"Let us now quieten down and anticipate the rendition of 'Goodnight,' a duet between Ms. Lyon and Henry."As Yaslyn made her unhurried approach to the piano, the ambiance in the venue hushed down to an appreciative silence. Henry appeared taken aback as the opening notes were struck, not anticipating Yaslyn's adeptness with the piano.Absorbed fully in the performance, he sang with a fervor that matched her playing. Despite the absence of rehearsals and prior collaborations, the duo managed to deliver a perfectly synced performance.Henry, clutching his microphone, glanced at Yaslyn in her black dress, causing a flutter of excitement among some fans.From the audience, Zaylee could not hide her amusement. "I never expected Yaslyn to play so well. Judging by her skill, she must be above the eighth grade. Their performance seems quite well-matched—one on the piano, the other singing."Although her words echoed appreciation, resentment simmered beneath Zaylee's superficial composure.
The next day, Yaslyn was up and about early. It was her day with Yerick. He was a physician and the head of Hayes Hospital. With its five members, the Warren family was indeed full of extraordinary individuals. Yerick, at such a young age, was already a hospital director.Yerick may have appeared gentle and refined, but he was not much of a talker. Yaslyn, despite being with the Warren family for a few days, had barely exchanged more than a few words with him. They drove to the hospital together."I have two surgeries scheduled today, so I'll be quite busy. Stay in the office, and if you want to go out, remember to bring your bodyguard," Yerick told her.Yaslyn simply nodded.She spent the morning playing games, but Yerick's surgeries did not end. Driven by extreme boredom, Yaslyn decided to leave the hospital and take a stroll. She did not see Yerick again when she returned home that evening and not until the following day when it was her turn with Marcus.Marcus, the youngest of
"Really? Who are you? Does Marcus even know you? Who do you think you are?"The woman's face stiffened before breaking into a cold laugh. "Since you have the audacity to follow Marcus to school, we need to teach you a lesson."Marcus was somewhat reluctant to intervene after learning that Yaslyn was cornered in the restroom. He would not have been bothered if it were not for his father's sake.However, when he arrived at the restroom, he was stunned. Skylar Larson and her crew, notorious bullies in the school thanks to their privileged backgrounds, made an embarrassingly hasty exit. Some with handprints on their faces, others with their hair disheveled...Marcus's mouth twitched.Yaslyn emerged, unhurried and unscathed, still wearing her black t-shirt from this morning, her high ponytail signifying youth and style."They…"Marcus glanced at the retreating figures of Skylar and her group."They wanted to hit me, so I hit them."To his knowledge, Skylar had practiced martial art
"Marcus, call the police. I'll handle the rest," Xoan instructed.Marcus calmed down when he suddenly thought of Yaslyn swiftly smashing a bottle over someone's head at the bar the other night. He figured she would not let herself get taken advantage of."Got it," Marcus replied confidently.Marcus knew about his big brother's tendency to take swift action, but he was annoyed by the trouble Yaslyn had caused.Xoan drove to the school and checked the security footage of the school compound. He finally spotted Yaslyn in the footage at five in the evening.She entered the school store and came out with a black bag before heading toward the public restroom with a person in blue not far behind her. That was the last place she was seen. His gaze hardened as he immediately went there with his men.It was six in the evening, and there were only a few people around. As Xoan's men approached, they clearly heard deranged female laughter coming from inside."Hahaha! Why aren't you strug
Xoan went to the hospital room again the next morning."The hardworking eldest young master abandoned his work just to see me. I'm truly flattered!"Yaslyn smiled and handed him an orange slice. "This orange is really sweet. Want one?"When he did not accept her offer, Yaslyn popped it into her mouth. "Suit yourself.""Dad told me to come take care of you. Don't read too much into it," Xoan said."Oh, I'm not thinking much," Yaslyn said, displeased.Xoan pursed his lips and pondered for a moment. "I have a question. How did you break the San Jose Valley record when you're from a small town? How did you get access to race cars?"The woman was too mysterious. She came from an ordinary background, but she kept doing unexpected things.Yaslyn finished the last orange slice, smiling as she wiped her mouth. She casually explained, "It's just something to pass the time when I'm bored. Why do you care?"Xoan's mind raced when he saw how nonchalant she was.First, it was her connectio
