A coldness flashed in Martin's eyes. Hunter? The Hunter that Patricia would dream about?As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Patricia woke up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She picked up her phone and glanced at it, accepting Hunter's friend request.Hunter immediately sent a message: ‘You're still awake so late?’Patricia replied, ‘Yeah! And you, why aren't you sleeping?’Hunter said, ‘I was on a business trip the past few days and wasn't in Ivara City. I just got off the plane. When are you free? Let's have a meal together?’Without hesitation, Patricia agreed, ‘Sure! When are you usually available?’Hunter replied, ‘I've been in Ivara City recently, you let me know when you are free, I'm available anytime!’Patricia sent a shy emoticon.Martin, who was openly observing their conversation, was confused. Patricia said, ‘Alright, I'll message you after I finish up what I'm currently dealing with.’Hunter replied, ‘Okay! It's getting late, you should rest. It's good for your skin to
Patricia returned to her room, feeling aggrieved, tears flowing like a newly opened spring.Suddenly, her phone beeped with a WhatsApp message. It was from Charles.‘Mommy, are you free? Fannie and I miss you so much, can we see you?’Not wanting to worry them, Patricia lifted her head, took two deep breaths, and held back her tears. After making sure her face didn't show any sign, she went to the bathroom and started a video call to Charles.He answered immediately. Charles and Fannie's heads squeezed into the small phone screen."Mommy, we miss you so much. Why didn't you come home today?"After speaking, Charles noticed that Patricia's eyes were reddened and hurriedly asked, "Mommy, why are your eyes red? Did you cry? Did that jerk of a dad bully you?"With his reminder, Fannie also noticed that Patricia's expression was off and pouted, "Mommy, how did that jerk of a dad bully you? Tell me and Charles, we'll help you get revenge."Patricia shook her head, forcing out a smile, "Mart
Patricia retaliated without backing down, "Randy is your own great-grandson. Can't a grandson miss his great-grandfather and come to see him? Or are you feeling guilty? Afraid the child might see something?"Gavin's expression turned hideous. "What nonsense are you filling the child's head with? I..."Before he could finish speaking, Randy suddenly picked up a nearby vase and threw it at Gavin. His cute little face turned bright red, resembling an angry beast. "You bad guy! You're not allowed to bully my mommy. If you dare to bully my mommy again, I'll kill you..."Caught off guard, Gavin took the vase straight to his chest. The vase fell to the ground and shattered with a loud "bang." Gavin's face changed, his heart feeling as though it was bleeding. The pain of being hit was nothing compared to the devastation of his heart. After all, the vase was an antique from the Renaissance period that he had spent a hundred million dollars on, and there was only one of its kind. And now, it h
Randy cunningly rolled his eyes. He tasted every dish on the table and then spat it all out."The meat is too tough.""The fish is too fishy.""The soup is so salty, it's killing me.""The caviar tastes fake, it's...""Do you really think it's because I don't want to spend money? If I can't afford it, I have plenty at home. I can give some to you." "Crabs have a strong fishy smell.""These dishes are really terrible, nothing compared to my mom's cooking skills."Almost every dish was criticized as being useless, and finally came the conclusion, "Daddy, the food here is too awful. Let's not come here anymore. The people here are not good either.”“Auntie slapped me, grandpa hit me too. They are all bad people! Only mommy is good to me. She protected me when grandpa wanted to hit me."Upon hearing his words, Gavin's heart skipped a beat. "Randy, what nonsense are you talking about? What if your dad misunderstands? When did grandpa want to hit you? He was trying to pick up the broken va
Seeing her cry, Randy hugged her leg and started crying too. Martin felt a surge of protectiveness towards Patricia as he observed them both, crying, together. Gavin was horrified, his palms sweating as he tried to explain, "Martin, there's a misunderstanding in this matter! Patricia and Debbie are both my daughters. I admit that I have been favoring Debbie, but it's because of her poor health and my guilt towards her.” “I just wanted to compensate her more. Patricia not only fails to understand my good intentions, but also repeatedly hurts Debbie. I'm just so disappointed, which is why I almost lost control and wanted to hit her."Rather than reflecting on himself, he shifted all the blame onto Patricia. Martin's pupils contracted, his gaze turning cold and intense, as he spoke with a chilling curve, "Why should Patricia repay your debts? What about the things you owe her all these years? How do you plan to repay her?"With that one statement, Gavin was left speechless. Martin, lik
Patricia opened the door and when she saw the situation inside, she was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. Jade was hiding under the dining table, covered in paintball marks, with almost no intact spot left, and her appearance was disheveled. Her eyes, which used to shine with spirit and radiance, were now dull and filled with despair. It was the first time Patricia had seen Jade like this, and she didn't want to laugh, but she couldn't help it. She bent over, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. Jade, who had almost gone crazy from being tormented by the two little ones, ran over to her as if she saw a savior and hugged her arm, sobbing loudly. "Wuwu, you finally came back. If you didn't come back, I wouldn't have seen you." Patricia teased, "Didn't you say you missed them? This is great. Let them play with you for a while longer." Jade, with tears streaming, said, "How would I have known that they have so much energy? It's been only a year, but they've changed
