Tammy and Avery were seated next to the window. They had a good view. "Mom!" Layla ran toward Avery while holding her brother's hand. Avery lifted them up and sat them down on the couch. "Did you have fun in kindergarten today?"Layla shook her head. "Mom, the teacher says we need to poke our fingers next week… I'm scared…""It's a blood test. They are going to check our blood sugar levels," said Hayden. Realizing what her daughter meant, Avery immediately comforted her and said, "Don't be scared, baby. It will just be a pinch."Layla's attention was instantly drawn toward the cake on the table. "Mom, whose birthday is it today, Aunt Tammy?"Tammy shook her head with a smile. "We are having an early celebration for you and your brother's birthday! Surprised?" She then took out two beautifully wrapped gifts and handed them to the children. "I am!" Layla accepted the gift excitedly and said, "Thank you, Aunt Tammy! I love you so much!""I love you too!" Tammy patted Layla
When Elliot appeared by the table, Avery was about to take a bite of the cake and she almost snapped the plastic fork in half at the sight of him. What were the odds that she would run into him in the rare chance that she dined out?Tammy frowned. "What a coincidence, Mr. Foster. Do you have a meeting here?"She waved at the group behind Elliot sarcastically, and the others gave her smiles that were both polite and careful at the same time. Elliot glanced at the cake on the table and looked at the two children. "It's your birthday?" His voice was low, powerful, and confused. He remembered that Hayden's birthday was on the 13th of April, not today. Avery's blood ran cold at that very instant. She had not wanted to celebrate their birthday because she feared that he would get suspicious. Yet, he had still caught them celebrating in secret.Elliot studied the panicked and anxious expression on Avery's face thoughtfully."So Hayden's birthday isn't on the 13th of April, but today
The message was simple. It was telling her to compensate him. Avery scowled and replied, [Not tonight.]Elliot replied swiftly once the message was sent, and she could picture the rage on his face when she read his reply. [I'm not negotiating with you, I'm commanding you.]That was his reply. She stared at each of the words in his message with composure and replied. [Have you forgotten that women get menstruation? Or are you going to do it despite the blood?[Still want to?]['Are you challenging me?] Elliot replied. Avery dared not answer his question. Naturally, she would not have the courage to actually challenge him. She feared that he might actually tell her to spend the night with him despite the blood.…On the second floor of the restaurant, Elliot set his phone down when Avery did not reply. No one dared to whisper a word when he was texting. The conversation only picked up again when he set his phone down. "Mr. Foster, that lady downstairs is the CEO of Tate
The nurse walked over to the car and handed a blood sample to Rosalie. "It went smoothly?" Rosalie accepted the vial of blood in joy. The nurse nodded. "His sister was afraid of the pain, so he did the blood test to set an example for his sister. The siblings are really close." Rosalie was only interested in Hayden. Layla did not look like Elliot at all, and she had heard that Layla was the child Avery had had with another man. Even if Hayden was Elliot's son, Rosalie did not intend on accepting Avery. How would people view Elliot if they were to accept Avery, a woman who had given birth to another man's child?She placed the vial away carefully and shut the car door. The car headed toward the medical center that performed the DNA test. Once they arrived, Rosalie handed the blood samples of Elliot and Hayden to the staff. "How long until the results are out?""Usually three working days. We will inform you as soon as the results are out," said a member of the staff. Ros
There was a beautiful invitation letter on the office desk. Avery opened the envelope and glanced at the contents of the letter. It was an invitation to a summit.Mike came. He saw her holding the invitation and said, "If you don't want to go—""I'll go," she said, before opening her purse to take out her lipstick. She began fixing her makeup.Mike exclaimed, "You are provoked, aren't you? Is that your new lipstick? It is such a bright color! You usually look quite gentle, but with that, you look like a queen. Wanda would be no match for you even if she multiplied herself by ten."Once Avery was done, she placed her powder and lipstick back in her purse and looked at Mike. "Are you coming with me?""Of course. I'll be your driver."Elites of all fields had gathered for the summit. Upon Avery's arrival, she was immediately invited backstage by the organizer. "Miss Tate, we need you to give a speech later. You'll need to speak for about twenty minutes. You might want to prepa
At the summit, Mike and Chad had been arguing for over twenty minutes, and they were both exhausted. "You are being unreasonable!" said Chad readjusting his spectacles. Mike snorted. "You lose your mind every time you mention your boss. You need to do some self-reflecting! Your boss isn't your dad, why do you claim to know him?""You are the one who needs self-reflection! Why do you care who my boss invests in? Even if he did place his money on Wanda Tate, it only means that she has that sort of value! It doesn't mean that he likes her as a person!" Chad argued. "Don't call me out for drinks from now on! If you all teaming up with Wanda Tate, then it's best we don't meet again! I'm on Avery's side!" declared Mike, severing all ties with Chad. Chad's face was flushed with frustration. "Sure! Who wants to be friends with you, anyway?"After the argument, the two went on to look for their bosses. Ten minutes had passed, and Mike could still not find Avery, so he went looking f
She pursed her lips and strode toward the door. "I don't know if it means investing in Wanda," he drawled when she was at the door, "but I gave Zoe three hundred million.""Three hundred million? He gave Zoe three hundred million?!" she thought. "Wasn't it one hundred and fifty-five million?" she blurted out. He chuckled. "So you have been keeping an eye on what has happened between Zoe and I. I did give her one hundred and fifty-five million, but I gave her another one hundred and fifty-five million the day before yesterday. She had performed surgery on Shea twice, and I'm paying her seventy-five million for each operation she performed."Avery clenched her fists. Due to the surgeries, Zoe had gotten an insane amount of money from Elliot. She had given all three hundred million to Wanda. "How ironic! This is the most ironic thing I've ever seen. Nothing is as ridiculous as this, because I was the one who did those surgeries! This means that I have just given Wanda three hund
"Mommy, the nurse told Hayden to go first because I was scared of the pain. She wanted me to see that there was nothing to it," explained Layla. "Hayden only had his blood taken for my sake. He loves me!"Avery sighed at the explanation and said, "You are both so adorable and good. Mommy loves you more and more as the days go by!""Mom, we love you too!" Layla's doe-like eyes were filled with joy. Their bodyguard stood on the side and scratched his head. "Miss Tate, should I cook?""Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"The bodyguard shook his head. "It is no problem." With that, he went into the kitchen. "Mommy, that uncle cooks really well! He is making buffalo wings for us tonight." Layla grabbed Avery's hand and mumbled, "Why didn't Uncle Mike come home with you?"Avery's brows twitched, and she said, "He is busy with something, so we didn't come home together."Elliot had turned off her phone, and Mike must have gotten extremely nervous when he could not find her. She
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