Elliot was silent for a few seconds. He had never thought that she could be this arrogant. "Avery, this is a human life you're talking about!" he growled. "How could you be so coldblooded?""Is your son gone?" Avery took a deep breath. She felt that Zoe was a truly frightening woman. "Is Zoe secretly laughing right now? Trading her son to set me up, no wonder she is the woman who is still by your side!" Avery's words carried a double meaning. Not only did she mean that Zoe was vicious and ruthless, but also that he possessed the same nature as her. Elliot's expressions darkened. "She is bleeding out, and the doctors are trying to resuscitate her. If this is all part of her plan, then not only did she risk her child, but she also risked her own life. Do you think your guesses will always be right?" Avery's lips moved, but no words came out."Avery, this time, I will not go soft on you anymore!" Elliot said each word slowly before hanging up. Avery held onto her phone. Her fa
It was five in the evening at Starry River Kindergarten. This was the bodyguard's first day on the job. Once he picked up the children, he brought them home."Uncle Bodyguard, can Hayden and I play outside for a while?" Layla looked up at him. She was trying to see where the boundary lay. The bodyguard replied clearly, "Sure! I'll take you out to play after dinner." Layla replied, "Oh! What are we eating for dinner? Are we ordering in or are you making dinner for us? What time do you finish work?"The bodyguard said, "I get off work when your mom or uncle Mike gets home. If you'd like, I can cook you a meal." Layla muttered, "Then, do we have to go to the supermarket to get groceries? If you make meals for us, does my mom have to pay you double? But, if your cooking is bad, then does she not pay you double?" The bodyguard laughed. "Your mom pays me enough for me to cook ten meals a day for you two!"Then, the bodyguard brought the two children to the supermarket.At seven
'Give him one in return?'Avery thought she had misheard him. 'A child is not a product, how could she give him one in return?'Looking at the confusion on her face, he said calmly, "You will use your womb to give me one. I don't care if the child is dead or alive, just so long as it's mine!" Avery shuddered. She yelled hysterically, "Elliot! Have you gone nuts!"When she had been pregnant with his children, he had gotten his bodyguards to drag her to an abortion clinic! Had he forgotten about it?!Now, he was forcing her to bear him a child! What was he treating her as? A toy? Forcing her to get pregnant whenever he wanted, forcing her to have an abortion whenever he did not want a child?That was ridiculous!"Yes! I am nuts!" His eyes reddened with hatred. "Avery, you're the one who sent me spiraling into an abyss of madness! You and your lies! You kept driving me to the edge, and my patience has its limits!" Avery was so intimidated by how terrifying he was behaving that
Mike told his brilliant idea to Chad.Chad said, "Mr. Foster will not be threatened. Shea's nanny and bodyguard will always follow her. Taking her to Avery's house is just a change of living accommodations." Mike was baffled.Chad continued, "Mr. Foster will not harm Avery. I can guarantee you that."Mike said, "How are you going to guarantee that?" "If you don't believe me, fine! I'm at the hospital seeing Zoe now. She has not come around yet."Mike's anxiety lessened slightly. "What's going on with her now?""She has been unconscious since the blood transfusion." "Oh, Avery said that she did not push Zoe. What do you think Zoe is thinking?" Mike wondered. "Is the child in her not Elliot's?""Of course, you're siding with Avery. It's hard to say what the truth is," Chad said objectively.Mike chuckled. "I think the child in her is not Elliot's. If the child was Elliot's, she would have fought with all her might. She would not have fallen with a single push. You should get
Avery grabbed Elliot by his robe and looked at him coldly with reddened eyes. "Whether I decide to take contraceptives or not is my right! Don't push it! If you do, you'll get nothing!" Her shrill voice pierced through the dark. His sexy Adam's apple bobbed. "Give me my phone!" Avery looked at his long neck. If he was not going to comply, she was going to bite him!"Avery, you better heed my words." Elliot's eyes darkened. He said hoarsely, "If you dare to take any contraceptive pills, we'll sleep be sleeping together forever!"He then returned her phone. Once Avery was in possession of her phone, she immediately jumped off the bed. She picked her clothes up and quickly put them on.Before he left, she bolted the door! It was half-past two in the morning, and there were not many cars on the road. The night breeze took her exhaustion away. Avery turned on her phone. There were dozens of missed calls, and all of them were from Mike. She wanted to return his calls, but how wa
"It's fine." Elliot looked at her pale face. He felt a little pity for her. "Rest well. I'll visit you tomorrow.""Okay."Coming out of the hospital, Elliot asked the bodyguard, "Where did the dead baby go?""Zoe's father took the baby to the crematorium to be cremated."Elliot furrowed his brows. He had wanted a paternity test to be done, but that was impossible now.The bodyguard continued, "Mr. Sanford was extremely agitated. I wanted to help him, but he thought I wanted to take the child away from him. He began to fight meI wanted to help him on the way. He thought that I wanted to take the child away from him. He fought me."Elliot's eyes darkened. He got in the car.The next morning, the family doctor received a call and rushed to Elliot's mansion.Elliot had not slept the entire night. His eyes were red. He looked a little terrifying."Mr. Foster, I heard that Miss Sanford had a miscarriage," The doctor tried comforting him, "You and Miss Sanford are still young. There
"Mr. Foster, I remember that you had your bodyguard send Miss Tate to the abortion clinic," the family doctor said. "Yeah, the bodyguard said that he had sent her into the operation room himself." Elliot had even gone to check with the bodyguard a while ago. "He said that the doctor had even told him what to take note of after the completion of the surgery.""Then the child is probably gone," the family doctor said. "Perhaps the reason the adopted child looks like you could be her way of honoring her lost child." "Is that why Avery hates me so much?" Elliot thought. …Meanwhile, in the master bedroom of Starry River Villa, Mike and the two children stared intently at Avery, who was sleeping on the bed. Mike had called her at one in the morning, but she had never picked up. He was surprised that she had gone home, but he did not know when she had gone home."Are there mosquitoes at home?" Layla asked sweetly. Mike looked around the room. "No! Did mosquitoes bite you?""Mos
When the two arrived at the door, the surveillance camera showed a majestic woman in her sixties standing outside. Hayden immediately recognized the woman and said, "That's dirtbag dad's mom!""Oh," Layla said, "so our grandma!""Don't call her grandma!" corrected Hayden. "She is probably here to confront Mom!""Hmph! We can't let her bully Mom! Let's chase her away!"Hayden hurried inside to look for his drone, and Layla followed him closely. Rosalie stood outside the door with a frown. She was waiting for Avery to open it.She had not slept the entire night. She simply could not find peace, so she had come here to confront Avery. Suddenly, she heard the sound of an engine, and it seemed to be coming from above her. When she looked up, she saw a drone hovering above her.Just as she was beginning to wonder why there was a drone above her, red liquid started pouring out of it. When the liquid splattered onto her exquisite leather jacket, she screamed and ran for her car.
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