Giselle nearly thought that she'd heard Chester wrongly. She'd seen landlords raise their prices at the second inquiry—never before had she heard of one who'd insist on the same low rent.Who was the crazy one here? Herself or Chester?Chester continued, "My friend only needs 300 dollars. If he receives too much money, his numbers won't tally, and he'll need to answer to his wife."He spoke so calmly and matter-of-factly that he didn't look like he was lying. Although what he said was ridiculous, Giselle couldn't help but wonder if it could be a real offer.After all, who said that rich, wealthy people couldn't be afraid of their spouses?Giselle forced herself to believe Chester for the time being. If she were to reject him again, then she would be the one who didn't know what was good for her. After all, she didn't have plans to leave Seaworth City at the moment.Giselle signed the contract that very night. Hector was the acting landlord, and his head was still in a blur when h
The weather was close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Giselle didn't really plan on going out.Still, she decided to meet Emma for breakfast. She then brought her tablet over to the beanbag couch and sat down, facing the rippling blue sea from beyond the floor-length windows.She took a photo of the scenery outside the window and uploaded it to her social media account.The first person to like the photo was Chester. Giselle stared at his name for a long while. It wasn't until Emma suddenly messaged her with a livestream video link that she suddenly snapped back to her senses.Emma was in the livestream video, answering the audiences' questions on the screen. Giselle looked through the questions and saw that most of them were related to divorce."…Make sure to compile all evidence of our husband cheating on you. Then, get a good lawyer who will fight for all your rights. Illegitimate children have the right to inherit the family's wealth. This is protected by law."Giselle watc
Linda stormed into the room, fuming with rage. The moment she spotted Giselle, she slapped her across the face without hesitation.But things didn't go as Linda had expected. Giselle quickly grabbed her wrist, stopping another slap.The pain twisted Linda's face in discomfort. There was no trace of the elegant, high-society lady she usually prided herself on."Giselle Stone! Are you trying to pick a fight? You hit Lottie, and now you want to hit me?"Linda had come to defend Charlotte. After Giselle blocked all their contacts, Linda had to resort to hiring a private detective to track her down. Finally catching her, she had driven through several red lights to get there.But Giselle stood there, calm and composed, despite all the insults and rants from Linda. She shoved Linda's hand away. Her eyes narrowed with a sharp, mocking gaze as she said, "You should take your meds before you leave, Mrs. Grant."The best kind of insult was one without curse words.Linda's impulsive sl
Linda swiped her arm across the table to knock everything to the floor. Soup splattered everywhere, even staining Giselle's pants.Emma, standing by the door, narrowly avoided the mess."Giselle Stone! Without the Lawson family backing you, you're nothing! If I were you, I'd keep my head down and play nice. If it weren't for Lottie's generosity, do you think you could still stay in Seaworth City?"Charlotte's whole persona was that of an innocent, sweet, kind lady. After being away for over 20 years, she was still magnanimous toward the person who stole her life. Everyone praised her for having a heart of gold. Giselle couldn't stand people like that.She clicked her tongue. "Who says I can't find a new backer now that the Lawson family's out of the picture?"For a few seconds, silence fell. Then Linda snarled, "You shameless bitch! Who'd even want you?"Her insults grew nastier by the second.Emma was about to snap, but Giselle beat her to it. She picked up a used napkin from
The surrounding fell into an eerie silence, all attention now focused on Giselle and Jonathan.As Giselle looked down at the check on the ground, Jonathan spoke again. "Don't you just want money? Take the check and leave with your so-called friend."After the incident at Lawson Manor, Jonathan had nothing but disdain for Giselle. Seeing her face again sparked a surge of anger within him.The murmurs from the crowd rose in volume, but Giselle paid them no mind. At the next moment, she bent down and picked up the check.Emma panicked. "Gigi—"Before she could say anything more, Giselle's next action silenced her.With a swift motion, Giselle tore the check into pieces.Jonathan's face darkened immediately. His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked. "Giselle Stone!""I'm not deaf, Mr. Lawson. Keep your voice down."As she spoke, she tossed the shredded pieces of the check into the air and watched them fall like confetti.Jonathan had never been so publicly insulted.His r
When Giselle heard the news, she had just accompanied Emma out of the emergency room.Emma's face was pale, with sweat beading on her forehead. She leaned heavily against Giselle.One moment, she was full of energy, arguing with people, and the next, she was struck with a severe case of gastroenteritis."Ems, you should take tomorrow off and rest at home," Giselle suggested.Emma weakly agreed and trailed behind Giselle toward the infusion room. "Phil deserved it. He really lucked out. He didn't even die."Emma continued complaining while Giselle occasionally agreed with her. Once Emma was settled, Giselle planned to buy some water.She walked to the vending machine and bought two bottles of water. After paying, she felt a shadow loom behind her."Giselle, do you have something to do with Phil's incident?" It was Jonathan, who had just come out of Charlotte's ward.He and Phil were close. The police had already questioned him.With so many suspicious details, Jonathan had a gu
