Lilith received a call from Ben.She had finished showering and was laying in her bed, scrolling through videos. When Ben's name popped up on the screen, she immediately jumped up.She answered the call and heard Ben stuttering, "Lilith... I... I am drunk... Can... Can you... come pick me up?"He even burped after asking the question.Lilith felt like she could already smell the alcohol even through the call."It's so cold out there. I'm not picking you up!" She rejected his request without hesitation but felt slightly guilty after that and added, "You can just find a hotel nearby to stay the night! Why bother coming back here this late at night? There's no point."Ben's heart sank at her affectionless reply."Aren't you drinking with my brother? What about him? Is he drunk as well?" she asked when Ben did not reply.Ben sighed. "Your brother wants to take me back to his place, but his leg has just recovered. I am over a hundred pounds; how can I lean on him?""Then walk on yo
"What kind of nightmare?" Elliot kept his hand on the jacket."It's a weird dream so I don't dare to talk about it," she scowled."It's just a dream. It's not real." He hesitated and said, "Was it about what happened in Ylore?"She nodded, before shaking her head. "I dreamt about Jed. I used to be quite close with him. Though we hadn't contacted one another for a few years, I felt the same when I saw him again; but in my dream just now, he was the villain.""The villain? What did he do in your dream?""He tried to stop us from being together. In that dream, he was on Ruby's side." Her blood ran cold as she spoke, "That's not Jed. He would never side with Ruby! He is my friend, and if he—""Calm down, Avery. Dreams are not real. He was not a bad person; if he was, he wouldn't have been killed." Elliot helped her back to the bed. "What do you feel like eating? I'll go buy it for you.""I said I don't want you to.""I don't want you to starve." He looked at her sternly. "I have ju
When she saw his face, she frowned and raised her arm.Sensing that he was about to be punched, he swiftly dropped her back on the couch"What are you— were you trying to hit me?" Ben took two steps back and blurted out, "I saw that you fell asleep on the couch and wanted to carry you to your room. What did you think I was trying to do?"Lilith rubbed her eyes at his explanation and said, "I thought you wanted to molest me. I was terrified!""Wait... Am I that scary? It's not like I forced myself on you when we slept together for the first time, right? I never force women!" he said."It's not about if you are scary or not." Lilith sat up and drawled, "If it was a face as handsome as Eric Santos' in front of me just now, I wouldn't fight back."Ben stared at her in shock. "With a handsome guy like him, even just staring at his face would be a luxury, let alone being intimate with him. I would feel like I'm the one taking advantage of him," Lilith said with a pleasant expressi
"Elliot, what are you thinking about?" She walked toward him and planted a kiss on his cheek, before continuing in a hoarse voice, "It seems like you are unhappy."Elliot beamed and smiled at the kiss."The snow outside reminds me of a lot of things." He turned back to look outside the window. "The snow remains the same but we aren't who we used to be.""What do you mean?" She scowled as she could not figure out what he was thinking."We will grow old someday, but the snow will always look the same," he explained. "I get emotional every year during birthdays and New Year's.""Hahaha! I'm not your age yet so during birthdays and New Year's, I will only be happy, and I won't think about these kinds of things." She pulled him out of bed and said, "I made breakfast. It doesn't taste that good, though. Do overlook it.""What did you make?" he asked."I fried two eggs and made some pasta." She shrugged. "There aren't any other ingredients at home. The weather is too harsh to get food
After Avery left, Elliot looked at the pasta in front of him. The egg was way too salty. However, at the thought of her taking the effort to cook the meal, he ate it. He took a deep breath and drank three cups of water straight, washing away the saltiness on his tongue. Avery and Jed's teacher agreed to meet at a cafe. When they met, Jed's teacher passionately shook Avery's hand. "Avery, I have heard Jed mention you before. He called me before he went to Ylore to look for you." Avery was a little surprised. "What did he say?" "He said that you trust him a lot, so he was rather nervous," Jed's teacher said. "Once he reached Ylore, I called him to ask about his situation. He wanted to protect your privacy, so he wasn't willing to disclose much to me, and I didn't ask him any further." "I was the one who told him not to tell anyone about my condition." "I understand. When I heard about his death, I visited his parents. They were very sad, but I didn't dare to ask them about
Did she add you on social media?" Avery asked. "No," Elliot replied without any hesitation. The second time Ruby went looking for him was through text messages. She did not add him on social media. "If she does add you on social media, you should know what to do, right?" Avery reminded him. "Ignore her." Elliot gave her the answer she wanted to hear. At the same time, he asked, "How does it taste?" "I'm not exaggerating, but your skills are as good as a great chef." Avery had a few bites and gave him her raving reviews. "You must have not eaten much at the Hutchinsons." Elliot had eaten dinner. He knew where his standard of cooking was. His cooking could barely be compared to a professional chef. It was at most slightly better than hers. "No. I came home full." Avery took a bite of food. "Although I'm a little biased, you really did well. At least this is qualified home food." Elliot was silent for a while before asking, "Do you want to get a checkup? I think that Jed d
"It was snowing heavier during the day! It's not really snowing anymore." On the other end of the video call, Layla yelled out loud, "Hayden! Stupid Robert!" Not long after, Hayden and Robert appeared in the video. "Look at Mommy and Daddy's snowmen! Who do you think built it better?" Avery showed the children the snowmen. "This slightly shorter one is done by me, the bigger one is by your Daddy." "Do you still need to ask? Of course, it's Mommy's one that is better," Layla said endearingly. Avery was instantly delighted. "I haven't done it well yet. I'm planning to give it a pretty nose. When I'm done, I'll make another three more little ones. Then it will be our family of five!" "Mommy, make me prettier! I want to be the prettiest snowman!" Layla immediately requested. "Of course, I'll make sure you'll be the prettiest one." After the call, Elliot walked over to her and touched her hand which was holding her phone. "It's much colder. Go back inside. I'll build the r
From what Avery typed in the post, she was definitely not as nonchalant as she appeared to be when faced with Jed's death.If she did not want to avoid Ruby, she would be in Ylore right now, investigating Jed's death. From her post, he could feel her grievances, but his hands were also tied. He could not make Ruby or the child disappear, and neither could he force the truth of Jed's death out of Ruby. Avery would not let him go to Ylore or contact Ruby. The only thing he could do at that moment was to stay with her and the children and not make them sad. It was noon in Aryadelle. That morning, Jun accompanied Tammy to the hospital for a checkup. After the checkup, they immediately returned to the Lynch mansion. Jun would stay there during the week and return to his home to be with his parents during the weekend. The last time he went there, his mother had been admitted to the hospital due to hypertension. Even if she was discharged, her blood pressure was still high.
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