The following morning was Jenny and Alec's trip to Orchid Village. Before they left, she gawked at the trunk of the car, filled to the brim with all sorts of gifts. "We're bringing the kids to Parrington. This is not a holiday visit.""The two can go hand-in-hand." He beamed and added, "We're meeting relatives who had watched over you as you grew up. I can't visit them empty-handed.""Why can't you? It's not like you're my boyfriend or anything," she fired back. People might mistake Alec for her lover at this rate."Well, maybe not now, but we'll be in a relationship in the future. I want to leave a good impression early on. Don't you agree?" He didn't wish to face any objections from her family and friends in the long run. Even if her relatives were easygoing, he didn't want to put Jenny in a difficult place. Therefore, he wanted to do his best.She was a little dumbfounded at his seriousness. Finally, she muttered, "Whatever."The car moved slowly on the road. Orchid Village was
Over lunch, Felicity's eyes were glued to Alec, which embarrassed her father to no end. David struck up a conversation to suppress his anger. "Jenny, how long will you stay?"Jenny looked up at him. "Uncle David, I'm here to pick up Justin and Lilian. We'll head back to Parrington tomorrow.""Oh, that's a little rushed! Don't you want to stay a few more days since you've traveled all the way here?" He sounded disappointed. Before Jenny could reply, Hannah scoffed, "She's a city girl now. She wouldn't want to live in the village.""Oh! Shut up!" David bellowed. "Jenny isn't like that.""Aunt Hannah, no matter where I live now, Orchid Village will always be home." Jenny smiled at her, ignoring the mockery. Hannah smirked but fell silent after David glared at her. Still, she was spiteful at Jenny's success. She was unhappy at how her father-in-law raised Jenny by his side, nurturing her and paying for her studies and talent classes. Not only that, he had arranged Jenny's marriage
David furrowed his brows in anger. "You want Jenny to find a man for Felicity? She just got divorced, and now you want to burden her with that responsibility?""Why not?" Hannah insisted. "The man who's been following her is obviously rich. I think Felicity likes him too." When David hesitated to respond, Hannah became angry and threatened him, "Don't forget, I know all the secrets between you and your father. Don't think I won't reveal them."David's expression turned serious, "What do you know?""Who is Jenny's real father?" Hannah asked.David was taken aback, "My older brother is her father. What are you trying to say?"Hannah didn't back down. "You think I'm stupid? You don't have an older brother. Although no one in the village knows, I found it out."Before she knew it, she found David's hands wrapped around her neck. His grip tightened as he said, "You have no idea what you're talking about. Shut up."Hannah remained firm. "Jenny is not even a Wilkins. You can't keep thi
Jenny met Justin and Lilian in the village. Happy to see her, they gathered around her, asking, "Jenny, are you here to bring us back?""Yes, I found a good family for you. You will live a happy life with them," Jenny replied, patting their heads.The children felt sad to hear that, especially at the thought of calling someone else their parents. Nonetheless, they kept their thoughts to themselves because they knew it was the best choice for them.Along the way back, they met many acquaintances, and Jenny greeted each one."Jenny," an old man called, his head full of white hair. Jenny immediately turned around and was surprised to see her teacher. She quickly approached him, asking, "When did you come back? I thought you had gone on a trip?""It's been a while since I came back," he replied. Turning to Alec with a smile, he asked, "Is this young man your boyfriend?""No." Jenny shook her head. "He's just a friend who came to the village with me. We're staying here for two days.
Jenny glanced at Felicity, wondering how to respond to her cousin. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Well, you're right!""Exactly! Look at me. I learned how to sew and cook from my mother. Don't you think I'll make the perfect wife?" she asked, looking at Alec intentionally.Jenny only responded with a smile, keeping her mouth shut.When they returned home, David was already cooking dinner, and Jenny hurried over to help him. Alec followed suit, leaving Felicity alone.Given how much attention Alec paid Jenny, it was clear to Felicity what his intentions were. Nonetheless, she refused to give up. After all, he was an excellent, rich man, so she had to win. With that in mind, she went to look for her mother to devise a plan for her.While Jenny, David, and Alec were cooking in the kitchen, Felicity met her mother in the bedroom and told her Alec's identity. Hannah was shocked by the revelation. "Is he really the wealthiest man in Parrington? Are you sure you're not mistaken
Jenny, who was reaching for more food, froze and looked at Hannah in surprise. "You're joking, right?""Joking? I'm being serious right now," Hannah replied with a smile, tugging at Felicity's arm. "Felicity is your cousin, after all, and we're family. You can't just sit back and watch her do nothing, can you?"Felicity turned to Jenny, smiling. "Jenny, I'll have to rely on you from now on."Jenny was dumbfounded as Felicity certainly never wanted to have anything to do with her before. Nonetheless, for David's sake, she couldn't respond too harshly. She didn't know how to reject their request."It's difficult enough for Jenny to live alone in Parrington, so don't add to her troubles," David scolded Felicity. He knew his daughter well and didn't believe she really wanted to go to Parrington to find a job. Perhaps she had some wicked ideas up her sleeve."Dad!" Felicity was upset. "You always sided with Jenny. You've been so kind to her, so what's wrong with asking her to help me f
A little surprised, Jenny asked, "What is it?""I was wondering how your life here was," he replied, looking into the distance. Jenny smiled at his reply. "I guess you must imagine I've had a hard time here after what you saw today."Alec didn't answer, as her guess was spot-on. His heart had throbbed with pain and anger when Jenny had not retaliated to Hannah and Felicity's taunts. He couldn't imagine how hard life had been for her when she was young."Well, it wasn't hard at all. When Grandpa was still around, my life was great," she replied, grinning. "Felicity and her mother didn't dare to provoke me back then and always avoided me."Alec frowned, unconvinced."Also, Gilbert and Zack always protected me. They protected me so much that even the stray dogs in the village were afraid of messing with me," Jenny said, laughing as she recalled those nostalgic days.Seeing the bright smile on her face, Alec felt a little sad. "Then, did you regret going to Parrington to marry me?"
Instantly, the temperature seemed to drop as Alec shot Felicity a warning look. "If I hear you say anything bad about Jenny again, I'll cut off your tongue." After making a cutting gesture, he returned to his room, leaving a stunned Felicity standing alone in the courtyard.Due to the poor soundproofing of the wooden door, Jenny overheard their conversation. It was honey to her ears, and suddenly the moon seemed to shine brighter. That night, Jenny tossed and turned in bed, trying hard not to think about Alec.When she woke up the next day, Alec was already waiting for her in the courtyard. "Did you sleep well?"Sporting dark circles under her eyes, Jenny glared at him in response. It left Alec wondering what wrong he had done. Little did he know, Jenny couldn't fall asleep because of him. When she finally fell asleep, he even appeared in her dreams. Hence, she didn't sleep well.Jenny was ready to leave after breakfast. After all, she still had a lot of work to do in Parrington, a
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