Avery's secretary faced the camera and smiled. She said with an insuppressible excitement, "Good evening, everyone! Welcome to Tate Industries' live stream! I'll cut to the chase! Please give a hand and welcome our President, Miss Avery Tate!"A deafening round of applause rang out.Avery was in a V-neck evening gown. The gown exposed her perfect figure. The dress exposed her baby bump, hiding nothing!The other person that appeared on stage together with her was Eric! He helped her with her train.There was an influx of viewers the moment he appeared on screen. The viewership continued to grow.Comments kept coming in too![Back when Tate Industries was in trouble, Eric appeared and helped them! This time, Eric is in trouble and Tate Industries lends him a helping hand! I'm so touched by this friendship!][I will always remember the brands that canceled their contracts with Eric! I will never buy their products again! I will remember Tate Industries! I will be the first one to
Chad and Elliot were in the black Rolls-Royce. Chad had accepted a phone call from Mike, and when he had ended the call, he turned and looked at Elliot."Mr. Foster, Mike just called me. He invited me to a hotel to have a meal." Chad hesitated, "Do you want to come?"Elliot's expression darkened. "They didn't invite me. Why should I go?"Chad said awkwardly, "I heard that Avery had called you this morning, but she could not get through to you. Why don't… you two meet and talk? Don't pay attention to her smiles while she was on the live stream. Mike said that she was absolutely livid. I'm guessing she dressed as she did to upset you." Elliot's gaze darkened. "How do you know she did not wear it for Eric?"Chad could feel Elliot's anger, and he dared not say more.Eric was at the hotel, and he was giving a demonstration on the latest drone that came out of Tate Industries. Later, by popular demand, he sang for them too. The live stream suddenly became an online concert! Avery
Avery pushed Mike's hand away and collected her thoughts before walking up on stage. She accepted the microphone from her secretary and faced Eric.The crowd could only see her side, but they could still make out the elegant arch of her beautiful eyebrows.The intro of the song played, and they both looked at each. They gave the appearance that nothing else but the other mattered. Elliot walked to the front of the stage. The bodyguard pushed the people away from him. The atmosphere there was extremely strange!No one expected Elliot to come!The insiders had heard of the rumor that Elliot was responsible for the boycott. Therefore, his appearance there truly stumped them. They wondered why he was here, and they wanted to know if he was here to find fault with Eric or Avery? Whatever happened next would be something to watch.Mike noticed that there was something wrong with the look Elliot wore. He immediately texted Chad. [When they have finished singing, I'll take Avery away.
If Avery did not look for Elliot tonight, she would surely lose sleep. She hoped to get Eric's career back on track as soon as possible, or she would continue to lose more sleep over it.After a short moment of hesitation, she came out of her room. The children were already asleep. The entire house was silent. She could even hear her heart beating."Why am I afraid?" she thought. She was pregnant with his child. He would not harm her no matter what she said or did.The nanny and the bodyguard had left for the night. Avery drove to Elliot's mansion on her own.Forty minutes later, she had parked her car by the gate. She came out of the car. The guards saw her face clearly with the help of the streetlights and immediately opened the gates.Avery was pregnant with Elliot's child and no one dared stop her.Avery walked to the door of the mansion. Mrs. Cooper immediately came over. She helped Avery with her shoes."I can change them on my own," Avery immediately stopped her.Mrs. Co
"Why do you need to be the one to hold on to it? Are you his mother? Do you automatically feel motherly love when you see a handsome man?" snarled Elliot. Avery furrowed her brows. Her mind went blank. She knew that it was impossible to reason with him. To avoid her losing her temper and waking the others in the mansion, Avery got up and walked over to him. "Let's talk in the room."Elliot quickly got up from the sofa upon hearing what Avery said.He clutched her arm and led her to his bedroom.The moment the room door closed, Avery cut to the chase and said, "Elliot, I don't want to waste my time on you. By tomorrow, I want to see Eric's work back on the internet! You can hurt me, but you can't hurt my friends! If you think I'm threatening you, then so be it!""Are you threatening me with the child in you?" Elliot's gaze fell on her stomach. The smile she gave him was a mocking one. Avery would never do a thing to hurt the child, so it was pointless to use the child to threate
Dawn soon came.The media and other news outlets all had one topic: [Elliot Foster: I Did Not Boycott Eric Santos.]The headline was straightforward and eye-catching! Tapping the headline, one could see the entire press release. Although the article was not long, its intention was clear. Elliot pointed out that he was not familiar with Eric. He did not boycott Eric. He would not do it then, he would not do it in the future.The brands who had canceled their contracts with Eric were bewildered!"What did Elliot mean! What did he mean! Was Elliot a hypocrite?" they thought.Elliot's phone was blasted with calls and messages, but that did not affect his sleep because his phone was off. Everyone could not get to Elliot, so they called Chad instead. Chad had been drinking the night before. His head hurt terribly when he woke to the shrill ringing of his phone. He was suffering from a hangover.Who would have thought that his head would hurt even worse when he picked up the call!
"What did he say?" Elliot sat in his chair, picked up the glass of milk, and took a sip."He asked about Avery and hung up."After breakfast, Elliot went upstairs to get his phone. Chad had called him early in the morning. Something must have happened. Elliot picked his phone up and pressed the power button once. The screen did not light up as expected.He pressed the power button longer. His phone turned on. He furrowed his brows. He did not remember switching off his phone the night before. "Why is it switched off?" he thought.Once his phone booted up, a bunch of messages and missed-called notifications flooded his phone. His chest tightened, and he tapped on the messages.[Mr. Foster, have you seen the news today? I've seen it and lost all appetite for breakfast.][Mr. Foster, what is your stance on Eric Santos? I don't understand. I'm in shock.][Mr. Foster, are you not boycotting Eric anymore? Can we partner up with him again?] …After looking at the messages, Elliot
When Avery heard Elliot's voice, a chill ran down her back. "Why is he not at work? Did he wait for me to wake up?" she thought.Avery awkwardly turned around and looked at him. Elliot was in a suit, and he had a serious expression on his face. The sun shining through the window cloaked him in its light, making him look more austere and aloof."I did take your phone to send out an email," said Avery. "I'll admit that it's wrong of me to take your phone without your permission, but you did not talk to me before you boycotted Eric."Avery was willing to come clean, but that did not mean that she had regretted her actions."Avery—""What? Do you want to settle the score? I didn't agree to sleep with you! You are a thug!" said Avery as she raised her head in defiance. "If I were you, I would shut up and just let this thing go."Elliot was at a loss of words upon hearing what Avery said.Mrs. Cooper saw how they were arguing, and she immediately came over to try her best and medi
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