Paul Wagner…When Stephanie thought of that man, she frowned on instinct. "I think…that I don't like him anymore."Stephanie was not too sure before. Back then, although she wanted to escape him, she believed he had feelings for her. However, after arriving in Bardoff City and experiencing so many other things, she quickly saw all the red flags in her relationship with Paul.That insane love was wrong from the start."You don't like him anymore?" Jenny was surprised. She didn't think that Stephanie could be so straightforward."Yeah. I don't like him anymore," Stephanie said firmly.Jenny suddenly found it interesting. She rested her jaw on her hand and asked, "Why are you suddenly so sure?""It's actually not sudden at all." Stephanie smiled dryly. "I saw him walking with a girl outside the other day. If I still liked him, I would have felt upset, but I didn't. In fact, I hope he'll be happy with her."Stephanie sincerely wished for Paul's happiness, just not with her.It was
Once they were in the shopping mall, Stephanie began clearing the racks.Although the Walkers were not as wealthy as the Walters, they were still not short of money. Hence, Stephanie could buy anything she wanted without a second thought.After buying herself a few outfits, she bought some clothes for her parents. Then, she looked at Jenny. "Is there anything that you like? I'll buy it for you.""Really?" Jenny smiled. She swept her gaze around the shop but didn't see anything she liked."Really. Who are we? I'd give you my whole person if I could." Stephanie raised her eyebrows flirtatiously at Jenny, who suddenly didn't know where to look.She pushed her away. "I wouldn't want you.""Oh, of course. You already have someone in mind, I know." Stephanie teased her. "The new year is already coming, and you and Alec haven't progressed at all. I'm anxious for you.""Why are you anxious? It has nothing to do with you." Jenny was speechless as she and Stephanie walked into another bou
"Don't you know what first come, first served means? Or is this how the Yews brought you up?" Jenny looked at her coldly, rage steaming off her skin. Melanie had to reconsider her thoughts.She knew about the Yews. Was she also one of the Ten Elites?Although Melanie was arrogant, she was not domineering. She knew what her family's position was.After a few moments, she softened her tone. "Sorry. I didn't notice. Your friend can have it if she likes it."Jenny was surprised. She thought that she would continue being arrogant. She didn't expect her to cave so easily.Jenny looked at Stephanie. "Do you still like it?""No." Stephanie shook her head. Melanie had already tried it on. Even if she hadn't, Stephanie didn't like wearing the same style as someone else. Jenny was not surprised to hear that. She knew what Stephanie was like. "Alright then. We'll let her have it."She looked at Melanie and said, "My friend doesn't like it anymore. You can do whatever you like."Melanie w
The atmosphere instantly grew solemn. Melanie smiled suddenly and pointed outside. "Let's have a chat. I'll treat you all to some smoothies."Jenny looked at Stephanie, who was equally dumbfounded. However, she did not feel opposed to it. "Alright."Melanie paid for the dress she had tried on, and they walked into the smoothies shop downstairs.Jenny couldn't remember the last time she had a smoothie. Most of the time, she had coffee instead because she felt smoothies were too sweet for her liking.They ordered some smoothies. It was then that Melanie picked up where they left off. "Although I know he still likes you, I don't mind. I think it just means that he has depth. Someone like that is worthy of my affection."Her eyes shone when she spoke of Paul. Stephanie felt her chest bloom when she looked at her. She remembered how proud she was to be with Paul before. Then when Paul was unwilling to disclose their relationship and even said he wouldn't marry her, their relationship c
Jenny rolled her eyes and said, "Does that mean we have to forgive him? Does he think that the world revolves around him?"If Alec were to do what Paul did, refuse to make their relationship public, refuse to marry her, and then trap her in his house, Jenny would not forgive him either.Some things were just a matter of principles."Of course, not everyone has to forgive him. Like Stephanie. Don't you forgive him?" Melanie said. She continued, "But he has to be given another chance. Stephanie might not be willing to give him a chance, but I do. I believe that he won't make the same mistake again."Jenny admired her willingness to be a lab rat. "Alright, as you wish."She couldn't stop anyone from liking Paul. Despite his shortcomings, Paul was handsome and came from wealth. Lots of girls would like him."Can we exchange phone numbers? We'll be able to hang out in the future." Melanie took her phone out embarrassedly, blushing a little. She wouldn't have been so arrogant if she ha
Mhm. Have you had dinner?" Jenny went to sit across from Evan.Evan nodded. "Don't worry about me. I have a personal chef, remember?"Though having asked Jenny to move in with him, Evan still didn't want to control her too much. He didn't want to upset her, after all."Here. Got you a present for New Year's." Jenny handed him a present.Evan took it, surprised. "Isn't New Year's in two days? Why're you giving me this now?"Jenny shrugged. "It's all the same to me."Evan smiled. "Thank you.""Open it. See if you like what I got you." Jenny beamed at him, hoping Evan's moods might lift with the present she got for him."I'll love anything you give me." Evan opened the present up. Upon seeing it was a tie, he smiled. "Stylish. Thank you.""I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure what you liked; I just felt like this suited you."Evan wanted to ask if anyone else had gotten such a gift, but he swallowed his words at the last second.Afterward, Jenny got up. "I'll wheel you back into
