In reality, Noah would never do something that gross. He'd just spilled water on Xavier's pants by mistake. Pretending to wipe it off, he said, "Mom says being a stepfather is harder than being a real dad. Don't be mad at me. I'll wipe it clean for you."The crowd almost burst into laughter. Even the usually stern Clifford nearly lost his composure. But he kept his wits about him. Where had this child come from? Was he really Xavier's son?As Clifford was about to inquire, Malcolm, sitting next to him, looked shocked. "Zac, what did you call Uncle Xav?"Zachary?Noah dropped the act, his big eyes looking straight at Malcolm. "I'm not Zac; I'm Noah Lander. Mr. Xavier and Mom are together, so he's going to be my stepdad soon."Malcolm was stunned by this. The boy looked the same—so why wasn't he Zachary? He studied Noah closely. The only difference was that the boy in front of him seemed paler and didn't speak as seriously as Zachary.Upon hearing this, Clifford was even mo
Today, Lane Mansion was livelier than ever before.Malcolm's little face turned red as he angrily pointed at Noah.The others exchanged glances, shocked that Marlene had said such things to the child in private.Marlene felt embarrassed. "Malcolm, don't talk nonsense. I only said that Uncle Xav's wife isn't around, so they don't have children."Malcolm, a mere child, couldn't fathom the complexities of adult conversation. He promptly countered, "That's not true. Mom, didn't you say before that Uncle Xav wasn't normal and couldn't have children?"Marlene wished she could smack her son. "You misheard me."Malcolm didn't care. He ran to Clifford, grabbing his hand. "Great-Grandpa, chase this feral boy away. He's not one of us at all. He's only here to swindle me out of my rightful inheritance."He pointed menacingly at Noah. "I'm the future heir of the Lanes! Don't even think about it. I'll kill you if you try! Believe me!"Noah's mouth was covered as he watched Malcolm, the brat,
Xavier froze in place. "Yvvy…""There's no need to explain. You're right." Yvette wasn't angry, but she felt a sense of relief. She knew Xavier couldn't have suddenly figured out the truth."But I won't use your money to raise Noah and Zac. Don't worry." She didn't lack the means to raise two children.Xavier wasn't referring to material support when he said he was raising sons for another man. He wanted to explain but didn't know where to start."Let's go back." Yvette stepped forward to take Noah's hand.Noah let out a silent sigh. Yvette was way too accommodating. Noah won't let himself be exploited by his bastard father. "Mom, I'm so tired. Can we rest here for a bit before going back?" Noah pretended to look weak. "I don't think I can ride in the car now."Yvette immediately crouched down to check on him. "What's wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?"Noah shook his head. "Maybe it's because Mr. Xavier carried me like that earlier. It made me dizzy. I feel awful. I want
Xavier finally understood what was going on. "I told the staff beforehand to leave everything exactly as it was. Not a single item, not even the position of a pen, was to be altered. Everything else depends on my memory."Yvette looked around after hearing that. Indeed, everything was in perfect order, without any changes. Even so, she couldn't help but admire him. Even if everyone else went blind, Xavier was the kind of person who could navigate. Some people were just born to lead."You're amazing," she said sincerely.It had been a long time since Xavier had been praised by Yvette. Her sudden compliment caught him off guard, and a smile crept onto his face. He tightened his grip on her hand."Silly." The air crackled with unspoken attraction.Yvette's face inexplicably flushed. "Let go. I'm going to... mop the floor.""Okay." Xavier obediently released her hand.Yvette's palm grew warm and clammy under his grasp. Without giving it a second thought, she grabbed a mop and quic
Back inside the house, Xavier looked furious. No man wouldn't mind his wife having an affair. However, it had already happened. Unless he could turn back time, there was nothing he could do about it.At that moment, he just wanted to keep Yvette by his side. As for Zachary and Noah, he could force himself to accept them. However, he wanted Claude to stay abroad.Yvette didn't know what was on Xavier's mind and thought he'd only accepted Noah and Zachary because of his amnesia.Noah hadn't been sleeping at all, so when he'd heard the commotion downstairs, he'd secretly taken a look. He'd thought Shannon had been too fierce. However, he'd been ecstatic when Xavier had been reprimanded."Mom." He pretended to rub his eyes like he'd just woken up.When Yvette heard him, she looked up at him. "Why are you awake?""I woke up when I heard someone talking." He walked downstairs as he spoke."I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep," said Yvette."It's fine." After coming downstairs, he sat
"Where are we going now?" Xavier couldn't help asking when he felt the car moving."Well, the festival is here. Naturally, we need to have some fun." In the past, Tristan and the others would always spend their time at Empire Club."Tell your driver to turn back." Xavier thought there really was something important. He still had to accompany Yvette at home.When Tristan heard that, he had no choice but to tell Matt to turn the car around. "Are you going to spend time with Yvette again?"He'd stopped calling Yvette "Deaf Yvvy" and started calling her by her name. Xavier wasn't surprised by that and answered with his own question. "What do you think?"After saying that, he added, "You should accompany your woman as well."Kiki was Yvette's best friend. If Tristan could get along well with her, Xavier's relationship with Yvette would definitely improve.Upon hearing Kiki's name, Tristan became unwilling to go home. "Well, I'm going back with you to visit Yvette."Xavier was speech
