“Colton, hold on to these for me. The smoke just got into my eyes.” Daisie handed the uncooked skewers to Colton, who looked reluctant but grabbed them from her anyway.Barbara picked up a tissue and helped her wipe her eyes, feeling rather helpless and funny. “How did you manage to get so dirty from only grilling a few skewers?”Zephir looked at Colton. “Perhaps I can grill them for her?”“I don’t need your help.” Colton squatted down and placed the skewers back on the grill.Daisie smacked his head while he was at it. “Don’t yell at my guest!”He talked back with a cowardly tone. “Alright, alright, I shouldn’t yell.”Lisa sat in her seat, stared at the noisy but harmonious scene over at the grill, and looked a little downcast and lonely as if it was a scene that she could not fit into.…The Santiago manor looked relatively lonely and still compared to the bustling Goldmann mansion. Antonio was away because he had to deal with his company’s affairs, so Mrs. Santiago and Pearl
Pearl stared at Tanner and did not utter a single word.‘I’m pregnant. But Mom doesn’t let me tell Tanner about this.’Tanner claimed that he had hurt a woman before this, but he kept apologizing to her.These things were constantly replaying in her mind like a fragmentary video. Even though she could not remember anything, she kept on feeling a sense of heaviness looming within her chest cavity, making it very difficult for her to breathe.“Pearl, what’s the matter with you?” Tanner wanted to caress her cheek, but she ducked his hand abruptly.“I feel a little tired. I wish to rest.”His hand froze in mid-air, only a few inches away from her face. But seeing that she had said that, he slowly withdrew his hand and could not help but clench it tightly.After a while, he stood up with a smile. “Then you should go and grab some rest first. I’ll come to visit you some other day.”When Tanner was leaving the manor, Pearl stared at his back and did not know what to think about.At B
Nolan smiled and grabbed her by her waist. “You’re the lady of the house here, but you can’t make a decision?”Maisie leaned in half an inch. “I’m discussing with you, the lord of the house.”Nolan carried her to the table and put his hands behind her on the table. He then put his lips close to her cheeks. “Our discussions would be more fruitful at night.”Maisie chuckled and put a finger to his lips. “That’s not a discussion. That’s a transaction.”He laughed. “Transactions are so old-fashioned.” He then buried his face on her neck, brushing his lips against her skin. “That’s part of the fun.”Maisie felt ticklish, so she escaped. “You’re so naughty even during the daytime.”He kissed her lips. “Ever since I met you, I’ve forgotten what not being naughty means.” His hand slowly unbuttoned her clothes.At that moment, there was the sound of shattered china downstairs.Maisie immediately pushed him away and tidied up her clothes. “What was that?”Nolan hugged her. “Zee, don’t l
Maisie shook her head and sat on his lap. “I just think that it’s a waste. Antonio Santiago is quite a big name in the jewelry industry. He founded La Perla over 30 years ago and thought that he would be able to pass it to his daughter, but he probably never thought that it would go to someone else.”He pushed her hair behind her. “Maybe Antonio knew that he had had a good run, but he didn’t teach or spend enough time with his daughter. After what happened, fame and fortune are no longer as important as family.”Maisie paused and stared at Nolan. “If it was Daisie, would you—”“Yes.” Nolan lowered his head and kissed her forehead, then leaned in closer to her. “I can give up fame and fortune as long as I have you.”Her eyes welled up. She looked down and smiled when Nolan pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.At the same time, at the Santiagos’…Mrs. Santiago finished packing her bags when she went into the study. She saw her husband standing in front of the photo
Nolan put out his arm and pulled her in. “Because I want to hug you.”She laughed and flattened his collar with her hand. “It’s still early. I’d like to go somewhere before we go home.”Nolan nodded and held her hand. “I’ll go with you.”Maisie bought two bouquets of white roses from the florist and slowly drove into the graveyard. She walked to her parents' graves with the bouquets. “Dad, Mom, another year has passed. I used to hate New Year’s because I didn’t belong in that family, but not anymore. I’m a mother now, and I have a husband who loves me, so you don’t need to worry about me anymore.”Maisie looked down, took a deep breath to keep her tears back, and smiled at the photos. On the way back, Maisie leaned on Nolan’s shoulder while he put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.The car parked in front of the mansion, and Daisie's voice could be heard right after Maisie got out of the vehicle. “Mommy, Waylon and Grandpa are back!”She trotted over, jumped in
Nolan calmly added, “There really isn’t a reason to be anxious for an old man who runs around a lot.”Yorrick smiled amicably while everyone laughed. When they heard the sound of fireworks, Daisie put down her cutlery. “Waylon, Colton, hurry up. It’s time for fireworks!”The children moved the fireworks to the door, and Quincy helped them set them on fire. The moment the fireworks shot upward, the children laughed happily. Maisie stood in the yard and watched the fireworks go off, then looked back at Nolan, who was looking at her.…There were no lights in the home. Tanner looked out the window. The busy city streets looked lonely, just like his heart. He took out his phone, and he had no idea when he had set Pearl’s photo as the lock screen wallpaper.It had been two months since she left him.When he heard the doorbell, Tanner slowly walked to the door and saw that Mrs. Hannigan was outside. “Tan, come home. Your father is waiting for you.”After a long time, Tanner looked a
If only Tanner could have a do-over, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.Meanwhile, ar Morwich…Pearl sat in her hospital room while the doctor removed the gauze wrapped around her face, and the nurse placed a mirror in front of her.She looked at the unfamiliar face that had undergone two surgeries and was badly swollen. The doctor told her, “Ms. Santiago, avoid rubbing your face within the next half a year for optimum recovery.”Pearl smiled. “Thank you.”After the doctor walked out, Pearl looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She would be able to leave her past behind from now on. Three years later…The media congratulated Soul for getting into the top six listed companies of the country. They were only second to the big Taylor Jewelry, becoming the second-biggest international jewelry brand.The jewelry industry was closely related to the fashion industry. Soul had started off by creating custom-made jewelry and had moved onto high-end custom-made, a great improvement.
The car stopped outside of the hotel. After that, Nolan and Maisie got to the restaurant. The fact that there was no one in the restaurant other than the waiters meant that someone had booked the entire restaurant.The waiters stood uniformly in one line and greeted, “Welcome!”Maisie walked to a white table prepared with a large bouquet of black roses on it. She couldn’t help herself and chuckled. After that, he turned around to look at Nolan. “This is the surprise you prepared for me?”Nolan pulled the chair for her. When she sat down, he leaned closer and said, “It's to celebrate that your dream has finally come true, Zee.”He walked away and sat opposite Maisie. He told the waiter to get them a bottle of red wine. Resting her chin on her palm, Maisie looked at him and smiled. “It’s to catch up to you. But I still have a long way to go.”He took over the red wine and poured it into the decanter.“You can consider yourself very good if you can get into the top ten.”Maisie lif