Taken by surprise, Mrs. Bennet replied hesitantly, "Do we really need to be so resolute about it? Rachel is no longer a Bennet, after all..." Before Mrs. Bennet could finish, Rue sighed deliberately. "Mom, I know you still have a soft spot for her, but you should know that if this was exposed, the entire Bennet Group will be destroyed!" Upon hearing Rue's words, Mrs. Bennet stopped abruptly. Rue was right. In the beginning, they did not know Edward was the man whom Rachel had a one-night stand with! Since they had chased a pregnant Rachel away, Rue's replacement of her would have been the last straw. If this whole saga was exposed, Edward Bluemel's wrath would fall on the Bennet family and they would not be able to fend it. Between Rachel and the entire Bennet family, Mrs. Bennet would undoubtedly choose to save the Bennets. "Don't worry, Rue. I will take care of it." With Mrs. Bennet's promise, Rue exhaled in relief. "Mom, I didn’t wish for it to come down to this.
Mrs. Bennet tensed her jaw and persisted. "The incident about your premarital pregnancy was all over the news. So now that your sister has married the Bluemel family, her life hasn’t been the best..." Rachel smiled bitterly. "Wasn’t I the victim after it became a city-wide affair? How did your precious Rue get victimized?" Mrs. Bennet's hand slammed heavily onto the table in anger. "Rachel, don't forget you were the one responsible for the entire thing! You should've taken more responsibility in ensuring it didn't happen! It was you who had the scandal and affected your sister's future! Rue is the sole victim here!" Mrs. Bennet was so loud, her voice traveled to the corners of the cafe and attracted people's attention. Rachel shook her head in disappointment. 'Same old, same old!' In fact, it was funny to think that her parents did care for her..."Alright, she's the one you want to make into your heir, so Rue Bennet will always be a victim!" Slap— A crisp slap echoed in t
Mrs. Bennet had a bad feeling about the encounter. "What if I don't?" Rachel placed her chin on her hand and stared at Mrs. Bennet like she was watching a circus show. "Simple, we can just wait it out in here." She knew the Bennets. They loved their family assets more than anything in the world. If they were going to back her up into a corner, she had to retaliate by carving out their hearts to show them what that felt like. "Rachel! Don't be stubborn! You have to leave today, no matter what! I have even booked a plane ticket for you! You have to leave now!" In her desperation, Mrs. Bennet resorted to direct orders. However, Rachel was no longer as naive as she was before who would listen to everything her mom said. Seeing that Mrs. Bennet had already pulled out the air ticket from her pocket, Rachel applauded her. Even the applause itself was full of mockery. "Nice, very nice. You have prepared everything from the start! You’ve even anticipated my compliance to leave
Jodie pursed her lips but still managed to squeeze out a rigid smile. "I guess that's fine, it's a rare opportunity! But Rachel, when are you planning to leave?" Rachel looked at the apartment with a few things of her own and said laughing, "Tomorrow, might as well." As Rachel spoke, Jodie leaped up from the sofa. "Rachel, you unthankful bird! Do you really need to rush off just like that?!" "Yeah, but don't worry, I'll be back." Facing Rachel's serious face, Jodie swallowed everything she had wanted to say to her best friend. The night fell quickly, but the baby was the only one sound asleep, while both Rachel and Jodie stayed up the entire night for different reasons. The next day, a puffy-eyed Jodie scowled begrudgingly at Rachel who was about to board her flight. When the airport announcement recited Rachel's flight code, she turned around and began to walk away with the baby in her arms. Unable to hold back, Jodie yelled at Rachel from behind. "Rachel! You promis
Ziggy opened his mouth once again and uttered, "Aunt Jodie." Seeing that Jodie was almost at her limit, Ziggy reached out and patted her on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Aunt Jodie? You're my unique, one-of-a-kind Aunt Jodie!" Upon hearing Ziggy's proclamation, Jodie could not bring herself to be mad at him. She touched her forehead in exasperation. 'I must be nuts! I'm not even upset at him, but I'm happy? What is this feeling?!' "Rachel, let's go back to the apartment you stayed in before. It's easier for me to get to you, and I can look out for a new job for you." Rachel shook her head. "I can stay in the apartment, but I can't let you look for a job on my behalf. I can deal with that myself." Ziggy held Rachel's hand and said in all seriousness, "Mommy, you can stay home and I can earn money for you!" Rachel rubbed Ziggy's head lightly and smiled. "You're a good boy, Ziggy, but this is something grown-ups should worry about." She turned to Jodie. "Jodie, can you he