Jonathan had never forgotten about the dress. Every time he thought about it, it made him feel incredibly disgusted."Jonathan Lawson! Just keep your mouth shut if you can't speak properly!" Giselle snapped. She looked at him as if he were trash."What's wrong? Am I right? Did I hit a nerve?" Jonathan was certain that Hector was the one who gave Giselle the dress.His handsome features were shadowed by a sharpness that made it hard for anyone to believe these two had been in a relationship for seven years.Hector silently clicked his tongue in distaste. He said, "Don't be a hypocrite, Jonathan."Years ago, when Jonathan had offered to fund Charlotte's education, it had stirred quite a controversy within their circles.Charlotte's face alone told Hector everything he needed to know—she was far from innocent. Yet Jonathan had fallen for her.Hector didn't inquire too deeply into how their relationship had developed. He just felt Jonathan must have been starving for women.He had
"Is there something you need from me, Mr. Shaw?" Giselle asked."There is, actually," Hector replied honestly. "Remember I mentioned in my text yesterday that my friend's friend is upset, and I asked you what my friend should do to make up for it?"Giselle nodded."So, what should he do?" Hector was genuinely seeking advice.He had no experience in this area, and he truly didn't know why Julia Jameson was upset.Whenever he asked, she denied it, but the tone of her replies had changed drastically. She was cold and distant, unlike her usual warm self, who would reply with emojis.Hector couldn't figure it out.Could it be her time of the month? He recalled that Julia's period should have ended a few days ago.For the first time, the usually carefree Hector had trouble sleeping for several nights.Giselle replied, "For something like this, you need to handle it based on the situation. Write down what happened and send it to me. If you can, include some background on both of you.
"Hi, do you have any candles?"Under the bright light, the teenager stood tall with a healthy complexion. Even though his features were still youthful and soft, there were already hints of captivating charm.His dark eyes carried a faint uneasiness, and his tightly clenched fingers had turned pale.Giselle retracted her scrutinizing gaze. "The property management is staffed 24/7. You can just call them if there's a power outage."Faced with a male stranger knocking on her door late at night, Giselle remained highly vigilant.Then, she stepped back. She was about to close the door when the boy suddenly fell forward with a loud thud, landing flat on his face.Giselle was shocked. Was her new neighbor trying to scam her?She called for an ambulance and crouched down to turn him over, bending her finger to check if he was breathing. There was a faint, warm flow. He was alive.Giselle let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the ambulance. After som
"It has nothing to do with Lottie." Jonathan finally said.He downed drink after drink, his dark and oppressive demeanor making it impossible for anyone to provoke him.Oddly enough, he felt that it was a little quieter than when he was alone despite the crowded setting.Larry drank a few glasses with him. Then, out of nowhere, he heard Jonathan ask, "Larry, what would you do if your ex got together with your uncle?"Larry's brain didn't process the question. Ex? Uncle? Together?"Jon, you must be drunk. What kind of nonsense are you saying…""Answer me." The commanding tone swallowed the rest of Larry's words."If my ex got together with my uncle? I would probably laugh my head off."My uncle is a gambler and a womanizer. If she chooses him, isn't that just self-torture? If my ex found someone worse than me, I would joke about it for the rest of my life."…Meanwhile, Emma transferred the one thousand dollars to Giselle's account.Then, she texted Giselle. "Gigi, that was b
Giselle remained expressionless, though she felt the urge to laugh.Then, she typed a reply. "You already said she's your ex. Whoever she's with now has nothing to do with you. So, I suggest you mind your own business."Yesterday, in the Lawson family's wine cellar, she had used Chester to ruthlessly provoke Jonathan. She even boldly declared she'd make him call her Aunt Giselle.For someone as prideful as Jonathan, such humiliation was unbearable. He was so furious he skipped dinner entirely.Later, without consulting Richard or anyone else, he impulsively decided to get engaged to Charlotte. Of course, there was an element of spite involved."She can't be with my uncle!"The thought of meeting her in the future and being forced to call his ex his aunt made Jonathan feel suffocated.The image of Giselle kissing Chester remained vivid in his mind.How bad was it? It made him dream of the two kissing right in front of him at night. And after the kiss, they interlocked their fing
Everyone understood the words, but somehow, when strung together, they didn't make sense anymore."Did he save your life or something?" This was the phrase Giselle had asked repeatedly.She swallowed her frustration at the caller's naive words before saying, "He went out with another woman before breaking up with you. It shows that he clearly didn't respect you or value your feelings. If he truly loved you, he would have respected you and upheld the boundaries of a relationship."The commenters instantly agreed with her. "Madam is absolutely right. Don't be foolish, girl. We don't need useless men.""While you're here moping around, he's already enjoying himself with someone new.""No need to win him back. There are plenty of men out there. DM me, and I'll introduce you to some hot guys!"The woman in the call started crying. "But I really like him…""Liking him alone isn't enough. If you lower yourself to beg for reconciliation, you're just degrading yourself," said Giselle.
