiece, and instantly, she heard Blake's argumentative voice. 'Wow, she's really loud.'"Do you have any shame? These gifts are obviously for my cousin, Mya. Trying to snag them before the wedding's even a sure thing? Think you deserve them? You all act like ungrateful, shameless jerks. You're just like bullies and thieves!"One of the ladies defiantly pointed at Blake and snapped, "All these will be ours soon anyway; so why not take them now?""Fine! Take them if you dare!" Blake retorted. "But if you do, I'll break your hands."Kevin gave Blake a thoughtful look, his eyes deep in thought. He admired her courage."Let's take what belongs to us," the lady challenged.An old lady gazed at the jewelry, thinking, 'These are worth so much money... More than I could ever spend in a lifetime.'"How long's the sentence for robbery, Blake?" Kevin asked.Blake replied, "Between three and ten year
"Why isn't Madelyn here, Kevin?" Mya asked.Kevin replied with a hint of nonchalance, "Ms. Jent's downstairs, playing golf with Mr. Jardin. If you want to see her, go on down. Mr. Jardin said his company's taking care of the situation at the birthday party."Mya said, "Thanks for letting me know."Kevin nodded, "No problem."Luke called out, trying to make things right, "Mya..."Lifting her dress slightly, Mya shot him one last look, "I told you you'd face the consequences." She walked off, leaving a chattering crowd behind.Luke's family swarmed him, bombarding him with questions, "What went down, Luke? Why did Mya bolt? You know, our families had your back, helped with your college needs, and in return, you promised us a house.""Are you guys still getting hitched?""Man, Luke, I was waiting for a house before getting married. Now, without one, what do I do?""And these gems? They were supposed to be a safety net for my daughter's future. Luke, you better not bail on us."F
Madelyn repeated, "Thank you."As Madelyn approached, the bodyguard who had been blocking Mya stepped aside. Mya eagerly embraced Madelyn, causing her to stagger. She pressed her face against Madelyn's shoulder, sobbing loudly."You were gone for so long, and you didn't even contact me. Did you know I almost died?" Mya asked, her voice serious.Madelyn's gaze landed on the dark bruises on Mya's neck and back. Blake had filled her in. "I'm so sorry, Mya," Madelyn whispered, her voice laden with regret. "I wish I'd been here sooner."Mya shook her head gently, "You're here now, and that's what matters. Plus, you brought gifts. I've forgiven you.""Promise me you'll be careful. Don't let anyone hurt you.""I promise. With you here, I feel protected."The Harper family sponsored Luke for school because he did not have much money. When Mya ran into him at Ventropolis University, it was by accident. In college, when bullies picked on Luke, Mya defended him. From then on, Luke cared a
Seeing Mya, the faces of the group twisted in anger, "Mya! You did this!""Why are they cuffing us? Shouldn't it be her? What did we do?""Seriously. Officer, we're just regular people. We haven't done a thing. You sure you've got this right?"The police officer gave them a stern look, "Enough talking.""Ugh! All this is because of Mya and her sneaky friend. Just wait, Mya. When I'm out, you'll get what's coming."The officer, a tad flustered, held back the still-complaining woman, "If you want a shorter time behind bars, be quiet. You really shouldn't cross her.""What's so special about her anyway? Does she think she's richer than us?"Madelyn sighed, "Let's get out of here.""Okay."The noise died down as everyone was packed into the police cars."Mya, hold on!"A girl in a sparkly princess dress stopped Madelyn and Mya. Seeing the woman next to Mya, her eyes lit up with admiration. Wiping away her tears, she said, "It's because of you that my mom's in jail. I've just sta
"I'm fine; it doesn't hurt," Mya said, trying not to worry Madelyn. Mya's hands were once delicate and soft. After a few challenging years, they bore several burn scars and had become rough.Kevin approached, "Ms. Jent, we need to leave; it's late."Then, a police officer approached Mya, "We need you to testify about the suspect. Could you come with us to the station?"Mya nodded, "Okay. Madelyn, I'm heading out."Madelyn replied, "Take care."Mya hesitated, "I'm nervous about going alone, Madelyn."Before Madelyn could respond, Kevin jumped in, "Don't worry, Ms. Jent. I'll accompany her. I have some business there anyway."Madelyn said, "Thanks, Kevin. Just make sure she's safe."Kevin replied, "Of course."After everyone was gone, Madelyn walked over to the luxury car. A bodyguard opened the door for her, and she got in. Next to her, Zach poured some red wine into a glass."Try it."Madelyn fixed her dress and looked away, "It's been a long time since I had a drink."He r
"I'm going to marry you and make you my second wife. Are you scared?"It seemed like Zach was in a good mood today.Madelyn blurted out, "M-My dad just died not long ago, and you're here thinking about marriage? You've been in the Jent family for so many years; you should know that the family traditions prohibit us from having a wedding during the mourning period of three years."Madelyn tried to pull her hand away, but Zach did not allow that to happen. Instead, he held her hand even tighter and placed it on his thigh."I don't have that much patience to wait."Madelyn could only remain silent and stopped talking to him.However, she just could not stop herself from venting, "What benefit do you get from marrying me? I can't have your baby, and that child is also fake. You're only doing this on impulse, driven by your possessiveness. You can't stand the idea of someone that you want becoming someone else's. After some time, you'll just throw me away like I'm a piece of trash."
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