Ziggy held Rachel's hands softly and beamed at her innocently. "Mommy, I'm happy taking care of you. Besides, I'm a big boy now because you took care of me, so it's my turn." Rachel wanted to retort, but Ziggy quickly pulled her toward the bathroom. He placed her toothbrush with toothpaste and a cup with water in Rachel's hands. "Mommy, quick, you said you were going to go look for a job today." Rachel nodded. "That's right, I have to go find work today." Once Ziggy returned to the dinner table, he cleaned up the three empty plates and brought it to the sink with a hint of helplessness. When Jodie first tried the noodle frittata, she had eaten three helpings of it. What shocked Ziggy was not her brazenness, but how much she could eat. After Rachel had washed up, she walked over to Ziggy slowly. "Ziggy, what’s on your mind?" Ziggy shook his head and placed the glass of warm milk in Rachel's hands. "Mommy, drink some milk first!" Rachel then sat at the dinner table and at
Rachel nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I would love that." Attentive to Rachel's heartiness, Nathan nodded satisfactorily. "Come to the Chapman Group headquarters tomorrow at 8 AM, bring the card, and ask for me at my office." Upon finishing his sentence, Nathan left Rachel's sight in huge strides. Rachel immediately sank into her thoughts. Everything in the Orange Country depended on the qualification one had. If they were looking for a job after graduation, it depended on their certificates and from where it was obtained. Even professional industries looked for fresh hires that were from a good school. Her frantic escape from Istituto Marangoni had caused her to not have a degree, and because of that, she would have been stuck in the Orange Country without a way to move forward! An employer like Nathan Chapman, who does not look at qualifications, was rare, let alone being hired by one! Even if she started from the very bottom of the hierarchy, she would not need to toil f
No longer than thirty minutes later, Ziggy exited the room expressionlessly. Rachel carried Ziggy in her arms, but seeing his unconcerned face, she became a little anxious. "How was it, Ziggy?" Jodie looked at Ziggy with the same intense, anxious expression. "A normal person's intelligence is around 80 or more, and this school's entrance prerequisite is 120! If someone knows someone on the inside, they usually waive the high requirement, requiring only 100 to 120 to admit." Her head swayed to the side. "In this case, little Ziggy, you only need to score between 100 to 120." Upon hearing Jodie's words, Rachel slowly furrowed her brows. She remembered clearly that her IQ score was 130 when she was young. If the man who slept with her that fateful night had a high IQ, Ziggy's IQ should not be lower than 120! Yet Rachel did not know that her IQ score was switched with Rue. The 130 she had been memorizing was, in fact, Rue's! Since they were young, Rue's reputation as a
Ziggy kept his head lowered. If he had lifted his chin, his face that was identical to Josh's would be recognized. "Mommy, I have a stomach ache. I'm going to use the toilet." He then turned around and ran, not seeing Jane who was approaching. As a result, the two crashed into each other, and Ziggy was sent flying before he landed by Edward's side. "Are you alright?" Edward helped Ziggy up with one arm but was stunned when he saw Ziggy's face. The little boy had pink lips, pearly teeth, and looked adorable. However, the child and Josh looked exactly the same too! Ziggy stood up straight, his wise-beyond-his-years eyes reflecting a hint of seriousness. "Looks like we can't hide it anymore." "Hide? Hide what?" Rachel and Edward asked simultaneously. Josh and Ziggy shared a look before Josh took his mask off. The moment the mask was off, Rachel froze in surprise. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the twins — Ziggy and Josh. She could not seem to react. "What, wha
Edward shook his head lightly, his eyes deepening in coldness. Since when did he catch a cold? Some ungrateful fool must be talking about him behind his back. Seeing as Josh and Edward were descending the staircase, the old butler approached them. "Master Edward, Young Master Josh, good morning." Josh nodded as he fixed his gaze on the main entrance of the house. "How is mother?" The old butler shook his head before saying, "Mistress is nowhere to be seen, I checked this morning. I didn’t see her anywhere." Josh's eyebrows raised. "Did you send someone to have a full sweep of the area?" The old butler answered. "We've looked everywhere, but we couldn’t find her." Edward carried Josh into the bathroom calmly. "Don't worry. She's an adult, not a child. She wouldn't have waited the entire night outside. She's probably back at the Bennets' place. He handed Josh the electric toothbrush. Josh took it before they both stood side by side and brushed their teeth by the sink.
