"She might have loved you a little, but it's not as deeply as you tell yourself. She wanted to marry you because you were Taylor's fiancé. She's doing this to piss her off and take everything from her."Edward smiled cryptically. "Come on. Taylor told you that, didn't she? It's not true. Maddie's a guileless, innocent little girl. She's a bit impulsive and stubborn, but she's not a schemer."The expression on Jean's face was utterly indescribable. "God, here's a man who thinks he's big-brained suddenly getting his IQ dropped to room temperature. Wake up, dude. A pick-me girl is playing you like a fiddle."I blurted out a laugh.Edward's face darkened even more, and he began to look humiliated. He turned away.Jean wasn't about to let him off so easily. "Maddie has always been jealous of everything Taylor has. She absolutely can't stand Taylor getting anything nice for once."She'll do anything to snatch whatever Taylor has. If she can't do that, she'll destroy it just to make sur
Jean sneered. "You know what I think? I think she just wanted to steal your man at first. But she bought into her own bullshit so much, she ended up falling in love for real."I was too stunned to even comment.Jean continued. "Edward might act like he doesn't believe me, but I know he's got seeds of doubt inside him. They're gonna get into a fight real soon, Tay-Tay, mark my words."Aunt Patricia told me that treating cancer is grueling, and Maddison lashed out at people every day. The members of her treatment team keep changing because of it, and still, no one can handle her."How much do you think Edward loves her and vice versa? Can they really weather this challenge together?"Hard to believe it, man. I don't even think those two really love each other!"I nodded slowly. "Now I see why Edward showed up and tried to be nice to me."He must have been secretly sick of Maddison's abuse and was starting to miss all the good things I had done for him.Jean shot me a severe look.
Cherry said, her voice tinged with excitement, "The Kenways! You know, the mysterious Kenway family? The one whose ancestor founded this nation? The family of modern aristocrats?"The Kenways have always been shrouded in mystery. Hardly anything is ever known about them! And yet, they came to 'us' for a design!"If word of this deal gets out, every other member of the rich and elite will be ordering from us!"A manager chirped, "We're getting rich!""Hold up!" I interrupted, forcing myself to stay calm. "Are you sure we're not being scammed?"Cherry rolled her eyes. "I've already verified the man's identity, Tay-Tay. He was well-mannered, polite, and even paid a deposit."I was stunned."So, when are you free? You'll be swamped with agendas next month, so my suggestion is to schedule your appointment over these days as soon as possible!""I know, I know!" I replied, barely able to contain my excitement.This was our ticket to fame, fortune, glory, and God knew what else!Ther
Cherry and I got into the car without much thought, moving mechanically.Ironically, the driver—complete with a pair of white gloves—seemed far more at ease. He was also friendly, chatting with us briefly and encouraging us to relax.We had been on the main road for about an hour when the car turned onto a path concealed by verdant woods."We're almost at Beaumont now," the driver announced.We soon reached an entry point guarded by soldiers carrying actual guns.One of them signaled the driver to stop, prompting him to show his documents.Only after that were we allowed to proceed.Cherry looked bewildered. "Are we… in some sort of military base?!"I was just as shocked, but I managed to keep it to myself."Ah, the top approved this procedure, ma'am."Since the head of the Kenway family retired and now resides in Beaumont, every vehicle entering or leaving is strictly monitored."Family members only need to show their ID, but any guest or unaffiliated vehicle undergoes much
But I was sure I did not know the Kenways!"You're such a beauty, Miss Jones! A lively, shapely, brilliant young woman just from appearance alone."Oh my God. I thought I would receive a standard greeting, but instead, she showered me with affection almost immediately!Everyone always said I was a beauty, and yes, whenever I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but wonder who that gorgeous babe was…But the Kenways must have seen all sorts of people with different kinds of beauty already! How could someone like me still elicit praise?Nah. She was just a good conversationalist, skilled at making others feel comfortable in a social situation.Charles leaned closer to me and whispered, "Uh, Miss Jones? This is Madame Lisbeth Kenway."I immediately smiled and nodded. "Good morning, Madame Kenway. Thank you.""What a melodious voice!" she exclaimed.I felt my cheeks burning. "I… I could say the same for you, ma'am. You're incredibly youthful-looking, but I admire your demeanor ev
Lisbeth frowned. "That wasn't your fault at all. You're the victim!""Thank you for your understanding, ma'am.""Are you still in love with the Kennedys' scion?""Nah. I'm focusing on my career," I replied, measuring another one of her relatives' waists.A lean silhouette appeared near the stairs.I hadn't noticed him at first, but someone else did and greeted him, "Soren! Sorry, has our commotion bothered you?""No. I've finished my work," a crisp, dulcet voice replied.I was reminded of the owner of the handkerchief. It was the same clear voice that could cut through the din.I looked up.It was the first time I could see Soren Kenway properly.The furtive glance I had shot him at the wedding had not done him any justice.The man was incredibly handsome—tall, lean, upright, and strong. He had the air of a field commander.No, he had the air of a superhero. Someone firmly on the side of good. Someone who exuded an air of incorruptible authority and nobility.And yet, when