"What about you? Any New Year's plans?" Alec asked. He wanted to ask her if she'd like to spend it with him but wasn't sure if she'd accept the offer. After some thinking, Jenny said, "I'm not sure. Probably like usual—spending it with Zack and Gilbert."Evan would likely join them as well, though Jenny didn't mention it to Alec for fear of his displeasure.Frankly, Alec had guessed as much too."Sounds good. Why don't we light some fireworks together during the night? We can have lunch together." The people of Bardoff City customarily had their New Year's meal as lunch instead, so they'd still be able to hang out for the remainder of the day."Alright."Alec grinned. "Get some rest then.""You too." Jenny didn't ask further about Alec's personal business. She trusted him enough to make the right decisions.Just as she was about to end the call, Alec suddenly asked, "Aren't you going to ask about Blake and me?"Jenny frowned, then suddenly recalled the news she'd seen earlier
"My guess is the old man will come knocking on my door soon enough." Of course, unless Zeke wanted to watch his family collapse into a heap of rubble.From across the windows, Jenny gave him a thumbs up. "Amazing work, Alec.""So what if I am? I'll always lose when it comes to you." He really never stood a chance against Jenny.Jenny rolled her eyes. "Alright. Time to sleep. Goodnight.""Goodnight." After bidding their farewells and hanging up, Jenny closed her curtains, making Alec finally leave the window.Just when he was about to draw his curtains, he spotted Evan across the building looking out the window right at him. He had most likely seen Alec calling Jenny over the phone just now.Alec grinned and waved at the man before drawing his curtains.Evan's expression fell. Alec was clearly flaunting at him. Still, there was nothing he could do. Bardoff City was Alec's playing field. It would be extremely difficult to get rid of the man, plus Jenny would never forgive him if
That afternoon, Gilbert called off his engagement to the Silveras. He did not pick up a single one of Lottie's calls. When he found Marigold, she was taking Caleb on a stroll around the neighborhood. It had been a while since she'd taken notice of anything related to Gilbert. She suddenly felt how nice it was to have her mental energy spent somewhere else, no longer being so hung up on that man. However, when Gilbert appeared before her, her heartbeat quickened. "Why are you here?" Marigold said, snapping out of her reverie. Gilbert smiled lightly. Without saying much else, he pulled her into an embrace. "Didn't you say that I could come to see you once everything is settled?" Marigold was stunned. She was in disbelief. "So, what you're saying is it's all over?" "Didn't you read the news?" Gilbert was speechless. "No. I didn't want to care." Every time she saw anything about Gilbert and Lottie, she felt miserable. She'd rather save herself the pain and block out anything
In the end, Esther went with Gilbert's suggestion. However, she did not trade Bradshaw Operation's projects with Jenny. She went with the Silveras. For one, she did not trust the Walters. On the other hand, the Silveras and the Bradshaws were going to be united through marriage. They deserved to be trusted more. Gilbert didn't mind. After all, if anything happened to the Bradshaws, the Silveras would not help. With those projects in hand, they would only fall further into debt. The plan was going smoothly. Gilbert had not gone to see Marigold once. He knew that before subduing the Bradshaws, going to visit Marigold would only endanger her. After all, Marigold was safe. Nothing had happened, and Caleb was growing up healthily. One month later, things began to feel off in Bradshaw Operations. After Faust Group received their money, they did not start the project. No one knew what they were doing. Esther was feeling antsy. She prodded Gilbert to ask if there was anything wro
That very afternoon, Esther and Gilbert rushed to Faust Group to sign the deal. Gilbert said he was worried that Alec would change his mind, so he urged Esther to sign it. Only through a written contract would they be able to relax. Esther thought it made sense and agreed to rush to Faust Group with Gilbert.In the meeting room, Alec looked at the two people before him, expressionless. "You have a good son, Mrs. Bradshaw." "I'm flattered. My son had Bradshaw Operations' interests at heart. He'll inevitably be a little insensitive. Please don't hold that against him, Mr. Faust." Esther smiled. She didn't mind Alec's sarcasm because it didn't matter. As long as Bradshaw Operations could truly benefit from this, she didn't care how much Alec mocked her. Alec smiled coldly and slid the contract over to her. "You may flip through it." Esther took it and read through it seriously.If this project succeeded, they would reap massive rewards. However, it required a massive upfront inv
