Dean was stunned."Miss Tate, I had not heard about any of this. If you had never brought it up, I would have never known about it.""Hmm, it's all small matters.""I don't think this is considered a small matter, right? Why did she hit you?" Dean sounded as if the slap had wronged him. The incident happened many years ago. When Avery thought back about it, she did not feel anything."Back then, she had insisted on seeing Professor Hough, but he had refused to see her, so I helped him stop her. I wanted to persuade her to leave, but in the end, she called me a b*tch and slapped me. I'm not sure if she still remembers me or not, but because of this, I still clearly remember her."When Dean mentioned Angela's name, she immediately thought of that woman."My son was like you. He has studied under Professor Hough before. Why doesn't he know about this?" Dean was confused. "When I brought Angela to see my children, they were all meeting her for the first time.""Your son's focus ba
"Yes! I don't want to raise them alone, so I still need to continue looking for him. Even if he is dead, I have to find his remains. What if he is somewhere hiding, living the time of his life? I don't want to tire myself to death, raising so many children on my own.""Haha! You joke, Miss Tate. Elliot is dead. Does that mean his inheritance is all in your hand? By then, you can hire as many nannies as you want. You take his money, and just enjoy your life.""Mr. Jennings, what you said makes sense. I never thought of this." Avery no longer wanted to chat with him, so she took her phone out and pretended to be busy on it.Once the car reached the Jennings, Avery got out of the car with the help of the bodyguard."This is Bobby's house! I'm not going in!" Dean stood next to Avery and said, "Bobby is my favorite son. He is smart and capable. I initially thought that he could take over my position. I never thought that something like that would happen to him. Every time I see him, my
Avery was not charging Dean any money because she wanted to directly make a deal with Bobby.Bobby never expected that Avery would say that to him. He was stunned."I heard your father say that you are his most precious son. Your family has such a huge business. He initially wanted you to take over because you are his smartest and most capable son. Looking at you now, he is extremely heartbroken. If you can recover, he would surely put you back in charge," Avery lay out his options in front of him, "You surely want to go back to your original life, right?"Bobby hesitated for a while and asked, "What do you want? Do you think a cripple like me can satisfy your conditions?""I'm going to take a bet. You are Dean's most important son. If you can't do it, no one else can.""What do you want?""I want to know where Elliot Foster is.""Hah! I don't know!" Bobby answered without even thinking. "I don't know Elliot! I have never met him. I won't even know where he is. What makes you th
Avery saw him losing control of his emotions, and she immediately said, "Consider my deal. As long as you help me find Elliot, I'll promise to cure you." "Leave!" Bobby covered his ears, no longer wanting to hear her voice. As if he would die hearing her voice for a single second more.Avery was extremely surprised at his reactions, but she did not want to continue agitating him, so she quickly left the room."Miss Tate, why are you out so quickly?" The bodyguard observed her closely to see if she was hurt or not."We'll talk once we're outside."Avery quickly left the house. On the way back, Avery kept thinking back about everything that happened after meeting Bobby.The words that Bobby said were particularly strange. He seemed to be hinting at something, but it was not obvious.His reaction was completely different from her expectations. She really wanted to know why.Returning home, she took a cup of water and drank it all down.The nanny saw her return and immediately se
Sebastian gasped. "My brother said that to you?!""No.""If that's not the case, why do you think that I'm the one behind all this? Simply because with him gone, I will be the next in line to inherit my father's wealth?" he asked.Avery did not respond."Haha! Well, you won't be the first to think that. I don't care if the others think so because their narrow minds do not affect me, but I'm a bit hurt that you would say such a thing," he complained sadly.After a moment of silence, Avery explained, "Your brother didn't say that you are behind it, but he mentioned that someone planned the "accident" to get him killed. I don't know anyone else other than you in the Jennings family.""What do you mean, you don't know anyone else?" Sebastian did not accept the explanation. "You should know Angela, right? I still remember how shocked you were when I mentioned her name. If you didn't know her, you would have asked who she was and why she was with my father... but you didn't ask a thing
She had suspected Angela because they had been talking about her, but if it was not Angela, the only person that was left was Dean Jennings. Chills ran down Avery's spine at the thought, but she felt that she was closer to the truth the more she thought about the possibility.Normal parents would never despise their children after they had been severely injured to the point that they refused to see their children. If that were true, it means that Dean did not have any love for his supposedly favorite son.Sebastian mentioned that Avery would not be able to cure Bobby not because he doubted her ability, but because... someone would make sure that she failed.Feeling like she was being strangled, Avery panted heavily.Why would Dean work to disable his eldest son?If he had despised his son from the very beginning, why did he allow Bobby to manage his assets to begin with?Sebastian was too secretive for Avery to learn what had happened from him.The next morning, Avery arrived
Avery saw the way Angela's look darkened and how her eyes glittered viciously as though she was going to chase Avery out any second now."Ms. Hills, I'm only asking because I went to see Bobby yesterday," Avery blurted out. "He hated my guts from the moment he saw me and asked me to leave after a brief exchange.""Humans tend to experience drastic changes in personality after a traumatic experience like that. I heard from his father that Bobby used to be more mature than Sebastian. It's a shame that he has turned out like this," Angela said. "I did consider treating him myself, but I'm afraid that I'm not capable of it."Avery gave her a confused look."My hands... They started shaking uncontrollably two years ago... It started as a shiver from time to time and didn't cause much damage. But maybe I've exhausted myself lately so the shaking has gotten worse. You are still young and probably won't understand what it's like for older people like us to wake up one day to find out yet a
"He's a top-ranked hacker. If he doesn't want his photos to be on the internet, we won't be able to find any." Dean took her hand and walked toward the dining room. "Let's have breakfast!""I don't have much of an appetite... But I can eat with you!" Though still annoyed with Avery, Angela regained her composure at the reminder that she had leverage over Avery....Avery stepped out of the Jennings' mansion and got into her car."Where to, Miss Tate?" her bodyguard asked.She was not sure where to go as she had too much on her mind. "Wherever!""Oh... Why don't we go to the Dream Maker factory, then?" The bodyguard was extremely interested in the Dream Maker factory and was dying for Avery to give him a tour.She was not paying attention to what the bodyguard was saying and did not respond.Taking her silence as a yes, he started driving towards Dream Maker.Avery took out her phone and found Professor Hough's son's contact. Worried that she might disturb him if she called out
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