Cole listened to his father as though he was listening to an intoxicating story. "So, is my uncle really mentally ill?"Henry frowned and sighed. "There are different levels of severity to mental illness. Even if your uncle was ill, he had not had another episode since then. How else did he succeed afterward?""His business took off, but his love life did not. Avery divorced him and refused to hand over the custody of her children. Do you really think it's because they don't love each other? Maybe she's known about his illness the entire time and decided not to be with him!" Cole guessed.Henry considered his words thoughtfully."Dad, we already have nothing. We have nothing else to lose. Even if we side with Charlie, what exactly can Elliot do to us? I don't have any more money that he can take anymore!" Cole found his determination in desperation. "I have to work with Charlie."Henry took his glass and drank all the wine in it."Tell Charlie about this, and then what?" Henry scowled.
She felt like there could be some sort of connection between Adrian, his father, Shea and Elliot; not social connection, but biological connection.Avery was startled by her own thought.Had she been too tired lately, to come up with such a senseless idea? Aryadelle and Bridgedale were so far apart that even if Adrian's father was from Aryadelle, there was no way that he was related to the Fosters.The Fosters were so wealthy that they were untouchable in Aryadelle; though their family relations were a mess, if something did happen, Avery would have at least heard of it throughout the time she spent by Elliot's side. However, she had not heard of any rumors apart from matters concerning Shea.The car stopped in front of the mansion and she got out of the car.As soon as her feet touched the ground, she spotted an elegant figure standing by the door."Avery!" The person spotted her as well and immediately greeted.A smile appeared on Avery's face at the familiar voice.It was Ta
He had never publicized their relationship when Shea was still alive. It was a decision he made to keep her from the interference of the outside world; not even Avery understood him and thought that he hid Shea away from others' knowledge because he was ashamed of her intellectual disability.He had never once been ashamed of Shea; she would have died long ago if he felt ashamed of her.With Shea gone, he no longer had to worry about someone bothering or hurting her. Upon deciding that he would hold Shea's funeral, he started making arrangements on his own.When news got out, Hayden told Mike that he wanted to attend Shea's funeral.Mike immediately called Chad to ask if they could go."Mr. Foster is the one who drew up the guest list, you and Hayden are not on the list," Chad said in a troubled tone.Mike lifted an eyebrow. "Is Avery on it? If her name is on it, then Hayden and I will attend the funeral as her representatives.""No," Chad said directly, "he only invited some of
"I didn't hear anything about the body. What's wrong? You can't possibly be thinking of reviving her from the dead, right?" Mike's mind ran wild.Avery's head started to hurt. "I was just asking, Mike. If I can revive the dead, then no one will truly die on this earth. Don't you think that's really scary?""Oh. I didn't hear that Wesley will be coming back, so there probably won't be a body. Elliot must have gotten news that Shea was dead, though; he wouldn't have arranged a funeral otherwise.""Yeah.""Are you really not coming back? Robert is still little. You can hand him over to the nanny and come back for a short trip."Mike wanted her to attend the funeral. No matter the nature of their relationships with Elliot, they had always been close to Shea."I've failed Shea," Avery spoke her mind in a hoarse voice. "If only I realized what she was thinking earlier on, I would not never have let her do what she's done. I feel like I'm going crazy. I met a patient that has the exact
"He said that he has something to hold against you, but he won't use it thoughtlessly because he needs to reserve it for the right timing," Wanda said hastily, "as for what's the right timing that he was talking about, I have no idea. Charlie is a sly man. I haven't known him for long, so he doesn't really trust me. But we are content with our partnership so just give me more time and I will find a way to get that box back to you.""You already know that the box contains something that would post a threat to me; why would you give it back to me should you ever get your hands on the box?" Elliot said sarcastically.Wanda froze. Her mind went blank as she dazedly tried to think back to what she had just said.Why did Elliot sound as though he had been provoked?"I just wanted to know if Charlie has the box. Now that it's confirmed that he does, you are useless to me," Elliot gritted out coldly, "Wanda Tate, whatever you are plotting, I know everything."Wanda was scared senseless at
If there was one thing Elliot hated most in his life, it would be being threatened by someone.'So Charlie has something to hold against me, but won't move because he is waiting for the right time?' He thought to himself, 'ha! I won't give him the chance. If he won't act, then I'll destroy him along with the box. Even if the fire doesn't kill him, his house would be burned into ruins.'The siren of the ambulance echoed in the air through the silent night.In Starry River Villa, Hayden had been woken up by the noises, and was shocked when he saw the sky painted with red.He crawled down the bed and stepped towards the door in the dark, before opening it and walking towards Mike's room.Mike had just fallen deeply asleep and had not noticed all the noises on the outside."The sky is red." Hayden pointed outside the window to show Mike.Mike rubbed his eyes and saw what was happening outside, so he took out his phone to check the news."A fire broke out in a residential building i
Mike summarized the incident in simple wordings and sent it to Avery while attaching a photo of Elliot that he took in secret along with the message.It was ten at night in Bridgedale. Avery had just gotten into bed and had yet to fall asleep.When she saw the message Mike sent, she tried to picture the reason behind Elliot's action, but her lack of imagination left her helpless in figuring out why he would suddenly attack the Tierney siblings.'If it was done to seek revenge from Chelsea for causing me to go into delivery early, why would he burn Charlie's apartment down, and why did he choose to do so at such a time?''There has to be something else that happened between him and the Tierney siblings.''Had it been any time in the past, I might have confronted Elliot to ask him what happened between them, but I no longer have the energy for that.''Taking care of the three children has taken up eighty percent of my time, and what little was left is reserved for treating Adrian's
As Wanda was leaving, Charlie's eyes were filled with resentment and tears.'I'm not dead yet! How dare Wanda look down on me?!' He thought, ' it's bad enough that Elliot doesn't consider me his rival. Who does Wanda think she is to look down on me?'At the memorial service, personal belongings that represented Shea were carried onto the car after the ceremony and they were meant to be buried next to Rosalie's grave.The rest of the guests headed towards the hotel for the lunch service; Mike was about to take the children to the hotel as well, but noticed that both Layla and Hayden were staring at Elliot, who was about to deliver Shea's belongings to the graveyard."He is going to the graveyard. Do you two want to go with him?" Mike asked.Hayden nodded and Layla copied his motion."Alright! Let's go with him, then." With that, Mike took them along with him and headed towards the graveyard.The graveyard was surrounded by mountains and the temperature was extremely chilling.On
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