Remembering how she had criticized Jodie, she was instantly filled with regret. So the former assistant set down the box in her arms and walked toward the entrance of the building. She needed to expose everything! Just as she was approaching the entrance, her hand was pulled and she was dragged aside. The assistant looked at Jodie, slightly disoriented. "Jodie? Why are you still here?" Jodie lowered her gaze and looked at the woman she had fired. "Why did you turn back?" The assistant retrieved the card from her pocket. "I saw this and realized I might have misunderstood you. So I turned back and saw the entire scenario. Jodie, I'm so sorry to have doubted you!" Jodie shook her head as she did not mind the apology. "There's nothing to apologize for. As long as you bring the card to that company, they'll give you a pretty good position." The assistant nodded, but her gaze lingered on Rue and Ian. "Jodie, thank you, but there's something I need to do before I go!" Jod
Jodie frowned and picked up the business card from the floor. Then, she pulled the assistant's arm and placed the card into her hand. "Don't be silly, you need the job. You need to build your career in the city so you can earn more money to send home, don't you?" The assistant scoffed before she turned around to pack her things. "I don't need your pretentious pity! Since you wanted me to leave, you must have cut me off any backup plans I may have, so save it!" Jodie backed up, still frowning. "I'm not pretending. I'm just thinking you should leave here before it's too late." The assistant was so enraged, tears began to well up in her eyes as she put her things in a box. "Fine, since the entire Comer Corps is yours! I'm just a tiny employee, I have nothing I can say!" After quickly cleaning up her desk, the assistant bumped into Jodie’s shoulder when she walked past Jodie as if she was avenging herself. Jodie almost fell. However, she still walked up and grabbed the assist
The next day, when Rue woke up in the bed, Ian was already dressed and prepared to leave. "Ian, where are you going?" Rue cocked her head and asked in confusion. Ian was slightly surprised. "I have to go to work." Disappointed, Rue lowered her head. "What about me, Ian? Where am I supposed to go?" Ian sat on the side of the bed and hugged Rue. "You weren't home the entire night, won't the Bluemels be worried about you? Why don't I send you home?" Rue's gaze lowered. 'Worried about me? Impossible! Why would the Bluemels worry about me?' She reached out and tugged at Ian's collar, shaking her head. "No, I want to follow you to work." Ian was a little hesitant. "Today? Right now? But I haven't let my current assistant go yet..." Rue grabbed onto Ian's waist with an affectation on her face. "So fire her. You're the general manager, right? It's just a phone call away. I want to be with you, the sooner the better..." Ian was ecstatic at Rue's words. He stroked her back.
Josh's eyes sparkled. When he had gifted the gift, Edward was aloof and only casually asked the old butler to keep it. However, he did not expect Edward to value it so much that he placed the table lamp here. Edward looked at Josh's sparkly eyes and patted his head. "What are you looking at? You should sleep. Aren't you going to school tomorrow?" Josh nodded quickly and the two fell onto the bed playfully. Even though the two were sleeping on one side of the bed each, Josh was satisfied. The moment he shut his eyes, Edward took him into his arms. The young Josh was immediately enveloped in Edward's warm embrace. Deeply moved, Josh's eyes opened wide. He then reached out to hug Edward's waist with a glad smile. As everyone had slowly drifted off into dreamland, a human figure sat in front of the Bluemel mansion, shivering in the cold breeze. Rue clutched her palms into fists. Seeing the darkness around her, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. A drowsy voice
Rue halted and turned around, her body trembling uncontrollably. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were right. She could not control a man like this! However, she did not want to give up on a man this exceptional, even though she could not manipulate him, and worse, she did not want to give Rachel the opportunity! "Edward, w-what is it? Do you have anything else you'd like to do?" Edward squinted coldly. "What are you trying to do, going upstairs?" Rue gritted her teeth. "I would like to go and rest..." "Rest? You hit my child, and now you want to go upstairs and rest?" Edward cocked his head with Josh in his arms. There was a chilling look on his face. Rue shuddered. "I've already explained myself. It was only an accident, but you didn't believe me. Besides, you've already hit me, what more do you want?" Josh tugged at Edward's hand non-stop. "Father, please let it go. I think mother might not be in a great mood tonight, so she..." Edward held onto Josh's tiny hand with his large
Rue's expression was full of darkness and displeasure. "What did you say, Josh? You've become bad. You weren't like this before. Who taught you to disobey your mother like this?" Josh allowed Rue to pull him around by the collar and his face turned redder by the second. Lifting Josh by his collar, Rue almost strangled him as Josh was about to pass out from not being able to breathe. "No one taught me, I was only stating the fact." Rue's eyes narrowed as she lifted Josh higher and higher, not paying attention to how he was struggling to breathe. "Rue, what the hell are you doing?!" Edward was standing on top of the staircase when he called out coldly. He could not wait for Josh to knock on his door anymore, so he went outside to see what was happening. However, He did not expect to be treated to a sight like this! 'That woman deserves death for treating my son like this!' Hearing Edward's voice, Rue whipped around instinctively to look at Edward. She shuddered and
Rachel paused, confused. "Baby, why do you say 'again'? I just found out from them this afternoon, did you already know?" Ziggy shook his head. "No, didn't you just mention the incident at the toilet?" Rachel scratched her head awkwardly. "Oops, I must've confused myself."Ziggy reached out from under the blanket and patted Rachel's head with a smile. "Mommy is a little scatterbrained!" Rachel hugged Ziggy and rolled around in bed as they both laughed loudly like bells. "Baby, I have a feeling that a guardian angel is protecting me! Every time something bad happens, they’ve always protected me from all the bad things!" Ziggy nodded happily. He wanted to tell Rachel that he was the guardian angel she was talking about.However, to avoid scaring her, he chose to remain silent. "That's right! Mommy's guardian angel must be very handsome!" Rachel pouted. "How do you know it’s a man?! I think she must be a beautiful woman angel!" Ziggy shook his head decisively. "No no!