Xavier felt nothing when he heard Noah's whining—neither fondness nor irritation. He just thought a boy Noah's age should be doing more meaningful things than acting like a baby."I'm not going," he stated. He was busy with the acquisition of Yandell Group.Noah just then realized that his bastard father might be dumber than he appeared. Although he was tempted to give up on trying, he held back his disappointment. "Alright, it's okay if you're not coming. Mr. Aaron and Mr. Septer will be there, and we'll set up tents together and eat together. Mr. Aaron loves Mom's cooking."Aaron? Xavier was puzzled and quietly wondered, "Who's this new guy?""I'll be there the day after tomorrow." Xavier interrupted before Noah could say anything else.Noah's big, round eyes lit up instantly. "Really?""Yes. Sleep early." With that, Xavier hung up.Only then did Noah lie down to sleep peacefully. Lately, his body hadn't been hurting as much. The thought of camping with his family made him e
Kiki sighed. She’d already known that a super handsome guy would join them on the camping trip. With Tristan along for the ride, how was she supposed to boldly flirt with the handsome man?"Well, it's fine; the more the merrier," Yvette remarked. Since Archibald was so eager to pair Tristan and Kiki together, as Kiki's friend, Yvette didn't want to sabotage that."Are you all going to ride together?" she asked."Mom, I'll ride with you and Noah," Zachary replied. He was fully aware that if he rode with Kiki, he would have to hear the endless bickering between her and Tristan on the way."Yvvy, I want to ride with you too," Kiki chimed in. Then she called out to Tristan, "You drive yourself; we'll take one car."Tristan frowned at Kiki's request. "Got it," he replied.Once Kiki and Zachary got in the car, the three women quickly began chatting, growing familiar with one another in no time. The drive to Mount Maple took over two hours.Aaron had sent them the location early th
"Aaron, I used to listen to your songs all the time. Your voice is amazing! Could you give me an autograph?" Kiki gushed, starstruck.Aaron smiled, "Of course. We can also exchange contacts. You're Yvvy's friends, so you're my friends too.""Sure!"Kiki and Lillian were so excited that they almost jumped with joy.Seeing that they were getting along with Aaron, Yvette stepped aside to take photos of Noah and Zachary.Zachary, wearing a The Simpsons outfit Yvette had bought for him, looked rather sullen."Zac, smile, smile," Yvette reminded him.Noah tugged on an elephant on Zachary's clothes. "Zac, smile."Zachary's expression only became more sour as he forced a reluctant smile. His expression was in stark contrast to Noah's bright grin next to him."Alright, let's try another pose."Yvette loved taking pictures of the two little ones.After a few shots, she couldn't resist calling Ray over. "Ray, come here and take a photo with Noah and Zac."Yvette considered Ray more th
"Are you okay?" Aaron asked.Lillian's cheeks flushed as she shook her head. "I'm fine."It was hard not to blush when faced with someone so handsome. She tried to reassure herself by thinking that Mark was handsome too. Little did she know that Mark and Xavier were already on their way. In fact, they were driving up to the spot where she was standing.On the way, Mark had been explaining to Xavier, "He's just some celebrity—a fancy boy, really. With everything going on at the company lately, I've been too busy, and that allowed him to slip back from Akreelia without anyone noticing."Mark had said this calmly enough at first, but the moment they arrived at the foot of the hill and he saw his blushing fiancée in Aaron's arms, his gaze started to burn."Bastard!" Mark could hardly pay attention to Xavier anymore. "Mr. Lane, I need to take care of something. Could you wait for me for a moment?""Sure," Xavier replied.Mark then rushed out of the car, heading straight for Lillian
The tall and well-proportioned man was dressed in a well-tailored suit and exuded an imposing presence.Aaron watched as Xavier walked over. Even though Xavier couldn't see, Aaron still felt an inexplicable sense of pressure."Xav," Tristan called out."Yeah," Xavier responded with a simple acknowledgment.For some reason, as soon as Xavier arrived, the atmosphere instantly turned cold, and everyone seemed uneasy.Yvette was puzzled. At first, she'd thought Mark had come because he'd been worried about Lillian, but now it seemed like that wasn't the case. Since Aaron was present, Yvette couldn't directly question Xavier about why he had come.Instead, she suggested, "Should we find a place to rest for a bit?"Aaron quickly replied, "I've already booked a place at the inn not far ahead. But I didn't expect there to be so many people. We might have to squeeze in a bit.""No problem," Kiki, ever the fearless person, instructed, "Tristan, Mark, and Xavier, you're all extras. You
"Everyone, let's eat first," the owner announced.With that, the group went to the dining room on the first floor, where the dining table was filled with simple but appetizing home-cooked dishes.Aaron spoke up. "We'll eat here today. Tomorrow, we'll go hiking and camp in tents."The ladies were pleased with his arrangements.However, it wasn't long before exquisite dishes were sent up the mountain.Tristan said, "Aaron, we can't let you treat us all by yourself. I ordered some food to be brought up."With a smile, Aaron took off his mask, revealing his strikingly attractive face. "Alright, I'll make sure to enjoy myself as well."Tristan became even more convinced that he didn't like the sight of Aaron.After the meal, he quietly warned Xavier, saying, "Xav, you need to watch out. Aaron looks really..." Not knowing how to describe it, Tristan used Claude as a comparison. "He's even better looking than Claude. Also, he doesn't look a day older than 25."Xavier had never seen w
Upon hearing this, Xavier couldn't help but reply coldly, "They are my sons. Of course, I can be patient with them and will treat them well."Feeling reassured, Yvette continued to stay with the children.As night fell, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.Noah hugged Xavier's thigh, asking, "Stinky Dad, you can't go anywhere tonight. The four of us need to sleep together, okay?"As soon as he said that, everyone around turned to look at them.Before Xavier could respond, Zachary snapped, "Noah, are you a kid? Mr. Aaron has already arranged rooms for you and I. We're sleeping together."For some reason, Kiki chuckled when she heard Zachary call Noah a kid. "Zac, you're the same age as your little brother."Zachary shot her a glare. Seeing that, Kiki thought Zachary was becoming increasingly unlikable.Noah's eyes were teary as he pleaded, "I want to sleep with Mom and Dad. Zac, you're an adult, so you can sleep alone."Zachary felt like he was going to explode from anger.
"Are you asking for my help?" Yvette asked in return.Xavier was a proud man. Even when he needed help, he had to go about it in circles, not wanting to actually say the word "please".Xavier's thin lips pressed tightly together. After a long moment, he finally squeezed out one word. "Yes.""That's not how you ask for help. At least be polite. Try again—what do you want to ask me for?" Yvette seized this rare opportunity to make things difficult for him. It would be a disservice to the hurt she had suffered in the past if she let him off easily.Xavier now wanted nothing more than to dock Mark's pay for abandoning him with Yvette and leaving him on his own.He had mild OCD. Without washing up, there was no way he could sleep, especially since he was in an unfamiliar place. Besides, even if he didn't wash up, he would still need to use the bathroom.Yvette was clearly taking advantage of the situation."Please take me to wash up," Xavier uttered and immediately regretted it.H
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