Tristan's hand froze in midair for a while before he pulled it back. "I…" Yvette didn't wait for him to finish his words and returned inside the house. He still wanted to apologize to her, but Xavier pulled him back. "What are you doing, Xav?"Xavier said calmly, "You can apologize next time."It was a festive day, and he didn't want Tristan to ruin it for him. When Tristan heard that, he figured he should also take it slow. "Sure."He'd wanted to see Noah at first, but now it seemed better for him to leave for now. "Well, I'm heading back now. I'll visit again next time.""Yeah."Then, Tristan left in his car.After Yvette entered the house, she got back on the couch and continued reading. When she saw Xavier entering the house after a short while, she couldn't help asking, "When you said you had to step out, was it because of Tristan?"That was why Xavier had been afraid that Tristan would ruin the day for him. After hearing Yvette ask him about it, Xavier immediately denied
Jeremiah hadn't looked away from Yvette since she'd arrived. He got up and greeted, "Xav. Yvette."She politely smiled at him. When Zoey saw that, she was furious. She suppressed the anger in her and greeted them as well, "Yvette. Xavier."Xavier ignored her. After Yvette sat down, he sat next to her. Since there were other people around, Yvette didn't want to humiliate Zoey. So, she answered the latter with a hum.When Zoey got back in her seat, she purposely grabbed Jeremiah's arm. "Jerry, Xavier and Yvette's son sure is adorable."Jeremiah froze, and he looked disgusted. He quietly removed her hand from his arm and looked at Noah. As he'd expected, Noah looked exactly like Xavier.Shannon also kept her eyes on Noah when they entered the room. Although Yvette had said that Noah wasn't Xavier's son, she still didn't believe it.If the children truly belonged to Claude, why would one stay with Yvette while the other stayed with Kiki? Also, Zachary's last name was Snyder, and it d
When Yvette heard what Jeremiah said, she shook her head, saying, "I always thought he didn't love me, but it was only after he repeatedly put himself in danger to save me that I realized he had feelings for me."I originally planned to stay with him just because of the kids, but somehow, over time, I started to like him a little."As Jeremiah listened, his gentle eyes held indecipherable emotions in them.What Yvette was talking about could be summed up in a few words—she developed feelings over time.He suddenly started coughing heavily."Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Yvette asked.Jeremiah waved his hand. Once his coughing had eased a bit, he picked up his flask and took a sip of warm water. "It's nothing, just an old issue," he said.As he spoke, the driver drove into the estate.This area was quite remote, with people stationed all around. If there was any sign of activity or disturbance, Jeremiah would know about it immediately."This is it. Let's go,
"Understood. I'll go over right now," Yvette replied.After Yvette followed Jackie upstairs, Marlene scoffed. "How shameless. Has she forgotten that Jeremiah is Xavier's brother?"Jeana also came over to snoop around."Marlene, why bother getting upset over someone like her? She's long lost all sense of shame."Marlene was in a great mood after hearing someone else criticize Yvette alongside her."Jeana, don't worry. In a few days, I'll speak well of you in front of Grandpa. Since Xavier is divorced, he needs a woman by his side to take charge."Jeana looked gratefully at her, "Thank you, Marlene."Right now, Jeana felt especially grateful, but she didn't realize that soon, she would deeply regret it.…Meanwhile, Yvette arrived at the CEO's office on the top floor. After knocking and receiving permission, Yvette entered the office.Jeremiah was sitting in front of his computer, deeply engrossed in his work. When he heard her enter, he looked up at her.Yvette dressed simply
After Xavier was taken away, Tristan and Mark frantically searched everywhere but couldn't find Jeremiah, that lunatic.The main problem was that they were both seriously injured and could only rely on their subordinates to find help."If something happens to Xav, I will never forgive myself." Tristan felt especially guilty, wondering why he hadn't been more cautious.He had been too arrogant.Mark, being a bit more rational than him, said, "Mr. Shaw, since we haven't heard any bad news about Mr. Lane, I assume everything is fine with him.""What do you mean?" Tristan asked."If I were Jeremiah and wanted to frame us for Mr. Lane's death, I definitely wouldn't drag it out," Mark replied.Both of them were currently in a lot of pain, and even simple conversations were very difficult for them.So, after talking for a bit, they took another break.Unfortunately, Mark's phone kept persistently ringing. He saw that Lillian was calling, but he didn't dare answer. He was worried that
Jeremiah gradually tightened his grip. Once Xavier died, he could claim that Tristan and Mark were responsible for secretly harming Xavier.No one knew what kind of surgery they had performed on Xavier, only that it ultimately led to his death."Xavier, don't blame me. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself. You just had to fight with me over everything," Jeremiah said as he covered Xavier's mouth and nose. "When I met Yvvy, I thought I finally had something you didn't, but even she was taken away by you."It's bad enough you took her from me, but you won't even let me move on! Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see you two together every day, especially knowing she's pregnant with your children?"Jeremiah's eyes were slightly reddened."Now, it's all good. With you gone from this world, I'll take good care of Yvette for you."He seemed to have deliberately emphasized the word "Yvette". He didn't know if Xavier was aware of it, but it just felt incredibly satisfying!
