The atmosphere at Ripley Residence instantly became tense. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, and no one noticed the smug glint that flickered in Joey's eyes."Since it has already happened, it's useless to talk about it further. You can discuss how to handle your situation amongst yourselves, Mr. Brett and Ms. Zahler. For now, let's settle the situation between Tobias and Maya."Joey said, "Lucy, Maya is the Hudsons' only child. Now, Tobias has robbed her of her innocence, so he should marry Maya. "You should understand this situation and forgo your position. We can discuss how much alimony is appropriate to compensate you."Joey scoffed to herself, disgusted by the idea that Lucy, a barren woman, would be shameless enough to stay in the Ripley family. She should know her place and scram.When Lucy heard this, her face drained of color. "Mom, what did you say?"When Tobias heard Joey, his face turned pale as he stood up. "Mom, I told you—I won't treat my marriage as a chi
Amid the chaos, Lucy calmly agreed to Joey's suggestion. Everyone was dumbfounded; even Joey hadn't expected this outcome. She had thought Lucy would struggle relentlessly.Joey said happily, "Lucy, I'll take your word for it. You can't go back on it!"Tobias was confused. "Lucy, do you know what you're saying? I've never changed my mind. Why did you give up?"Tobias thought she had said that she liked him. So why had she given up so easily? Perhaps her feelings for him weren't as deep as he had thought.Everything about Lucy had been ingrained in him for a long time without him knowing. He had never wondered if he loved her.However, he felt inexplicably disappointed at the thought of how shallow her love for him was.He thought Lucy was his wife. Spoiling her was a gentleman's responsibility, so he had never held back his affection for her. Whether he loved her had never been important to him.But why had she given up on him? Did she not like him anymore, or was she disgusted
Lucy felt sad and heartbroken after arguing with Tobias. She also felt guilty about what happened to Sasha. Yet, doubt began creeping into her mind when she heard what Sasha had said."Do you feel any discomfort in your body? Or…"Lucy glanced at the Eberhard brothers. What she was about to say was relatively private and not for men to hear.So, Lucy gave Sasha a look, and both of them went to a corner. "Do you feel any pain in that area?"Sasha shook her head and said, "I slept pretty soundly last night. I don't feel any pain in that area.""Is this not your first time?"Sasha's face turned bright red. "What are you talking about? Of course it is! I never even had a boyfriend before."Lucy continued asking, "This is weird. After the first time, it should hurt like your were run over by a car. Why don't you feel anything? No matter how I think about it, something feels fishy. Also, was there blood on your body?"Sasha said, "I didn't have any blood on my body, but there was b
Just then, Sasha said, "Let's go, Lucy!" Lucy retracted her gaze. She felt heartbroken at the thought of leaving Tobias.Lucy said gruffly, "Okay."The group turned to leave. A dark glint flickered in Tobias' eyes as he watched Lucy leave. He curled his lips devilishly. "Lucy, it's too late for you to escape. I will make sure you come back to me."After saying that, he turned and left.…Lucy and the others went to look for Emily and Miles. After receiving their call, Miles rushed to the agreed-upon location promptly. When he got there and noticed that Faith was there too, he stopped in his tracks. His face turned pink as he blushed, and he was unsure what to say.Emily noticed that he had arrived. She smiled suggestively and looked at Faith as she said strangely, "Oh, you're here, Mr. Chadwick."Miles coughed awkwardly."Good to see you, Mr. Chadwick. Have a seat!"Emily managed to drag Miles, who was clueless about what to do, over. She made him sit beside Faith."Mr. Cha
After Maya's check-up, Joey and Maya rested on the seats in the hospital corridor.Joey held Maya's hand and said, "Thank you for what you did last night, Maya. The Sheltons will invest greatly in the Hudsons' latest project. Don't worry about you and Tobias. I will find a way to get him to marry you." Maya lowered her head. Her bangs covered most of her face, hiding the emotions swirling in her eyes. She said sadly, "Joey, Mr. Ripley seems to love his wife greatly. Will he marry me?"Joey snorted and said, "He will have to, even if he doesn't want to."A glint flickered in Maya's eyes. She said, "Joey, you promised to return Hudson Group 30% of our shares if I marry Mr. Ripley and produce an heir. You won't go back on your word, will you?"Joey said, "What are you talking about? When have I lied to you before?"Joey may have reassured her, but a glint flickered in her eyes.Maya's lips secretly turned into a smirk, but she quickly plastered an innocent look when she looked at
Once Joey and Maya returned to Ripley Residence, Joey headed to the study and handed the report to Tobias.Tobias read the report and said furiously, "How is this possible? I never touched her. Something is wrong with this report!""Maya and I went to get her checked and waited for the results before coming home. How could there be anything wrong with this report?" Joey argued, "No matter what, you must take full responsibility for what you did to Maya. I will handle that Eberhard girl."Tobias stood up with a loud thump. He coldly inched closer to her, his body exuding an intimidating air. "If you dare touch even a strand of her hair, I will make sure you never step foot in this place again!"Joey shuddered at Tobias' threatening tone.Joey's voice was shaking as she immediately softened. "Tobias, don't get so worked up. I never said I'd hurt Lucy. I'll speak with her nicely and see what she thinks. Then, we'll decide what to do."After Joey assured him, Tobias restrained of the
Maya was about to explain how the Sheltons controlled the Hudsons. However, the door suddenly swung open just as she was about to blurt the words out.Joey brought a plate of fruits. She gave Maya a warning look. Then, a smile formed on her face when she turned to Tobias. "Tobias, you must be thirsty from your chat. I've personally cut a plate of fruits for both of you. Enjoy."Tobias frowned and said displeasingly, "Mom, don't you know to knock before you enter?"Joey laughed. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I'll go now and leave you two to it."Joey turned, looked at Maya, and said in a warning tone, "I'm warning you—watch your mouth!"A glint of fear flickered in Maya's eyes as she received Joey's warning look.The Hudsons could only survive with the Sheltons' help. Joey owned 30% of Hudson Group's shares, while her relatives possessed various amounts of Hudson Group's shares, as well. Now, the Sheltons owned two-thirds of the Hudson Group's shares.Maya's father, Quinton Hudson, had m
"Lucy?" Noticing her slight movements, Tobias gently called her name.Lucy didn't seem eager to answer him. She pursed her lips, providing no response.Tobias felt as if someone was tugging his heart. He touched Lucy's face and said gruffly, "Babe, I know you're awake. Don't ignore me. Let's talk, okay?"Tobias lowered his head, attempting to kiss her forehead. However, Lucy turned away, avoiding his kiss.Tobias was stunned.Lucy's eyes were closed, while her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips were pursed tightly. Anger was flowing through her.Tobias's temper started to flare up when he noticed her behavior. He said coldly, "What are you trying to do?"Did she despise him? Why wouldn't she let him kiss her?Lucy was in agony. She opened her eyes and looked at Tobias coldly. She uttered, "Tobias, you betrayed me. Since I can't have children anymore, there will be no future even if we continue to stay together. Why don't we save each other the pain and…"Lucy opened her mouth