Avery said solemnly, "Elliot, I'll not accept your money, so don't say such a thing again.""Why don't you want my money? Is my money any different from the money of others?" he sounded gloomy. Avery hesitated before answering, "I don't want anyone's money, and I don't want to depend on others." Avery's words made Elliot speechless. "I'm going to sleep, don't disturb me." Avery rolled over, turning her back to him. Looking at her slender back, Elliot covered her with the blanket, but she removed it immediately. "I'll use mine, and you'll use yours. Don't touch me."There were two blankets on the bed, and Elliot was covered with a thicker one, whereas Avery used a lightweight one. However, the heater in the room was turned on, so the space was warm."You should use the thick one, and I'll use the thin one," Elliot said kindly. He was relatively weak and felt cold, so he thought that she was cold too."Are you trying to give me a heatstroke?" Avery said bluntly, "Go to slee
"My son has never lived in such a harsh environment since he was born… Never! What type of karma is this! It's all my fault! Why did I get Avery to be his wife? There are so many women, yet I chose this vixen!"…In the room, Elliot's breathing gradually became stable. Avery reached out and touched his forehead. Even though Elliot was clammy, his temperature was normal. As she was afraid that he would wake up thirsty at night, she got out of bed and poured a glass of water, and placed it on the table beside him. When Avery woke up the following morning, Elliot was nowhere to be seen. She picked up her phone and checked the time.It was already past eight in the morning.Elliot sent her a message just after six in the morning, [I slept well last night, so I'll leave first.]Avery's cheek instantly flushed. It was only a text from him, so why was she feeling warm? Then, she found the remote control and turned off the heater. After washing up and leaving the room, Laura called her
Chelsea's smile disappeared. "You've never had eyes for me, have you?"Elliot replied, "Find someone who does."Chelsea turned around and left. In the evening, Chelsea was unhappy and asked Charlie out for a drink.Charlie noticed that she was dispirited, and he said impolitely, "No man will like you when you look like this."Chelsea's eyes were red with anger. "I'm tired enough in public! Do I still need to put on an act in front of my brother?!"Charlie poured her a glass of wine, comforting her, "Chelsea, we're still not on the same page as siblings. If you listen to me, you'll get everything."Chelsea gulped the wine and asked him with bloodshot eyes, "Can I get Elliot?"Charlie wrapped his long arms around her, leaned closer, and whispered in her ear, "You can't get him when he is alive, but if he's dead, I can give you his ashes. That still means you have him. How about that? "Chelsea's face immediately dropped, and she pushed him away!"Charlie! Are you f*cking crazy
Chelsea was speechless. She had mentally prepared herself the entire morning so that she would not be jealous of Avery when she saw Elliot. However, her psychological defenses had collapsed! Chelsea endured the pain and left the banquet hall.Not far away, Charlie watched Elliot snub his sister again. What made it worse was she had been snubbed in her own house. It would be a lie if Charlie had said that it did not hurt him, and it would also be a lie if he had said that the situation had not embarrassed him. Charlie wanted Elliot to compensate his sister for all ten years of her youth she had wasted on him. After lunch, Elliot went to the guest room to rest. He did not expect Avery to arrive just yet. Did she not say being with Charlie was really comfortable? Was she lying to him? When Elliot arrived at the guest room, he did not lie down. He was not very sleepy, and he only came here because he did not want to socialize. Later, he sent a text to his bodyguard.[Call me when
Elliot was stopped by the Tierney family's bodyguards on his way to the south side of the villa."You can't go in there, Mr. Foster.""Let me in!" Elliot roared with a savage fury. "My wife's inside!""Do you mean Miss Tate?" asked the bodyguard, then added, "She just went hiking with Mr. Tierney."Elliot pursed his lips as his eyes turned into glacial orbs of ice colder than the abyss.The bodyguard pointed in the direction of a hill not too far away and said, "They went that way, but it's already dark out, and it's a pretty steep walk. If you are unfamiliar with the path, I suggest you wait for them inside. I'm sure they'll be back soon."Elliot clenched his fists, then he stormed up the hill. …In the living room in the south wing of the villa, after listening to Charlie's father's two-hour history lesson on the establishment of his company and his thoughts on Tate Industries, Avery was desperate to escape."Thank you for taking the time out to talk to me, Mr. Tierney. Sin
Charlie patted down his wrinkled shirt, then snapped coldly, "I'm not his bodyguard, Chelsea! I don't have time to keep tabs on him! Go look for him yourself!"Chelsea violently punched Charlie in the chest and shrieked, "I can't reach his phone, and I can't find him! His bodyguard doesn't know where he is either! Stop pretending! You installed that signal blocker on purpose! This is all part of your crazy plan!"Charlie clasped a hand over her mouth and he flung her over his shoulder with the other. "Listen to me, Chelsea! I have to lock you in your room for now. You won't suffer again after tonight!"Back in the banquet hall, Avery shot to her feet.The uneasiness in her heart rose as she took in the unfamiliar faces around her.She pulled out her phone and noticed Elliot's missed calls and text message which read: [Look for me when you see this! I'll be in the banquet hall!]Avery was in the banquet hall, but where was Elliot?She tried calling him, but her call was immedia
The villa was located halfway up the hill.There was a winding but smooth road starting at the bottom of the hill that led straight to the villa.From there onwards, however, there were no roads leading to the top of the hill.It was already dark out when Elliot had begun his journey from the villa.Using his flash as a torchlight, he hurried up the hill. He was worried for Avery's safety.Charlie had bad intentions when it came to Avery, and Elliot was terrified of what might happen to her if he was too late.He would never have allowed Avery to come alone if he knew about Charlie's evil plans.Half an hour later, Elliot was breathing heavily, but it was nothing compared to the hell his legs were going through. His doctor had ordered him not to do any extraneous activities for the next six months.He was only allowed to walk normally and not for long periods of time either.Activities like hiking that wore out the knees were out of the question and carried extreme risks.
