Giselle tensed immediately. The next moment, Chester leaned in, his warm breath brushing her ear. It was a foreign sensation. "There's surveillance," he murmured, his voice soft.Giselle forced herself to remain calm, ensuring she didn't expose herself. She pointed at the woman standing at the end of the line.The unselected women filed out one by one. As the door clicked shut, Chester pulled Giselle onto the couch beside him. The room was dimly lit, its air filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance.They looked every bit the picture of a couple—a handsome man and a beautiful woman seated closely together.Chester's hand remained firmly around her waist. Giselle felt an inexplicable heat rise within her, the warmth at her waist particularly searing. She forced her thoughts elsewhere and lifted her gaze to the young woman now standing before them."How old are you?" Giselle asked.Yvonne Sullivan kept her head down, clearly uneasy in her revealing outfit. Tugging at the hem
The noise was deafening. Yvonne clutched Giselle's arm and gulped in fear. "Just say it was me who broke the camera. This way, t-they won't go after you," Yvonne stammered.Giselle grasped her hand firmly and said, "Do you really think the person taking you away can protect you?" This shattered Yvonne's delusion, and she froze.There was no time for further discussion. Giselle quickly found a cabinet large enough to hide someone and pushed Yvonne inside. "Don't come out," she instructed before shutting the cabinet door and walking over to Chester. Chester frowned. "You're not needed here." "Mr. Fordham, don't underestimate me," Giselle replied. She wasn't oblivious. From the moment they had entered the club, she had felt the weight of a gaze. It was disgusting and ever-present.Perhaps their enemy had seen through their disguise from the start.The noise outside grew louder. The sound of shouting merged with the relentless pounding on the door.Chester glanced at his p
Giselle looked at Jonathan like he had sprouted another head. "What's wrong with you?" They were nothing to each other now, yet he had the audacity to order her to go to the hospital with him. What gave Jonathan such courage?She was so angry that she laughed instead. Her eyes flashed with scorn, a look that struck Jonathan like a painful blow.He clenched his fists, and his eyes quickly filled with anger. "Giselle!" He felt stupid now. At that moment, his body had acted before his mind could catch up.His thoughts drifted back to their school days. Whenever Giselle was bullied, he was always there to protect her. With his strength, it was impossible for him to get hurt. But back then, he would deliberately injure himself in obvious places just to gain her concern. Now, he was seeing the same Giselle before him, but there was coldness in her eyes. It made him choke up, and his heart throbbed with pain.Chester had been observing the entire scene. He looked down at his phone
Giselle was certain that Yvonne's mother had not divorced and was still desperately clinging to their broken family. Yvonne was the only thing holding it together."I'm already 22. I dyed my hair, and do you know what she called me? She called me a whore…"…Four hours later, Giselle and the others arrived at the Seaworth City Police Station.As soon as they got out of the car, a middle-aged woman rushed forward and slapped Yvonne across the face."So, you're finally willing to come back! Why didn't you die out there with your useless father?" she shouted, her chest heaving with rage as she hurled insults at Yvonne.Everyone around them fell silent.Giselle frowned. She stepped forward and stood protectively in front of Yvonne.Yvonne clutched her reddened cheek, her short hair falling over her face, obscuring her expression."I fed you, clothed you, and raised you just so you could run off with those men? Yvonne, can't you think?" The woman continued her tirade. She even re
"Ms. Stone." His voice was clear and rich. It cut through the sound of the rain and lingered in her ears.Chester stood at the bottom of the stairs, his umbrella tilted forward, signaling for Giselle to come down and join him.Giselle paused, lost in thought. When had she become this close with Chester? Was it normal for a friend to come out in the rain and pick her up like this?An answer was almost on the tip of her tongue, but she forced herself not to overthink it. She and Chester were two parallel lines, destined never to meet.Chester was the heir to a prestigious family, so he had encountered many types of women before. On top of that, she had once been his nephew's fiancée. That made it even less likely for them to get together.Even if they did, others would surely gossip about her behind her back. They would say, "Giselle couldn't marry Jonathan, so she married his uncle!" It was scandalous just thinking about it.Giselle quickly pushed these absurd thoughts aside.
To be honest, Vivian held a grudge against Richard. Although she was his biological granddaughter, Richard chose to dote on an outsider instead. What was so special about Giselle? She was nothing more than a child with an unknown parentage!Vivian thought Richard had become senile. He couldn't even tell right from wrong anymore.That was why she had decided to visit only Jonathan today. If it hadn't been for Jonathan asking her to visit Richard, she probably would have found an excuse to leave. A grandfather who favored outsiders wasn't worth her time!Reluctantly, she had come, but to her surprise, Chester was there as well. Chester simply acknowledged her with a soft sound, not even sparing her a glance. Vivian had grown used to this.Her uncle had been working on his research abroad for years. She had only seen him a handful of times in her life. She had heard plenty of rumors about Chester, and with those rumors in mind, she subconsciously feared him. She tried to ent
"Chester is a good judge of character. If it doesn't work out, I can have him look into a few solutions…"Giselle felt a bit embarrassed.Chester, however, quickly caught on to what Richard was suggesting. Richard wanted him to introduce someone to Giselle.Chester walked over without showing any emotion and casually took Richard's book out of his hands. "Uncle Richard, it's getting late. You should get some rest," he said.Richard chuckled. "Chester, surely you know some single young men? Pick someone with good character and introduce him to Gigi."Giselle quickly interjected, "Grandpa, really, there's no need. I'm not looking for a relationship right now…""No introductions," Chester said, and Giselle's words trailed off with that firm response.He didn't even bother with being polite and had rejected the idea outright. Even Richard was surprised by his decisiveness.Richard didn't ask any further questions and simply watched as Giselle and Chester left.Afterward, though, h
It was supposedly to protect Giselle's reputation.Charlotte couldn't believe that someone as graceful and impeccable as Chester could fall for someone so far beneath him. Giselle was just a nobody!Charlotte clenched her teeth, her beautiful features contorting with frustration. "That's impossible! Giselle is nothing but a seductress! She couldn't marry my brother, so now she's targeting my uncle! How disgusting can she be?" Vivian cursed angrily for a long time. She only stopped when her throat became dry.She suddenly remembered something. "Charlotte, I forgot to tell you something. Giselle is pregnant with my brother's child!"The news hit like a bombshell, and Charlotte nearly dropped her phone. She fought to steady her trembling hands. "Giselle is pregnant with Jonathan's child? No, that can't be true!"Vivian thought that Charlotte was sad, judging from her reaction. She could tell that Charlotte had feelings for Jonathan, but because of Giselle, Charlotte had been forced
"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