"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
Giselle only answered the call after waiting for a short while more. "Mr. Fordham, why'd you call so late at night?" she asked.After hearing her cold voice come through the receiver, Chester felt his racing heart calm down. He swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple bobbed. His voice sounded deep and magnetic as he asked, "Are you still mad?"His words left Giselle feeling stunned. A look of surprise appeared in her eyes, and her hand that held the phone slowly clenched, and veins appeared underneath her skin.Did Chester purposely come to explain things to her because he knew she was mad about what he said?Giselle replied slowly, "I'm not mad."Anyway, she and Chester could only be considered friends at the most. Plus, she knew she was quite sensitive as a person. Chester didn't need to apologize to her deliberately.Even when she was with Jonathan, her sensitive behavior was never fully reassured.Chester's behavior caused Giselle to feel an unfamiliar emotion, one that she h
Additionally, Charlotte was about to marry Jonathan. If she was shown to have a poor reputation, wouldn't she get showered with endless criticism?"Ah… If it weren't for someone having Charlotte's back, she would've gotten thoroughly chewed out this time," Emma said, sneering disdainfully over the phone.Giselle brushed it off and said, "She still has many opportunities to get beaten and scolded."Charlotte could have lived a prosperous and fulfilling life for the rest of her life, but she wasn't satisfied and insisted on stirring up trouble. As long as it belonged to Giselle, Charlotte would try her best and stop at nothing to snatch it away from her.Such clown-like behavior wasn't worth Giselle wasting her time on. After chatting for a while more, Giselle received a message from the property agent. They said that the condominium she previously commissioned off for sale had already been bid on by a buyer for the price of four million dollars.Giselle felt quite satisfied with
"What did you say? Not selling it anymore? Giselle, don't you lack money? What are you pretending for?" Jasmine jeered. When she heard that Giselle wasn't selling the condominium anymore, she immediately lost her composure."Who said I lacked money?" Giselle retorted.She managed to extort several million dollars from Jonathan, and with her income she earned from livestreaming, she could indulge in any luxury she wanted.Giselle continued to taunt Jasmine. "You're a wealthy heiress. Why do you insist on buying a second-hand condominium? Did your family go bankrupt?" "You're the one that's bankrupt! Giselle, you just can't stand to see others doing better than you! It's no wonder Jonathan doesn't want you anymore!" Jasmine snapped.Jasmine was hot-tempered, and coupled with her opinion of Giselle, she easily exploded at the slightest provocation.Giselle remained calm. Compared to her, Jasmine looked like a loud-mouthed commoner from the streets.This scene was beyond the proper
This conclusion surprised Giselle greatly. She left after saying goodbye to the property agent.Just then, the property agent lowered his head to respond to a message and suddenly exclaimed, "Why is Mr. Fordham from next door also selling his condo?"…Giselle got ready to head home. Just when she reached downstairs, Emma suddenly called. In a very anxious tone, she asked, "Gigi, are you free now? Can you come to the hospital?"Giselle quickly drove to the hospital.Emma lay weakly on the hospital bed. There was no trace of blood on her face, making her very pale.She was fine when they called in the morning, but then she suddenly started bleeding heavily when she went to the bathroom. As it was her first time encountering this situation, Emma had panicked. The first person she thought of was Giselle."The doctor said it isn't a big deal. It's just an infection," Giselle comforted Emma. She was used to seeing Emma acting decisively and swiftly, so it was surprising to see her
Jonathan called Chester by his first name. He was not even willing to address him with due respect.Jim sensed the gravity of the situation and immediately had the other officers leave the room, giving the two some privacy.With the sound of the door locking, the atmosphere in the entire room fell below freezing temperature.With tensions running high, nobody dared to even breathe.Jonathan stood in their way, his tall stature overwhelmingly intimidating.As he stood face to face with Chester, their imposing presence seemed to match evenly.Jonathan looked like fireballs were about to shoot out of his eyes while the latter's eyes were as calm as a still, bottomless abyss, ready to erase his opponent's existence without leaving so much as a single trace.Vivian was so overwhelmed that her tears wouldn't come. She was really afraid that Jonathan would beat Chester up.The current situation was way more serious than her writing a love letter to her classmate."Why should I give y
Jim handled everything professionally."Jon…" Vivian reached out, tugging at Jonathan's sleeve. "Don't let mom know. She's going to be so mad."Vivian knew Jean's temper all too well. If she had not been afraid of Jean finding out about her love letter to Harry, Vivian would not have made Jonathan come pick her up from school.But if Jonathan had not come, the consequent chain of events would not have happened.Jonathan exuded an intimidating energy as he remained silent.Meanwhile, Giselle wasn't the least bit bothered.Harry was the same. After all, he had only done what he did to stand up for Giselle. Even if his family members were to come bail him out, none of them would be mad at him."Ms. Stone."Jim turned toward Giselle and said, "You may have Mr. Fordham come get you."Mr. Fordham. Chester Fordham.Jonathan couldn't bear hearing this name.As soon as he heard this name, he would immediately recall the words Giselle said. "Well, obviously I'm after his body."Absol