Afraid that the person might come after Randy again, Patricia hurried back to the Ellenstein Villa District before dinner. Randy sat sulking at the table, arms crossed, with a pout on his little mouth. Martin's face was gloomy, indicating his own dissatisfaction as well. Neither of them paid any attention to each other, just staring, with the air filled with tension."I want to find mommy." Randy said in a tone that showed his stubborn nature."Your mommy has her own things to do. She can't be with you 24/7. You can't selfishly keep her by your side forever." Came Martin’s reply.Randy didn't listen and persisted, "No, I want mommy."Martin's temples bulged and his voice squeezed out through his teeth, "Randy!"Unfortunately, his words had no effect on Randy."If you don't let me video call mommy, I won't eat. If you can bear it, then let me starve!" came Randy’s warning.A storm cloud obscured Martin's eyes and the surrounding air turned cold.Helpless watching the bickering between
Patricia suddenly came to her senses remembering Martin's previous actions to her. She struggled desperately in fear. "Martin, what do you want to do? Let go of me!"But Martin was already like a mad beast, ruthlessly ravaging her lips, the fiery kiss traveled down to her neck, as if he wanted to release all the suppressed anger at once.Realizing his intentions, Patricia was truly scared. As tears began to stream down her face, they dropping onto Martin's face below.The tears falling against his flushed face gradually brought Martin back to his senses, looking at Patricia with tears in her eyes, her disheveled clothes. Guilt and self-reproach engulfed him.He couldn't believe that he, who had always been cold and ruthless, would be reduced to this state, he had lost all his inhibitions. He, who was usually composed, unexpectedly lost control and almost had a sexual encounter with her. What was worse is that he was on the verge of forcing such an encounter on her."I'm sorry!" Marti
Martin, lost in thought and gazing into the distance, didn't see Charlotte deliberately fall to the ground when her relatives reached out to her."Ah..."Her cry successfully snapped Martin back to reality.He immediately bent down to help her up. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"Charlotte, tears welling up in her eyes, replied pitifully, "My wrist hurts so much, I think I've fallen on it again! I hope it's not dislocated?"Martin noticed the bandage on her wrist had come undone.The packet of medicine inside was nearly falling out. Anger started to well up inside him; this time, he was thoroughly enraged."Alan, take all of them to the police station, contact the lawyer, charge them with slander, intentional harm, extortion... I want them in jail."Feeling his boss's rage, Alan immediately carried out the order."Why are you suing us? We're the ones who have been wronged.""Just because you're wealthy doesn't put you above the law. Let me tell you, we won't back down without pr
Hunter looked at her with tenderness, patiently waiting for her to finish speaking.Seeing his gentle expression, Patricia found it difficult to voice the words at the tip of her tongue. Nervously she reached for the lemon water on the table and took a gulp.She drank too hastily, and the sourness made her teeth quiver, causing her face to scrunch up.Hunter was amused by her adorable expression and considerately poured a little packet of sugar into her lemon water."I remember you used to hate sour tastes! What changed? Are you not afraid anymore? Going straight for it?" he asked with a smile.With her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and faced with his caring gesture, found her words of refusal even harder to pronounce.Hunter stirred the water in her cup with a straw for a while, making sure the sugar dissolved, then handed it back to her: "Here, try now. It shouldn't be sour anymore."Patricia nodded and took a sip through the straw. The taste was a bittersweet delight.Although
Only when the phone’s ringtone broke the silence, the deadlock was finally broken.Martin glanced at the caller ID with a gloomy expression, sighed, turned the phone upside down on his thigh in resignation. He turned to Patricia, unbuckled his seatbelt, and moved closer, taking hold of her shoulders. With a serious and helpless look on his face, he said, "Patricia, I'm sorry, I admit I was too overbearing just now. But I'm being overprotective because I care about you so much, and I don't want to see you getting too close with Hunter."Care? It was the first time Patricia had heard this word from him.The anger in her chest dissipated almost instantly, and her tone softened unconsciously. "Hunter and I grew up together. When Debbie and her daughter bullied me, he was the one who protected and encouraged me time after time. He is very important to me. If a condition for remarrying you is to cut ties with him, then I can give you the answer now."Even without her saying it, Martin gues
