Elliot heard what Avery said. He looked at her with his deep-set eyes. "You are disappointed, aren't you?"Avery smiled. "Only a little. I know that our children will eventually leave us." "You don't have to view this matter so pessimistically. They are not leaving us. They are finishing what they are meant to do on this earth.""When Layla leaves us, I hope that you will be this open-minded as well." Hearing what Avery said, the calm immediately vanished from Elliot's face. That evening, Lilith brought what she had purchased back to Ben's luxurious mansion.Lilith was staying at his place at the moment. Initially, she had been a little embarrassed about moving in, but later, when Ben left for Bridgedale, Ben's parents called Lilith over to stay with them, so that they could look out for each other. Lilith could not convince them otherwise, so she officially moved in.To Lilith, the only issue with marrying Ben was the children she had to bear him. She did not have trouble with
"I knew that you wouldn't mind, but you'll have to talk to your parents!" said Lilith. know that you won't mind, but you have to talk to your parents!" Lilith urged, "And as for how we are going to execute it, you'll have to help. Tammy and I only came up with the idea. You're not expecting us to do everything, right?"Ben looked at how excited she was. He asked, "What about our wedding? Do you have any plans for it?"Lilith took out her phone and looked at the calendar. After scrolling through her calendar, she casually pointed at a day on the calendar. "Why not do it on this day? Before New Year's. After the wedding, we can go on our honeymoon and still be back in time for New Year's. What do you think?"Ben furrowed his brows. "We will only have a few days for the honeymoon? Lilith, you're being perfunctory. I remembered that Elliot and Avery's honeymoon was half a month.""Why are you comparing us to them? I remembered their wedding clearly. It was unprecedented in its grandio
Lilith furrowed her brows and accepted the documents. She opened them."Why is this so troublesome? Is it this troublesome when other people get married, too?" Lilith through the documents and had a look. "What the hell? Do we have to perform an act? What kind of terrible interests do your parents have? Do you think Elliot would perform in public for all of you?"Ben said, "This is the wedding my parents prepared for us.""I know… but don't you find it embarrassing that they asked you to perform?""No! What is there to be embarrassed about? It's just singing, dancing, and acting, right? I'm a fun person."Lilith stared at him."I got further than you did, and there is also a bride singing a love song." Ben took a deep breath, "Not only that, but the groom also makes an appearance in a cartoon dinosaur costume. The bride must kiss it for it to transform into the groom…""Bloody hell! Who designed this? This is so childish!""My mother came up with it.""I never would have thoug
Avery chuckled. "This piece of gossip is absurd. When I gave birth to Robert, I took at least half a year off.""You still left the house.""I never said you couldn't leave the house for half a year. Let's see how well you recover!" Avery helped him to the dining table. "After a while, you can probably start working from home. As long as your head doesn't hurt, I won't just let you do nothing.""Will you still be going to Bridgedale?" Elliot asked. "Didn't you hire a team of experts in Bridgedale? Do you need to deal with it?""I can go, or I can not go. The people in my team never believed in resurrection treatment. Their advice has always been that I perform a craniotomy on you and have a look at your device. However, you had just undergone surgery, and I was worried that doing it would kill you…""Avery, sometimes, you need to believe in yourself," Elliot said."It's pointless telling me this. If you weren't the person in danger, I would surely be more sensible. As long as I h
Avery and Elliot were instantly stunned."Hayden, you found Ivy?" Layla yelled in shock."No, but I have found some news." Hayden had not wanted to divulge what he had found yet, but when Avery informed her children that Ivy might be dead, he could no longer remain silent. "Hayden, what news did you find?" Avery's heart was about to pop out. Her breath quickened. Elliot's gaze burned into Hayden. His voice trembled a little, "Hayden, where is Ivy right now?""I don't know where she is. The only thing I know is that they have not killed her. The crime syndicate knew that she was your daughter, and they did not toss her with the other children in the pit." Hayden told them everything he knew. "The person only knew that Ivy had been sold to someone rich. That person had bought Ivy at a high price, so surely he would not kill her." This topic was clearly beyond Robert's understanding. He did not understand what was going on, but he could understand the word kill. He was so afraid
"Mommy, I'm sure you know Holly Blanche, right?" Hayden asked, looking into Avery's eyes.Avery stiffened. Hatred made her grimace. "Of course! She was the one who tricked your daddy and me into the underground cellar!""Natalie was the one who paid her to do such things. I thought that she might know where Ivy is, so I sent someone to look for her," said Hayden, coming clean. "Holly is a very smart woman. She got a huge sum of money from Natalie. After she escaped from Ylore, she bought herself a new identity.""You found Holly?" Avery's heart was beating wildly. Hayden shook his head. "I found her boyfriend. She got together with him by using her fake identity." "Hayden, you're amazing. How did you find Holly? She used a fake identity, yet you could still find her." Avery was completely amazed by her son's abilities.No wonder Hayden had said that Elliot was not capable enough.Avery did not think that Elliot was not capable, but Hayden's mind was clearly more agile. He thou
Sebastian did not expect that the call would connect, but no one picked up. "Sir, we can contact the police to pinpoint the location of her phone," one bodyguard suggested."Hmm, I think so too."Natalie was his sister. The police would surely help him to look for her, but he had never thought that locating her was such a simple matter. He just provided his identity card and proof of Natalie and Dean's relationship, and the police immediately helped him locate the position of Natalie's phone.The location showed that Natalie's phone was in a rural and remote area surrounded by hills.Once he got the exact position, Sebastian and his bodyguards went there looking for Natalie."She would dare to escape to such a remote area. She sure is bold!" One bodyguard mocked."I guess us coming to Aryadelle to look for her must have scared her." Sebastian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, resting. "But her phone is on. I suspect something must have happened to her. If not, she
Sebastian was not familiar with Holly, but from their messages, he saw a name that made his eyes brighten— Ivy.Ivy was Elliot's and Avery's long-lost daughter.They had been in Ylore, looking for her, and that was how Natalie had set them up. They had almost died in the suburbs of a foreign country!After going through Natalie and Holly's messages, Sebastian could roughly guess Holly's identity.He was overjoyed. He felt as if he had just won a jackpot. The first thing he thought of doing was calling his father and giving him the news. His father would surely be very happy.After this thought appeared, he felt sad! He clearly hated his father and wanted to kill him. That way, no one could call him useless anymore. No one would use the Jennings family fortune to force him into obedience.However, why did the first thought he have was one which involved pleasing his father? He had just gotten a very important lead. He could have told Avery. If he wanted a reward, Avery would s
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