Giselle, Chester, and Hector were on the second floor of the restaurant.Following Hector's gaze downward, they spotted a woman who looked strikingly similar to Charlotte. She was being forcefully kissed by a man against the wall near the first-floor restroom.Giselle glanced at the scene briefly before withdrawing her gaze. "It is Charlotte."Giselle could recognize the woman who had disgusted her for years, even if she turned to ashes.Hector grew intrigued and clicked his tongue before adding teasingly, "Could the guy kissing her be Jonathan?"Judging by the build, the man seemed a bit too thin. He was also a little short compared to Jonathan. So, if it wasn't Jonathan, who could it be?Anyone within their circle could tell that Charlotte and Jonathan weren't merely ordinary friends. Would she really go out of his way to hurt his fiancée's feelings if he didn't have any feelings for the so-called friend?The trio didn't linger on the sight and followed the waiter into their p
Giselle stepped aside, causing Brady to miss. She raised an eyebrow lightly and looked at him icily. "Why wouldn't I dare?"Brady was so enraged that he lost all sense of reason. Any restraint he had about not hitting women was thrown out the window as he charged at Giselle.Just then, Lily let out a piercing scream. "Brady!"Brady thought he could overpower Giselle with brute force, but he had underestimated her strength.Giselle quickly grabbed his arm and threw him over her shoulder, slamming him hard onto the floor. This stunned everyone in the hospital room.Giselle calmly planted a foot on Brady's back and called the police."What do you want? Money? I have plenty! Name your price, and I'll pay if you delete the video!"Brady was in utter despair, feeling that his career was about to collapse. At this point, he didn't care if Giselle wanted money or men. He would find a way to fulfill her wishes!"Do I look like someone who needs money?" Giselle pressed harder with her fo
"Lily!"The man angrily kicked open the hospital room door, his loud voice echoing in the corridor.Giselle's expression turned cold as she took out her phone and started recording."Lily! Delete all that stuff online right now! Do you have any idea how much damage it's causing me? If you've lost your mind, go to a mental hospital! Don't drag me down with you!"Brady suddenly appeared after being busy with work for a long time.Lily's heart tightened, and she instinctively stepped in front of Yvonne to shield her.Brady removed his hat and mask, revealing the face that Lily had been infatuated with for over 20 years. Time had only added maturity to his features.But his handsome face was now contorted with rage, and the icy glint in his eyes carried a hint of malice.Lily felt her heart sink in an instant."Brady! Don't argue with me here! Yves needs to rest.""Rest? What kind of trick are you two playing this time? Let me tell you, your tactics won't work on me!" Brady let o
From getting to know Brady to falling in love, it seemed to be just Lily's one-sided infatuation.She was eleven years older than Brady. Back then, she was a highly sought-after screenwriter in the industry, while Brady was just a newbie starting out.She was attracted to his looks, and Brady went along with her desires. Their secret relationship had initially been based on a sugar mommy and sugar baby dynamic. But it evolved into what appeared to be a normal romance after Brady gained fame.From that point on, their roles reversed.Brady became so busy that he was barely around, sometimes not meeting her for half a year. This made Lily become insecure. She lost herself and became increasingly obsessive.But her tears had already dried up. Now, she was numb, like a lifeless puppet.At the moment, Giselle said, "Expose everything Brady has done."Lily never thought that her relationship of more than 20 years would end so bitterly. It felt like a thousand needles piercing her soft
Chester's black coat was draped over his arm. He was wearing a white shirt.With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his unbuttoned collar added a casual and slightly languid air.Before Jean could say anything, Chester stopped right in front of Giselle.His eyes lowered, and his long lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks. Then, he said in a crisp, cold tone, "Ms. Stone, let's go. I'll take you home."Jean was slightly surprised. She hadn't told him, but Chester had already volunteered to take Giselle? Since when was her younger brother so enthusiastic about helping others?Jean didn't have time to dwell on it and simply reminded them, "Be careful on the way. Gigi, text me when you're home."Giselle obediently agreed and forced herself to follow Chester out. The cool breeze outside blew away the heat from her flushed face, clearing her thoughts considerably.A black luxury car was parked in the courtyard. Chester opened the car door for her. When Giselle bent down to get in, h