Martin didn't give her a chance to escape, questioning every word, "So, is what Hunter said true? Are you really going to get engaged and marry him?"Patricia felt that the matters between her and Hunter couldn't be explained in just a few words, and moreover, everything was premature without having cleared things up with Hunter first.Seeing her still not responding, Martin grew impatient and urged, "Answer my question."Patricia pulled her hand back and said indifferently, "I won't marry him."That was her only answer. The rest, she wasn't ready to share with Martin yet.This answer caused a surge of joy in Martin's heart, his previously tense facial features gradually softened as he smiled like a child, unable to hide his delight."I knew you wouldn't like him." He said.Patricia rolled her eyes at him, "Now take me back to the restaurant."The smile on Martin's face vanished in an instant, and he refused without hesitation, "No, I won’t..."Before he could finish, his cell phone r
Upon hearing his question, Patricia burst into laughter, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "So what if it is? What difference does it make if it isn't?"She did not deny it.Martin took her non-denial as an admission, and his handsome face darkened like the bottom of a pot, his eyes filled with brooding shadows."I don't agree.""Haha..." Patricia laughed even harder, her snort of derision loud and unmasked. "And might I ask, who are you to me? By what right do you interfere? What does it matter to you whom I'm with? At best, you're nothing more than my ex-husband. Remember, ex-hus-band."She enunciated the words “ex-husband” deliberately, making sure he grasped their significance.Martin's normally composed brows furrowed, wrapping him in an aura of cold sternness.He was clearly displeased with these words. Then silence hung in the air, heavy and enigmatic.He spoke with grave seriousness, "Let's remarry!"As he spoke, a chilly wind blew past them, its whistling sound drowning out Mar
Hunter expected Martin to back down and leave in a sorry state.However, to his surprise, Martin’s expression was filled with pain as he stared at their clasped hands for a moment and then strode over to them.Confusion filled Patricia as she instinctively turned her head and locked eyes with Martin, whose gaze burned with fierce anger. Her mind felt like it was exploding as if something detonated."How did you get here?" Patricia asked, barely able to form the words.No sooner had the words left her lips than Martin had reached out, forcibly separating Patricia and Hunter's clasped hands. In Patricia's stunned state, he grabbed her wrist and started to pull her away."Martin, what are you doing?" Patricia's heart began to flutter with slight panic.Martin's face had been a ghastly sight just now, as if he was on the verge of a killing spree. She had no clue where his rage was coming from.Hunter quickly stood up and seized Patricia's other wrist, forcing Martin to stop. Martin turned
The doctor conducted a thorough examination of Charlotte. Her wrist wasn't fractured but had suffered from a dislocation and soft tissue damage."Mr. Langley, please hold her tightly. I'm about to reset the bones in her wrist, which may cause some discomfort. Keep her steady, and do not let her move.""Bone reset!" Just hearing it, Charlotte's eyes widened with fear, and her body trembled. Despite this, she bravely closed her eyes, extended her hand, and prepared herself for the pain. "Go ahead! I'm not afraid of the pain!"The doctor looked surprised and said, "It's going to be very painful. Are you sure you're not afraid?"His words instantly drained the color from her face, but she vigorously nodded, clenching her teeth, and refusing to voice her fear."I'm not afraid! Back when I was boarding at school, someone pushed me down the stairs, and I broke my leg but didn’t cry. I can handle this pain!" she explained."You were pushed down the stairs?" Martin's discerning eyes narrowed,
Patricia's heart skipped a beat. She knew she had been framed, again. And this woman's tactics were identical to Debbie's.Not only did she remind her of Debbie, but her methods and cunning were also the same. Indeed, Martin's taste had never changed. He always liked these hypocritical, nauseating women who could put on an act.The incident had happened too quickly; the onlookers only saw a scuffle but hadn't truly seen who had started it. They only saw someone fall and another with a hand outstretched as if pushing, so they naturally assumed Patricia was the aggressor."Professor Watson, what happened? Why did you push her?" one on looker asked."Yes, Professor Watson, is there some conflict between you two? If so, have a proper conversation about it. Getting physical in public won't do your reputation any favors." Another said."Yes! Professor Watson, perhaps you and her should talk in your office? It's not convenient in this corridor."After the incident with Debbie, everyone's vie
Martin had thought he would be calm when he saw Patricia again, as if nothing had ever happened.But in this moment, with Patricia standing right in front of him, his heart raced with intense emotions that he had suppressed for so long. It was in that moment that he realized the depth of his love for her, far greater than he had ever imagined.He couldn't bear to see her with Hunter, nor could he draw a clear line between them. "You..."Martin's lips parted as he tried to speak to her, to bridge the distance between them.Unfortunately, Patricia had made up her mind to keep her distance, and with her head bowed, she took a step back, yielding the path ahead.Martin clenched his fists tightly, struggling to contain the anger and turmoil within him. Unaware of the tension between Martin and Patricia, Charlotte flashed a sweet smile at Martin and said, “Martin, let’s go! I can’t wait to see Randy!”Patricia smirked derisively, her lips curling up."Well, isn’t that affectionate?"Marti