At seven-thirty in the morning, Layla received a video call from Mike."Layla, I'm planning to go back to see you and Robert! Are you happy?" Mike was packing his luggage."Ah! Are you for real?" Layla jumped up excitedly. "Is Mommy coming back too? Are you two coming back together?"Mike knew that Layla would ask that. "Are you not going to welcome me if I were to return alone? I'll be sad."Layla's happiness decreased a little. "Why is Mommy not returning with you?""Because of your Daddy! She doesn't want to see him. Neither does she want to fight with him, so I'll return to see you and Robert. Once you have your winter break, I'll take you to see her.""Okay, sure! I have already talked to Uncle Eric. He said he could take me to Bridgedale! Can we also bring Robert?" Layla missed Robert. "If I were to go and he was to stay home alone, he'll be lonely! He would surely miss me and cry!"Mike said, "We'll have to see then whether Elliot allows us to take Robert to Bridgedale
Regret?At that moment, Elliot was a little baffled. Avery sold off the company without any warning. From the public's point of view, she did that because he left her no choice."Elliot, you forced her hand. Are you satisfied now?" Ben continued when he did not get an answer. "She has already fled to Bridgedale. You two had been living parallel lives, yet you insist on opening a company at Bridgedale, telling everyone that you want to bring down Alpha Technologies. Although Avery might not starve in the future, have you ever thought that what you did was very low? Hayden is not even an adult yet! You have cut off Avery's future. Are you planning to make your son suffer as well?"Elliot quietly listened to Ben's reprimands without responding. He never thought that Avery would sell off the company, but Ben was right. Ever since he had made Natalie the vice president of Tate Industries, he had consigned his relationship to the grave. "Are you doing this to Avery to ensure that Avery
"What do you mean by that? Why are you still pretending?" Ben was infuriated.Beep—The call went dead. Elliot had hung up. Elliot held his phone. His eyes were filled with darkness, and they were unfocused.He quickly thought back to when he had received Avery's call at the airport.He remembered clearly back then other than what she had said about him going back on his promise, she had said nothing else! Since he thought back too hard, his world was spinning. He was extremely dizzy. He truly did not remember her saying that she could not see. She had not said that!However, why was Ben telling him that Avery said he knew about it?Elliot wanted to get down from the bed. However, the moment his feet touched the ground, his legs turned to jelly, and he fell sitting on the bed once more.He did not care about his dizziness. He immediately took his phone, found Mike's contact, and called.If what Ben said was true, it was understandable why Avery was ignoring him.Avery had ig
Tammy was feeling uncomfortable with Elliot's gaze. Mainly because she had scolded him via voice message previously, and then she had sent him a video, criticizing him. Although she knew that Elliot would not be so petty, his gaze at that moment made her shudder."Let's go have something to eat!" Elliot had not had his breakfast. His stomach hurt at that moment.Mrs. Cooper immediately walked over to Jun. "Let me handle Tiffany! You all go eat!"Jun passed his daughter to Mrs. Cooper. "Once she wakes up, call me.""Okay." Mrs. Cooper carried Tiffany to the living area.Elliot said that he had something serious to talk to them about, so once the servant served them the dishes, Mrs. Cooper gave them a look. The servants knowingly retreated.In the dining hall, Jun and Tammy were antsy. Elliot too did not appear to have much of an appetite."Elliot, did you sleep late last night?" Jun was looking for something to talk about."It's almost noon. I usually only wake up so late duri
However, Jun and Tammy went to see Avery themselves, so Elliot preferred to believe them more.Also, Avery's eyes had already recovered. It was just a scare."Hey, you made us stay for a meal just to ask us this?" Tammy teased. "You two have already divorced, also you planned to take Avery's company down, and now you pretend that you care about her. How contradictory of a person are you?""She sold the company off," Elliot said. "Ben blamed me for being too cruel to her. Ben is right. I was indeed cruel to her. If I—"He wanted to say that if he knew that she was sick, he would not have been so cruel to her.However, before he could finish his sentence, Tammy immediately sprung up from her chair."Elliot! You're an unadulterated son of a b*tch! I hope that you end up alone! A person like you doesn't deserve any love!" Tammy said angrily and stormed off.Jun saw his wife leaving and saw Elliot's face turning blue. He was stuck in the middle."Elliot, don't take Tammy's words to
At the Lynch mansion, after they stopped the car, Jun carried Tiffany out of the car.Tiffany woke up. Without saying anything, she opened her mouth and began to cry.In the mansion, Mary heard her granddaughter crying. She immediately ran out and took her granddaughter away.Previously, Mary had often hung out with her best friends, be it going to the spa, traveling, or gambling. Ever since she had her granddaughter, she never left to have fun anymore.Tammy saw how her mother doted on her daughter. She shook her head helplessly.After Jun took everything out of the trunk. They entered and headed directly to the dining hall."I'm starving. I wanted to stay at Elliot's to eat, but that dirtbag is really infuriating!" Tammy sat down in a chair.Jun scooped some food for her and passed it to her."Honey, don't be mad. It seems like Elliot doesn't know about Avery being sick." Jun had been observing Elliot closely that day. Elliot did not need to pretend as if he didn't know."Bu
However, Elliot remembered that at that point of the conversation, there was nothing substantial later."Avery, give me some time. I'll be back latest within a week. Wait for me to return. I'll apologize to you again then."After that, all he could hear was the airport noise and his conversation with Ben.Ben asked him if Avery was unwilling to let him go to Ylore. Ben said he could go to Ylore alone. Elliot said that Ivy was his daughter, and he had to go there.If just by listening to the conversation, he would still make the same choice. Avery had not told him that she had lost her sight during that call! She had not!He wanted to play the conversation for Ben. He did not unjustly blame Avery. If there was a misunderstanding, he had not caused it. Why was he blamed for being cruel and heartless?He clutched his forehead. His mind was a mess.At Bridgedale, Avery got up according to Hayden's schedule.If she could successfully apply for a doctoral course, then she and Hayden
How would Avery know that Elliot specifically asked them about that? She only knew that she had told him clearly that she could not see, yet Elliot had not responded.Elliot had never once responded.At that moment, he was pretending to not know about it and asking their mutual friends. What was he thinking?However, all this was no longer important. She had recovered her eyesight, so there was no need to pursue whether he had truly known about it or not.Furthermore, if he was really concerned about her sickness, why had he not asked her about it?Since Layla's deliberate flunking of her exams, she had unblocked Elliot so that she could call him. If he were to call her, she would see it, but he did not call her."Jun, we have been divorced for almost half a year. Whether there was a misunderstanding back then or not, everything has changed. We can no longer go back to before." After some serious pondering, Avery replied to Jun, "It must be late over at your side. Go get some r
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