"Are you?" He grabbed her slim wrist and pulled her toward the bed. "You have to be in a good mood to ask your friends over for a barbeque. Are you tired because I am here?"His fingers began working on the buttons of her jacket. She grabbed his hand and said, "Elliot! Don't do this in my house!""Why not?" He did not give her a chance to answer and said sternly, "Why can't we do it in your house? Is it because you had other men in your bed before?"Avery shoved his chest. "Because you are dirty!"He froze at her words. She thought that he was dirty because he had slept with Zoe. She raced to the door, unlocked it, and told him to get out. He stared at the open door, walked toward it, and shut it."And you are not? You were pregnant with another man's baby." He locked the door and grabbed her by the waist, before lifting her up. She had a C-section, and there was a scar across her abdomen. The last time they had been intimate he had frozen at the sight of the scar. He had
"Mom!""Mom!"The shouts of the two children echoed inside the mansion. Inside the master bedroom, Avery heard her children shouting and tensed. She tried to escape from Elliot— who was on top of her. She could not break free. "Elliot Foster! Let me go!" Tears began to well up in her eyes as she grew anxious.He grabbed onto her wrists tightly. He had no intention of releasing her."I'm not done!" His voice was low and tinted with annoyance. "Do you really believe that they need something from you?""It doesn't matter when or why they are looking for me, all that matters is they need me!" She struggled to fight him off. Her eyes grew red with tears as she struggled against him.He simply tightened his grip. There was no way she could escape if he was determined to keep her there. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her eyes slowly filled with resentment. Outside the door, Layla was about to burst into tears, and Tammy immediately lifted her up. "Don't cry, Layla! I just h
When she went to turn off the lights, he could see the tears rolling down her face. Though he was physically satisfied, he felt discontent. He felt worse when she remained quiet. The room was dark with only the faint light coming in from the street lights down below. He started at her back and furrowed his brows. Instinctively, he wanted to be closer to her, so he stretched out his arm and tried to pull her to him.She shoved him away with all the power she could muster. The moment she felt the warmth of his body, she shouted, "Let me go!""No!" He tightened his arms around her and indulged himself in her scent. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "I'm not leaving tonight."Avery felt as though she had been tied up, and she could not move an inch. Elliot had not been gentle, but he was not as rough as the last time. "When has he ever asked for my opinion before showing up or leaving? What I think doesn't matter to him, so he doesn't even need to say anything! He would just d
Elliot sneered and thought to himself, "Hayden Tate wants to be my dad? How hilarious. But, that kid has guts."Elliot guessed that him staying over had frustrated Hayden greatly. He must not have been able to get any sleep, and that was why he had attacked Elliot's company. Hayden had the right to be angry, but when Elliot pictured how Hayden had lost sleep over anger, he could not help but smirk. "Mr. Foster, should we call the police?" Chad asked. Elliot continued his way downstairs as he drawled, "What's going on in the network security department?""They trying to get the system up and running as soon as they can." "How long until it's fixed?""They should be able to fix it by noon today," Chad said. Elliot reached the first floor and said, "We are not calling the police.""Noted. Mr. Foster, do you suspect that this is Hayden's doing?""No."Chad could barely hold back his laughter. "Well, he sure is a genius child! The IT department has strengthened the firewall
Once she was inside, Rosalie picked up the phone and said, "Hello, do you know Elliot Foster? I'm his mother.""Hello, Madame Rosalie. May I know why you've contacted me?" The person on the other end of the line said. "You have a student named Hayden Tate at your kindergarten, right?""Yes.""The thing is, I need a few strands of his hair, and I was wondering if you can get me some. I will pay you, so just name your price," said Rosalie.Confused, the other person asked, "Why do you want his hair? It's not that I don't want to help, but you probably don't know much about that child. You see, he does not allow anyone to touch him. The only person who can touch him is his sister."Rosalie had not predicted that something this simple would turn out to be so difficult. "Think of something! If you can't get your hands on his hair, blood will also do!" she said. "I'll be honest with you, that boy's mother was married to my son for a while… and I suspect that boy is my son’s son. So,
Chad opened the door to Elliot's office in Sterling Group once the company network was restored. "Mr. Foster, the Network Security Department asked me to take this to you," he said while setting down a stack of documents before Elliot. Elliot glanced at the document and asked, "What are these?""… I think these are the codes of the malware written by Hayden Tate." Chad simply glanced through it. He did not dare continue reading. Elliot opened the file and saw a sentence hidden within the code that said, [Elliot Foster is an idiot.]His expression darkened. When he flipped to the second page, he saw another sentence. [Elliot Foster falls into the river while driving!]On the third page was [Elliot Foster runs out of toilet paper in the bathroom], while on the fourth page, there was another sentence [Elliot Foster chokes on bread.]…Elliot picked up the documents and tossed them into a paper shredder. Despite the dark expression on his face, he did not respond in any way. H
Elliot might as well just be blunt and say that he only wanted Avery to bear his children and that he did not care if his children with any other woman died, because he did not want them to begin with. "So you want Avery to bear your child, then?" Ben teased. "Yeah."Ben gasped and almost dropped his cup. "You really want her to bear your child?!""Zoe asked that I avenge our child's death.""So you are trying to get Avery pregnant with your child as revenge?" Ben was amused. "Zoe is probably going to cry so much that she passes out if she learns that this is your way of taking revenge.""How I take my revenge is up to me.""Is Avery willing to do it?" Ben instinctively knew that there was more to the story.Avery already had two children, and even if Hayden was adopted, Ben could tell that she saw Hayden as her own from the way she treated him. It was only natural that she was unwilling to give birth to any more children."She isn't." Elliot scowled. "She hates me now.""O
When he saw how cheerful she was in the photo, his heart ached at the realization that it had been so long since she had last smiled at him. It was almost five years ago. In the wedding dress shop, Avery had taken the wedding dress off and picked out a light purple dress to wear to Tammy's wedding. "I will be thirty in a few years, and I won't get to wear dresses like this by then," she said. "I should buy a few more like this one while I can still pretend to be young.""Avery, with your face, people would believe you even if you say you are twenty. It's not like you will grow old overnight when you are thirty, so relax and be young all you want!""That sweet tongue of yours! No wonder you have Jun wrapped around your fingers," Avery said with a smile. "He is the one who benefited from me choosing him, okay?" After trying on the dresses she had ordered, Tammy said with satisfaction, "All that's left right now is to wait for the wedding! Oh, isn't the kids' birthday soon? How do
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