Madelyn replied to Margaret, "I just want to taste it."It has been a year since Madelyn's rebirth, a time she would not forget.Margaret found it hard to refuse Madelyn's rare request. She said, "I'll make it right away, just like the ones you get outside.""Thanks," Madelyn said.Margaret hurriedly began preparing the grilled food for Madelyn, but the kitchen at home lacked the proper ingredients, as Madelyn was not fond of spicy food. When Margaret realized they did not have the necessary equipment for grilling, she quickly called the driver, Jordan, to get some.Jordan planned to inform Zach about that, as everything concerning Madelyn required his permission. It might seem trivial, but Zach never tired of knowing every little detail about her.When Zach was about to check on Madelyn, he learned about the grilled food request from Jordan. Zach asked, "Grilled food?""Yes, Mr. Jardin. Margaret gave me some money and asked me to get the items on the list." Jordan replied, hand
Madelyn did not respond to Zach's query. He approached and sat beside her, his deep gaze following her line of sight before darkening."I've arranged everything with the photoshoot company," Zach began, breaking the silence. "Once you're better, the custom wedding dresses from overseas will arrive in the capital. We can try them on then."Zach reached for Madelyn's hand, but she swiftly withdrew it. She said, "Zach, stop it already! You processed our marriage certificate on my behalf without acknowledging me. You've achieved your goal. So, stop seeking my attention."Zach, undeterred by Madelyn's words, said, "The PR department will announce our marriage. Soon, everyone in the capital will know you're the wife of the CEO of Jardin Corporation.""Zach! Do you realize how people viewed our relationship in the past? You were my father's adopted son, my brother. Now that he's gone and we are married, do you know how others will judge us?" Madelyn asked.When Madelyn married Zach in th
Madelyn realized it was Zach holding her in his arms. His feverish body temperature was alarmingly high. He was still unwell, yet he insisted on staying with her.As Madelyn looked up at Zach's handsome face, she remembered how she used to love him so dearly. She thought, 'Zach, why did you hate me so much in the previous life? Is it because I had hurt Jadie? But I had atoned for that sin. Are your feelings for me genuine now?'Meanwhile, Cecilia, wearing a bathrobe in a high-rise apartment, furiously scattered everything on the table. She roared, "Zach! How could you marry her!"Cecilia was in a frenzy, trembling as she looked at the announcement on the company's social media account and the glaring marriage certificate on her phone. She could not believe Zach had married Madelyn."I was the one who helped you build Jardin Corporation, who pushed you to become CEO, who led you to your success. I should have been the one you married! How could you marry someone else?!" Cecilia grum
At that moment, a young woman around twenty-five with long dyed hair and a professional skirt walked in from the secretary's office, carrying a cup of coffee. She stuttered nervously, "M–Mr. Harrison, your coffee."Kevin frowned slightly, barely concealing his annoyance. He ordered, "Leave it on the table."Susan, Kevin's new assistant, was filling in for Blake. She, clearly uneasy, placed the coffee down and asked, "Mr. Harrison, is there anything else? I still have some documents to print."Kevin replied without looking up, "Go ahead."Aware of Kevin's reputation as one of the toughest people to please at Jardin Corporation, Susan hurried out, relieved to escape his scrutiny. She knew that a single mistake could mean a scolding or even dismissal.As Susan left, Kevin's voice halted her. "Have you contacted Ms. Dion yet?"Susan reported, "Yes, Mr. Harrison, as per your instructions. Currently, she's on a business trip. No one, aside from you, has seen her for a while. I tried ca
Despite her fear of the imposing man before her, Blake stood bravely in front of Grace and Mya. Blake declared with a shaky voice, "I-I'm warning you, don't even think about touching Mya."Mya, hiding behind Grace, timidly praised Blake in a soft voice, just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Blake, you're so brave."Fred, who had come expecting a different reception, frowned sternly at Mya. He thought, 'I didn't expect her to be so scared of me.'"Mya, come here," Fred commanded.Mya was frightened by Fred's command and burst into tears. She said, "No, you're a bad guy. Mom said you've been with many women, you're unclean. She and Madelyn told me not to be friends with you, and I don't want to see you ever again!"Mya recalled how Fred had hurt her last time. To Mya, Fred was as bad as Luke.After that, Mya clutched her doll and hurried upstairs, not even glancing back at Fred. He had not expected such rejection. After traveling from Ventropolis to Sutherlyn, that was not an out
The commotion upstairs quickly led to Mya's screams and the sound of something shattering into pieces. In her room, Mya had accidentally broken a vase, one that held the flowers Madelyn had given her during a hospital visit. Mya had been taking care of them, ensuring they did not wither. Now, in despair, Mya sat on the floor, sobbing, holding the wilted flowers..Fred's men swiftly carried Mya downstairs taking advantage of the chaos. In a state of confusion, Mya cried for help, "Call the police... I want to report them. They've broken my flowers."Blake was stunned by Mya's reaction and said, "Mya, what are you doing? You should be worried about yourself, not the flowers!"As Mya was brought downstairs, seeing Fred seemed to snap her back to reality. She recoiled, crying out, "He's a bad man. Blake, help me! I don't want to see this bad person again."Grace was helpless and distraught. She could only watch as Mya was taken away. Grace tried to stop them but was pushed aside, falli
Fred gave Blake a sharp, piercing gaze. He asked curtly, "How long until she gets better?"Blake bit her lip, then replied, "The doctor said it's a deep-rooted emotional issue from her childhood, worsened by the abuse she suffered. She has been traumatized. Recovery, if at all possible, will be slow. She's been medicated for over a decade with little improvement. In addition to her being constantly bullied, how could she possibly get better anytime soon?""There's no disease that can't be cured," Fred declared sternly. "You have one day to pack up. Tomorrow, we're heading back to Ventropolis. If you don't comply, you'll face the consequences."Fred's glance briefly met Mya's before shifting away coldly.Blake exhaled deeply, feeling relieved at Fred's departure.In the car, Fred unbuttoned his sleeve to reveal a stark bite mark. Riley caught a glimpse of the injury in the rearview mirror, noting blood seeping through. Riley murmured, "I've never seen Mr. Turner being so tolerant t
"You're giving us everything? But what will you and uncle do?" Blake asked. She could not hide her concern.Grace sighed heavily, her voice filled with resigned acceptance. "Your uncle and I knew this day might come. We have to ensure your and Mya's safety first. With this money, you should manage just fine. We'll manage somehow."Blake's eyes began to fill with tears. She said, "There must be another way. We can ask Madelyn for help. She said the only person who can deal with Fred is Mr. Jardin, the CEO of Jardin Corporation. Mr. Jardin's her brother, and he will surely help us."Grace shook her head, a mix of sadness and resolve in her eyes. She said, "Blake, we are outsiders in their world. Madelyn has already done more than enough for us. We can't keep depending on her anymore."Mya carried a glass of water over clumsily and said, "Mom, here's your water. I accidentally broke the glass just now, but I've already taken care of it."Grace gave Mya a final, longing look, her hear
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