She was after his body. Giselle was going after Chester for his body.Jonathan completely lost all of his sanity when he heard those words, delivering another blow to the board.He could not be bothered about the excruciating pain coming from his knuckles. Through gritted teeth, he demanded answers from Giselle."You've slept with Chester?"Before Giselle could even respond, Harry, who had just returned from retrieving his phone, ran over at full speed.Without any explanation whatsoever, he punched Jonathan in the face."Now that I'm here, don't even think about hurting Giselle!"As someone young, tall, and one who worked out daily, Harry's one punch broke the skin on the corner of Jonathan's mouth.The piercing pain made Jonathan give up all his reasoning.Immediately, the two men broke into a fight.Vivian scrambled to get up from the floor, looking miserable. She wanted to pull them apart but was afraid she might get injured in the process.As such, she just glared at Gi
When they were at the hospital the other day, Chester made Vivian feel awfully stressed. This uncle of hers was way too overprotective of Giselle.If Jonathan were to lay a finger on Giselle, Chester would definitely hunt him down. And when that time came, the fact that she twisted the truth would be revealed.Vivian gritted her teeth. The fear she felt outweighed her reasoning. Without a second thought, she rushed over."Jon, stop!"Vivian held onto Jonathan's arm. The blood vessels in his knuckles popped as he squeezed every word out with restraint. "Let go."This was the first time that Vivian had ever seen Jonathan like this. She clenched down on her molars and cried out, "No!"The siblings' double act was absolutely comedic in Giselle's eyes. She rubbed her wrist which had turned red from Jonathan's grip. Then, she turned on her heels, wanting to leave.Jonathan jerked free from Vivian's grasp, stretching out his hands as he tried to grab onto Giselle once again.However,
"Giselle, I need to ask you something."The two looked at each other. One had an indifferent expression while the other looked like they could barely tolerate this request.Giselle tried to free herself but her wrist remained firmly locked in his grip. The heat between them instinctively triggered a visceral sense of disgust in her.Her stomach churned violently, and her expression went dark. "Let go."Jonathan kept his stare on her with eyes that were deep and enigmatic. "If I don't—" Before he could even finish his sentence, he suddenly gasped in pain.Giselle did not care if she hurt him. She had swiftly raised her knee and went for his groin. Even though Jonathan reacted in time, she was too fast for him to avoid the blow entirely.The anger in his eyes surged. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "Giselle Stone!"This "new" Giselle felt extremely foreign to Jonathan.The Giselle he remembered was someone gentle and caring. There was never a time she would be this violent.
The moment Giselle heard Jonathan call out her name in full, a look of surprise flashed across her eyes. Had he recovered his memories?Giselle scoffed. "Am I wrong? Mr. Kendrick is asking Harry to pretend that he has feelings for Vivian and to wait until the exams are over to talk about it. Isn't he asking the kid to lie?"Harry has made it crystal clear that he has no feelings for Vivian. A clear rejection is the best solution. You're afraid that Vivian's state of mind might be affected, but what about Harry's?"Every word was carefully chosen.Even though Greg did not explicitly say it, Giselle understood his underlying intention without misconstruing anything.Harry clapped his hands as sparkles danced around his eyes. "You got it! I don't like Vivian. I don't like her now and I certainly won't like her in the future!"Vivan was not his type to begin with. What's more, after learning about the things she had done to Giselle, the chances of him liking Vivian were even slimmer
Jonathan's towering figure emerged in the doorway.Instead of his usual formal suit, he was dressed in a hoodie and cropped pants.To put it simply, he looked like a mannequin. His handsome face was as cold as ice, making him look unapproachable. As his eyes swept across the room, he suddenly paused when his gaze fell upon Giselle.The hand by his side instinctively clenched. It seemed like he did not expect to find Giselle here.He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was reminded of the ignored text and what Vivian had told him.He pursed his lips for a moment, forcing the words back down. "Now that we have everyone's guardians here, let's talk about what happened earlier today."Greg Kendrick, the homeroom teacher, pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat before continuing, "I understand how kids your age are going through a phase where you yearn for the opposite gender, but this is the time to be focusing on your studies. "The college entrance examinations
Even Hector was startled by the absurdity of his own thoughts. He did not dare to venture further.Chester texted back, "Though you won't, I will."The five words almost made Hector's jaw drop to the floor. Did Chester just say he would be the Stones' matrilocal son-in-law?Hector was wondering if he had read the text wrongly. He rubbed his eyes and found that the text remained unchanged.He immediately replied, "Chet, are you serious?"Unfortunately, Chester had already gone offline and did not reply to his last text message.…The next day, Giselle met up with several more candidates who came in for the job interview.During the last round of interviews, she had her eye on a 22-year-old candidate who was a young woman with a rounded face. She wore rectangular-framed glasses with her dark hair tied back into a neat ponytail. She was a person of few words but did things quickly and efficiently. Her sparkling eyes looked full of vigor as well.These were the qualities Giselle
The temperature kept rising within that confined space.Giselle stared back at Chester with her big, doe eyes. They sparkled in the night, and her red lips were slightly parted, looking every bit an mesmerizing enchantress.Chester, who was already deeply in love with Giselle, found himself unable to resist it.His long lashes drooped, casting shadows over his eyes.The hand by his side curled up in restraint. His dark pupils were bottomless as he looked at her, much like the deep sea.Chester's voice was hoarse as he forced out, "What question?""How are you so confident that I am the Stone family's child?"He was even more sure of it than she was.The paternity test report had also stated that she had no blood relation to the Stone family. But Chester remained adamant that she was.Chester responded eloquently, "I trust my intuition."Their eyes locked mid-air. Hidden tensions simmered.A brief moment later, Giselle flashed a faint smile and arched a brow as she asked, "Bu