Bennet Zaccone had a big grin on his face as he said, "This here is the renowned Colombia Gold Coffee. Please, allow me to offer you a taste. If it suits your palate, then consider your coffee needs in my hands from here on."Howard quickly replied, "Wow, that's really generous of you, but I feel bad for making you spend so much."Lana was all smiles as she chimed in, "No need for thanks. Bennett's practically family. He'll be our son-in-law once he and Evelyn tie the knot."‘That's right. I'm just doing what I should,’ Bennett thought, pleased with himself. He figured Evelyn's mom was the type to love a good deal and would be easy to win over.Howard stayed quiet. Evelyn had not even divorced Elio yet, and there was his wife, introducing a backup guy into their home. It did not sit right with him, but he did not feel he could speak up, so he kept silent.When Evelyn walked in, she was a sight for sore eyes—beautiful and elegant, like a goddess from a dream. Bennett could not hide
Bennett's face darkened, his gaze turning fierce. Despite his handsome appearance, his only flaw was his long face, which he particularly disliked others mentioning. It was a big mistake that made him really mad. He asked with a frown, "Hey, are you making fun of me?"Elio just smirked and said calmly, "Make fun of you? I'd be too kind. You're the one without shame, chasing after a woman who's already married. What do you think you are?"Lana yelled, "Zip it! What's wrong with a long face? It means he's lucky and rich. That's way better than a weakling like you. I like Bennett and want him as a son-in-law. You should just divorce Evelyn and leave the Jones family."Bennett grinned, feeling proud, and bragged, "You hear that, kid? Evelyn's dad and mom like me better. What do you have that can beat me?""You don't have a job, right? I'm a deputy general manager with a yearly salary of 300 thousand dollars.""You got a house? I bet you don't. My place is a big apartment with an eleva
Howard never thought he would see the day when his no-good son-in-law would actually give him money to spend—and quite a bit of it, too. Holding the cash tightly, he smiled and said, "Good kid." Then he hurried off to the bedroom to stash the money away.In the bedroom, there was a bookcase with a secret compartment behind a glass panel. Howard quickly opened it, pulled out a big dictionary, hid the money between its pages, and put it back in place.Once he closed the bookcase, he went back to the living room, where he found Lana had returned. He was a little nervous; it had been years since he had hidden so much money. If his wife found out, he would be in big trouble.Lana ignored him and snapped at Elio, "Why are you still here? Scram!"Could that really be his mother-in-law? She did not even treat him like a human being! Elio was frustrated but kept his cool. "Evelyn asked me to come back and stay," he explained."That doesn't matter. I'm in charge here, and I say you need to
Elio was happy to be back in the room he had lived in for three years, right next to his beloved wife's bed. He did not even mind his mother-in-law's mean looks.Evelyn knew her mom was wrong to bring home another man, Bennett, and expect her to date him. It was way too much. However, deep down, she was a little bit shaken. Bennett was a big deal at his company, lived in a fancy house, and drove a cool car.Elio? He had nothing, always got into trouble, and had piled up a ton of debt for them.Thinking about it made her go back to being cold to Elio, like an ice queen.After a tiring day, Evelyn put on her nightgown and went to bed early. Work was crazy, and home was not any better. Being a strong woman was just too hard.Elio came in with warm water and said gently, "Come on, wash your feet. It'll help you relax."Evelyn looked at him and felt annoyed. He was such a loser, only good for washing her feet. However, she thought, why not use him while she could? She would be getting
Wrapped in her fragrant embrace, Elio could hardly stand it. His face blushed bright red, and he unexpectedly felt shy.Even though he was brave enough to stand up to bullies and live on the edge, this close contact scared him more. He worried that one wrong move could make him fall too deep.There was a saying, wasn't there? They said women could be fierce.Elio quickly stepped back from the stunning beauty, his face still flushed, and said, "Let's not do this. We're not dating, so why call me ‘dear’?"Internally, he contrasted the two women in his life: his wife, always aloof and distant; his friend, warm and inviting, ready to embrace him. He worried that continued closeness might foster unwelcome feelings, a potential catastrophe.Seeing Elio's red face and ears, clearly flustered and so different from his usual cool composure, Yvonne found it even more entertaining. He might be married, but just like the rumors said, he was still untouched by Evelyn and quite naive when it ca
The captivating Yvonne not only surprised Elio but also flirted openly, her charm so irresistible that Elio found himself admiring her figure, swallowing hard. Yvonne noticed Elio's reaction and laughed, "Did I make your heart skip a beat? I'm just kidding with you. Don't take it seriously, and don't think I'm just any girl." Elio shot back unexpectedly, "When you act carefree, you're something else." "Hey, what are you saying, you little rascal? Are you looking for trouble? Watch how I'm going to handle you!" Yvonne, pretending to be angry, grabbed Elio and playfully punched and kicked him. She did not really want to hurt him; it was more like they were teasing each other, and she laughed happily, shaking like a dancing flower. Their playful fight drew the attention of many office workers in the building, who gathered at the windows to watch. They were curious to see a young man in plain clothes having such a fun time with the general manager, clearly sharing a special bond. E
Yarely saw that the young man was clever and quite the looker; it was no wonder Yvonne held him in such high regard. Though she came from a prestigious background, Yarely was down-to-earth and reached out her slender hand in greeting.Elio took her hand gently, noticing it was soft but oddly cold. Something felt off, and he hesitated to let go.Yarely's eyes flashed with a chill, and her pretty face turned sour. She yanked her hand away and huffed, "Enjoying yourself, huh? Feels great to keep holding on, doesn't it?"Yvonne frowned, upset at Elio. She thought he was too focused on looks and not respectful enough, considering Yarely was only shaking hands because of her. However, Elio just would not let go.Yvonne always stood up for Elio, no matter what trouble he got into. "Yarely, you've got it all wrong. He's just a kid, not at all what you're thinking.""What kid? He's big and strong!" Yarely snapped back, warning her friend, "Yvonne, don't be fooled by this guy. Stay away fro
Yarely was amazed. Elio was right. What was happening? "Don't worry about me. I've got an appointment with the best doctor in town. He'll be here any minute."So, Elio decided not to pry any further. He nodded and said, "You should get the right treatment for your illness, but it's not something just anyone can fix.""I've known that for a long time. I'll just go with the flow," Yarely replied, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. She thought to herself, ‘Isn’t that obvious? If it were easy to fix, would she still be dealing with it after ten years?’Yvonne looked at Elio, confused, and asked, "Do you know medicine, too?"Elio smiled and humbly said, "I know a little, not too much."Yvonne felt hopeful, remembering some unusual things about Elio, and quickly said, "Then maybe you could check on Yarely and see if there's a way to help her?"Elio glanced at Yarely and shook his head. "She's too precious to let someone like me treat her. Let's not make things more complicated."