"Xoan!" Marcus exclaimed indignantly.However, Xoan held the highest position in the Warren Group, so Marcus could not refute and could only silently clench his fists.Yaslyn smiled kindly. "I doubt that my employment in the Warren Group will affect you. Besides, you're a brat who hasn't grown up yet."Marcus completely lost it when he heard her response. "You wretch! Did you use a magic potion to befuddle my dad? You'll only bring trouble! Who knows what havoc you'll wreak when you enter the company?! Also, I'm already eighteen years old. Eighteen!""Okay, okay. You're a grown-up."Yaslyn could not be bothered to argue with a mere brat.In any case, it was already decided that she would join the company. No matter how annoyed Marcus was, he could only accept reality.Xoan knocked on Yaslyn's door early the next morning and took her along to work.He placed Yaslyn in the design department as an ordinary employee.She smiled and greeted her colleagues around her. As she sat dow
For the past two days, Yessica would hurry off with a disheartened expression whenever she saw Yaslyn. However, upon seeing Yessica's ominous gaze, Yaslyn felt she was brewing something big.In the company lounge, Yaslyn coincidentally met Sheldon drinking coffee. He winked at her and jokingly said, "I heard that Xoan punished Yessica for you. You're quite an important woman."Sensing the sarcasm in his words, Yaslyn felt uncomfortable but remained calm on the surface. "What? Are you, the Vice President, jealous that I snatched away your big brother's favor?"Sheldon froze for a moment."I'm merely returning the joke since you started it."Yaslyn calmly took a cup of coffee and leisurely savored a sip. She was seldom defeated in verbal sparring matches.Aside from her, no one had bested him in a battle of wits. She was the first.Intrigued, he said, "We'll see."As Sheldon left with his coffee, Yaslyn noticed his back was similar to Xoan's and fell deep into thought.As expect
Xoan was doubtful. "What evidence do you have to support her plagiarism?""The creative concept for this design is taken from Anny, a student from a renowned international university. This country bumpkin obviously plagiarized her!" Yessica exclaimed through gritted teeth as she handed over the evidence she fabricated.Yaslyn glared at Yessica."I can't believe Yaslyn was faking it all along!""It's fine if she can't come up with something, but plagiarizing is unacceptable!""How can someone like this remain in our company?"Whispers buzzed around as Xoan looked at Yaslyn. Her confidence made him feel extremely assured, as if he was certain it was not Yaslyn's fault.Still, he wanted to hear her response."Yaslyn, do you have anything to say?"Yaslyn smiled and nodded. "You're right. I did borrow some creative ideas. You're quite observant."Yessica felt she was guaranteed victory and became arrogant."Take a look at this country bumpkin. She was useless back then, and now s
Whitey glanced back and forth between them, shaking her head. "You two are a mystery."Suddenly, Doniel stood and waved Whitey over. "Hey, Whitey. Come here for a second."Confused but compliant, Whitey walked over.In a swift move, Doniel took her hand. With a smug look at Matheo, he announced, "I'm taking Whitey off your hands for a bit."Matheo's expression turned steely. "What's your game?""Don't sweat it, she'll be back soon."With that, Doniel led Whitey out.They reached a more secluded spot before Doniel finally released her hand. "Whitey, you're not hurt, right?"Whitey shook her head, twirling in front of him to prove her point. "See? I'm totally fine."Doniel reached out and gently tapped her forehead. "Someone hit you, didn't they? Your face is still swollen, and here you are, telling me it's nothing."Whitey playfully stuck out her tongue. "I just didn't want you to worry. Besides, I'm not the one who got seriously hurt. It was Matheo.""I know. Matheo really d
"Don't make that call!" Whitey screamed in a panic.A harsh slap struck her face as the ringleader yelled, "Shut it, woman! Who said you could talk?"The man, not satisfied after hitting her, gave in to his fury and kicked her. However, before he knew it, Matheo, who was standing nearby, had silently moved behind him. Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed as Matheo snapped the man's fingers with raw force.Matheo wrapped his arms around Whitey and quickly retreated."I can't take it! I'm done. I don't want anything else. Just do it!"The ringleader was seething with rage, the throbbing in his fingers ruining his will to fight Matheo.A few thugs had been itching for a reason to go after Matheo, and they wasted no time grabbing their weapons and launching an assault.Matheo fought back while dragging Whitey out of harm's way, but as the fight dragged on, he started losing ground.A vicious knife cut to Matheo's leg sent him tumbling down with a grunt."Matheo!"Whitey crouched beside
Whitey shook her head. She did not have a clue, and even if she could guess, she did not know what to do about it."I was actually about to..."Before Matheo could finish, a deafening crash rang out.Startled, Whitey clapped her hands over her ears. Matheo wrapped her in his arms and glanced at the rear window.A random stone had shattered the car's back glass, leaving a gaping hole.The chaos erupted out of nowhere, catching both of them off guard. They had been deep in conversation when suddenly, a line of cars barricaded the road, trapping them.Matheo gently patted her head, a silent plea for calm.Whitey, frantic, nodded and fumbled for her phone, only to find it had mysteriously powered down."Stay put in the car and don't worry," Matheo said, handing her his phone."If things go south, call the cops, call anyone."He was ready to step out and face the unknown threat head-on.Whitey protested. "Matheo, we don't know what we're dealing with. Don't just rush out there."
