"Faye took a flight abroad an hour ago," he confessed defeatedly, watching as Jenny became angrier by the second. He didn't want their relationship to worsen, but he had to protect Faye.Fuming, she attacked him out of the blue. "Alec Faust, you're asking for it!"His eyes flickered, and he dodged her attack swiftly. "Calm down…"She launched her second attack while he was pleading. This time, she went all out."Calm down? How can I calm down?" she thought. The two fought in the cramped living room space, but Alec was mostly on the defensive instead of attacking her.Ten minutes later, Jenny was visibly exhausted, while Alec remained calm and composed. Even his hair was in perfect shape. The next minute, she came to a stop and lazily combed through her hair. "Your skills are better than I expected."From a young age, she had trained to quickly and aggressively defeat opponents under an expert, and she had been nearly invincible since. Alec's excellent combat skills came as a surp
After Alec was kicked out of Jenny's place, he stared at her door defeatedly. Then, he sighed and left.In the living room, Jenny looked grim as she typed furiously on the keyboard. Soon, all the information about the Dickmans was on the screen, ready for her perusal. She went through the data with a grave expression.Just like Alec had said, the Dickmans were at a different level than the Lawrences. It wouldn't be easy to take them down, but that didn't mean she would give up.Whoever wanted to mess with her needed to be ready for her revenge.…At Dickman Villa, Steven made a call to his father again. "Dad, what's Alec Faust up to? How would I have known about his relationship with that woman? Also, I technically didn't do anything to her."Then, he urged his father, "Alright! Go ask him now! If I have to stay at home longer, I'll go mad!"After hanging up, he gave it some thought and decided that his father's promise wasn't good enough. He made another call.Not long after,
As Jenny drove out from the parking lot, Steven met up with Yvonne at the airport. He pointed in Jenny's direction and said, "She's that woman.""She does look attractive," Yvonne remarked and nodded."I looked into Jenny Walter—she's a doctor at Parrington Hospital and has a good reputation." He smirked, looking unbothered. Yvonne was surprised. "Oh! She's not just a Barbie doll, then."Right. Alec would never fall for a Barbie doll.While driving, Steven muttered nervously, "Alec called away the bodyguards at the entrance this morning. I think he's done putting me under house arrest."That should have been a good news, but Steven felt uneasy about the sudden change. Hence, the first thing he did after he was free was to hurriedly fetch Yvonne from the airport."He's about to make a move on our family." She stared at her phone screen, which was showing their free-falling stock price since the morning. Alec must have had something to do with this.Steven was slightly taken aback
"Mr. Faust, Dickman LLC's stock has reached the price limit," Over at Faust Group, Vincent handed Alec a tablet. Alec took a glance and nodded with satisfaction. "Keep an eye on them. Whatever project they're after, I want it too.""Yes, sir." Vincent nodded and silently prayed for Dickman LLC, whose owners were in hot water after Steven offended Alec.He wanted to speak but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened the door and was shocked by who he saw. "M-Miss Dickman!""It's been a while, Vincent." She smiled at him and asked, "Is Alec in?""Yes, he is." Vincent turned around to steal a glance at Alec. Yvonne strolled into the office, smiling from ear to ear as she looked at the man behind the desk. They hadn't seen each other for some time, but Alec remained as handsome as ever."Alec," she called. He frowned but remained unemotional. "Why are you here?""Work's not too busy. I thought I should visit home," she explained, unconcerned about what Alec was feeling. "S
Alec struck Yvonne as unfamiliar. Two years away from home, and she felt like she had left for a decade. She could barely recognize the man in front of her."I'll have him apologize to you in person and promise you that he wouldn't do it again," she offered out of desperation when she realized Alec would not let this slip. Still, he refused to accept the suggestion and said, "He shouldn't be apologizing to me."Her expression froze in disbelief. "You're telling him to apologize to that woman?""Shouldn't it be so?" he questioned with a cold expression and frosty tone. Yvonne thought Jenny was undeserving of such treatment and almost blurted out her thoughts, but she caught herself on time. Whatever was in Alec's mind, he clearly cared about the woman at this moment, and she couldn't get on his bad side.A short silence later, she nodded. "He should. I'll get him to come over for an apology. But what about her…""I'll relay it to her. It's up to her whether or not to accept the apology.
Alec stopped looking out the window, but he didn't answer immediately."Yvonne, what do you think love is?" he suddenly asked. It had nothing to do with her question.Shocked, she stared at him in disbelief. "Do you love her?""I don't know," Alec answered, shaking his head. He truly didn't know. "I was just curious about her at first. But later… I don't even know what is going on right now."Holding a cup of coffee in his hand, he spoke slowly to her. However, each word landed heavily on Yvonne's heart, piercing it like knives.It took a long time for Yvonne to respond. Suppressing her fear, she finally replied, "You told me before that you don't believe in love and that love is fake.""Yes, I did," Alec admitted. He believed his still heart wouldn't be pounding this hard if it weren't for Jenny."Alec, perhaps you're confused." As Alec watched her, she explained, "You think you're in love with her, but maybe you're just curious about her.""That makes sense." He nodded, ackno
Jenny remained quiet throughout his apology, watching them like they were part of a play. When the three of them turned to look at her, Jenny smiled softly, saying, "Since you're so sincere, I have no choice but to accept your apology, Mr. Dickman.""If you're not happy with it, you don't have to accept it," Alec said.Jenny shook her head. "I'm happy. After all, it's not easy for Mr. Dickman to apologize."She heard Steven let out a soft snort, and she assumed that he must be agreeing with her. Suddenly, Jenny looked at the siblings before her with renewed interest."I'm going to the restroom," Steven announced, looking at the coffee stains all over his shirt resentfully.Yvonne nodded and told him to hurry back. Finally, she turned to Jenny, saying, "You're lucky that Alec stood up for you, Miss Walter. Not everyone gets to enjoy a privilege like that."Despite the hint of sarcasm in her words, Jenny's expression didn't change. Alec, however, was a little agitated."Yvonne, sh
"Why did you force yourself to accept his apology?" Alec asked softly.With a chuckle, Jenny answered, "Well, as you said, the Dickmans are not the Lawrences, so there's nothing I can do about it. Can I really refuse their apology?""I can help you," he said.Jenny cast him a strange look, as if he were a monster, and then backed away from him. "She's your childhood sweetheart. Is it right for you to turn around and do this to her?""We're just friends," Alec said seriously. "She's not my childhood sweetheart."However, Jenny didn't seem to care. "There's no need to tell me, Mr. Faust. As I said before, it has nothing to do with me.""Jenny—""Alec!" Yvonne cried, helping Steven out of the restroom. "Steven was attacked."Steven was sporting a bruised nose on his swollen face. The swelling of his face made him look just like a pig. Jenny covered her mouth, resisting the urge to laugh aloud.As Steven came to his senses, he pointed at Jenny and roared, "It was you! You're th
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