"I hope you don't mind." Jenny took out the mid-sized gift she had prepared, which appeared rather average at first glance. Zachary didn't ask Warren to accept it nor take it himself. Instead, he shot a look at Alec. "Why are you still standing there? Get over now. Don't leave her holding on to that box."Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor, and Jenny was dumbfounded. Alec thought his grandpa didn't have to be this obvious in matchmaking. He walked up to Jenny, took the gift box, and whispered, "Thank you.""Why thank me? This is for Grandpa, not for you," Jenny said to him without a care about his feelings. He didn't mind it too, because he was accustomed to her slight. Zachary opened the box without hesitation when it was handed to him. There was a lapis lazuli stone in the box, to everyone's shock.Someone started gossiping, "Did she not have enough money for a better gift? Is that why she bought that old thing?""I don't think so! She's Mr. Birkett's last mentee, after all."
Alec felt like he was collateral damage in the exchange. Jenny was also stunned. Had Old Mr. Faust forgotten that they had already divorced?After a while, Old Mr. Faust returned the lapis lazuli stone to its place while giving Yvonne and her friend a disdainful look. "From how you treat this lapis lazuli stone, I'd have thought you were the richest person in Parrington. It's worth more than a hundred million dollars, you know."Even though he was directing those words at her friend, Yvonne still blushed with embarrassment. A hundred million dollars?Who'd have thought this rock could be worth more than a hundred million?Moreover, where did Jenny even get that much money? What was her relationship with Old Mr. Faust?Everyone's curiosity was piqued.Some even suspected that Jenny was one of Old Mr. Faust's illegitimate daughters. After all, hers was the most expensive gift tonight. Why would she give him such an expensive gift if they weren't related?Old Mr. Faust knew what the othe
Eventually, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Jenny and Alec standing in front of Old Mr. Faust. They looked at each other. Neither of them spoke.Old Mr. Faust was exasperated by the sight. He had created an opportunity for Alec, yet he was silent. Was he supposed to teach him how to speak to his ex-wife?He glared at Alec, then turned to Jenny with a smile. "Jenny, has Alec been good to you lately? Let me know if he treats you badly, and I'll deal with him for you."Jenny smiled awkwardly and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, Grandpa, but Mr. Faust has never treated me badly. We're not that close, after all.""Why do you say that? Whatever happens, it's still fate that the two of you met. Alec was young and rash back then. He didn't know how to appreciate you. Look, he's regretting it now." Old Mr. Faust looked at Alec. If he weren't so afraid that someone else would get together with Jenny, he wouldn't have swallowed his pride just to say this.Regret?Jenny looked at Alec i
Jenny finally escaped from Old Mr. Faust. Just as she was about to find an empty corner to rest, Alec came up to her."I'm sorry about Grandpa. He's…""I hope you didn't think I was just joking with him," Jenny said, stopping in her tracks. Alec paused. She continued, "When I said I would treat him like my grandfather, I meant it. I don't mind it.""I might have taken that wrongly." Alec felt helpless. He seemed to always be hapless in front of Jenny.As if she had read his mind, Jenny smiled and said drily, "Even though I told Grandpa that I'd treat you like everyone else, there's something I need you to know, Mr. Faust.""What?""I never look back," she said.That said, she turned and left. No matter what Alec was thinking, it had nothing to do with her.In fact, Alec wasn't angered by her words at all. He was just a little sad. He should have known that Jenny had told Old Mr. Faust a white lie.Well, it was all his fault in the first place. He couldn't blame it on anyone else.As so
Jenny hadn't expected to see such an amusing scene after answering a call outside.She recognized the woman on the floor to be Yvonne's friend. Who was she planning to splash with the dirty water, then?Jenny could see the answer from the woman's terrified expression. Smiling, she walked up to her and looked down. "Do you need me to call someone for you?""No... No need!" The woman shook her head, unable to meet Jenny's eyes."Sure. Have it your way." Jenny shrugged and went into the stall.As soon as she closed the door, the woman stood up resentfully and got another bucket of dirty water. She wanted to take Jenny down with her.With this thought, she raised the bucket of water and tried to pour it over the door again.At the same time, Jenny opened the door.The bucket of water splashed onto the same person again, followed by a piercing scream.Jenny's expression was chilly. "How old are you?" she asked coldly. "This is the most childish trick I've seen yet. Do you really think I'm d
Yvonne couldn't see any trace of anger or sadness in Jenny's expression. She just stood there stoically."You're the other woman who took him away from me!" Yvonne gritted out.The other woman?Jenny raised her eyebrows. That was something she had to correct."Don't flatter yourself. If Alec really loved you that much, why would he marry me in the first place? Do you think he's the kind that would cave in just because Grandpa forced him?""He…""You don't have to make excuses for him. The truth is he just doesn't love you as much as you love him. He doesn't want to ruin his relationship with Grandpa for you, do you understand?" Jenny interrupted with a snort.Yvonne opened her mouth, but no words came out. She knew, in her heart of hearts, that Jenny was speaking the truth.The public thought that she had left because Alec had married Jenny. In reality, she left because she knew Alec did not love her.Even before Jenny came into their lives, Yvonne knew that Alec only considered her a
Max was drinking wine on the balcony. Unlike the others, he wasn't entertaining guests. He didn't care about all this. He had his own ways of improving the Pearson family.A figure strode onto the balcony. Max looked up to see who it was. When he did, he frowned, expression darkening."Max, are you interested in discussing an alliance?" Yvonne asked, beaming. Her lips were scarlet, her smile bright. Although she could not compare to Jenny's classic beauty, she had her own charm.In Parrington, Jenny wasn't the only one who received the attention of the masses. If everyone didn't already know that Yvonne was interested in Alec, she would have countless men pursuing her.Max drained his wine in one gulp. With a slightly playful expression, he asked, "Alliance? Do we have anything in common for an alliance?""Of course we do," Yvonne answered.She approached Max, the scent of her perfume suffusing the air and assaulting Max's nostrils. He became very discomfited.Max took a few ste
The event was reaching its end, and Jenny finally relaxed. This kind of setting didn't suit her, so she would have to avoid them in the future if she could.However, hadn't her brother said he would attend? Where was he?Jenny looked around for Gilbert and Zack, but found neither. Just as she was about to give up, she caught sight of a familiar face.Sobering, she got up and walked over.When Jenny caught her, Stephanie had been carefully avoiding the crowd. She had nearly no presence at all, so she was in disbelief when she was caught.She had been so careful. How was it that she was still discovered?Jenny had no clue what was running around in Stephanie's head. She patted the other woman's shoulder and said unpleasantly, "Steph Walker, please explain."She was done for. Jenny was furious. Only when Jenny was mad would she call Stephanie "Steph Walker."Stephanie was stiff as she turned around. Faced with Jenny's thunderous expression, she said with an awkward chuckle, "I rus
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