Whitey was back to her usual routine—classes by day, radio station by night. However, she had a luxury she did not have previously. A private car service, ensuring her safety was never in question.Doniel's lips were sealed, not breathing a word of her injury to anyone. Except for Matheo, who had somehow stumbled upon the secret.That night, after her radio gig, Whitey stepped out expecting to see the familiar pink sports car tucked away in its usual spot. However, it was nowhere in sight.Moreover, he had not even bothered to call her. A knot of worry formed in her stomach. Did something happen to him?Whitey had called his number three, maybe four times, but got nothing.As she was wrestling with her thoughts, a familiar yet unsettling figure approached her.Matheo.Why was he there?Nobody knew about Whitey's job at the radio station except Doniel."Doniel's tied up today, so I'm your ride," Matheo said.Alarm bells rang in Whitey's head. How did Matheo know about Doniel
The nurse nodded, gesturing for Doniel to give them some space.Once the bandaging was complete, Doniel returned with a treat—Whitey's beloved chocolate cupcakes."For you. Why didn't you say it hurt? He was so rough, and yet you asked me not to hold it against him."Whitey, her mouth full of frosting, mumbled a reply. "It's not that bad. Besides, you two are usually on good terms. Why fight over pointless things because of me?"Doniel tapped her head gently. "You're such a goof. What are you even talking about? Meaningless things?""I just thought that you two grew up together, so it'd be a shame to fall out over something so small, right?"Doniel huffed, "I never really cared for him, you know.""Okay, let's figure out a plan B. This mess means I might be stuck in the hospital longer, so I'm counting on you to smooth things over back home."Doniel looked at her with a teasing grin. "Relax, I've got this."Somehow, Whitey could always pick up a strange vibe from his smile, an
Whitey was injured, and Doniel rushed her to the hospital that very night. It was just a slash on her arm, but Doniel was beside himself with worry.Watching Whitey grit her teeth through the stitching, Doniel's face turned a shade of stormy gray. "I'll track down that driver's family if it's the last thing I do!"Whitey winced in pain, but seeing Doniel's fury, she tried to soothe him. "Really, it's not so bad."Doniel looked at her bandaged arm. "Thirteen stitches, Whitey. If you're not in pain, I'm in pain for both of us."Whitey was always the center of attention—a princess who was doted on from the day she was born. She had never experienced an injury as severe as that. As Doniel reached for his phone to call Whitey's parents, she quickly stopped him with a hand gesture, wincing as she accidentally grazed her wound, "Please don't call them. They'll just scold me again if they find out.""I told you to let me drive you home. Now, look at what happened because you didn't li
Whitey gripped the edge of her skirt, a new kind of worry blooming in her chest.'What if Matheo was…'She shuddered at the thought, her mind a garden where fears grew into giant oaks, so tall and dark that they scared her.Looking up again, Whitey's eyes widened as she noticed the taxi had taken a wrong turn, heading into unfamiliar territory.In the rearview mirror, she caught a glimpse of the driver's unsettling smirk.Taking a cab late at night was proving to be a bad idea, her heart racing with fear. If only she had accepted a ride from Doniel, none of that would happen. Regret washed over her as she scrambled for her phone, desperate to call for help.Sensing her panic, the driver floored it to a secluded spot and then abruptly stopped the car.Whitey's head snapped forward, hitting the seat, and as the world spun, her phone slipped from her grasp. Then, the driver was toying with her phone, his grin wide and wicked."Planning to call the cops or a friend, sweetheart?""
As time swiftly marched on, three years went by.Whitey nailed her entrance exam into the top university in Jefferson City—Jefferson City University.As for the others, Caleb turned 30, tied the knot, had kids, and took control of Sheldon's international ventures. He and his family packed up and moved overseas, while the rest stayed back."Thanks for tuning into 'Moonlit Wishes,' your go-to spot for all things heartfelt. I'm your host, Macie."At the stroke of ten, Macie's soothing voice filled the evening airwaves."Let's hear from our first caller tonight. Hey there, sir, what's on your mind?"Macie's voice was soothing, soft yet strong enough to coax secrets from the most guarded of hearts."Here's the thing, Macie. I've been head over heels for this girl, but she's always kept me at arm's length, saying I haven't done enough. However, today, I caught her in another guy's arms. What gives?"The man's voice quivered with barely concealed tears, slurred slightly by alcohol.M
"So, just because you're into him, you decide to set me up? How does that make any sense?"Whitey could not help but find her logic almost laughable."Because I noticed he always had a soft spot for you, jealousy clouded my judgment, and that's why I..."Jade inhaled deeply, as if bracing herself for what was to come. "Well, you've uncovered the truth, so there's no point in hiding anything. Punish me however you see fit."What was the point in pleading guilty then?Jade stood there, a mix of defiance and dignity, stubborn even in the face of her mistake.Whitey was not looking to lay blame. "I'm not going to take this to the principal, and I won't breathe a word of it to anyone else. However, as of today, our friendship is done. I'll find a new place to sit when we get back."Whitey let out a tired sigh. "There's something else you should know. He's got a girlfriend now."Jade's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, are you two an item now?""No, I'm not the one he's dating."Wi