Yvette saw that the call was disconnected and decided not to worry about Xavier anymore.…On the other end, Mark stood outside the ICU ward. Up until now, Xavier still hadn't woken up.Tristan came over and checked all the indicators. "There's nothing wrong, so why hasn't he woken up yet?""Mr. Shaw, do you think Mr. Lane might never wake up?" There was a look of concern in Mark's eyes as he asked that. He couldn't believe that the person he had always followed would leave in such a way."Don't overthink it," Tristan said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.Suddenly, there was a noise from the outside."Who are you? This is a private hospital. No one else is allowed to be here.""How can you resort to violence?"There was the sound of things clattering, followed by the cries of pain from those in a fight.Tristan frowned. "Who is it? Do they have a death wish?"Mark was also in disbelief. Shortly afterward, they finally saw clearly who was approaching them.Jeremiah was s
Over at Snyder Residence, Yvette was woken up early by Kiki, who also informed her that there were negative rumors about Zoey circulating online."Yvvy, see, I told you that the media wouldn't easily let Zoey off the hook."Yvette read through them again.However, these news stories disappeared not long after they were published.While eating breakfast, Kiki frowned and said, "The speed at which trending articles change is just too fast.""That's the benefit of having money," Yvette said.Even the children knew about the trending articles being removed.Zachary had originally wanted to hack in further to make Zoey's news trend more frequently. Unfortunately, it seems they had figured out about the hacking attempts, so they fortified their firewall and posted someone to monitor the situation.If he hacked in again, there was a chance he might expose himself.Zachary decided to back off and settled for teaching Zoey a small lesson.…Yara was to be laid to rest today.Yvette
"We've found her, and we're currently figuring out how to obtain her biological sample," Elijah replied.Zoey was really anxious. She said, "Great. Once you've got it, come back as soon as you can.""Okay."Zoey hung up the phone and laid down to rest, but she just couldn't fall asleep.If Xandra really was Gemma's daughter, given Gemma's doting and overprotective nature, she would want to give half of everything she owned to Xandra.No, it wasn't just half. By then, Zoey might end up with nothing, and everything would go to Xandra.Zoey had a rough night and didn't sleep well, but fortunately, Elijah sent a message saying everything had been arranged. They were coming back today, so they could move forward with the examination earlier than planned.Just as things got settled over at Zoey's, online articles started trending elsewhere."Zoey Yandell is suspected to be the biological daughter of Yara Cadwell.""Zoey Yandell is unwilling to acknowledge her biological mother in or
"Fine, then. What a pity," Kiki said as she put down her phone.Yvette reassured her, saying, "There's nothing to feel bad about. What happened today was a warning to Zoey that I'm not someone to be messed with."Kiki nodded, saying, "Yes."They all understood that as long as Zoey was the Zelnik family's daughter, she would always have someone to protect her.Kiki said, "Gemma treats her adopted daughter so well. If she had her own kids, they'd definitely be happy too.""Yes, indeed."Yvette admired Zoey for having such a supportive mother who stood by her no matter what happened.Kiki asked, "Yvvy, have you ever thought about finding your biological mother?"She suddenly realized that many parents who abandoned their children might have done so because they had no other choice, or perhaps they did so for other reasons.Yvette shook her head. "I don't want to be disappointed again."Parents who could abandon their daughter at the orphanage probably didn't love her very much.
Kiki nodded and said, "Yes, it's them. They're incredibly arrogant. Just thinking about it still makes me really angry."Yvette picked up her phone and made a call. A bodyguard that was stationed nearby answered her.Kiki overheard her telling the person on the phone to isolate a few of them and beat them up."What do you mean?"Kiki still didn't understand what was happening.The driver started the car and drove them to a secluded location.Kiki then realized that all the people who had previously pushed her were now being cornered and beaten up."Yvvy, this is...""I can tolerate it if they bully me, but I can't stand it when they bully you," Yvette said, enunciating each word clearly.Kiki felt moved. She hugged Yvette tightly, saying, "Yvvy, you're amazing! My true love!"Yvette couldn't help but laugh. "Dummy. You're my best friend. You stood by me, so of course, I'll stand by you."She was no longer the person she once was, with nothing to her name. Yvette now had weal