"Mm-hmm." I nodded, avoiding his gaze.Cherry seemed to notice. She stared at me with a curious, almost suspicious expression.I switched to a longer tape and requested, "Please lift your arms and level them, Mr. Kenway."As he complied, I circled behind him and realized he was nearly 6'3'' tall. I was lucky to be 5'8'' myself. Otherwise, I would have needed a stool just to measure him.I finished measuring his upper body quickly, but when it came time to measure his waist and hips, I felt a bit unsure.Should I measure from the front or the back?What was even more striking was that every woman in the room had stopped talking and was now staring at us.I suddenly felt very nervous. The tips of my ears were burning—maybe even turning pink.Soren noticed my hesitation and asked, "What's the matter, Miss Jones?""Uh… You're… tall!" I blurted out."Should I crouch?""No! I mean, there's no need," I replied hastily.I bit my lip, steeled myself, and decided to measure him from
Even through Soren's clothes, I could feel his thigh muscles—strong, compact, and powerful.His entire body was as perfect as a professional male model's, judging by the proportions of his waist and hips, his shoulders, thighs, height, and leg length."Did you record everything, Cherry?" I asked, as matter-of-factly as I could."Yeap."I put away my tools and began asking each client for their preferences.Some liked empire dresses, while others preferred loose cuts. The older women favored longer hemlines, while the younger ones opted for short skirts.I made notes on my tablet.-By the time we were done, it was nearly noon.Lisbeth invited us to lunch, but I felt we had overstayed our welcome. I made up an excuse about needing to be in my office.Soren glanced at his watch and frowned slightly. "I've got lunch with Mr. Chance, so I can't stay either.""Great. You can see Miss Jones off," Lisbeth replied."T-That won't be necessary, ma'am. I—"Before I could finish, he a
"Your brother's taken him to meet your grandfather," I replied."I see. Why aren't you with them?" Soleil asked."I'm worried I might anger your grandfather by being there," I admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. "After all, I kept Hale's birth a secret from you all."I grabbed Soleil's hand and asked, "Do you know what your parents think about this? Honestly, I'm really worried, but your mother seemed so friendly with me, so...""Please! What else could they think?" Soleil patted my hand and led me to a bench. "Ren worked himself to the bone while you were gone. I'm serious! Days and nights of relentless focus."She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "Candy chased after him like a madwoman, even confessing to him in public several times. But Ren ignored her completely."He got so fed up he told her grandfather he had no feelings for her whatsoever and never would, so she should find someone else."Candy was so furious she cried her eyes out. That was the l
I finally managed to ease all the tension that had built up.Soren walked over and asked gently, "I'm going to take Hale to meet Grandpa, so… Do you want to come along?"I looked at him, already knowing it probably wasn't a good idea.William had made it clear he didn't approve of Soren and me being together. He had someone else in mind—someone he considered more suitable to be Soren's wife. That was why I had agreed to step aside.Yet here I was, not only bringing a child into their home out of the blue but also about to present him to his great-grandfather.What would William think? He'd probably see me as manipulative, a woman who had schemed her way into their family."I don't think that's a good idea. I wouldn't want to upset your grandfather by accident," I replied softly, my thoughts clear."Alright then. I'll leave you to it.""Okay."After informing his parents, Soren carried Silas off to meet William, leaving me behind.An awkward silence settled over the room.Lis
They teared up from the excitement of meeting their grandson, unable to stop playing with him."Look, dear! He looks exactly like Soren when he was little! Oh my God, they look so much alike!" Lisbeth's voice trembled with excitement, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor.Even Marlon, typically stern and commanding, had the same reaction. He stared at Silas, who was nestled in Soren's arms, for a while before nodding and saying, "You're right, but Soren seems smarter."Soren sounded displeased. "Come on, don't be so harsh on him."Lisbeth laughed, dismissing her husband's remark as she gently coaxed, "Hello, my little precious. I'm your grandmother. Would you let me hold you, please?"Silas had been meeting too many strangers since we returned to the country, so he seemed a little caught off guard.He looked at me and said, "Mama…"Lisbeth followed his gaze, her eyes landing on me. Her initial joy subtly faded.Soren seized the moment. "Mom, why don't you play with Hale