In the following days, Gilbert headed over to Faust Group infrequently during the day. To others, he was there to talk business with Alec. But in reality, it was a different scenario altogether. Vincent brought Gilbert a cup of coffee in Alec's office. Because of all the times he'd been there, Vincent knew what he wanted without having to ask. Alec had a cup of coffee placed before him, too. Everyone thought that Gilbert was trying to convince Alec to give him one of the shares, which was why he always came there, but that was not the case. The collaboration was a set-up. As long as the Bradshaws signed the deal on the project, they would not escape unscathed. Gilbert had planned this for a long time just to trick the Bradshaws into accepting the project. However, the scheme had to be executed perfectly. Since Gilbert buttered up the project in front of the Bradshaws, Alec had to feign disinterest in his collaboration. Otherwise, it would seem suspicious if Alec, a smart ma
After the engagement party, Gilbert officially had a stronghold in Bradshaw operations. Because he was already very capable, he had a lot of supporters. No one challenged him in the company. Most of them sucked up to him because they knew that if things went well, he would be the heir of the company.Gilbert didn't really care about that. He didn't even want to be there for long. He knocked on Esther's door and walked into her office."Come, sit." Esther was all smiles when she saw him. It was more sincere than before.She used to doubt him a lot, but now, although she still had her reservations, she mostly believed in him. In her eyes, no one would reject the chance to inherit Bradshaw Operations. This was basically manna from Heaven. Gilbert just didn't know it back then, and now he did. Gilbert sat down in front of Esther and began reporting the information he had gathered, as well as his thoughts on Bradshaw Operations and his plans for the future.When he presented the inf
Gilbert and Lottie's engagement party was held at Bardoff Grand Hotel on Saturday.A ton of people showed up to their engagement party. After all, the Bradshaws and the Silveras were pretty big names in Bardoff City, and plenty of the other families knew of their true wealth. They all came to attend the party. Jenny and Alec had both received invites. Jenny was Gilbert's sister, and on top of that, they represented the Walters and the Fausts. It was to be expected. At first, Jenny didn't want to go. The party held no meaning to it. It was just a show put on for Esther. It would be a complete waste of her time. However, she was talked into it by Alec. It would be weird if she didn't go. Zack brought Janet to the party. He found Jenny and was in a daze. "Wasn't Gilbert courting Marigold? Why is he engaged to Lottie?" Jenny rolled her eyes. "What have you been doing, Zack? You're really bad at keeping up." Gilbert had been courting Lottie for a while now. If Zack paid attention
Gilbert drove to Jenny's villa, but he was in no rush to get down. He didn't unlock the doors, either. He obviously wanted to talk to Marigold. But Marigold evidently didn't want to. "I want to take my child and leave." She was afraid. What if Gilbert and Lottie married and took her child away? She no longer believed in love. The only thing she believed in was her child. Gilbert tightened his grip when he heard that. "Marigold, the engagement is only for Esther to see. I have no feelings for Lottie." "Who knows? People change. You said you didn't have feelings for me, too." Marigold found this all very amusing. Perhaps this was fate. Gilbert wanted to keep explaining, but Marigold did not give him the chance to. "Just let me and Caleb leave. If what you say is true, you can come to find us once everything is over." And if Gilbert didn't come looking for her, the truth would unfold itself, and she would give up all hope. Gilbert understood that Marigold had already made
Marigold was miserable throughout dinner, but she persevered till the end without being too dramatic. After dinner, they walked to the entrance of the shopping mall.Gilbert went to get the car. Lottie stood with Jenny and Marigold. Watching Gilbert leave, she turned toward Marigold. "I heard that you used to like Gilbert very much." "It's all in the past. It's not worth mentioning." Marigold didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid that Lottie would see that she still liked Gilbert. Most importantly, she was afraid that Gilbert's plan would be ruined. Lottie smiled. "That's true. The past is the past. You're such a nice person. You'll definitely be able to find someone better suited for you in the future." Marigold pursed her lips. Gilbert soon brought the car over. Lottie was about to get into the car, but before she did, she suddenly turned to Marigold and said, "Gilbert and my engagement party will be in a few days' time. If you have the time, you're more than welcom
Everyone was shocked to hear her speak so suddenly. Lottie was stunned, and she explained, "You've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I just think that if the child follows his father, it'll help him develop better, and you'll be less stressed." "I don't need your concern. I can raise my child alone," Marigold snorted. She did not hold back at all. Lottie looked unpleasant. Gilbert had no choice but to step in. "We'll have our own child together. And whoever likes it the most will get to keep it." Although they knew that Gilbert had meant this for Lottie to hear, Marigold found it extremely upsetting. She looked at Gilbert, and for a moment, she was unable to tell if he was being genuine. She thought of all that Gilbert had said to her last night, saying that he didn't like Lottie and had no intention of marrying her. But he looked to be truly in love. Marigold didn't think she could tell if he was faking it. "I'm sorry. I need to go to the restroom." Marigold didn't w