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.
Rosalie's expression darkened. "They can't look that similar if they are not related. I have a feeling that that child is my grandson! Elliot was exactly like that when he was little. He always looked at others coldly as well, and those eyes, they look so similar to my own!" "But Young Master Elliot doesn't seem to be suspicious about the child's background," the nanny said. "Elliot doesn't know himself as well as I do. He has probably forgotten what he looked like as a child." "That's true. So what do you plan to do?"Rosalie's eyes shone as she said, "I need to find out if Elliot fathered the boy, and for that, I need to do a DNA test.""Well… you need the boy's hair or blood for a DNA test though…""When there's a will, there's a way." Rosalie was confident. "I will tell Elliot once I have the results."Zoe was in the hospital browsing through the news on her phone.Having a miscarriage meant that she had to remain in the hospital under observation for a few days. Ellio
Hayden began to wonder if he should scam Zoe out of all her money when he received her message. Zoe had broken up with Elliot and had lost her child, so the video would not hurt Elliot."How can you two do that?" Avery took a sip of water and went to the children's room to lecture them. "No matter the grudge that she and I hold against each other, she is in her seventies. What would have happened had she gotten startled and fallen sick?"Layla batted her eyelashes innocently. "You can cure her if she falls sick, Mommy.""I am not a miracle-worker! I can't cure all the illnesses in the world!" "But she didn't fall sick! She was yelling at you!" Layla muttered, "Mom, we can't just let others bully you!"Avery's heart softened at her daughter's words. "They weren't bullying me. I'm not that easy to bully," she said in an attempt to reassure her children. "But you didn't come home last night… Hayden and I waited so long… Uncle Mike said that the dirtbag took you away…" Layla po
The nail salon was located inside a luxury brand boutique, Avery had only known that it was a brand that sold handbags and clothing, and it was amazing to see that the company had entered into the nail salon business. "Avery! Jun and I are going to get married in May!" exclaimed Tammy. "And you are going to be my maid of honor! Your two kids will be my ring bearer!""My kids can be your ring bearer," Avery said with resignation, "but forget about me being your maid of honor… You should find someone else!"She was divorced with children. Therefore, technically she could not be someone's maid of honor. "I've already talked to my parents and Jun! They all say it's okay." Tammy dragged Avery and made her sit next to her. "Let's get matching nails!""Matching nails are fine, but I really can't be your maid of honor. Unlike me, I want you and Jun to be happy, Tammy," said Avery as she lowered her gaze. "I am as happy as I can be right now, but I want you to be even happier." The smi
They had broken up before, but the man had returned to Wanda after she had sold all her overseas properties for four hundred and fifty million. "Sanford, I heard that Elliot gave your daughter one hundred and fifty-five million dollars, is that right?" Wanda raised her voice on purpose. Zoe's father spotted Avery as well and responded proudly, "Yeah! He did, yesterday.""Why don't you tell your daughter to invest with me? I can multiply her one hundred and fifty-five million in folds," Wanda said with a smile. "Sure, I will discuss it with her when I get home! She admires you and is very supportive of us being together."Wanda looked at Avery, who was walking over, with a smug expression. "I'm back, Avery."Avery stopped and stared coldly at her. "Good. I would have gone looking for you even if you hadn't returned.""Oh… I came back for you as well. Your mother's life isn't compensation enough for the lives of my daughter and brother!" Wanda said and lifted an eyebrow. "You l
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