Alec wouldn't admit to Jenny that he only agreed because Max promised to stop harassing her. It was absurd, but Alec went along with it anyway."It seems his acting skills aren't very convincing. If anyone from the Pearson family catches wind of this, they will start speculating." Alec changed the subject, ignoring Jenny's previous comment.Jenny shot him a quick glance, but she didn't press further when he remained quiet."You don't need my help with the Blooms anymore?" Alec asked, concerned that Jenny might not be able to handle it alone. He wanted to assist her but didn't want to interfere with her plans either.Jenny pulled out her phone, opened her photo album, and handed it to Alec. "No, I found a lead." She had been keeping an eye on the Blooms' home and finally discovered some useful information.Alec studied the photo and furrowed his brow. "Who is this?""Sam's older sister," Jenny replied, beaming. "She's the Blooms' oldest daughter, but few people know about her. She
"Someone mature and reliable," Jade answered.Max smiled lightly and rubbed his nose, saying helplessly, "Doesn't sound like me.""I honestly don't know why you'd like me, Max. You can have any woman you want. You don't have to spend your time on me." She didn't think that Max would actually like her. At most, it was just a crush. Flirtatious men like him typically only ever felt that way.Max understood what she was implying, but he stood firm. "Do you think I'm just messing with you?"Jade said nothing, but her eyes told him everything he needed to know."Would you believe me if I said that I was serious?" Max smiled bitterly. If he had known that those scandalous rumors of him would result in the mess that was today, he wouldn't have created that reputation for himself.Jade shook her head, looking solemn "It doesn't matter. I don't care. I don't know if Jenny has told you this before, but I'm a divorcee." She had no intention of starting a relationship at the moment, so she d
It was yet another busy day in the hospital. Jenny had two surgeries scheduled in the morning; when lunchtime came around, she was exhausted. She had just sat down in her office when Zack called."Hey, Zack," she answered. "Have you found it?""Yes. I've already forwarded Simone Bloom's schedule to your inbox," Zack said. Although he had no idea what Jenny wanted it for, he didn't ask."Alright. Thanks, Zack," Jenny said. It was great having someone help her out. At least she wouldn't have so much on her plate. She couldn't help thinking about Gilbert. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Have you heard from Gilbert lately?""Yes," he said, then asked, "Hasn't he contacted you?"Jenny smiled bitterly. There was an ache in her heart. "He's never contacted me since the day he left."It wasn't that she didn't want to contact him; she just didn't have the guts to call. She feared that she'd be influencing Gilbert if she called, so she had to keep her distance until he finally t
The personal trainer looked at Simone. He obviously knew her. "You mean Ms. Bloom? I know her. Her trainer is my brother. They're close. They even go out to eat together sometimes." He emphasized the part about them eating together, and Jenny got the hint.She took out yet another wad of cash from her wallet and said softly, "Bring your brother over. Don't let her notice.""Alright. You can count on me." The trainer was happy with the easy money.Not long after, Simone's trainer was brought over. Jenny got straight to the point, bribing him while asking about Simone. She was surprised to know that they had a pretty problematic relationship. Problematic, in the sense that this trainer had a girlfriend, but Simone told everyone that she was single.With a clear understanding in mind, Jenny walked toward Simone.Simone was still running, and when Jenny went over, she paid her no mind. She thought she was just another gym goer. Only when Jenny stood behind her for two minutes did Simo
Simone's eyes were filled with hatred as she looked at Jenny. "What's that supposed to mean? What's wrong with Sam being in charge? He's the rightful heir."Jenny frowned. She was a little surprised at Simone's words. "You work at Bloom Conglomerate. Anyone who knows you knows of your abilities. Haven't you ever considered taking over the company?" Simone jumped from her chair and glared at Jenny. "Cut the crap, I'm warning you. Sam is my brother. It's only right that he inherits the company. Why would I think otherwise?"Jenny couldn't help laughing at how serious her reply was. "Oh, really? Do you honestly not think that? Or are you just afraid?" Simone was angry and wanted to retort, but Jenny said, "I think it's because your father warned you early on not to have any ideas about taking over the company.""You…""In fact, he forbade you from disclosing your identity to anyone. He made you a cog in the machine and treated you unfairly. You hate him, don't you?"Simone couldn't
She didn't let it cloud her judgment. "You think you can help me take over Bloom Conglomerate?" she asked calmly."That's not for me to say but to do." Jenny handed Simone a document. As she flipped through it, Jenny said, "These are the board members of Bloom Conglomerate and their personal details. As long as half of them agree to elect you as the CEO, the company will be yours for the taking." She didn't need to take action against the Blooms. She just needed to get them to change their CEO."That's easy for you to say. Why would they vote for me? I don't even have any shares in the company." Simone was bitter about it. Every Bloom was supposed to get a share of the company, but her father hadn't given it to her. Jenny smiled. "Don't worry. Shares can be bought."Bloom Conglomerate wasn't some hotshot company. As long as one had money, one of the shareholders would be willing to sell their shares."And these people?" Simone pointed at the document."I'll give you all of their
Jenny walked out of the gym after ending her conversation with Simone. She was about to hail a cab when Alec's car stopped before her."Are you done talking?" Alec rolled down his window.Jenny nodded, then realization dawned upon her. "When did you come? No, how did you know I was here?" She didn't tell Alec that she was coming to see Simone, much less where she would go."I just found out you were with her when I sent someone out to investigate her." Alec didn't think that such a coincidence would happen, either. He wanted to find Simone before Jenny did, but Jenny was still faster.Jenny didn't press the matter. Even if Alec sent someone out to spy on her, Jenny would believe he was considering her safety.Wait. Since when had she become so trusting of him?Alec opened the door for her. Jenny sat in his car and didn't ask where they were going."How did the conversation go?" Alec asked.Jenny nodded. "It was just as I thought. She has an ambitious side but was never given an
Jenny felt as if a thousand needles were pricking her. She could guess what Alec was going to say, and her palms grew sweaty."Alec…""Hear me out, Jenny." Alec cut her off, and Jenny pursed her lips, not saying anything else. "To be frank, I sometimes wonder if destiny is at play with us. But I've never figured out the answer." He smiled like he was laughing at himself. "And then I thought, is that really important?" He shook his head. "I don't think it is. Because right now, I like you. A lot. I'm sure that you're the one I've been looking for. I appeared by your side even if you hated me in the beginning because I knew that if I lost you again, I'd never find someone else that I liked so much."Alec was still talking, but Jenny no longer had the heart to listen. She knew what would happen next but hadn't thought of her answer. Could she and Alec truly start over? Could she really believe this man, who had once neglected her and caused their marriage to fail?She couldn't come up
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