A glimmer of light not too far away suddenly grabbed Avery's attention.She shone the flashlight of her phone in the direction of the glimmer.At the bottom of the sprawling ravine was the clear silhouette of a man lying on the ground."Elliot!"Avery let out a shrill cry before she got down on all fours and crawled toward the ravine."I'm coming, Elliot! Don't be scared! You'll be fine… You'll be okay!"Hearing her cries, the bodyguard stood on top of the hill and yelled, "Did you find him?!""Yes! He fell! He's covered in blood!" Avery yelled as she tried to contain her emotions. "Get over here!"She took a deep breath and jumped down to where Elliot was.Her foot slipped upon the sudden impact, which caused her to draw a sharp breath of pain.She swiped the tears off her face and quickly scrambled to where Elliot was and took him into her arms. "Elliot! Wake up! Don't fall asleep! Stay awake!"She held his face that was cold to the touch in her hands, lowered her head,
Three years later…Ivy and Robert stood at the airport in Aryadelle, anxiously waiting."It's been three years! Your boyfriend is finally here to see you!" Robert exclaimed before shifting the conversation. "He's not here to break up with you, is he? After all, you haven't seen each other in three years. A lot can change."Ivy sighed, "Robert, can you not jinx it? Although we haven't met in three years, we talk on the phone and video call every day!"Robert quipped, "Digital romance.""Anyway, he promised me that he's going to settle down in Aryadelle this time, and we won't be apart again," Ivy said. Robert smirked. "He's got a strong sense of pride. When he meets Dad later, they might not hit it off, and he'll buy a ticket to leave tonight!"Feeling helpless, Ivy was at a loss for words. Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Ivy!"Ivy immediately looked over to the source of the voice and saw Lucas stepping out of the exit, dragging his suitcase behind him. A smile sp
Mr. Woods did not expect Hayden to be so direct, and he found himself momentarily caught off guard. He had come to ask Hayden for money, but he had not thought about exactly how much he wanted. After all, Hayden's family was extremely wealthy, and he did not want to ask for too little and feel shortchanged, nor did he want to risk asking for too much and having Hayden refuse. It was a tough decision. After a brief internal struggle, Mr. Woods turned to Hayden and said, "I know your family is one of the wealthiest in Aryadelle, so why don't you name the price? I trust you won't mistreat my son and our family." Hayden furrowed his brows slightly. Shelly, noticing his hesitation, quickly chimed in, "Uncle, why don't you make an offer? We're not very familiar with this process. If you insist on us naming a price, we might need to consult my father-in-law." "Elliot Foster, you mean?" Mr. Woods asked. Shelly nodded. "Yes. My father-in-law isn't as easygoing as my husband. After a
"All right. Let's find a place nearby to sit and talk." Mr. Woods breathed a sigh of relief. "Good! Our house is actually nearby. Would you like to visit? Ivy has been with us for many years, and our staff has a close relationship with her." Hayden glanced at Shelly and asked, "Should we go?" "Sure!" Shelly said. Mr. Woods immediately invited Hayden and Shelly into his car and drove them to the Woods' mansion. Upon arriving, Mr. Woods instructed the servants to serve tea and refreshments. He pointed to the butler and said to Hayden, "This is our butler. He hired Ivy's grandmother." Hayden nodded. Mr. Woods then introduced Hayden: "This is Irene's older brother, the renowned businessman Mr. Hayden Tate." "Hello, Mr. Tate. Irene was a wonderful young lady," the butler said. "We all liked her very much. When we heard of her passing, we were truly saddened. Fortunately, she didn't actually pass away! Ivy is a very sensible and resilient girl, one of the strongest I've eve
Ivy's eyes were red as she said, "Hayden, Lucas' mother has passed away, so I won't be able to spend time with you for a few days." "It's okay. Given what has happened, we're not in the mood for fun either. After we attend his mother's funeral, Shelly and I will return," Hayden said. Ivy nodded. "How are funerals handled here?" Hayden asked. Given Lucas' relationship with Ivy, his younger sister, he felt a sense of duty to help Lucas with the funeral arrangements. "It's similar to how it's done back at home. Wealthy people can have elaborate funerals, and those with less money can opt for simpler ceremonies. Those who can't afford much at all can forgo the ceremony and opt for a simple burial," Ivy said. "What if someone wants a more elaborate funeral?" "Hayden, do you want to help with his mother's funeral? He doesn't have any close relatives here, so there's no need for an elaborate ceremony," she explained. "I see. Go and talk to him about it. I'll help with whatever I