My aunt frowned. "What does this mean? Do you think they'll accept you into their family?"I shook my head, instinctively feeling that wasn't going to happen. "That's impossible."What was the point of breaking up with Soren if all I had to do to be with him was bear them a son?I didn't understand the Kenways' intentions, but Soren wasn't giving me any room to escape.He arrived half an hour later, finding Silas and me.Since they'd played together just the day before, our son still remembered the man before him. Soren reached out, and Silas naturally threw his arms around his father.Honestly, I felt a twinge of jealousy. Blood was thicker than water, after all.Although they'd never lived together before, Silas had quickly adapted to Soren, welcoming him into his life with such a friendly demeanor.With our son in one arm, Soren opened the car door. "Get in."I resisted. "Do I really have to go? Can't you just take Hale with you instead?"Soren's direct stare was unwaverin
I held Silas' hand as I coaxed him, doing my best to calm him down.Fortunately, he was a cheerful little bunny with the courage of a lion. He stopped resisting the moment my aunt promised to buy him plenty of toys and food.My grandmother was awake when we entered the ward. Despite her frailty, her face lit up with a smile when she saw her great-grandson.My aunt led Silas to her bedside, and my grandmother reached out to clasp his tiny hand with her scrawny one.The scene struck me deeply, as if my grandmother was passing down her legacy.My nose stung with emotion at the sight.We stayed with her for a while, but her stamina waned after less than an hour.Seeing how she struggled to stay awake, I coaxed her gently, like soothing a child, "Why don't you get some rest, Grandma? We'll play again when you wake up. We've got nothing but time."My grandmother nodded reluctantly before drifting off to sleep.True to her word, my aunt bought Silas a generous haul of toys and snacks
Soren hesitated to leave. He spoke softly to Silas for a while, kissed him, and only let go when Amanda and Jean returned."What happened? How did your talk go?" Jean asked curiously, setting down my dinner.I smiled and answered calmly, "It went alright. I don't think he's planning to take my son away from me. He did ask if he could bring Hale home to meet his grandfather after we visit Grandma."Amanda nodded. "It's a reasonable request. Both your grandparents would be happy to see that you two have a family together."Jean raised an eyebrow. "What about you? Didn't he say anything to you?""What about?""What do you think?! You've already had his son. Shouldn't he be doing something about it? When are you two going to get back together, or get married? You should give Hale the perfect family, don't you think?"Jean looked at me, waiting for an answer.I simply shook my head. "I've never thought about that."The truth was, I still loved Soren, but I didn't want him for mysel
I had finished with the milk powder and was starting to shake the milk bottle when I glanced at him and said, "That's all I can offer to answer your questions."If you're trying to blame me for not telling you earlier, I'm sorry, but I don't have an explanation. I didn't know how to bring it up in that situation."Besides… I knew I wasn't in perfect health when I got pregnant. I had been on medication, and the doctor said there was no guarantee Hale would be healthy."At the time, I decided to do my best to take care of myself and wait for a second test. If it turned out I couldn't continue the pregnancy and had to either abort or even induce labor…"Anyway, there were too many factors to consider, so I didn't tell you."I handed the milk bottle to Silas and added, "You should sit down. He won't be able to drink his milk if you keep moving around."Soren took Silas back to the living room and sat down, while I unpacked my luggage to avoid facing his glares any longer.Once Silas
Silas kept crying, clinging to my neck like a koala.Soren looked both helpless and nervous. "Why is he crying? Is he unwell?"Seeing his anxious expression, my anger melted away. I even pitied him a little… He was nothing more than a father meeting his son for the first time.My tone softened as I explained, "He just woke up. He'll be fine in a minute."Soren nodded, his eyes fixed on Silas.As expected, the little fellow calmed down before long and started looking around… only to realize he was in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers.His gaze eventually settled on Soren.Silas was still teary-eyed, his mouth slightly pouted. When he spotted Soren, he grew calm, his eyes locked on the man before him.Father and son stared at each other for a while…I had no idea what Silas was thinking, but the way he looked at Soren was telling. It was as if he instinctively recognized the man as family.Silas probably didn't understand bloodlines or genetics, but he seemed certain
"What else do you think? Or do you think there's no need to explain because it has nothing to do with me at all?" Soren's voice was gentle, still soft out of consideration for our sleeping child.But I could tell he was angry, and that made me nervous.I avoided his gaze and replied softly, "It was an accident, and we were already separated for some time when I found out.""That's your reason for not telling me all this?" Soren clearly didn't believe a word I said.I pursed my lips and frowned.The truth was, there was nothing for me to explain. My pregnancy was an accident, and I decided to keep the child because I couldn't bring myself to end a life.Besides, I didn't have much time to think it over at the time.Cornered, I raised my voice, fighting back. "What do you want me to say? The fact is, he's here now. You're free to be part of his life if you want. Otherwise, you can forget he even exists.""Taylor!" My words only made Soren angrier. "How could you say something so