Lucas hung up, tears welling in his eyes. Ivy stood by his side and asked, "What's wrong, Lucas?" "My mom has passed away. You should keep your brother company! I need to head back to the hospital." "I will come along! Aunty seemed fine just now, so why did she suddenly pass away?" The two hurried toward the car, completely forgetting about Hayden and Shelly. Hayden and Shelly watched as they left awkwardly, and Shelly said, "Honey, let's go to the hospital. I think Lucas' mother has passed away." "Sure." The two caught a taxi and hurried after Lucas. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Lucas arrived to first encounter the doctor and then his father. Mr. Woods tried ingratiating himself with his son, saying, "Lucas, I came to the hospital to see your mother, but when I arrived, she had already passed away. What a shame!" "Are you sure she had already passed away before you came? I was here earlier today, and when I saw her, she was still alive!" Lucas said. Mr. Woods reto
Mr. Woods sneered, "What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? Although the Woods family has fallen on hard times, we're still a prominent family in Taronia! Lucas may be foolish, but are you any wiser? If it weren't for me backing Lucas, would the Fosters even look at him?" "Shut up! The Foster family isn't narrow-minded like you! Ivy's family doesn't dislike Lucas, so don't go causing trouble! They don't want to see you at all!" Lucas' mother retorted. Mr. Woods scoffed. "Is that so? Do you really think they don't look down on him? Why wouldn't they? Are they planning to make Lucas marry into their family instead of the other way round?" "It's none of your business! You never cared about Lucas, and now that he's independent, he doesn't need you anymore! You wouldn't have come to me repeatedly if Ivy wasn't Elliot Foster's daughter and if she wasn't interested in Lucas. Do you really think I have no idea what you are plotting?" Mr. Woods countered, "What nonsense are you ta
Ivy did not hesitate, immediately shaking her head. "I'm not leaving. Don't worry about me; just focus on yourself." "Staying here is just a waste of time." "I've been studying and interning so hard for so long. What's wrong with taking a break now?" Ivy argued. Before long, Hayden and Shelly had finished their shopping, and Ivy and Lucas immediately joined them to go to the hospital. Lucas' mother had no idea that Ivy's brother and sister-in-law were coming to visit her, so she appeared a bit uncomfortable when they arrived. She tried to sit up, but her body failed her. Ivy raised the head of the hospital bed. "Aunty, my big brother and sister-in-law came over to Taronia for a visit. They wanted to see Lucas and you." "Oh, this is really embarrassing. It's a blessing for my son to know Ivy..." Lucas' mother muttered sheepishly. Shelly reassured, "Aunty, don't say that. Lucas is outstanding. Otherwise, Ivy wouldn't have fallen for him." Lucas' mother continued, "I've
Throughout the meal, Ivy found it hard to enjoy her food. Lucas and Hayden discussed everything that mattered, and the conversation went smoother than anyone had anticipated. Hayden was not upset, nor was Lucas. It was a better scenario than what Ivy had hoped for, but she still felt depressed. "Lucas, my husband and I would like to pay your mother a visit. Would that be okay?" Shelly asked after finishing her food. "Sure," Lucas said. "Don't we need to ask your mom first?" Ivy asked. "It's fine. We can just head over right away and introduce them once we arrive." Lucas' mother grew weaker every day and had stopped using her phone altogether, so it was her nurse, whom Lucas had hired, who reported his mother's condition to him daily. "You restarted your business and have to take care of your mother simultaneously; you're really strong. Most people would crumble under the pressure," Shelly commented. "Ivy had a tougher life before. She didn't crumble, so I won't eith
After what Ivy said, Lucas added, "I want to focus on my career for now. Marriage is secondary until I become more successful." Hayden sneered. "Running a business isn't as simple as it seems. What if you fail or never achieve anything out of the ordinary?" "If that happens, I won't drag Ivy down," Lucas said. "At least you know your place." Ivy felt as though her cheeks were on fire. "Hayden, even if Lucas fails, I won't give up on him. I won't let him go just because of his financial state." Shelly grabbed Hayden's hand again, signaling to him to control his temper; he could be rude to others, but he could not be so demanding with Ivy. Ivy sensed that she was slightly out of line, and her tone eased. "Hayden, we shouldn’t judge people based on their wealth. Our family is rich enough, and there really aren't that many people out there who can compare to our financial state, so why does it matter how wealthy my partner is?" "Ivy is right. Love matters most. Even if we man